by Alexie Aaron
Winnie smiled and did just that.
“Yes, Mr. Martin. I have a Mia Martin here. Yes, of course… Mr. Martin?” Winnie looked up. “I think he dropped the phone. He’s in villa…”
“Mia!” Ted called, running into the lobby. He scooped up Mia and kissed her. “You taste salty.”
“I’ve been in and out of the sea,” Mia managed between kisses.
He set her down, looked over at the clerk, and said, “Sorry, I hung up. But…”
She laughed and waved them away. “Go. Get! You honeymooners.”
Ted grabbed Mia’s hand and waited until they were out of the lobby to kiss her again. He stopped and held her face in his hands. “You have no idea the torment I’ve been in.”
“I’m sorry,” Mia said. “I couldn’t think of any other way…”
“I’m sorry we couldn’t save the monster. I hope it didn’t cause you any problems…”
“None,” Mia lied. “I know I could have communicated better.”
“If you would have told me what you had planned, I would have asked you not to go,” Ted said. “But I would have been wrong. You should have taken Murphy, but if you did, I’d probably be lunchmeat. I think things worked out for all of us, but Murphy.”
“He’s a survivor. We’ll find him. Where’s Kevin?”
“He and Fergus were going to look for trouble down in town. We’re going to meet up tomorrow afternoon. I managed to get a boat. We’ll go and see if Murphy needs to be fished out of the sea. I’ve got a few leads from Jake already.”
“Whit said that Burt and Patrick have already headed for the states.”
“I think Burt’s caught the treasure-hunting fever.”
“But Mason is here?”
“He stayed for you, and when you were safe, he said he wanted to stay for Murphy.”
“For such an asshole, he’s so sweet,” Mia said.
“But he’s still an asshole,” Ted said. “Come on, I ordered you a meal fit for four kings, their queens, and their camels.”
“Lead the way.”
Ted grabbed her hand. “Right this way. I think I left the door open. Let’s hurry.”
Mason, who witnessed this from across the courtyard on his balcony, sighed. He saw Ted drag Mia up the stairs and pick her up before entering their villa. He took a long pull of his Corona, congratulating himself for having the foresight of not being put in a villa on that side of the courtyard. Still, he had picked up earplugs just in case. His laptop beeped, indicating Jake had sent an email. He looked at the size of the document and whistled. He had a lot of research ahead of him.
~
Murphy fell into the bunk exhausted. His muscles were sore, but it was a good sore. He hadn’t felt more alive in 150 years.
The boatswain, who understood the need for Murphy to stay connected with his axe, helped him to fashion a baldric to hold it at his side. After that, he put him to work on the deck where he could watch him. There was no chore too menial for the farmer. He not only completed his tasks, but made sure he understood the jobs so he could do them to the best of his abilities.
There was a type of freedom on board ship that Murphy hadn’t experienced before. He could take off his shirt and feel the sun on his back. His facial hair was growing. It was as if he had been reborn, and with it, his emotional connection to his other existence faded.
The hard work kept him from thinking about the others. It was only when he was helping to coil the rope - one end was tied to a harpoon and the other end to a spool - did he remember that this ship’s captain hunted birdmen. Could he let this continue? Could he stand back and watch Angelo or Nicholai be brought down by Captain Crocker? What about Mia? This was the first time since he landed on the boat that he thought about her. He wasn’t sure if he should be alarmed or relieved.
She had left him behind. He didn’t owe her any obligation. If she survived the pit, she was Ted’s problem. He decided in his bunk, at that very moment, that he was better off without Mia Cooper.
~
Ted rolled off Mia, panting. They both had pushed their bodies to the point of exhaustion. It was as if neither of them would back off.
“Minnie Mouse, you’re going to kill me.”
Mia rolled over and looked down at Ted. “I’m an assassin. It’s what I do.”
He looked up at her fevered eyes and shook his head. “No, you’re a lovely, passionate woman whom I will never get enough of. You are the greatest gift bestowed upon me. I thank God every day for you.”
Mia’s eyes softened. “I’m not worthy of this love of yours,” she said. “But I’m going to work on being more of a wife to you, Teddy Bear. I promise I will.”
Ted frowned. “Mia, what are you trying to tell me?”
“I’m going to retire from this warrior business. I was out practicing when I should have been supporting you.”
“Please, Mia, you do support me. I don’t need a handmaiden. I need a superhero. Someone that tests my patience, endurance, and well, this…”
“I’m confused. You don’t want me around?” Mia asked.
“No, I’m not saying that. Give me a moment to word this right. I love the life we have right now. Sure, I could do with a lot less Mike, but I know he’s your spare.”
“I beg your pardon,” Mia said. “Spare what?”
“I was reading a book Cid has. It spoke about some people have the need to have a backup spouse. Someone who will step in if the other person fails them. It’s a psychological need.”
Mia flopped back down on her back. “You think I’m one of these people?”
“Yes.”
“Huh, let’s examine this for a moment, Dr. Freud.”
“I’m game.”
“I don’t have a psychological need to be married. If something happened to you, I’m never getting married again.”
“Gee, is being married to me so bad?” Ted asked, rolling over and looking at Mia.
“No, it’s wonderful. But marriage is only wonderful because it’s you.”
Ted blinked in surprise.
“Can you imagine me happy with anyone else?”
“Everyone else.”
“Ted, you’re not helping.”
“So, you don’t have a spare. Not even Murphy?”
“K, it seems you’re determined to play this game to win. Let’s pretend that Stephen isn’t a ghost that has been dead for 150 years. He’s just a normal farmer who believes in spanking children and having a wife dressed demurely who’s always home.”
“But he loves you.”
“So what? He’s not a genius. He doesn’t make me laugh the way you do. In my eyes, he’s not good husband material.”
“He made your knees weak when he kissed you.”
“That was before you kissed me, dumbass.”
“You like my kisses better than that epic Murphy kiss. Well, I’ll be.”
Mia rolled her eyes.
“Mike’s an unknown commodity…”
“For heaven’s sake, Ted, what’s going on with you tonight? I’ve had the best sex of my entire life and you’re ruining it.”
“Wait, that’s a lie. I overheard you and Audrey talking about Burt and…”
“I’m just going to kill you now. Where is my sword?” Mia said, getting out of bed. She turned around and asked, “What brought all this on?”
“During the hurricane, Murphy, the Callens, Burt, and I were stuck in a cabin together and…”
“Oh my god. While I was cooling my heels in a cell, you guys were discussing me. Come here,” Mia said.
“Don’t kill me.”
“No, I want those memories,” she said, crawling up the bed.
“Mia Cooper Martin, that’s off limits,” Ted said.
“Who says so?” she asked.
“Well…”
Mia planted her hands on either side of Ted’s head and entered his mind. Ted’s head was a series of white and blackboards that moved up and down and side to side. His memor
ies were in code.
Mia gave up. “Fucking mathematician,” she said, lying back down.
“It wouldn’t do any of your friendships any good to hear all that was said. Except Mason, he’s one of us. Anyway, what I guess you should know is Murphy cracked. He screamed at Burt.”
“Really? It doesn’t sound like him.”
“I’m sure it was because of the storm, the proximity, you leaving him behind, and the stress of what may be happening to you where he couldn’t help you. Murphy starts yelling, ‘You took her from me.’ I thought he was directing his anger at me, but it was Burt. Patrick stepped in and, in his irritating way, mediated.”
“How are things now between the two?”
“Fine, I guess, but I think it made me rather nervous.”
“You shouldn’t be, but I don’t make things too easy, do I?”
“There are a lot of handsome, rich, desirable men out there, Mia, who would love to take care of you. And yes, there are some broke ones who want you to take care of them.”
“Would you write the names of the rich ones down? Maybe I’ll consider them for spares,” Mia teased.
“Speaking of rich, who gave you the gold chain in your hair? That has to be at least eighteen maybe twenty-four karats.”
“These beautiful concubines who washed and styled my hair for me, they braided it in. I forgot I had it. I knew I had the uniform, but the gold? Do you think I should send it back?”
“Whose concubines?”
“Abigor’s.”
“Keep it. He’s got tons of money. And, if memory serves me, he’s a little afraid of you. Something about… about being an assassin! Mia, I have a feeling you need to tell me what happened to you. I didn’t want to pry. Let me draw a nice warm bath, and you can tell me everything. I’ll even wash your hair.”
“Like a concubine?”
“Oh yes, one of my specialties.”
Ted wrapped a towel around Mia. They had sat in the warm jacuzzi tub while Mia told Ted about the demon-with-no-name, the pit, the cell, the concubines, Sticks, Altair, and the court of the five generals.
“And when I had killed Ruax, I knew that the programing was still in me. I couldn’t look away. Ruax had turned to ash. He wasn’t there anymore, and I didn’t care.”
“Mia, you had been training hard with Nicholai. He and you developed your body so it would perform this way. You yourself said you used the maneuver that had you eating mud for weeks when you failed.”
“Yes. But still I was frozen. I couldn’t move.”
“What happened?”
“He hugged me.”
“Sticks?”
“No, although I think that would have been better. A lot less freaky.”
“Altair wouldn’t freak you out. It wasn’t…”
“It was.”
“Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness, hugged my wife, again,” Ted said, pulling one of his clean t-shirts over Mia’s head. “Did it help?”
“It shocked me out of the shock,” Mia said. “I’m very frightened of him.”
“We all are. Why didn’t he just kill Ruax?”
“I’ve had time to think about it. I bet he was torturing Altair and the other generals. Ruax knew something that would change things forever. Altair said he could destroy them.”
“So, not just physically?”
“I got the idea it was something he read in their minds.”
“Very intriguing. So, you, Mia Cooper Martin, had a battle with a being that all the generals of Hell were afraid of. You won the fight. You won it without a scratch. You won it by yourself. No one came to your aid. Altair didn’t finish it for you. Angelo didn’t have to catch you. Roumain didn’t have to slow time. You did it all by yourself. I could not be prouder.”
Mia smiled wide. “This is why you should never doubt that you’re the best man for me, Ted. Anyone else would have missed the whole point of the adventure. I know why Victor went away. He knew that I would fall back and be dependent upon his strength in a fight. He sent me the greatest teacher. They saw something in me that I couldn’t see. Too much baggage and self-doubt clouded my eyes. But no longer.”
“You can breathe easy. You can protect Varden and the rest of us. You can live without the fear that you need an army on call to help us when the paranormal tribes come a calling. I’ll do my best to have an arsenal at hand. We’ll be the most dynamic duo every imagined.”
Mia laughed as she wrapped her arms around Ted. “I don’t mind a cape, but I draw the line on tights.”
Ted broke out in laughter.
“I don’t think I have felt this happy in my life. This moment, I’m with the man I love, and he loves me. I feel safe and strong. Ted, this is the bliss I’ve been searching for. If I have to have wings and freaky gargoyle metal on my back to have it, so be it. The bonus is being your wife, having our kids, and enjoying a life of adventure. I’m going to stop complaining about not being normal. It’s all worth it.”
Ted’s heart swelled. “Mia, growing up with an oversized brain, nose, and feet was horrible, but I knew that I was a worthwhile individual. But that was the problem; I was alone. Sure, I had Cid and my family, but part of me has always been missing. That was until I saw you. I fell into your eyes, Mia. It took you a while to notice me - which puzzles me because I’m way too tall to miss. I know it wasn’t Burt who took you from Murphy; it was me. I don’t know how I did it, but I did.”
“You did it by accepting every change, adoring me, scolding me when I needed it. Sure, we went through a rough patch, but it brought us here to this moment. Our marriage is like Altair’s sword. A sword doesn’t simply appear. Its metals are joined, beaten into form, and tempered, all before it’s ready to be held. And then it’s strong enough to cut through any problems.”
“Mia, you’re giving me goose bumps,” Ted said.
Mia ran her hands along Ted’s arms. “You do have goose bumps,” she said.
“We need to celebrate,” Ted said. “Let me take you to dinner.”
“I don’t know if St. Kitts has a Taco Bell, Teddy Bear.”
Ted pointed at Mia. “You’re a stinker. How about I take you someplace you can wear that chain thingy I found in your bag. You know it’s the real deal. It’s the finest chainmail made.”
Mia looked at Sabine’s suitcases that were stacked in the closet. “It’s obscene on its own, but maybe Sabine has something that will help. Let’s call the kids before it gets too late.”
“Good thinking. Brian has become suspicious of why you weren’t around for a few of the Skypes.”
“Call first, then celebrate,” Mia said.
“Yes, General.”
“Hey, did I tell you I was offered forty legions of demons?”
“Just forty? Hell has no imagination.”
~
Sabine put her purchases behind the passenger seat. She shut the door and backed into someone. “I’m sorry.”
“Mia?” Tom Braverman asked, putting a steadying hand on the woman.
Sabine turned around. “No, it’s me, Sabine. How are you, Tom?”
“Surprised. I was just going to issue Mia a ticket for a bad taillight.”
“Is one of them faulty?”
“No, but it would have pissed her off. I’m happy to see you. How are the girls?”
“Growing and boisterous. It’s taking more than a village to raise them. They are with Brian’s family for a while.”
“Want to get some dinner?” Tom asked.
“When?”
“Now.”
“I’m sorry, Tom. Cid’s making dinner at the farmhouse. Would you like to join us?”
“You’re asking me to join you on a date?” Tom asked, his eyebrows raised.
“It’s not a date, it’s dinner. I was just buying wine… Do you think it’s a date?”
“Run the scenario by me.”
“Mia and Ted are in the Caribbean. I asked if it was alright that I stayed at the farmhouse while they were gone.
He said, he was going to make something spectacular for supper. I offered to go and get the wine… He said to get lots in case someone flew in.”
“Huh, I was thinking date until the last bit. Where’s Dieter?”
“Dieter’s at Mark’s for the weekend.”
“Damn, now I’m back to a date. Tell you what, you enjoy your date with the chef, and then give me a chance tomorrow night.”
Sabine blushed.
“I’m not much of a cook, but how about pizza and beers? I’ll pick you up at six?”
“I’d like that,” Sabine said.
“Didn’t a hurricane just go through the Caribbean?” Tom asked her.
“Yes. Ted and Mia are fine. Murphy’s missing still. They are going looking for him tomorrow. Why am I telling you all of this?” Sabine asked.
“It’s the badge, ma’am,” Tom said. He took her hand and kissed it. “Until tomorrow, Sabine.”
Sabine nodded, unable to speak. The emotional vibe rolling off Tom was delicious and warming. He wasn’t as smooth an operator as Patrick was, but he was genuine. She managed to get into the truck before she realized that, if Tom was right and she was having a date with Cid tonight, then she had three suitors. “What have I done?”
She pulled out of the parking spot and drove through town and around the lake. She pulled up at a cute little mansion and got out of the truck.
Audrey Stavros, who had been pulling weeds out of the planters out front, did a double take. She took off her gardening gloves and pushed her bouncy red curls away from her face. It was Mia’s truck, her hat and clothes, but it wasn’t Mia. “Sabine?”
“Oh, Audrey, I don’t know what to do.”
“Is it the triplets?” Audrey asked, escorting Sabine into the cool foyer of the house.
“No, but it has to do with three,” Sabine said. “I think I’m a slut!”
Audrey swallowed her laughter. “Well, I could say you’ve come to the right place, but... How about you come on in to the parlor and let me get you some tea.”
“Can I go wherever you’re getting the tea from?” Sabine begged. “I think I’m losing my mind.”
