by Alexie Aaron
“What does that have to do with me?” Mia asked.
“You’re not a good liar, Mia. Here.” Roumain gave her the chain. “This may put him off the scent.”
Time resumed. “Make love to Roumain, kill Angelo,” Mia finished after sliding the necklace over her head.
“What’s this Roumain look like?”
“I’m not telling you.”
“I heard birdmen are hung like…”
“Mason!”
“So that confirms that. So Roumain must be…”
Mason had his hands stretched out when Kevin came over.
“What’s that?” Kevin asked.
“He’s telling me a fish story,” Mia said between her teeth.
“We were playing a game. Want to play?” Mason asked in the direction Kevin’s voice was coming from.
“Don’t,” Mia advised. She wrapped the gold chain around her throat a couple of times while Kevin was being tortured by Mason.
“Kill Mia because I could make love to her then, marry Audrey, and make love to Sabine.”
“Why do I always end up dead with you Callens?” Mia asked. “I’m going to go for a walk,” she said, pulling on the boxers. That garden over there is free of ghosts, and I’d like a little room to think.”
“As you wish,” Mason said. “I’m going to tan.”
Kevin walked with her partway. “The boy doesn’t mean any harm.”
“I know. He certainly has kept my mind off of things.”
“I’m going to go to the marina and wait for the boat,” Kevin told her.
“If they’re late, there are a few nice bars around there…”
“You and I are of one mind,” Kevin said and left her.
Mia rounded the corner and was awed by the roses. She bent down to take in the scent, but all she could smell was Frankincense. She stood up and turned slowly.
Abigor was behind her. He looked like a hero on one of Mike’s romance paperbacks, his long hair blowing in the breeze, his shirt open, and his black eyes sparkling.
Mia put her hand on her chest and said, “I will never get used to how handsome you are.”
“Nor I with your ever-changing beauty,” he said.
“I didn’t think I was going to see you again,” she said.
“I have a few questions to ask you. Let me in your mind house.”
“Before you do. Here…” Mia said, unzipping her hoodie and lifting the gold chain off her neck. “I didn’t realize I still had it when I left,” she put it in his hands. “It came in handy, and I thought it was gone, but I got it back.”
“Tell me.”
“I used your page’s uniform to get aboard the Devil’s Pride. I wanted to buy Murphy but ended up… Honestly, you must have heard.”
“No.”
“I flirted with the captain, pretending I was going to buy the birdmen for you. Don’t be mad, I had to think on my feet. I thought I was buying corpses. I wanted to get them into the light so their souls could move on, but they were still alive. So anyway, I mesmerized the captain so I could get the keys to them. I did leave the necklace as payment along with my demon dagger.”
“What about Murphy?”
“He wasn’t interested in leaving.”
“But, Mia, you have the necklace? You just said you left it.”
“You put it together. I OOBed into the GSD. I thought you’d be wanting it back. I didn’t want you to hear about my disgrace,” Mia said, letting a tear fall.
“I knew you weren’t sleeping.”
“What?”
“I came to see you in the hospital. I heard that Murphy broke your heart. I knew it was impossible. You’re too strong.”
“I actually had a problem with my heart. It’s complicated, but I assure you it’s fixed. Can I say goodbye to Ted?”
“I’m sorry, am I missing something…”
“Aren’t you taking me in?”
“Why?”
“I have the necklace, and I understand there is a new captain of the Devil’s Pride.”
“No. Why punish someone for killing someone who’s already dead?”
“I never thought of it that way.”
“Why are you here?” Abigor asked.
“We’re doing a super PEEPs investigation to hide that Burt and Patrick are looking for treasure.”
Abigor’s lips twitched.
“Go ahead, laugh.”
“Mia, I wish things had been different.”
“You mean me not being created to kill you?”
“Yes, exactly. We could have had some fun.”
“I’m at a loss for words,” Mia said.
“Here, keep this,” Abigor said, draping the chain around Mia’s neck. “This is all the treasure you need.”
“Thank you,” Mia said. “Do you have to leave?”
“I left my horse with the draft horses. I don’t want him to impregnate one and dilute the breed.”
“Wait, before you go. How many children do you have?”
“None. I can’t give a woman a child. It’s part of the fall into Hell thing.”
“But you said…”
“I just wanted to get you into bed,” he confessed.
Mia shook her head but said, “It was an excellent line.”
“And you’ll think of me when you do have a baby girl. This way, I’ll always be in your mind.”
“What have I become?” Mia asked him.
“Something planned and unplanned. The council messed around with nature, but instead of creating a cold-hearted killer, they created an assassin with control, a beautiful creature with a way of seeing the good in us, even when we are at our worst. Mia, when you were a baby, you looked at me with such love. I would kill to see that again.”
“I think it’s your eyes that are the problem,” Mia said softly. “I know what you are, what you’ve done, and how dangerous I am to you, but there is such beauty in every one of your scales. You don’t have to produce this persona for me. Lift the film from your eyes and look into mine. What do you see?”
Abigor blinked, and Mia saw the eyes she awoke to that fateful night in the nursery. She saw the beautiful amber lights that danced flamelike in his irises. She reached for him.
Abigor stopped her. “I do this for you, Mia. You would never forgive yourself. Thank you. I’ll leave you now. Go on, hunt your ghosts, live a happy life. I’ll see you before the light takes one of us.”
Mia watched him resume his persona and turned and walked away.
“Who was that?” Mason asked, running up to her.
“One of the original bad boys.”
“How long have you known him?” Mason questioned.
“Since birth,” Mia said. “I just had to be reminded.”
“Come on, I’ll buy you an ice cream sundae.”
“You’re on,” Mia said, linking arms with the young man. “So why do you Callens want me dead? Should I be worried…”
~
The Devil’s Pride took advantage of the darkness of an emerging storm to move across the veil just east of Long Beach Island, New Jersey.
“Harley says that the quickest way to where you’re from is the Philadelphia ley line. It originates here, crosses the bridge, and goes straight on to Philly. Stay on it, and it will take you to Chicago. From there I expect you know your way,” Captain Waite said. “Don’t think ill of us. Harley and I still remember our friends and would kill to be amongst them for just one more day.”
“I understand, Captain. I don’t want to endanger this ship or crew further. I need to get my house in order. Are you going on to see about the treasure?”
“We’re going to try. I haven’t been this excited in years.”
“What if you don’t make it?”
“I don’t think it will matter at this point. If you see your Mia again, tell her for me that I know that she did nothing wrong. This is hers,” Waite said, handing Murphy the demon blade. “I would have liked to give it to her myself.”
“I’ll make sure she gets the message and the blade,” Murphy said. He withdrew the saber from his waist.
“What are you doing?” Waite asked. “I gave you that blade. You keep it. It may come in handy in your travels.”
“Thank you,” Murphy said and climbed down into the boat.
The crewman left him thirty yards offshore. It was close enough for Murphy to connect with his power source and far enough not to drain the crewman’s energy.
The moment Murphy touched the sandy shore of the island he was filled with energy. He turned and watched as the Devil’s Pride waited for their boat to return. Once it did, the captain signaled to Murphy before they turned and moved into the storm.
Murphy felt the pull of the vortex and headed in its direction. He was approached by a ghost of an old man with gnarled hands.
“Bad night for sailing.”
“Not if you have the best navigator in the GSD.”
“Aye. How long you been gone?” he asked.
“I don’t know. How long have you been sitting here?”
“Four hurricanes.”
“The light never came for you?” Murphy asked.
“Nah, it came and went. I’m happy here just staring at the sea.”
“Fine then, I won’t keep you from it,” Murphy said and stepped into the vortex.
~
Patrick pulled into the reserved slip and filled out the paperwork while the others prepared themselves to disembark. Ted had communicated with them and suggested that they meet in a new restaurant near the marina. He told Burt that Mia was having a hell of a time at the hotel trying to keep the atmosphere from harming her. She worried about Sabine’s and Mike’s stomach if they were to eat in an old historic eatery.
The restaurant had a large outdoor eating area and a view of the old fort up on the hill. As the sun set, the lights would illuminate the walls of Fort Mackinac.
Mason was waiting at the table when they arrived.
“Mia was running a little late. They’ll be here soon,” he said. “Sabine, you look lovely.”
Sabine’s lightly floral, knee-length dress flowed around her thin body. Her arms were bare, and she sported a light tan. She had arranged her hair in a long braid and pinned it up on the back of her head. She looked regal.
“Thank you. I’m surprised to see you with a jacket on.”
“They do that here, dress for dinner. I feel like I’ve fallen through time,” Mason admitted.
Mike looked around at the restaurant and motioned for the waiter. He gave him a drink order, including what he thought the absent Martins would like. It wasn’t long before they arrived.
Burt watched as Ted guided his beautiful wife through the tables. Mia’s smile was wide and welcoming as she greeted them. She wore a dress Burt had seen before, but it looked different tonight. Was it the long gold chain that emphasized the low neck of the moss-green gown or the absence of Mia’s regulatory army boots?
Mike watched the way that Mia clung to Ted’s arm as if she was walking through a pit of vipers. He only could imagine the horrors she was seeing or, more correctly, trying not to see. He leaned down. “Sabine, is there something between the Martins and us?”
“Just some French trappers. They’re active and commenting on Mia.”
“Mia’s not fond of French trappers,” Cid said, standing up.
Mia disengaged and flew around the table hugging each person. She stopped before Cid, drew his head down, and whispered, “He’s heading home. I felt him the minute he hit the beach.”
“Thank you for telling me,” he said stiffly.
Mike, who was standing next to them, was confused by Cid’s reaction to Mia. He stepped in and picked Mia up and kissed her right on the mouth.
Mia hit him on the arms until he let her go. “Honestly, you’re going to rile the French.”
Ted, who was across the table, shook his head. Part of him understood why Mike did that, but the other part knew that Mike enjoyed every minute of it.
“I hope the child behaved himself,” Patrick said, walking up for his hug. “Mia, what a lot of gold you’re wearing. Have you already found the treasure?”
“It was a gift, and I didn’t think it was safe to leave it in the hotel,” she said. “And Mason has been a big help, and damn, he’s a great guy.”
“Mason?”
“Yup. Now let’s sit down, I’m starved… wait… Kevin, catch Fergus before he hits that trapper… Too late. Folks, hang on to your drinks.”
Fergus flew across the table and landed at Mia’s feet.
She looked down and said, “I’ve missed you and your subtle ways.”
“He called you a strumpet,” Fergus said.
“I’ve been called worse. Ignore them.”
“Mia, I’m curious about why men always end up at your feet?” Sabine asked sweetly.
“Someone has to polish my shoes. Speaking of shoes, these are yours I believe. They got packed in with my stuff.”
“Keep them,” she said. “Sit down so the men can sit,” Sabine instructed.
“K.” Mia started to move towards Ted, but Mike pulled out a chair next to him, and she didn’t want to be rude. She looked over at Ted, and he seemed alright with it.
“She seems nervous,” Burt observed as he sat down next to Ted.
“I think we’re going to ask one of you guys to take our room so we can sleep on the boat. The hotel is a hotpot of ghosts from many generations. A lot of people have died there. I have hacked into the hotel’s security system and already have hours of footage we can use. Also, Murphy is back on dry land. Mia felt his return. She says he’s headed to the farm.”
“How do you feel about it?”
“It’s his farm,” Ted said. “If his existing there is a problem, Mia, the kids, and I will just move. I can just about handle a second place.”
“Don’t be too hasty, I’m sure Mia will find a way to coexist. In the meantime, I’ll give you my stateroom,” Burt said. “I hope it will help. You know when Mia is overrun by ghosts…”
“She drinks,” Ted completed. “It mutes the sounds and blurs the visions.”
“I’ll put a bug in Mike’s ear so he watches her intake.”
“I would be surprised if he wasn’t plying her with drinks,” Ted said.
“Believe it or not, Mike has her best interests at heart.”
“Just as long as he knows who has her heart,” Ted said.
Burt turned sideways and looked at him. “Wow. Lucky you.”
Kevin pulled Fergus out of the restaurant. “Did you hear? My son is on dry land and headed to the farm.”
“So, the seafaring adventure has come to a close,” Fergus said dryly.
“You don’t seem happy. I know you had your problems early on with him, but he is family.”
“I think there is something you ought to see,” Fergus said, pulling a black disc out of his pocket.
“What is it?”
“It’s that camera Mia was wearing. The one that didn’t transmit once she got on the boat. It fell off when she fainted. I found it in the boat and thought it was a button. You know how valuable buttons were when we were kids,” Fergus explained.
“Yes, Catherine would hide me every time I would lose one. So, this is really a camera?”
“Remember the scenes of the ship? They came from here.”
“I thought it stopped recording once she got on the ship.”
“It just stopped transmitting. I took it and waited until Cid and Ted left the office. I asked that Jake fella how to check and see if it were still working. He was afraid I’d upload a virus into the computer he sleeps in, so I took one of the old laptops, and he described how to plug in this and do that, and before I know it, I’m seeing the pictures of the ship. I get to the part when she climbs aboard, and it’s still showing me stuff.”
“It recorded. Why didn’t you let the PEEPers know?”
“You have to see it. Show me where all that comput
er stuff is that Ted brought with him, and I’ll let you see what really happened on that boat.”
Chapter Thirty-two
Kevin watched the computer but didn’t say anything until he saw himself. “I remember this part.”
Murphy said, “I think your trip to Hell has changed you. You’ve brought back some of it with you. If I ever return, it will never be because of you.”
“Fine,” Mia said. “Forgive me if I invent something less hurtful to tell the others. Kevin, will you be returning?” she asked.
“I’m not a seafairing man. I’ll say goodbye to my son and escort you across the veil. Although Fergus may come back.”
“It’s his choice,” Mia said, suddenly tired.
“I’m going to check on him,” Kevin said.
This is where I left,” Kevin narrated.
Mia sat down and put her head in her hands.
Murphy asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m sorry, I left you behind, but I couldn’t take both you and the demon into the pit with me. You’re a hero. You saved so many. I hate to think of you rotting away under a boatswain’s whip.”
“I hate to think of you period,” he spat back at her.
“Where is your axe?” she asked.
“I used to keep it at my side, but now it’s next to my bunk.”
“May I have it?”
“It’s spectral.”
“I still want it to remember you by,” Mia said.
“I’ll go and get it. Leave soon before the captain fills you with child.”
“I can’t believe you just said that to me!”
“Mia, I have eyes. I know a whore when I see one.”
Mia slapped him and slapped him hard. He caught her arm. She shook it free from his grasp. Mia walked over and stared in the mirror. “Whatever I did, I did to save you,” she said. “Go. I’ll tell the captain I have no need for you.”
Murphy stood there for a minute.
Mia continued to cry, and she clutched her heart for a moment.
“Get the hell out of here!” she shouted, pointing to the door.
“I knew Ted couldn’t see this because he may not understand the kissy-face stuff with the captain. I know she was acting. She even hypnotized the fella like we saw them do in the carnival. He just stood there while she gave the birdmen the keys. I thought I was going to die again when the quartermaster appeared.”
