Chapter Thirty-Three
EVERLY
“We gotta be ready and waiting.” I tell Victor over coffee. It's the afternoon and I just got up. Lorelei is content in Victor`s arms. Garrot is on a weapons run and Karl is still sleeping. Leyland is missing, but Garrot told me he needs time. They explained to me what happened when Leyland lost his soul. The things he did. While awful, I can't make myself think any less of him. He was soulless. It wasn't him. I know it. Darcy is in the field behind the house, I watch her through the window as she spins with her arms held wide. Enjoying freedom for the first time. It warms my heart to see her so happy.
"We will be ready, Everly, but I fear for our girl." Victor mumbles. He barely takes his eyes off Lorelei. To see such a huge man be so gentle with her makes my heart squeeze.
"Me too. One of us will need to stay here to protect her." I take a sip of the liquid gold and hold out a hand to Victor. His mouth opens and closes silently. “Before you say it, no, it won't be me. I have powers, Victor, useful ones for fighting Poseidon. I know we can hold our own, but I need to be at the front of this fight. It’s my destiny after all." I smoothe down the fluffy red hair on Lorelei's head and kiss her softly. "She’s so happy in your arms, Vic."
"I confess, I’ve never held a baby before. But," he pauses and looks up at me, his smile a mile wide. "She’s so perfect, I can hardly look away."
"Hey!" Garrot crashes into the kitchen, his hands laiden with duffle bags. "Quit hogging muffin." He smiles as he drops them with a thud and gently takes Lorelei from Victor. "Hello my little precious. Are you hungry? Need a new nappy?" He lifts her butt to his nose and takes a big sniff.
I catch my giggle with my cup when she farts. "Hmm, bad case of gas, I see."
Victor doesn't even try to hold in his laughter.
"Shut it you," Garrot grumbles halfheartedly and drops a kiss on my forehead. "How's the?" He motions with his head to indicate my lower half.
"Um, sore," I wiggle a little, feeling the sting but other than that, all seems to be in order.
"I can imagine, well, I can't but you have my utmost sympathy," he bends so his face is level with my vagina. "Don't you worry, I'm gonna take real good care of you just as soon as you heal."
Coffee spurts from between my lips, coating Garrot's back.
"I'm sorry!" I manage between belly jiggling laughs. "Oh, I'm gunna pee!" Crossing my legs I run to the downstairs bathroom. I make it. Just. After I pee and change my pad, I stand outside the kitchen door and listen to Garrot and Victor.
"It's so good to have your mummy back," Garrot coos. "We've missed her so much."
"What do you make of Darcy?" Victor asks, his voice even.
"If Ever says she's ok, then, she's ok. I trust her judgement a million percent." Garrot replies. The sound of chair legs scraping across the floor tells me he sat down.
"True. I agree. If Darcy was a threat, she could've hurt her well before now. It is good, isn't it, having her back. I feel like I haven't seen her in years." Victor says quietly, as if admitting it out loud makes him weak or something.
"Things were tough when she was gone, for all of us. It did feel like years. I'll thank the gods every day she made it out alive. Every day." Garrot replies, a sad note in his tone. I can't imagine what it was like for them all. Not knowing if I was alive or dead for so long.
"As will all of us. What happened to Ari?" Victor asks.
Ari? Who the fuck is Ari?
"I'm not sure, Karl will be able to tell us when he gets back." Garrot replies just as the back door opens. "Speak of the devil. Man, you look pale."
What the fuck?
"Yeah, I don't feel," I interrupt Karl as I walk back into the room. As soon as I look at Karl I know something is wrong.
Karl
The room spins as I let the bags of shopping go. Everly looks pissed off. Garrot has the baby and Victor tries to reach out and catch me but misses as I crash to the floor face first.
"Karl? Kar!" A slap across my face brings me around, Everly is straddling me and has her hand raised to slap me again. I reach out to catch her wrist but am barely able to stop her. Either she is super strong now or I'm weak.
"Easy," I warn as she wiggles on me.
"Thank god you're ok!" She gasps and kisses me long and deep. I thrust my hips up, my cock seeking her warmth. But the move makes her wince.
"Shit, sorry." I apologize and lift her off me. "I didn't mean to hurt you." We stand and she gives me a stern look. An eyebrow raised.
"Don't be." The smile on her face makes me want to grab her and throw her over my shoulder. But I know I can't. But soon. Then we won't be seen for at least a week. "Who's Ari?"
Looks like it's time.
"Let's all go into the front room. I have something to tell you all." I try not to sound ominous but it comes out that way. Everly takes Lorelei from Garrot as Leyland walks through the front door, Darcy close behind.
"Where have you been?" Ever asks Le as we squeeze into the room. He looks at me then at the floor. He's a shell of the man he was before his soul was lost. It breaks me to see him this way.
"Walking." Is the only answer he gives.
"Okay, so, Ari," I address the whole room, Everly is feeding Lorelei between Victor and Garrot. It's hard not to feel a little jealous of the baby. But I tell myself it's not sexual and the feeling goes away. "I died." I announce. Going for the band aid method. Quick and painful.
"What do you mean, you died?" Everly whisper yells.
"Shit a duck," Garrot mumbles.
"Explain." Victor orders.
"You died?" Leyland's barely audible whisper reaches my ears. I turn to him. He leans against the wall near the door. His arms crossed across his chest and his eyes rimmed with red.
"Leyland," my voice cracks when I'm suddenly hit with a wave of pure sadness. Everyone in the room can feel it. None of us know what to do about it, though.
Everly passes Lorelei to me and approaches Leyland. Reaching out, she presses her pointer finger to his forehead.
"So much sadness," silver light pours from her hand. It soaks into his skin like water in a desert. "Le," when she cups his face he crumples. They go down on their knees, holding each other. Lorelei gurgles and I gently pat her back. The burp in my ear is my reward.
"Vic," I jerk my head to the side when he looks up from Leyland and Everly. He takes the hint and follows me into the kitchen. "Let's prepare dinner,"
Leyland
Silver light encases Everly and I as she sits in my lap. Part of me wants to tell her to stop. That I don't deserve her comfort. But a bigger, more broken part of me hopes she never stops. Since the day Everly jumped off that cliff, I was broken. Watching the love of my life willingly give herself up to that evil bastard was the first step in shattering my soul. Each day a little more of me drifted away. I can't be whole without her. I'll never be whole again.
"Le, please talk to me." Her words whisper in my ear. The feel of her against me almost feels like a dream.
"I'm evil," I admit, barely able to talk through my tears. When my soul was forced into me, I thought it was the end of it all. That I was so broken, I would die from it. I thought Everly would reject me. Call me evil and walk away. A voice inside my head tells me she would be right to. That I deserve nothing less.
"You're not. Not you. You're not a demon anymore, Le. You didn't do those things, he did." Her words should bring me comfort. They’re meant to soothe my self hatred. But they only make me cry harder. Her soul is so forgiving and yet I cannot forgive myself. I don't deserve it.
"I gave the families money. The ones I killed or died because of me. I gave them everything I had." I tell her. It doesn't bring absolution, nor does it ease their pain, but it was something.
"Leyland, I," Everly begins but the front door is almost blasted off its hinges when it blows it open with magic.
I jump up, bringing Ever with me and push her behind me. Karl and Victor storm into the hall. Karl passes Lore
lei to Ever before he and Victor disappear out of the house.
"Le, take Lorelei." She demands. I look down at the red haired little girl bundled up in light orange blankets. Her ocean blue eyes stare at me like she's looking into my soul.
"I..." I try to tell her no, but Everly grabs my arms and arranges them in the best way to hold a baby.
"She’s your daughter, Leyland," gently she places Lorelei in my arms and kisses her forehead. "Lore, this is your daddy. Be good you two." She smiles up at me then rushes out of the house. I look down at my daughter.
"I'm so sorry, Lorelei."
Gordon
"You let them leave?" His nose squashes mine as he yells in my face.
"There was no letting them, father. They escaped by sheer will and force." I stand tall and unblinking.
"How did this happen?" he pushes away from me and stabs a Selkie with his golden trident. His white hair is stained with blood and his skin is deathly pale. The poison I gave Everly knocked him out for eight minutes. It worked well. The box jellyfish is highly toxic, even to us Atlanteans.
"We don't know, your Majesty." a nameless Selkie blubbers. "Atlantis raised, there was chaos, they slipped away."
"Gordon, an explanation!" he kicks another creature, sending it flying through the air. It hits the wall with a sickening crunch.
"I have none, father." It's the truth, at least. I have no information about Atlantis rising from the sea bed.
"I bet it was those disgusting half breeds and royalty cast offs she calls consorts." Father spits like the mere mention of them leaves a bad taste in his mouth. "You should have killed them when I told you to!" The slap to the side of my head is one I've grown used to. "Bring me wine, lots of it. We wage war this day. Earth will be mine before the sun sets."
In a flurry of activity, Selkies move the furniture in the great room so it resembles a war room. The viewing wall is covered with maps, notes and photos of Everly and her men. I'm surprised and horrified to see a photo of Darcy. Her face severely bruised, the photo was clearly taken after a beating. One I have no doubt I ordered to be carried out.
Victor
"What is the meaning of this, Mickey?" The witch stands next to Ari in front of our house.
"Sorry for being so dramatic but we have a huge problem." Mickey shrugs like scaring the shit out of everyone is an ok thing to do.
"The fuck, Mickey? There's a baby in here! You know this. What a dick move." Garrot shouts as he storms towards Mickey. Ari steps in front of the witch.
"Selkies are coming. The ocean is filled with them a couple miles out." She says casually.
"Gods," Everly curses under her breath. "We're ready," she announces.
"Wait. No, we’re not!" Garrot objects as he stops and turns to her.
"Yes, we are. Get the weapons. Let's go." She replies.
I have to admit, my dick twitches. I love this side of her. She's powerful. We all feel it. She's rested and her stomach is almost flat again. She's ready. But are we?
Karl
"Nope, no way. You're staying here." I say to her back as she rushes back into the house. "Everly," she spins in the doorway to raise her lip at me. Damn.
"Actually, it's you who'll be staying behind." She points her finger at me then goes into the house.
Me? Nah, ah, I don't think so. Even as another wave of dizziness washes over me, I storm into the house and start to gear up.
Everly
"Karl," I wrap my arms around his shoulders and around behind him as he rifles through a bag in search of something sharp. "I need you to stay with Lorelei." The emotions I’m feeling knowing I will leave not only my precious daughter, but one of my men behind makes my voice crack. Karl turns in my arms and kisses me. Hard and deep. His arms snake around my waist, he holds on tight. A throat clearing in the doorway makes us pull apart, but not without one final searing kiss.
"I'll stay." Leyland tells us as he bounces on his heels, "I, they," he fumbles for the words. "They took my wings. I would be useless out there." He confesses.
"It's true, he’s the only one without a defensive power." Karl agrees as he holds me close to his side. Lore is fast asleep in Leyland's arms. Content with her daddy.
"Ok, Le you stay. But you guard her with your life, if anything happens to her," tears fall unchecked down my cheeks. I can't lose any of them. Least of all Lorelei.
"On my life, nothing will happen to her." He swears. I lean up on my tippy toes and kiss him then her head.
"I love you both, so much." I grab Darcy from her corner in the room, and pull her in for a hard hug and thank her for believing in me. I rush from the house with a duffle bag slung over my shoulder before I can change my mind. Leaving them is leaving chunks of my soul behind. But they'll never be safe until Poseidon is dead. I have no choice but to head for the cliff that I both love and hate without them.
Chapter Thirty-Four
EVERLY
The view from the cliff makes me want to throw up. The ocean writhes with Selkies and other creatures I have no names for. The sun bounces off their skin, making the water appear multifaceted like a diamond. Garrot, Karl, Victor, Mickey and the woman called Ari stand in a line behind me. Waiting for me. I turn to them. On the way an odd little squirrel jumped on Karl's shoulder. It's adorable. If a little pushy.
"The shit has hit the fan," I say. Ari giggles and covers her mouth with her hand. I raise an eyebrow before I continue, "This is it. The fight for not just our lives, but for everyone on this planet." Several of them nod, Garrot snarls. "Our daughter won't be safe until this is done. We won't be safe. Today, this ends, and it ends with us." It's not the best speech, but they all give me their fiercest battle roar in answer. It gives me chills. "For our family!" I raise my fist into the air and they all copy me. A show of solidarity against insurmountable odds. We are hugely outnumbered. There's no chance we all make it out of this alive.
"For our family!" My men echo back to me.
"Um," Ari raises her hand in question. We all look at her. "Karl has my blood in him. It's how he’s still alive," as one, we turn to Karl who looks pale. "We need to make sure he doesn't die, otherwise he'll turn into a vampire."
"Vampire?" I ask, more to myself. I knew something was odd about her. I look to Karl who nods. Well, shit. "Okay, no one die." I warn them. Throwing a wink Ari's way. "Thank you for saving him." She nods and places her fist over her heart.
"You have my allegiance, my Queen." She swears. I pull Karl into my arms and kiss him.
"I love you," then I do the same to Garrot and Victor. I thank Mickey for all his help and shake Ari's hand then turn towards the ocean. For so long, I felt her pull and ignored it. After so long in Atlantis I feel like I know her better than I know myself.
"Forgetting someone, sis?" A voice rings out in the distance. Using my hand to block the sun from my eyes, I peer towards the town.
There, in the distance, is William. And he's not alone.
"Fuck me." I exclaim.
Garrot
The sun's rays highlight a cloud of dust to either side of William. It looks like a herd of elephants follow him in a very long line. Mickey gasps and runs off towards Will. I turn quickly to check how close the Selkies are.
"Shit, they're on the beach already." I yell.
"Let's go, no time to wait for Will." Everly says as she walks to the edge and turns to me. I wrap my power around her as I stand next to her. I float us to the sands below. Karl uses his power to help him slide down and Ari just jumps to the beach. Landing on her feet like a cat. I can't imagine her feeding Karl her blood to save his life. But I'm so fucking grateful. Sword in hand, I rush towards a row of snarling Selkie.
William
"Mick!" I shout as the love of my life runs towards me. I meet him halfway, throwing my arms around him, I kiss him until we’re both gasping for breath.
"Where have you been!" he whispers against my lips. It feels so good to have him in my arms again.
"I'll explain
later, come on, we've got arse to kick."
Everly
The Selkie in front of me is at least six feet tall. His gold trident tells me he's an Elite. Maybe even one of the ones who tortured Darcy over the years. His body explodes in a spray of blue blood as I grab the one behind him and throw my head into his, smashing its flat nose with a crunch of bone. With one hand I lift the sand below its feet and order it into his throat. Choking the fucker. I stab another before he falls to the sand. The heavy weight of the sword is comforting in my hand. But not as much as the power I feel coursing through my veins.
"Son!" the word makes me spin around. Garrot's mother and another woman are amongst the fray, battling creatures who look like they’re made of oil.
"Oh, this is so much fun!" the other woman, the one I don't know, laughs loudly while pulling a heart from the chest of one beast.
"I've missed this!" Garrot's mother roars. I find Garrot in the throng. He watches the women from the corner of his eye as he twists the head off a Selkie with his power. He shakes his head, smiling and continues fighting. Two Leviathan's sail through the water in front of me. Their serpentine bodies make light work of the swirling ocean as they speed towards me. Grunting, I throw my hands out, the sword drops to the ground as I order the ocean to curl up and carry the dragons away from me.
She does my bidding. Four Selkies grab hold of me. With two on each arm, I should be fucked right now. If not for William's teachings.
"Don't you know it's rude to touch a lady without first asking her?" I taunt as I break every bone in their bodies. They slump to the sand, four boneless puddles. I run and jump onto the back of a gorgon who has Karl by the throat. I push my power into its rocky head. It drops Karl in time for me to twist. It's head pops off in my hands. Riding it down, I throw the things head at a nearby Selkie. The force of the blow cracks it's skull open.
"Badarse." Karl comments as I continue moving through the creatures. The squirrel holds onto his t-shirt for dear life. Raising its fist in disgust as blood splatters against its fur. Bodies fly here and there but we barely make a dent. Garrot is surrounded by more Selkie than I can count. Victor is in the ocean. His kraken form whips creatures through the air. Smashing them against the cliffs. But several Leviathan's close in on him. Karl's weakening, I can tell. The sand tornado he made moments ago flutters back to the ground. He falls to a knee as I try to make my way to him.
The Everly Davis chronicles Page 58
