The Everly Davis chronicles

by Amelia K Oliver

Chapter Twenty-Five

  KARL

  These fucking things keep coming! With every one of them I kill, it seems ten more step forward, baying for my brothers and my blood. My Glock just isn't fast enough, so I pull out a knife I tucked into my waistband, slashing and stabbing my way through the crowd with it. I've got to get away from Garrot and Leyland. I need to open this mother fucker and get these things away from Everly, from my family. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Le.

  “Karl, a knife if you’d please?” Reaching down to the holster at my ankle, I pull out a blade and send it through the air to him. I see him catch it by the hilt.

  “Garrot, get the fuck back! I’m about to open the ground and have it swallow these nasty bitches,” I shout. He nods and pushes his way through the crowd of rotten Selkie. I do the same but in the opposite direction. When I’m a safe distance away, I kneel and splay my hands on the ground. “Open, please.” The ground rises up to meet my hands like the caress of a lover, then splits itself in two. I feel more powerful than I’ve ever been in my life; it's intoxicating.

  The roar the earth sets loose makes the creatures turn around. Taking that as his chance, I see Garrot bring his hands up and several waves of energy crash into the beasts around him, sending them toppling into the casmn. Holy shit. I fight my way forward, pushing back the never-ending bodies around me. I let out a battle cry as I feel seeds in the earth. I pour my will into the soil under my feet, grunting with the effort. Several large trees sprout from the ground and whip their trunks into a group of Selkie, sending them down into the jaws of the earth itself. Wow! The trees set their branches free and they hit several throngs of Selkie, knocking them to their backs. I pound forward and kick out, sending several more into the pit. There are no more Selkie around me. Time to close her up.

  “Close, devour what I have offered you. Thank you, and please send my love to my mother,” I say, closing the split I’d made.

  “Fuck me! You’re a fucking sexy mother fucker. When did you start growing trees?” Garrot hurls at me from somewhere in the mass of Selkies surrounding him.

  Fuck if I know. Just felt them, and they grew. Never been able to do that before. No time to think though because another wave of rotten fish hits my nose. I turn just in time to get my knife up, stopping a Trident from being stabbed into my back.

  “Give her to us, and we will let you live, Earth boy,” it hisses at me.

  Shit, an Elite. “That’s a negative, death breath. The Queen doesn’t belong to anyone, let alone a race of putrid smelling seals!” I lash out with my blade, and he leans back slightly, just missing the tip of my dagger.

  “My king will have her, Son of Earth. He has promised us her body, to do with as we please. I've heard she likes it rough,” he spits at me.

  Rage fills my veins. I roar to the skies. Sending my power down into the Earth, I pull up vines from the dirt, wrapping them around the creature’s hands. They pull him down to his knees and hold him there.

  “You will not have her, freak.” I reach out, pulling its breastplate off, and out falls a photo. I bend down, picking it up. Fuck me, it’s Everly. I shout, “How did you get this? Speak, beast!” mentally telling the vines to tighten around the Selkie's throat.

  “I will not. I’m an Elite. You will not be able to force it from me,” he chokes out. Losing patience, I bring my blade down into its shoulder. The creature cries out, drawing the attention of several more. “You will die, little human. I will have my wicked way with your bitch. Then I will kill her.”

  “Enter his heart, my dear vines. Slowly. Rip it to shreds,” I coo as the ground shakes beneath me. Centimetre by centimetre, they creep up his arm. I swivel on my feet. Holding my knife on the inside of my wrist, I slash it through the throats of the Selkies around me, blue blood flying through the air. I turn to face the Elites before they begin gurgling, falling to the ground.

  “Now!” As soon as I say the word, the vines enter the creature’s neck. I see them travelling through his jugular, heading straight for his heart. His screams cut off midway through as the plant bursts through his chest, covering me in more blue blood.

  Suck on that, bitch. I plant a knee to the ground, the tips of my fingers swiping at the dirt. “Come stone, come granite, squash my foes with mighty planet.” The second I finish, five large boulders rise from the earth. Two roll toward the barrier, the other three rise into the air and come crashing down on the posse of Selkies below. Blue blood and gore fly through the air. Screams are cut off as the ground shakes. I feel every second of it. My body on fire, power flowing through my veins, I clap my hands together once and the boulders explode.

  GARROT

  Mother fucker. I can't get to Everly. There's no way through this fucking force field around her. A horde of stinking turds surges right for us. Luckily, Fish Boy brought our weapons or we’d be shark bait right now. My broadsword slices and dices through fish guts, making me feel like a sushi chef as bits of raw Selkies hit my face. I use my power to squash their hearts. I can only do one at a time. To do more I'd have to be able to just stand and concentrate. But since thousands of Selkie are trying to take bites out of me, that's just not possible.

  The earth moves below me, letting me know Karl is letting his hair down, unleashing his power. I look over the assemblage before me and spot Leyland skirting his way around the force that's stopping us from getting to our girl. Thank fuck. If anyone can get to her, it's him. A big bastard grabs my sword by the hilt. I head butt him, standing on my tiptoes to do so because this mother is taller than me.

  I notice he's holding a trident and I am about shit my pants. The last time I came face to face with an Elite, I nearly died. So had Ever. Oh, fuck that. I kick out my leg at the same time I swipe my sword. Neither connect with this colossal arsehole.

  “Too slow, tiny man. I will have the Queen. I will make her my bride.” He laughs madly. Power courses through my body like nothing I've ever felt before. And... Ever? Her scent wraps around me. Home.

  “Never going to fucking happen, shithouse.” I superman punch him in the gut using my extra power to bolster it, slide to his left, and jab him in the ribs. He teeters on his stilt-like legs but doesn't fall. Gathering more energy, I lift myself off the ground and float over his head, bringing my elbow down on top of it as I let my bodyweight go. We fall to the ground in a heap. “You'll never get your hands on Ever. She would rip you to shreds, bitch!” I drive my blade straight into his heart, since the beast didn't even put on a breastplate. Thanks, big guy.

  As he takes his last breath, I’m up and moving through the throng of fish creatures, stabbing and slicing on the way. The earth opens up before me and I blast out wave after wave of power, pushing them back into it. Oh, this is fucking fun. If only I knew Everly was safe, I could let myself enjoy killing these fucktards. As it is, I’m still having a bit of fun because now I can hear their hearts exploding in their chests as I concentrate. I’ll never let myself be taken down again. I have so much to live for.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  EVERLY

  Oh, what the fuck is happening? I can't move my body. I'm no longer in control. I can see and hear, but I can't speak. I see my guys; I feel them too. But I can't tell them how scared I am. I'm kind of glad I can't feel my legs because we walk for what seems like forever. In the distance, I see the sea. It calls to me, drawing me towards it like a lasso around my heart.

  Am I dreaming? If I am, this is new. No, not dreaming. My guys look really concerned. As we continue, I see the cliff from my dreams. Oh shit, shit, shit. No. this can't be happening. This has got to be my dream. Please help me! I feel, but don't see. My guys no longer walk with me. Oh crap. This is it. This is where I lose them. It was them all along, the shadows in the mist in my dreams. Karl, Leyland, Garrot. It was them I leave behind. No! My body stops just feet from the edge.

  “Daughter, thank you for coming.”

  I had no fucking choice, did I? The woman before me is familiar in ways that aren�
�t possible. Daughter? She's my mother?

  “Ah yes, release. There you go, your body is yours again.”

  My weight returns to me and I shake my limbs loose. The crab moves a little on her head, and I reach out to touch it. Fuck me, it's real. Turning around, I see my guys fighting against hordes of Selkies through what looks like a screen of some kind. It’s like looking up at the surface of the sea from beneath it.

  "Shit! Let me out of here, I need to help them," I scream.

  "No, sweet child. They’re good warriors. There’s no need to worry. Poseidon is close to finding you, we must get you ready," the woman says calmly.

  I know the guys can fight, but my instincts are telling me I need to be with them. "I need to help them!" Fucking bitch better let me get to... "How close is Poseidon?" I ask her, fear bubbling in my stomach.

  "Exceedingly. You must awaken all of your powers now, child. I am sorry." Before I even have a chance to react, her hand shoots out and hits me in the centre of my chest.

  "Argh!" My body flies through the air, and I land with a thump in the grass. Ouch. I look down at myself to see I'm glowing. Soft pink, earthy brown, electric blue, and sparkly silver radiate from my skin. Feeling like I'm burning, I try to scream out in pain, but nothing comes out. It's like I've been thrown into a vat of acid, and my body is being melted. Fuck, it hurts! The world starts spinning. I turn my head to the side and empty my stomach onto the grass beneath me. Inner lights flash behind my eyelids and with it comes peace. The pain fades away. I'm left panting on the cool ground.

  My guys. I feel you. I wipe the back of my hand across my mouth. The spot where Gar marked me between my breasts stings. “What the fuck did you do to me?” I get out before my head spins and the world goes black.

  LEYLAND

  Hearing Everly scream makes me climb faster, pushing my body to its limits. Forty feet above me bright lights sear my eyes. Inner lights, our inner lights. Shit, what’s happening?

  An agonizing pain between my shoulder blades make me lose my handhold and I fall. I'm sixty feet up a vertical cliff with the sea crashing against the base, splashing me with its cold, wet fingers. The air whistles passed my ears as I fall to what surely has to be my death.

  I love you, Everly Davis. I am so sorry. The pain in my back redoubles. I cry out as white-hot pain slices through my spine. “Argh!” Suddenly, I’m no longer falling. My body is jerked up painfully. Everly. I feel you, sweetheart. I'm so sorry I failed you.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see massive white wings flapping against the wind. Have I been grabbed by a huge bird? The muscles in my back contract on their own and the wings come into my view again. Swivelling my head, I realize those wings are mine. They’re attached to my back.

  Holy fuck, I’m a bird? Why is my cock hard? I concentrate on my back muscles and sense the extra appendages. Tensing the muscles makes them go up, relaxing them makes them flap down. With that realization, I begin to fly. My goal: the top of this cliff where my Everly is. I must get to her; I have to save her. I’m coming, my love.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  KARL

  The last of the Selkies die under shards of rock. The world goes silent. “Garrot, did you fucking feel that? What the fuck was it?” I cross the field, climbing over fallen creatures.

  “Not a clue, bro. Felt bloody amazing though, eh? Damn. Got my dick harder than steel. I could've fought off those things with it, it was so hard,” he replies while shaking his hips from side to side.

  Fucking Garrot. Always with the dick jokes. Despite myself, I burst out laughing. I laugh because my own cock had gone hard when the surge of power slammed into me. I feel Everly through it. It’s laced with her being. I felt her in my soul.

  “Felt amazing, whatever it was. I've never been able to explode that many hearts before, it was ... fucking amazeballs!” He's panting and looks exhausted. Extra power or not, we’re both spent. When I look into his eyes, I see he’s not looking at me, but at the barrier behind us.

  “Shit, Ever!” I shout. We both run to the invisible wall, pounding our fists against it. “Dammit, let us fucking in!”

  “We have to get to her, K, she's in danger. I can feel it in the air.” Garrot sounds as panicked as I feel. Shit. Kneeling, I place my palm to the ground.

  “Give me trees,” I ask the Earth. Nothing. I try again, “I need your help, please give me trees.” The dirt rumbles as two large oak trees sprout from the Earth, then bash themselves against the force field. “Harder!” I shout. The booms echo across the fields. But still, the wall stands. “Earth, give me boulders, and throw them at this wall.” I stand as four huge clumps of rock are thrown through the air. We duck as they smash to dust on impact. Fuck!

  “Let me try, K,” Garrot says as he throws his hands out.

  I actually see the power radiating from them. “Urgh!” He throws everything he has at it. Nothing. He walks over to the thing that stands between our Queen and us. Putting his hands against it, he pushes with both of them. His legs slip on the dirt. Sparks fly over the dome-like force field, but it doesn't break.

  I fall to my knees and pray to the Gods we can save our girl.

  He falls to the floor, exhausted. “Can't...won't budge. Ah, fuck.” He falls face first into the dry dirt.

  Everly

  I stare down between my boobs. There’s a pair of white wings, a tree, brown without leaves, and the blue G from Garrot. I stare at it, dumbfounded. It’s beautiful. “Marked by all three.” That’s what Will said; that I would be marked by all three of them. Wow, amazing.

  “Ah, it's astonishing, Daughter. You chose your consorts wisely. Now, tell me, did you go into the water? Pray tell that you did not," the woman who I think is my mother asks.

  “I... I did. A month ago, I went for a paddle with .... Why?” I say as I push myself off the ground. My whole body trembles. What did she do to me?

  “Poseidon will have felt you; he will be coming for you, dear. We must prepare you... William!" she screams mid-sentence, and my feet leave the ground I jump so high. “I warned you not to go into the water. How could you be so foolish, child?”

  “W... Warned me?” The memory slams back into me, bringing with it a wave of agony. I bend double and throw up again, barely aware of the tall figure speeding into my line of sight. “My little one, do not, under any circumstances go into the...”

  “Mother, the Cupid has morphed, the other two have defeated their foes. The fourth will be here soon. All is on track,” Willaim reports not even sparing me a glance.

  Morphed? Where’s Leyland? Fourth? “Oh no, please, tell me he’s ok?” I beg. Leyland! Oh, fuck. Please be ok.

  “He’ll be here momentarily, my Queen.” Finally Will looks at me, a glint in his eyes.

  “Stop calling me that! Tell me where Leyland is, and you...” I say, pointing to the woman who birthed me. “Let my men get to me, now,” I demand. My voice sounds different to my ears. Out of the corner of my eye, I see huge white wings emerge over the cliff’s edge.

  “Everly!”

  I jump so hard I worry a little pee came out. “Leyland?” What the actual fuck is happening right now? Why is Le a bird? He flaps his giant white wings and flies over to where I’m standing. The wind from his wings blows my hair back.

  “Everly!” He sounds so relieved. A sob escapes me as he lands and pulls me into his arms. Angel. That's what he is now, an angel. He's fucking stunningly beautiful. “Everly, is this your mother?” Leyland asks as he pulls away from my needy arms.

  “Yes. Leyland, what happened? You've got wings!” Fuck me sideways on a bicycle, this is batshit crazy. I've lost my mind.

  “I don't know. I felt my skin tear, then these wings burst from my skin. Are you ok?” he asks and then kisses me, hard. For long moments there’s only Le and me in the whole world. Someone clearing their throat breaks us apart.

  “Sister, My Queen, your consorts are all alive,” William informs.

  “Wish to see them, Daugh
ter?” Amphitrite asks.

  “Haven’t I been saying so for the last ten minutes?” I break the sweet kiss and turn to them, fury lighting my veins. I love them, I need them with me. The ground starts to shake, and rocks topple off the cliff in front of us. I turn to the barrier and can’t contain my cries when I see Garrot and Karl running towards me. I meet them halfway.

  Throwing my arms around them, they lift me off the ground and hold me so tight I can barely breathe, but I don't even care. They're all alive, my guys are alive. Thank God!

  “Daughter, are you not going to introduce me to three of your chosen consorts?” the woman who is my birth mother asks. I ignore her, though. Instead, I kiss both my guys then feel a hand on my back and know it’s Leyland. The four of us hold each other and cry. Tears pour down my cheeks and theirs. For what seems like a lifetime, we stand there clinging to each other, just the four of us. Then as one, we make our way slowly back to my mother and brother. Together. Forever.

  “Everly, we are short on time, dear. Your birthday is in four weeks, child. We must start your training. There’s the matter of your condition to consider,” my Mother says as we reach her. It’s Karl who pulls away from us and answers her.

  “Four months. It’s four months until her birthday.”

  The guys’ birthdays are October twenty-fifth. Not mine. My condition? Am I sick? Am I going to sprout tentacles and shoot ink from my arse? Oh look, there's one of my last marbles rolling away.

  “That is not so, Son of the Earth. October twenty-fifth, I birthed the most powerful Goddess to ever be. The Queen of the Seas. The one who will destroy Poseidon and his foul army." Her head swivels between us as she speaks, "The only being on this planet who can save the human race. Her name... is Everly.” She looks directly at me as she says the last part.

  I gulp audibly. Shit a duck up its arse. Both William and my mother visibly stiffen as sprays of salt water hit our faces. My eyes are drawn behind them. Our gasps are drowned out by the sound of waves crashing. I'm so shocked, I trip over backwards, landing solidly on my arse. My mind short circuits and my body goes numb.