Dread

by J G Jerome

  Jessica thinks to herself, ‘Holy shit! These fuckers are trying to kill everyone. I wouldn’t be surprised if their lieutenant leaves them in the ocean. Okay, time to put this party to bed.’ She pulls two more pens and hands one to Marigold.

  3 - Sunset party

  Our party continues to traipse towards the west-facing dock. We roll out pads and blankets on the wooden dock, and what little clothing we are wearing comes off.

  “Jesus!” Eileen exclaims.

  Myra explains as she bares her sexy flesh, “Eileen, clothing is optional. As in we don’t wear it if we don’t have to. We’ve rented the whole island, so we don’t have to. The coverups were to avoid sunburn or to avoid making the staff uncomfortable.”

  Kristina laughs, “After all they’ve seen, I don’t think we need to worry about them. I think Arista is hoping to leave with us.”

  Supreet says, “You’ve been traveling in that, Eileen. Maybe you’d like to rinse off. I’m sure one of the ladies would loan you a wrap if you don’t want to show us your goodies all evening.”

  I tell her, “I’ve seen your tight little body, Eileen. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

  Eileen responds, “Maybe before you broke me in half. I healed okay, but I’m not like I was before. I’m in terrible shape, Jack.”

  Kristina says, “I don’t know. I’d love on you.”

  Trina says, “Me, too!”

  Myra adds, “Yep!”

  Daphne, Geri, Sherrine, Megan, and Marisol are nodding vigorously.

  Liesl asks Supreet, “What do you think?”

  Supreet says, “I’ve gotten pretty open minded. She’s definitely pretty enough.”

  “I think so too,” responds Liesl.

  “I’d do you,” says L’liana with a saucy wink.

  Erica adds, “No doubt. I’ll come hold you right now. We can just start with some light petting to get you warmed up.”

  Erica sidles up next to her as Eileen throws her hands up.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I’m straight,” protests Eileen.

  Megan pipes up, “Myra, what does mom like to say? Oh yeah, ‘so is spaghetti until it’s wet.’ That’s it.” Everyone roars with laughter.

  Eileen is seriously flustered. I know from personal experience that is not a good thing, and I have the scar to prove it. Everyone calms down as she prepares her thoughts.

  Finally, Eileen says, “Okay, I need someone to explain this to me. I thought you all belonged to Jack.”

  Everyone starts talking at once until Myra raises her hand and barks, “Cease!” Everyone goes deathly quiet as Myra is normally so congenial. Then she says, “Wow! That worked well. I need to put that in my toolbox.” We all laugh at that, even Eileen.

  It’s the first time I’ve seen Eileen laugh in nearly five years. It’s definitely a sight worth pursuing. I tell her, “I haven’t seen you do that in way too long, Eileen.”

  “What?” she asks curiously.

  “Laugh.” She sobers immediately, and it looks like she’s about to do something I’ve never seen her do - cry.

  Erica wraps her in a side embrace and snaps, “Not now, Jack.”

  “Right,” Myra says with a cross look at me. “Eileen, let me explain the landscape. This is a bit of a state secret, so I’ll need your assurance this won’t show up in any reports.” Myra looks at Eileen pointedly and waits for an acknowledgement.

  Eileen sniffs and nods, “Okay.”

  Trina interrupts, “Myra let me do this, please.” Myra nods, and Trina starts in, “To start with, other than you and Erica, no one here is human. Most of us are a race called Sidhe. Some are from Goblin races, Elven races, Verdic people, and yet others are hybrids.” Members of the various races raise their hands as she calls them off.

  “Solange recently described Sidhe to Erica as ‘meta-humans.’ I think that is a nicely accurate summary statement. Jack, Sera, and Selene are all Verdic people - another kind of meta-human. Sidhe look like humans, but we are faster, stronger, and we have certain innate abilities. We also live longer, and we tend to be very pretty.” She points at all the Sidhe, as they raise their hands again.

  “Verdic people” - we raise our hands again to assist with the lesson - “tend to blend in to look like who they breed with. Does that sound right, Jack?” L’liana, Jessica, and I are all nodding. “Selene and Sera look like Sidhe because they are Verdic descendents of Sidhe. Jack looks more like a standard human because most of his genetic code is human. The Verdic can and do breed with any of the people races. Their speed and strength is dependent upon the races of their parents. Jack is faster and stronger than an average human, but probably still in the range of a top athlete. Like the Sidhe, the Verdic also have abilities. They can actually create lifeforms with their powers. We refer to all of these beings collectively as Fae. In short, everything you’ve heard about in a fairy tale is based on fact. Just not necessarily the facts you read in books and fairy tales. You need to wrap your brain around that because it sets the stage for the rest of this. Okay?”

  Eileen is looking at me pointedly as she says, “Okay.”

  Erica lightens the mood a bit, “Don’t worry, Honey. Another human here, protecting you from the vile sexual predation of the Fae.” Everyone chuckles as Erica caresses Eileen’s back.

  Trina continues. “Myra and I grew up together and became lovers at age 16. We fell in love. Despite her being a slut with every available man and some of the females growing up, she and I have grown very close over the years.”

  Myra takes over, “I really am a slut.” More chuckles. “I met Jack on a plane as I was returning from a business meeting last November. I fell for him immediately. I mean right there as he was putting my bag in the bin on the airplane. Three days later, I married him. Since I was the crown princess of the Winter Court of the Sidhe, some innate magic happened. As a result, I am now the Queen of all the Fae races, or the ‘Faerie Queen’ if you prefer.”

  Trina comes back, “Just so you understand, a Sidhe, Elven, or as we’ve learned a Verdic wedding includes the exchange of tokens of flesh. That means literally taking a bite of your betrothed’s flesh.” Eileen balks at that. “Goblins and Dwarves generally don’t do that, but the magic works for the Goblins and a certain clan of the Dwarves, too.”

  Kristina chips in, “It’s because we’re so heavily diluted with genetics from the Sidhe and Elves.”

  Trina continues, “Furthermore, if someone loves someone in such a way that they want to be owned by that person, it can be done via giving a flesh token. I mean literally and legally owned. In that case, the owner takes a bite of the owned to seal the contract.”

  Eileen says, “What?” Everyone nods and we all point to our bite marks. She gasps.

  I pitch in at this point, “To make this even kinkier if possible, the Verdic people need to consume a token of Sidhe flesh to activate their powers. Christie gave me mine.” Christie raises her hand. “I fed Sera and Selene…” hands rise “...theirs after taking it from someone who attacked our family. I mean that seriously, Eileen. We are a family. You know how I am about family.”

  She nods, “After I calmed down and healed my wounds, my biggest fear was that I had destroyed your spirit. You had chosen me as family, and I betrayed you.” Tears do escape her eyes at that admission. I begin to weep, too.

  Myra quips, “Now that school is over, I’ll wrap up by saying. I am Jack’s wife. I am his first wife, and Queen of the Fae. Kristina who he knew before me, is his second wife. Supreet is his third. Chelsea is his fourth. Grace is his fifth. L’liana, or Lili as her lovers call her, is his sixth and currently final wife. I know there are some others coming in the wings. Frannie, Karla, Sherrine, Jessica, Tiphanae, Annette, Erica, Sera, Georgia, Trina, Daphne, Charli, Solange, Sowie, Corrina, Geri, Liesl, Marisol, Megan, and Christie are all sworn concubines. All are legally his property by our laws because they gave him a token. Selene, Cholley, Louis, and Trinity are part of the family, but are not Jack’s lovers
. I think that’s right - Selene?”

  “Eh...,” she vacillates.

  “No pressure, Love” I tell her. Cholley caresses her back.

  Eileen looks at Erica, “You gave up a bite?”

  Erica nods quickly, “Yes. I wanted to, and I expected it to hurt like hell. It would have if Jack hadn’t numbed my flesh. I felt my skin and muscle tear, but no pain. It healed to look like this in about a minute. When it was done I felt more completely his and part of something bigger.”

  Trina says, “That’s true. Each of those bonds is a stronger connection for us to pass our love to him. Love is how he powers his abilities.”

  Eileen mutters, “I guess I’m out of luck.”

  “No, you’re not,” I respond accompanied by a chorus of negative responses. Eileen catches up short.

  Trina walks up and hugs her other side, “Jack told me shortly after we met the story of how he got that scar. I told him ‘you must hate her.’ He replied, ‘I love her. How do you stop loving someone? If you can tell me how, please do.’ He still loves you, Eileen. You hurt him desperately, but that man still loves you. I can see it in his eyes as he looks at you even now.”

  Eileen collapses to the dock. I rush to her and pull her to me. I kiss her hair and wrap her in my arms. She reaches up and cradles my neck as she cries out her pain.

  She sobs, “Lowell left me. He said I was broken and worthless.”

  “Never, Eileen. You are strong, fierce, and worthy of love,” I murmur into her hair. Then I reach into her body with my will as I push warm, loving energy into her damaged body. I find all her injuries, including ones I didn’t give her, and will them to heal.

  She looks up at me with awe. “What did you do, Jack?”

  “I healed every injury you’ve ever had. I didn’t roll your biological clock back, but we can do that too eventually if you wish. I personally think you’re a little young for that. That requires a bit more effort, and I’m not sure anyone would call the experience positive,” I tell her.

  Selene says, “Maybe you should do it earlier and more frequently, Lord. It might reduce the stress on you, and it would likely be less traumatic for the subject. It was like a religious experience when you did it to me, but the smell of the piss and shit that came out afterward were noxious.”

  “I’ll say,” growls Cholley. “It smelled like something crawled upside me and died, slowly festering until it all worked its way out.”

  “Ew!” from all the rest of us.

  I laugh as I stand up. I look down at Eileen, “We have a lot to discuss, Eileen. Right now we’re going to enjoy this sunset. My family deserves it. So do you. I invite you to stay with us, take a swim, get out of your travel clothes and put on a beach wrap, and enjoy this moment with us.”

  Sherrine walks up and presses her naked glory against me and with a right arm around my shoulders and stage whispers, “Can I ride out the sunset now, Master?”

  We all laugh. I feel my sarong disappear as she waves it in the air. Little Jack jumps to attention.

  Selene guides me to a prime spot where I can have my knees hang over the edge of the dock facing the sun. I sit down, Grace leans me flat on my back and kisses me. Sherrine takes a turn with kissing me too before mounting Little Jack reverse cowgirl, leaning on my knees.

  She slides up and down me twice, before Georgia gasps, “Jessica and Marigold!” We all look at her, knowing her ability. About ten seconds later, we hear an explosion, followed immediately by another.

  4 - Triage

  Sherrine dives off me into the water. Then she launches up to press herself up onto the dock beside me as I scramble up.

  “Now what?” I murmur while looking toward where the explosions seem to originate. I see plumes of smoke rising from the direction of the airport.

  Tiphanae launches into the air as weapons reappear among my family. I call out, “Be careful, Tiffy!”

  “I will, Lord,” she calls back as she gains altitude and circles around toward the rising columns of black smoke.

  Eileen observes, “Isn’t that were the airfield is?”

  We all nod. “Yes. Jessica and Marigold were over there,” I say.

  Sherrine hands my sarong to me. I look to Georgia. “You okay, Kitten?” I ask as I absentmindedly pull the sarong on, then my shoulder rig and baldric.

  “I’m worried about Jessie and Merry,” she whimpers.

  I call out, “Eileen and Lili with me. Everyone else, make your way to the compound and secure it. Check on the staff and care for wounded. Damn! We need radios! Regardless, check-in at the main house in 30 minutes.” I reach for Eileen and then blink to the jungle edge. L’liana follows me one jump back.

  I make three rapid blinks around the perimeter of the jungle, roughly retracing the path we took coming out. Three more blinks put us in front of the main house in the compound. Eileen is woozy from the rapid changes in equilibrium.

  I call to Louis and Trinity, “Jack inbound.”

  I hear Louis growl, “Come on in.”

  I blink to the main house to find Louis standing on the porch holding an assault shotgun like it’s a toy pistol. He is watching toward the airfield. “More inbound,” he murmurs.

  I look to see what looks like someone blinking closer quickly. Suddenly, Jessica is hanging off my neck holding Marigold tenderly in her left hand. “Help,” she gasps.

  I lay her down gently and then cup Marigold in my hands. She’s unconscious, breathing but battered. Her wings are crushed and her organs are damaged. I gently run a stream of healing energy into her brain and organs. Slowly she blinks her eyes. I ask gently, “You okay, Baby?”

  “Hmmm. Je-je-jess-i-jessi-ca. Sa-sa-saved. Me,” she murmurs.

  “Rest, sweetie. I will talk to you when you’ve recovered.“ I hand her to Louis, “Water. A couple of nuts if she can get them down. Don’t rush her. I still need to heal her wings, but they’re not critical at the moment. Let Acorn and Persimmon know when they get here.”

  Louis growls, “Yes, Lord.”

  I scoop Jessica up into a bridal carry and gently sit her on the couch. I unzip her body suit and gently pull it from her shoulders down to her waist. After that I lay her face down on the couch to assess her wounds. I remove her thin shoes and complete the removal of her suit. Darker splotches on her dark grey skin make it look like she’s been severely beaten over most of her head, shoulders, and torso. I stop any internal bleeding I can find, ‘remove’ several pieces of shrapnel, and close the wounds before pumping her full of generic healing energy to strengthen her organs.

  Jessica stirs slightly and mutters to me, “Case. By path. At air. Field. Clutch. With.”

  I stroke her back and tell her, “Don’t worry, Beloved. We’ll find it. The important thing is you are safe, and you saved Marigold. Everything else will wait until you recover a bit.”

  Trinity sets a glass of water on the table next to her. “Water here when you’re ready, Jessie.” Jessica nods in response.

  “Trinity, brief Corrina and Trina when they arrive. Lili, Eileen, and I are going to look around,” I tell her.

  “Yes, Lord,” she says with a bow.

  “Thanks, Beautiful,” I tell her.

  Trinity gives me a smile as I walk back out to the porch. I point to one of the golf carts by the house. “No need to hurry now that our people are safe. Let’s take the cart.”

  I see Arista standing by the staff quarters. I blink to her. She gasps before I ask, “Arista, is everyone safe?”

  “Mostly, Lord,” she responds quietly. “We’re just missing Tiberius. He was on duty at the customs shack. Janelle, Samuel, Arieste and Celeste are all here safe. The flight crew is all in their quarters, too.”

  I kiss her cheek briefly, “Thank you, Arista. You’re a godsend!” Then I blink back to the golf cart. I hear her gasp again.

  L’liana drives us slowly as I scan right with my pistol drawn. Eileen scans the left. About ten minutes later we make it to the airfield.

&
nbsp; Both planes are burning. Wreckage is strewn in all directions. The customs shack-slash-terminal is a wreck, but hasn’t been completely leveled. The aircraft were kept far enough away to minimize the impact. I scan the area next to the path and see a spot that looks like something fell through the trees to the ground. That’s where I find Jessica’s clutch. I dismount and dig around and find the pilot’s flight case, too. I put them both in the back of the cart. Eileen is dismounted and squatting next to the clearing, scanning the area.

  “I don’t see anything, Jack. With all the smoke and debris, there could be a rifle team hiding out there and I would miss it,” she tells me.

  “Looking at how the tarmac is buckled and melted, and how the wreckage is strewn around, they would have just arrived, too. Short of amphibious insertion I don’t see that happening as we haven’t heard any aircraft since,” I say.

  I see Tiphanae circling lower, and then she flies behind us and lands gently on the path behind the cart.

  She reports, “Nothing out there, Lord. I see no living creatures in the clearing at all.” She places a hand on my shoulder for comfort. I’m not sure whether it’s for hers or mine.

  “Well,” I sigh. “Tiberius is supposed to be in the shack. Let’s go see if we can find him. Hopefully he’s still alive.”

  We all mount back up in the cart, and L’liana drives us around the wreckage to the customs shack. I see the radio antenna is bent but still standing. There don’t appear to be any severed cables, so we can call for help if the electronics survived. L’liana stops the cart in front of the collapsed door, and we dismount.

  “Lili. Eileen. Guard please,” I request.

  I stick my head under the collapsed doorframe. I see rubble everywhere, but no Tiberius. I call out, “Tiberius. Where are you? Are you in here?” I hear a murmured response.