by Maira Dawn
He walked to the ledge and stood, looking down on the open ocean below, the bright moon now illuminating both him and the water. His face was calm, though interested as he watched the body bounce against the rocky cliff here and there, disturbing the soil, where it hit.
Small rocks and stones fell along with the body, some going ahead of it and some pelting it as they fell. At last, the body hit the water, making what seemed like a small splash from this great height. It took a moment to resurface, then immediately moved with the rhythm of the water as the tide made its way out to the deeper, darker ocean.
The dark-haired man turned and closed the tailgate of the black truck, pulling on it once to make sure it was secure before he got in the driver's side. Once in the cab, he pulled at the rear-view mirror, aligning it so he could make sure his dark hair was still in place. It was windy along the sea today, and he didn't want to appear tousled when he arrived at home.
He put the truck in gear and drove with care down the walking path. Though they had not made it for a vehicle, it was broad enough for one, and the man had always considered it the best way to dispose of the bodies.
He would've liked more time with this one. After all this time, he’d been onto something that could help humankind. He shook his head. It seemed no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find what he needed.
The man's jaw tightened, and his lip curled. Abominations are what he called them, and he loathed them. His disgust for their kind ran deep, and he was sure any atrocities he committed against them were not only acceptable but also justified.
After all, they weren't human; even they didn't deny that. If just one of them would admit what they really were… but no, they believed they were better, stronger, and smarter than men.
His breath became raspy as his hands tightened in anger, his knuckles whitening on the steering wheel as he recalled their arrogance. He'd worked his whole life to show them who the superior species was, and yet, they were moronic enough, they still didn't grasp the situation.
How many bodies did it take?
Each body was a message, a warning for the rest of their kind. A message that said, we are still here, and we are coming for you.
He imagined them finding this one. By the time it reached them, he wondered how much would be left and if they would recognize who it was. He hoped so. He hoped the tattoo was still intact when it got there.
His jaw was so tight, his teeth ground together. He wanted them to know.
His emotions steadied as he drove onto the road and reached into his pocket for a list of groceries his wife gave him that morning. He held the note up and scanned it as he drove, recognizing the items as the ingredients in his favorite dinner. His stomach growled as if eager for his first taste of it.
His wife often did small things to make his life easier and more enjoyable, and he appreciated her efforts. He did his best to make sure she understood just how grateful he was that she even tried—so many wives didn't anymore.
Yes, he always made sure she knew just how much he appreciated her, whether she liked it or not.
Ten
Lights
Chapter Ten
Sonora leaned over the front of the bike. How could there be so many lights? A science compound? He was a scientist then! That could explain a lot. But a kidnapping scientist? Sonora huffed. A million things had gone through her mind while being dragged from her side of the ocean to his. She didn't know what she had expected, but she knew it hadn't been this.
As they got closer she stood, trying to take it all in until the man put a hand to her waist and pulled Sonora back to the seat. With wide eyes over the wonder of what she saw, Sonora turned to look at him only to see his happy grin. She pointed at the city, glancing at it and back at him. The man nodded and chuckled.
Sonora turned back to the city, leaning as far forward as he would let her. It was like a snow globe, a giant beautiful snow globe. A delicate latticework grid made up the dome and sparkled like gold, allowing water to pass through the lattice.
They passed through the front gate which had a filigree so fine Sonora wondered how it stood, yet it took two strong men to open it. The metal on the gate made a vine pattern shining silver with various colored stones. Sonora blinked. Could they be precious gems?
Sonora's eyes darted so quickly she felt dizzy. A large town or a small city? Who cared? There were short and tall buildings of every color of the sea, round and square sitting hodgepodge side by side along narrow roads, but they fit together seamlessly. Sonora's gaze lifted to the highest one, a tower that rose above them all, keeping watch, she imagined. When the pod of what Sonora would now call watch-fish swam up to it and whistled for a treat, she knew she was right.
The whole place had an old-world feel to it; like it was a colorful, historic European city lost at sea. Though to say it was an old-world England or France would have been wrong because there was an overall look unique to itself.
Sonora's eyes sparkled as she traced the upside-down waterfalls of small bubbles racing out of the homes like chimney smoke only to drift around the enclosure until they burst at the top wherever they hit a bar in the grid.
People were out. Some swimming, others in various water vehicles. Most gave the man a friendly wave, and Sonora a curious stare. As if she wouldn't have known by their size, none of them wore a regulator, leaving no doubt this was truly a city of his people. One man like him was quite enough, she wasn't sure she could handle a whole town.
But her nerves started to fade, making way for curiosity, but they now came back full force. The man pulled over at the base of the tallest tower, stopped the bike and gestured for her to follow him. Sonora gulped. There was nowhere to run, or swim rather, now. She trailed behind him, her heart thumping in her chest. Sonora looked up at the tall building. Was this his home?
When Sonora slowed, the man turned and waved her forward, taking her hand. Sonora huffed. This man would pull her through the whole ocean like a disobedient child.
Neighbors looked on, some with amusement, some with what seemed like disgust. Was kidnapping that frequent that they gave it this little reaction? Maybe one of the people who'd had an adverse reaction would help her.
When they got past the light-blue outer wall of the building, the man pulled Sonora in front of him and gave her a small push. She started to float upward, then broke the surface of the water.
Looking down, Sonora saw him hanging back, most likely to give her some space in the narrow tube. She scoffed. He was so big he probably just about jammed it up.
Sonora lifted her head from the water and scanned the inside of the building. It was a living space, a masculine living room reminiscent of something between Jules Verne and upper-class Titanic.
Sonora started to pull off her face-mask and stopped. She shook her head. But he had to have sent her up because it was oxygen. Sonora pushed her goggles up and spit out her regulator, taking a small breath. Yes, oxygen. She shook off her tank and vest, hopped up on the floor and dragged her gear up onto the tile too.
She crouched on the floor beside the water portal. He was coming.
Sonora scrambled backward, the wet floor working against her as she did so. She fell once before gaining traction.
It took the man only a second to hoist himself up onto the floor. While some would have appreciated the show of rippling muscle as he did so, Sonora felt the threat in it.
Eleven
Questions
Chapter Eleven
Sonora gasped and continued backing up until she smacked into a wall behind her. It put a sizable space between them, but it still wasn't enough. "Stay away from me! Don't touch me!" Her frightened voice sounded loud in the quiet room.
When the man spoke, his voice was deep and as fluid as the water surrounding them. He had a touch of accent Sonora couldn't identify. "I will not touch you if you do not want."
"I don't want! Do you hear me? I don't want!" She held her hands out in front of her as she backed fu
rther away.
He raised his hands in surrender. "I hear you.”
Sonora held one hand up to keep the man at bay. Her shoulders lost some of their tension as she demanded answers to the questions that had tumbled through her mind since she'd woken up on the ocean floor. "Who are you, and what is this place?"
"My name is Caspian, though most call me Ian." He threw out his hand. "And this is my home."
Sonora sighed as she took in the two overstuffed chairs calling to her tired body. Floor to ceiling wooden shelves lined panel walls on both sides of a huge antique inlaid wood desk, haphazardly organized with books and mementos she itched to explore.
Further into the room sitting past two marble columns, an iron chandelier hung over an equally antique dining room table and chairs. Everything in here had aged beautifully, and even Sonora's inexperienced eye told her each piece would be worth thousands of dollars in her hometown.
Sonora dismissed it all. She wanted answers. "Why did you bring me here?"
"You needed help."
"You need help, kidnapping people like that. Nice people don't do that!"
Although Sonora waited for an answer, Ian stood there without an argument either way. She continued, "You can't just keep me here, you know. I have a family. They will be looking for me."
"I know." Ian studied her as he rubbed his stubbled chin. "That isn't usually a problem."
Sonora's eyes grew wide. "Not usually a problem? Like when you've kidnapped all the other girls?"
In an instant a scowl covered Ian’s face. He stepped toward Sonora and barked, "I haven’t—“
Sonora's gaze darted around the room, looking for somewhere to run. There was only the portal to the water. She threw her hand up as she stared dismally at it. She wouldn't last five minutes out there.
Ian shook his head and moved back to where he'd been. "I have kidnapped no other girls."
"Oh, so it's just me?" Sonora crossed her arms. "I mean, you had a regulator and tank which you clearly don't need so…"
Ian sighed. "Yes, it's just you."
"Why?"
Ian shook his head and clamped his jaw shut.
Sonora's voice trembled. "You could've just taken me to the surface. Instead, you dragged me all the way here. Wherever here is. So I ask again, why did you bring me here?"
"I did not mean to." Ian hesitated. "Not today. Not like this." He reached out a hand trying to bridge the space between them but dropped it when Sonora flinched away. She swiped at the tears threatening to fall. Ian turned to a large picture window looking over the small city in the deep ocean. "I think that is something we should discuss later."
Sonora stiffened. "No, I want to know now. Why did you bring me here?"
Ian shot an intense grey-eyed look over his shoulder. One meant to break her insistence. Sonora shuddered, sure that it had stopped more than one man in his tracks. She looked at the floor before glancing back up the man. His gaze softened as it lingered on her.
Sonora blushed. If he thought anything would happen between them, he was dead wrong.
Eyes still trained on Sonora, Ian said, "My people, unlike yours, do not lie. So I can tell you the answer, but you are not ready. And I do not think you will like it."
Sonora raised a hand to her stomach. Why couldn’t she look away from this man? His boldness almost took her breath away. When Ian returned his gaze to the ocean, Sonora blew out a sigh of relief.
She'd read that it was good to tell your kidnapper about yourself. It seemed like he was eager to talk, so that's what she'd do. But for both their sake's she changed her line of questioning.
"This is your home. Are all those out there also homes?" Sonora took a couple steps to the side and pointed out the window where warm-colored lamps lit up the streets and buildings.
Ian’s relief at the change of topic was clear as he eagerly answered her question. "Homes, government buildings, play areas for children, similar to what you have."
"Are you scientists then? Like a community of scientists?"
Ian chuckled. "No, not scientists."
Sonora moved to run her hand down his beautifully crafted wood desk. It was old, so old she had never seen anything like it other than the movies.
"Where did you get your beautiful furniture?"
"From your junk."
Sonora raised a brow, scanning the room. "All this?"
"Yes, all of this." Ian gestured to the other homes. "All of us. You throw out a lot. We salvage and take care of it. These furnishings can almost last forever if you take care of them."
Sonora frowned. "Why do you keep saying 'you' and 'us’?”
"We aren't from the air."
"The air?"
"Up there. Land."
Sonora stumbled over her words. Did he mean what she thought he meant? "So you—all of you—have always lived here?"
"Yes, for generations."
Sonora put a hand to her cheek. "Are you... human?"
"Pretty much, though most hate to admit it."
"Pretty much? What does that mean? Do you have gills? Do you grow a tail?" Sonora's eyes roamed over him, looking for any signs she may have missed.
Ian looked offended. "Who do you think I am? The little mermaid?"
Sonora gasped, and she took two small steps toward him. "You know about the little mermaid?"
A small smile played on his lips. "Where do you think she came from?"
Sonora's mind reeled. Could the little mermaid actually be real? For some reason, this gave her real joy. She started to ask another question but he interrupted, "How about food? I am always hungry."
Sonora looked up at him. A man that size, she bet he was. He probably never stopped eating.
He turned toward the dining room. "Are you hungry? I think you need something to eat."
Sonora sputtered, "No, I don't want something to eat. I have, like, a zillion questions. And I can decide for myself when I'm hungry."
He stopped and sent his eyes upward. "Two."
"Two what?" Her eyes wrinkled in confusion.
He folded his arms. "Two more questions, and then we eat."
"You're just hungry and want to eat. I'm fine. I want answers is what I want." Sonora huffed and took a couple of steps closer to him.
"You are quite insistent for such a small one," he said, taking a step of his own.
"I'm not that small! Not for—for Air people. You're just overgrown."
Ian laughed. "We do not call you Air people. We call you humans."
Sonora put a hand on her hip and tipped her head. "Well, that seems rather strange as you just told me you are human too."
Ian scowled. "We are better than human."
"Better? Okay. Wow." It was hard to know what to say to such blatant prejudice.
Ian looked uncomfortable for a moment before grabbing her hand. "Come eat."
Sonora reeled back, pulling away from him. "Hey, no touching! Remember the no touching!"
Ian dropped her hand. Still unsure of him, Sonora backed up and returned to her original spot. "I'm not hungry, I want—“ she stopped as her stomach interrupted her with a loud growl.
Twelve
Tell Me About
Chapter Twelve
A smile lit up Ian's face. "Fine then, we eat now." He turned toward the kitchen. His stomach had been protesting since before they arrived home.
"Hey!" The girl rushed after Ian and stopped for a moment at the archway, scanning the room. Ian watched her. Much would seem familiar, but some were unique to his culture.
Her gaze zeroed in on him. "Two more questions!"
Ian sighed, he'd hoped she would forget. He looked longingly at the food-keeper. Having a woman would be an adjustment. Yet, Ian was happy, so happy, that her big blue eyes weren't still filled with tears. It had crushed him, knowing she must be terrified. Ian hadn't meant to steal her away today. His plan had been to somehow slowly woo her. But the rogue wave came, and the oxygen tank was there, and she needed it. Then someho
w it was all done. The woman stayed strong through it all, and it warmed him to her. She belonged here. Ian smiled, giving his permission. "Two more."
She blinked, then asked, "So, you live here full time?"
"Full time? My entire life? Yes, I was born here." Maybe if he kept his answers short, this wouldn't take so long.
"Wow, born here." The woman peered out the window into the ocean. "But you have been above the water, right? You go up there too?"
"Yes, I have." Ian clapped his hands and moved further into the kitchen. There, that was done.
She protested. "Hey wait, I didn't mean for that to be my second question!"
Ian spun around, and she smacked into his chest. She gave a little squeak, then turned and ran back the way she'd come.
Concern overcame Ian. "I will not hurt you. I would never hurt you."
The young woman crossed her arms as she eyed him as if unsure that was the case, "Oh yeah, well, out there..."
Ian quickly considered the past few hours. Yes, she was delicate, but he had been careful with her. He looked her over. There were no bruises, but she was still afraid of him. "Did I hurt you?"
Her gaze drifted away, then back, her face full of suspicion. "No…"
Ian ignored the doubtful face, instead playing the dutiful host. "What would satisfy you? Lobster, swordfish?"
The girl’s face scrunched in horror. "You eat them? They are part of your, well—world!" She moved her hand in a circle. "Don't you have a, I don't know, a kinship with them?"
Ian chuckled. She amused him. "You have some peculiar notions. Do you have a kinship with cows and chickens?"
"Oh, yeah. Uh, I get it." She turned away as her face pinked. "Well. I guess lobster?"
As Ian started cooking, the woman hovered. He had hoped by now she would offer her name, but he she was still far from being comfortable. Although intensely curious about what Ian did, she made sure to stay outside of his reach.