by CC Solomon
“You should already have them here.”
“Right, but I’ve been using this as one of my base camps. Teleporting between continents takes a lot more energy than between towns.”
We were interrupted by a knock at the door.
Phillip tilted his head and then made a come-hither motion with his finger, psychically opening the room door.
“Bloody show off,” I heard Ed’s voice before I even saw him.
I jumped up and squealed. I hadn’t realized how much I missed the sound of his thick Irish accent.
As soon as I saw him, I raced over and gave the man a tight hug. “I missed you.”
He wrapped his arms around me. “Aww, I missed you, too, darlin’.”
“Every time you see him, you get excited. Yet I don’t get so much as a handshake,” Phillip muttered.
“Oi. Did you forget about me?” a female voice called from behind him.
I let go of Ed and opened my arms to the short-haired brunette. “Mercy.”
She gave me a tight embrace. “I was surprised at how much I missed you.”
I wasn’t sure how to take that but decided it couldn’t hurt to just accept it as a good thing.
“So, what have you all been up to? Where have you gone?”
Ed and Mercy walked further inside the room. “My mate, Phil, and I have been traveling and gathering soldiers. We even went to Iceland.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Iceland? I thought it went under with the vampire infestation?”
“We got word a while ago that there was a community outside Reykjavik. And we found them. Phil and a couple of the Galway witches went and did some healing and helping. They agreed to support us.”
I looked to Phillip. “You’ve been doing good,” I surmised.
He shrugged. “We all have.”
“You more so than me.”
“Well, I didn’t have anyone at home to play house with either, so what else did I have to do.”
I glared at him. “Speaking of, I really need to get back. I’m so sorry, guys.”
“But you just got here,” Mercy exclaimed.
“She has to go back to her mate before he goes crazy,” Phillip explained with a smirk.
“Bring the bloke here,” Ed suggested. “We’ll have a few drinks and show him an enjoyable time.”
Phillip huffed like a little child. “But I don’t want him here. This is my happy place.” He threw his hands out to his sides, referencing the space.
I shook my head slowly at him. “Oh, my God, you are such a baby.” I turned to the others. “Maybe another time then.”
“Fine,” Phillip shouted before snapping his fingers.
Seconds later, Erik materialized in front of us looking dazed and very confused.
“Fuck,” he roared at the room.
“Erik!”
He spun around to face me, eyes focusing. “Where the hell are we?”
“You’re in Ireland, mate,” Ed replied with an amused look.
Erik frowned, turning slightly to him. “Why am I here?” he growled.
“Philip saved me when Raya attacked me. She bit me and sliced up my back,” I explained.
“What? That’s how she got like that? We thought she was dead.”
“Nope, didn’t kill her. And you’re welcome. Amina is fine now,” Phillip stated, crossing his arms as he sat down.
Mercy flopped down on the bed next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. She’d always had a thing for Phillip. Sadly, I didn’t think the feelings were mutual, but he did genuinely care for her.
“He’s really cute,” she whispered, eyeing Erik. Maybe she was getting over Phillip, but it couldn’t be with Erik.
“I think Raya’s infected or on the magic drug,” I stated as Erik walked behind me to look at the back of my now shredded dress where Raya clawed me. “Phillip came and got me out of there before I had to do something that Seth might kill me for doing.”
Erik looked up and over to him. “Thank you,” he said to Phillip before turning back to me.
“What happened to Raya?”
“She’s resting. I found her and got Carter to help me get her out of there. We didn’t need Seth finding out. He’d either kill her for getting infected or attack you for fighting her. Charles glamoured her, so she won’t remember the fight.”
“Let me get this right, this Seth fella would automatically kill anyone who shows signs of this paranormal sickness?” Ed asked, leaning against the dresser. “What kind of leader is he?”
“He isn’t,” Phillip replied, glancing at me. “Tell me again how I was worse than Seth?”
“You ripped someone’s tongue out and tried to get Erik to stab himself in the eye,” I answered, dryly. “We don’t need to compare.”
“You said Raya bit you?” Erik questioned in a low voice.
“Yeah, that bitch took a chunk out of my ar—” I stopped. She bit me. A werewolf bit me. A bite from a were could cause that unlucky person to become a were as well, if the were that bit them stayed alive. Raya was still alive.
“I should have killed her,” Phillip whispered, but we all heard him.
“When’s the next full moon?”
“You have a couple of weeks,” Erik replied, looking over to me with concern. He must have known what I was thinking.
“Are you going to be a werewolf, Amina?” Mercy asked, sitting upright.
“No, she’s not,” Phillip answered on my behalf. “I healed her, and hopefully, any Were infection.”
“But we won’t know that until the next full moon,” Ed stated. “If she doesn’t change, she’ll be okay.”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” I said, covering my mouth with my hand and sitting down on the bed. “I need a drink, is it too early to drink here?”
“It’s one in the morn’ on a Sunday, darlin’. Not too late or early to get pissed if ya like,” Ed replied with a smile. “We were out earlier with Phil here before he got all twitchy and teleported away, now we know it was to rescue you. We came back here to check on him.”
Mercy jumped up. “Let’s get plastered,” she exclaimed, heading to the door.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Erik cautioned us in an even voice.
I stood up. “Oh, it is a good idea. I need to drink something. Now”
“Oh, she’s two sheets to the wind, she is,” Mercy observed, sitting across from me in the town pub.
Galway town was an established paranormal and regular human community situated near the water. It was comprised of repurposed shops, businesses, pubs, hotels, and housing. The community was smaller than Hagerstown and Silver Spring, with a little over a thousand people. However, as word of mouth grew in Ireland of Galway’s safety, more and more people showed up to help expand the community. There was a mayor, and the town seemed to run in harmony between the various groups.
Nightlife was limited, with only a couple of pubs and restaurants that remained open late on Saturdays. Only one pub stayed open past midnight. By closing time, my vision was no longer clear and I was suddenly very exhausted.
“I’m not cut out to be a werewolf,” I announced, slurring my words, as the five of us headed back to the hotel a few blocks away. “The pain of changing, killing things with my teeth, going all full moon controlled. It’s just not my calling.”
“Is it anyone’s?” Erik asked, steadying me by the arm.
He was completely sober, but then again, as a male and a were, he had a much higher alcohol tolerance than me. He tried several attempts throughout the night to move drinks away from me, but I shot him glares, and he easily gave in. I was very sure he felt some type of guilt from the attack since it was technically about him. I didn’t even have to say anything for him to figure that out. He clearly knew Raya had feelings for him and that she didn’t care he chose me as his mate.
“You are cut out for this,” I rambled on. “You were military and then a bodyguard. You’ve got tough guy written all over you.
I was just a law student before the world went to shit. I barely exercised.” I stopped walking and turned to Ed, who was strolling behind me. “Ed, you would be a great werewolf. You’re tough.”
“I think I would make a good wolf,” Ed replied, his words also slurring slightly. “Who’s this Raya? Is she a fine thing? Tell her she can bite me anytime.”
I nodded, and my brain knocked around in my skull, at least that’s how it felt. “I’ll tell her.”
“I’m shattered. I could sleep ‘til Monday,” Mercy muttered, clutching Phillip’s arm, who’d given up shaking her off some time ago. “Since Mina has her man, you should come home with me.”
“Oh my God,” I shouted.
“What?” Mercy hollered. “You have a beautiful man right next to you. Can’t I have this one?” She pressed closer to Phillip.
“I’m not a piece of meat,” Phillip replied in an exaggerated tone, touching his chest in mock offense.
I frowned. “I’m not talking about that. I was bitten.”
“We’ve established that,” Phillip said in a deadpan tone, lowering his eyelids. “Seriously, you have no tolerance whatsoever.”
“No. Raya bit me; she could be infected if my magic drug hypotenuse is wrong.”
“Do you mean hypothesis?”
“Shut up.”
“What the hell?”
“We don’t know how this paranormal illness is spreading, but I’d think a bite just might do it.”
“Shit.” Phillip stopped walking. “Maybe I healed you of the infection too.”
My eyes widened. “Can you do that? We haven’t been able to heal anyone else.”
“I can only hope. If you start growing warts and using dark, sacrificial magic, then I would assume not.”
“I hate you.” I kicked my leg out at Phillip but lost my balance. Erik caught me and picked me up in his arms like I was some damsel in distress.
“You’ll be fine,” he muttered. “Other than having a hangover in the morning.”
I laid my head on his shoulder, exhausted, drunk, and even more scared. And, like the tough woman I was becoming, I passed out.
The next morning my head exploded.
Well, not literally.
I rolled to the side of the bed and sat up. That was a mistake, so I laid back down and closed my eyes until the dizziness and pounding went away. When I opened my eyes again, a hand holding a glass of a blue colored drink hovered above me.
“Take this. Phillip said it’ll cure you of your hangover. Some potion he made,” Erik muttered.
I took it and sniffed the liquid, then moved it away from my face. “It smells like burnt feet,” I replied, scrunching my face.
“Well, Ed vouched that it works, and I tried it. I’m still alive, so it’s safe.”
“I knew it would be safe. Phillip wouldn’t hurt me.”
Erik scowled.
“That’s a good thing.”
“Drink.”
I stuck out my lower lip. I felt like I’d been kicked in the head by a giant troll, so I shouldn’t have fought it, but the smell was gag worthy.
“Hold your nose and drink up.” Erik sat down on the edge of the bed and gave me an exasperated look, scratching his beard.
“You don’t seem very sympathetic.”
“No one told you to drink that much. Or that fast.” He tousled my hair lightly, and for the first time, I noticed he wasn’t wearing the tailored blue suit he’d worn to the wedding the night before. Instead, he had on a gray sweater and dark jeans. I looked around. We were in a hotel room, and therefore, probably still in Galway.
“Thanks for making my hair frizzier. Where’d you find clothes?”
“Ed let me borrow some.”
I looked down at myself. I was now wearing an oversized T-shirt I assumed was Ed’s as well. All I had was a tattered dress, and Mercy was much skinnier than me, so I’d have to find clothes elsewhere.
“We got you clothes, now drink up,” Erik urged.
I raised an eyebrow, still shaken we could read each other’s thoughts now. I inhaled and drank down the thick blue liquid in as few sips as I could. When I finished, I gagged and handed the glass to Erik, who put it down on the bedside table.
As disgusting as the liquid was, I was already beginning to feel better. My headache eased, my stomach settled, and my energy started to return. I’d have to get the potion ingredients from Phillip. Not that it would matter if I died from the infection Raya probably gave me. Or turned into a werewolf. Were mammals didn’t get hangovers.
I settled back against the headboard and hung my head.
“Look at me, babe,” Erik stated, leaning towards me.
I lifted my head and stared at him.
He moved smushed curly hair away from my face. I imagined my hair looked like an actual bird’s nest but tried not to think of it.
“I’m sorry this happened to you. I’ve talked to Raya before. I told her I was in love with you. Maybe I wasn’t convincing enough for her. But I’m sorry I put you in a position to even have to fight her. I don’t believe you’ll become a werewolf. Phillip,” Erik said his name like it was painful, “probably got to you in time and healed you. Magic is the only thing that works against a wolf bite, so it’s a high probability that you’ll be fine. And if you become a werewolf, we’ll work through it. We’ll be a canine family.” He smiled at that.
I didn’t want to be a were at all. I’d always thought I’d lucked out at being a life mage. If I wanted to, I could ignore my powers all together and remain the same old Amina I was almost ten years ago. Heck, I sure looked like I was still in my early twenties. Many other humans who became paranormal had to change their whole lifestyle to accommodate their new selves. I thought of my brother and how sad he seemed as he spoke about becoming a vampire.
Being a werewolf would be scary, however, being infected would be the end for me.
Phillip could possibly stop the were strain from spreading in me, but could he stop a new paranormal illness? Would it affect him since we were soulmates? We still didn’t understand anything about that.
I slid down on the bed, and Erik grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me up as if I weighed nothing. I grumbled at him.
“Get up, woman. It’s almost noon, and we’ve got to get home.”
“You’re right. Phillip and I have got to heal Ella.”
We teleported home, and it indeed did take a lot more energy.
Ella had yet to arrive. It was still early morning back home. However, hours passed and still no Ella. By the afternoon, I grew concerned.
“We need to go to Seth’s and tell her to come back,” I stated to Erik.
“We should give it more time,” Erik replied from the kitchen where we stood watching Brandon read a book in the living room.
“She’s probably strung out.”
“All the more reason why we don’t need her rushing back like that in front of Brandon.”
By nightfall, I went from annoyed to angry to downright worried.
Johnson agreed to watch Brandon, and Erik and I went to the penthouse to question Seth.
A thin woman with a short black bob, answered the door to one of his apartments, eyes wide with surprise. She was one of Seth’s wives, and I saw her around him the least. She was typically in the kitchen cooking. “Erik, Amina. What a surprise.”
“Hey, Mai, do you know if Ella is here?” Erik asked.
Mai raised her eyebrows. “Ella? No. I haven’t seen her since this morning. She was headed to pick up Brandon.”
“Yeah, well she didn’t show,” I said, agitation growing. Something wasn’t right. I could feel an ickiness, for lack of a better word, emanating from inside Seth’s apartment. “You sure you don’t know where she is?”
Mai’s eyes moved to the left quickly before focusing back on us. “No. I’m sorry. I’m cooking something, and I don’t want it to burn. I’ll let Seth know you asked about her. Please keep us posted. She’s supposed to join our
family, and we wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.” She closed the door.
I looked to Erik, who put a finger up to his lips. We returned to our apartment in silence, not getting Brandon just yet.
Erik closed the door behind him. “She’s lying. I could smell it. Ella could still be strung out, and she was covering for her or something else.”
“What’s the something else?” I questioned. “Do you think she ran off or Seth hurt her?”
Erik looked at me but didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. It was clear he believed something foul happened to Ella, and I had to agree.
Chapter 15
I didn’t know where I was exactly. It appeared to be a restaurant. There were white walls holding bright, colorful artwork, and the space held several rows of light wooden tables and chairs. A hostess stand and long bar were to my left, matching the dining furniture.
Ahead of me and the length of the wall on my right, daylight shone through open, tall windows framed by white shutters. Through those windows, I could see more tables and chairs on a front patio area, and a beach and blue ocean not too far off. Back inside the restaurant, I took a tentative seat down at a table closest to the bar area.
Why was I here? Where were the others? Where was anyone?
“I only wanted you here,” said a male voice from behind me. His voice was deep and accented. Perhaps African, but I couldn’t tell which region.
I turned and saw a tall man standing in the doorway. He wore well-tailored black slacks and a black dashiki with intricate red and golden embroidery around the collar and sleeves. His hair was in short, curly, twists, and he had a perfectly trimmed mustache connected to a goatee. He was deep brown in color, and his eyes were so dark they looked black and endless. He couldn’t have been older than his thirties, but there was something very ancient and wise in his eyes.
“Gedeyon,” I whispered.
He smiled. “Amina,” he replied, suddenly sitting in front of me.
I scooted back. “Shit.” This had to be a dream. I really hoped it was a dream.
“I did not mean to frighten you.” He grinned, exposing the brightest, most perfect, white teeth I had ever seen.