The Superheroes' Wives Collection

by Joynell Schultz

  A zap came from the pendant and she dropped it. “Oh, abracadabra!” When she saw the letters scrawled into the dirt, her heart leapt into her throat. She did have a husband, and his name was Nolan Kostruba. Kostruba? Really? What kind of last name was that? She was now Naima Kostruba?

  Picking up the amulet, she refastened it around her neck.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted that caped flying man coming straight toward her. She jumped back and her hand flew to her chest.

  He landed a few steps away from her.

  “What are you after?” His voice was as deep—and as appealing—as last time. He walked closer.

  “I already told you. My husband.” She swiped her hand toward the writing in the dirt. “His name is Nolan—”

  “Stop!” The flying warlock raced to the name sprawled out in the dirt. He kicked his foot across the writing and an unnatural wind circled him.

  “Hey, don’t do that! I need to find him, and I don’t know if I have the spelling to his last name right yet.”

  “What kind of joke is this?”

  “Joke? Again, I don’t understand what you’re asking me.” Why was he upset, unless…he knew this Nolan fellow? “You know him, don’t you?”

  From a pocket along his abdomen, he pulled out some long, loopy ties of some kind, and before Naima could blink, a strong wind propelled her backwards until she was tight against a tree. The warlock moved forward, fumbling with the loopy ties.

  When his hand took hers, a shiver ran up her arm. What type of power was that? His mouth turned down in a frown as he placed her wrist in one loop, then pulled her hands behind her back, securing her other wrist in the tie before she could reach up to grab her pendant. The man’s grip on her wrists was firm, despite the binding being a little loose. Was he afraid to hurt her?

  His voice was nearly a whisper, “You need to tell me where you heard that name.”

  That was an easy question. “Magic, of course.”

  “Magic?” he growled. “What type of superhuman are you?”

  “Super…what? I’m nothing special. Just a standard, run-of-the-mill witch…who’s simply looking for my new husband, Nolan Kostruba.”

  He stepped away. “You lie!” A fire erupted in the grass, throwing a beautiful black flame. “Crap!” He pulled his cape off and threw it over the fire, stomping on it.

  “I don’t lie. I never lie. Nolan may not know I’m his wife yet, but we’ve been bound together. Married in a magic ceremony. He’s my one true soulmate.”

  “You’re insane,” he said while flicking the dirt and burnt grass from his cape.

  “We all are a little insane, aren’t we? Well, you have me all tied up. What are you going to do with me?”

  “Take you over to Shadow Town and put you in the SuperMax supervillain prison.”

  “Villain? What have I done?”

  “Burned down a barn! And whatever else you have planned. Maybe they’ll get you to confess where your husband, The Royal Torch, is.”

  “First off, I don’t know who this Royal Torch fellow is, and unless he’s Nolan Kostruba, he’s not my husband. Secondly, let’s say I did have something evil planned, which I do not, since when is planning something a crime?”

  “You don’t deny burning down the barn.”

  “Hey, my magic’s a little kitty-wampus right after the binding spell. I didn’t intend to start the fire…if it was me who started it. I’m not admitting to anything. Okay. Stop staring at me and do something. Take me to this prison or whatever you have planned. It won’t stop me. I’ll find my soulmate.” Slowly, she wiggled her slender arms out of the ties.

  The man reattached his cape, ran a hand through his close-cropped black hair and then paced in front of her with an almost unnatural grace. She wished she could clearly see the full expression his eyes threw off behind the black mask. Wondered how he would look without it on. As her arm wiggled free and gripped her necklace, she spoke as fast as she could, “Jade, jade, ‘o magic jade, take me to my husband!”

  In a flash, she was out of the bindings…and in the caped man’s arms. A familiar sweet, muted pine scent filled her nose, and she thought back to the binding spell with her mother.

  “Oh…” she said, taking in the man’s square jaw-line and shadow of a beard. She filled her lungs once again with his familiar pine scent. “I guess it’s you. You’re Nolan Kostruba. Maybe my magic had been working this whole time. Well, nice to meet you. I’m your wife, Naima Newa...well, Kostruba now.” She batted her eyes. “That whole tie-me-up thing was kind of a fun courting ritual. Not what I expected, but, hey, if that’s how you secure your wife here, I’ll play along. I like to have fun.”

  He pushed her away and shook his head, though his cheeks reddened. “I’m not this Nolan guy. My name’s Onyx Flame.”

  “My magic’s never wrong. I know who you really are. Besides, Onyx Flame? What kind of name is that?”

  “You haven’t heard of me?” His eyebrows arched above his mask. “I suppose I haven’t been Energy City’s superhero that long.”

  “Hero? Wow, you think highly of yourself. It’s not what I expected, but I’ll get used to it. So, are you going to take me home now, or do you want to throw each other against some more trees or something first? Another odd marital ritual, but, hey, why not?”

  Nolan pushed Naima out of his arms. “I think you need some help, lady.”

  “Oh, don’t lady me! The other witches in my village don’t even call my mother that. You can call me madam, if you like.”

  He shook his head and tightened his lips in a way that seemed to hold back a smile. “Okay, madam. You’ll come with me then? Without a fight?”

  “Yup. I’m all yours.” Nolan grabbed her wrists and tied her hands together again. Naima didn’t fight back. It wasn’t needed, since he’d see she was his soulmate too, but when he snatched her pendant from around her neck, her heart rate sped up.

  Her eyes latched onto his. They were dark…and gorgeous. Would the rest of him be as handsome?

  He cleared his throat. “Is this how you channel your superpower? I’ve seen you use it a few times now.”

  “Superpower? No. That’s an enchanted jade pendant that’s been in my family for four hundred years. It connects me to the magic of my ancestors.”

  “Magic? Nobody believes in that stuff.”

  “Says the man who can fly without a broomstick.”

  Nolan squeezed the amulet into his pocket, then examined her bound wrists, giving the tie a pull to make it tighter. “Okay. We’re off.” He looped her arms over his head, then wrapped his arms around her waist and took off into the sky.

  “Oh, I could get used to this.” Naima wrapped her dangling legs around his waist and laid her head tightly against his chest.

  ~ ~ ~

  As Nolan flew toward Shadow Town, with this woman’s arms and legs wrapped around his body, he couldn’t help but smell a sweet lavender scent from her bright green hair. Green hair, he laughed at himself. He never thought he’d find that color attractive, but this woman pulled it off.

  You’re losing it, Nolan. Since when do you find the villains attractive? Way too much time alone.

  What was he going to do with her? True, she had started a fire, but so had he. She hadn’t tried to hurt him…and how did she know his name and his secret identity? If he took her to the prison, she might tell the other supervillains who he was. He really had no choice.

  He had to deal with her himself.

  She claimed to be his wife, but he shook that thought away. Being married as a superhero was impossible. Heck, he couldn’t even have friends without fear of burning them to a crisp. And could he ever trust someone with his identity? In this case, it appeared he had no choice. There were other issues too. What if a wife ended up getting hurt coming between him and a supervillain? Regular humans were so fragile. He couldn’t harm one he loved.

  There was no place in his
life for a woman.

  Again, a lavender scent caught his nose. The witch nuzzled into his chest and his whole body tingled. How much danger would she be in knowing his identity?

  And why had he blushed when she mentioned having fun with his flex-cuffs? Had she noticed?

  He thought of her amulet. She could handle herself.

  Stop it. She’s potentially a supervillain. One with powers you haven’t encountered yet.

  He couldn’t take her home or to headquarters. He’d have to take her to a hotel for a little while to keep an eye on her. Could he watch her 24/7? Times like this, he wished he had a sidekick. Someone to bounce ideas off, someone to help with the burden, but no. It was all him.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he caught some dark gray smoke. A huge plume that came from the opposite direction as the barn. The Royal Torch.

  What was he going to do with this little witch in his arms? He had her amulet and time was of the essence. He’d been chasing that villain way too long.

  Was The Royal Torch trying to save his witch partner?

  Why wouldn’t he want to save her? She was breathtaking, and it wasn’t just her looks…it was that feisty personality, too.

  Chapter 4

  They had set down outside a large building like nothing Naima had seen before. Made of concrete and steel, it had rows upon rows of broken windows lining every floor and every side. Orange and red flames reflected off some of the jagged glass.

  When he lifted her tied arms over his head, she asked, “What are you doing with me?”

  “You’re staying beside me. I won’t let you out of my sight.”

  Naima smiled. “You bet. I stand by my man.”

  She expected a growl, but instead, she got a chuckle.

  She nudged him with her elbow. “Hey, you’re starting to warm up to me.”

  “I never said that.”

  “You don’t need to say it. Your actions speak loud enough.” She gave her head a twist, allowing her green locks to tickle her face. “I noticed you smelling my hair.”

  “It was hard not to with that green pile blowing all over.”

  She shrugged. “Believe what you want. I know better.”

  Nolan’s cheeks reddened again as he stepped toward the door furthest from the fire, then spun around. “One more thing. Don’t you dare mention that name.”

  “Onyx Flame?”

  He whispered, “No, the other one.”

  “Nolan Kostruba?”

  He cringed.

  Naima laughed. “Okay, okay. Nobody can hear us over the roaring fire, anyway.”

  “When I’m in costume, you have to use my superhero name.”

  “I do like that costume.” Naima winked. “What are we doing here, anyway?”

  Nolan’s eyes narrowed as he stepped towards the building. “Looking for the man who started this fire.”

  “Who’s that?”

  He stopped and tilted his chin. “You don’t know?”

  “No, I can’t say that I do.”

  “The Royal Torch. I’ve been chasing him for two months now. At first, he burned down buildings of random business people. People that donated to funds that support superheroes. Funds that support me. Now, I think he’s just showing off. Proving that he has better control over fire than I do.”

  “You keep mentioning The Royal Torch. Is that one of these superhero names, too?”

  “Supervillain name, actually, but yeah. An alias, I guess. Okay, stop distracting me. I need to focus.” He pointed at the doorway.

  They stepped inside…only for a big fireball to hit Nolan square on the chest, knocking him down. With her tied hands, Naima reached for her amulet around her neck, but when she found only skin, she froze in place.

  “Who’s this lovely creature?” a voice crackled. A man emerged from the shadows…at least, Naima thought it was a man—more a creature made of fire than anything else.

  “My name’s Naima. How do you do?” She stalled, trying to figure out how to get her amulet.

  The Royal Torch’s eyes returned to Nolan. Wind brushed against Naima’s skin as Nolan lifted off the ground, using his flight magic again. One after another, fireballs shot from The Royal Torch’s hand, knocking Nolan back to the ground.

  Black flames erupted in a large circle around Nolan and Naima. The Royal Torch moved closer, and the circle of flames around them intensified, throwing a screen of black smoke.

  Was Nolan trying to protect her? Was he even aware of what he was doing?

  Naima rushed to him, noticing the sweat trickling over his mask. Was it from the heat or pure concentration? It didn’t matter. She squeezed her hand into his tight, leather pocket and pulled out her amulet.

  Gripping it tightly, she rushed out the words, “Jade, jade, ‘o magic jade,” then a giant fireball rushed toward her. “Shield!” she yelled. Pulling the circle of fire higher, she turned it into a shimmering wall of water in front of them. The fireball sizzled as it hit the water, but the force of the blow knocked Naima onto her backside.

  As another fireball came her way, her mom’s words echoed in her mind. The words aren’t important—the magic reads our intentions. With that, Naima pulled the magic from the jade without words and froze the fireball mid-air. She then turned it to water and shot it back at The Royal Torch.

  “More fire! And wind!” she yelled to Nolan.

  On command, the black circle of fire returned and a strong breeze blew at The Royal Torch, causing Nolan’s black fire to roar.

  “Oh, husband, you’re full of all sorts of tricks.” Naima pulled at her magic, turning Nolan’s black fire into a wall of water again. The wind blew the water right at The Royal Torch. He fumbled back, step by step, until his fire was extinguished and all that was left was a soggy, balding man with a pudgy belly.

  Naima attempted to hold back a laugh, but it escaped anyway.

  Nolan wrapped the man’s hands in the ties he pulled from his suit. He then reached over and unbound Naima’s wrists.

  “What’s that for? Aren’t I going to some SuperMax prison?”

  “I owe you an apology. I think I got the wrong impression.”

  Naima smiled. “Did we just have our first fight as a married couple?”

  “We’re not married.”

  “Believe whatever you want.” She nodded toward The Royal Torch. “What are you doing with him?”

  “Taking him to that prison. Um…I gotta get going before he dries out.” Nolan looked down. “Maybe I could see you again?”

  Naima laughed. “Of course. We’re married and all. I’ll wait for you at your house. I can’t wait to get going on all those wifely duties. Maybe I’ll cook some pot roast so you can have something nice to eat when you get home from work.”

  Nolan laughed. “You’re pushing it. How about a date first? Dinner and a movie?”

  “A date? Like archaic courtship? That has been proven to be nothing but a lot of wasted time.”

  He shook his head and hefted the drowned rat over his shoulder. “Maybe it is…” He looked away, then his cheeks turned red again. He looked up. “But I wouldn’t mind wasting some time with you.”

  Naima gave his shoulder a little jab. “Are you trying to sweet-talk me? Well, it’s working.”

  “How about meet me at Top Perks Coffee on the West Side in four hours? We’ll get to know each other before we talk about this marriage stuff.” He lowered his eyebrows. “But if I even catch a whiff of smoke, you’re going down, and I won’t have mercy.”

  “Top Perks Coffee? Four hours?”

  “You’re a witch. I know you can figure it out.” He winked playfully.

  Naima put a hand on her hip. “I guess that isn’t much of a challenge for Witchy Witch?”

  “Oh, is that your superhero name?”

  “I don’t know yet. I’m here to stay, and I should fit in. Maybe Supernatural Superhero’s a better name?”

  “Being a sup
erhero isn’t exactly fitting in.” With his free hand, he reached over and took the pendant from her fingers. “You said it’s jade? How about Jade Hex?” He laughed, handing her back the amulet. “It kinda goes with Onyx Flame, don’t you think?”

  “I like the ring to that one. It’s like we were made to be a pair.”

  “Maybe. We’ll see.”

  “We don’t need to see. I’m certain we were made to be together. Soulmates, actually.” Naima rubbed her thumb against her pendant and dropped it with a realization. “My magic works here!”

  “What do you mean?”

  Naima thought back to her mother. Oh, would she get a kick out of hearing about this superhero world. “I have some time to kill…and someone to visit back home. I’ll meet you at Top Perks in four hours.” Careful to avoid The Royal Torch, she stepped forward and placed a quick kiss on Nolan’s cheek.

  As a beautiful shade of crimson spread across her husband’s cheeks, Naima heart fluttered from his gorgeous smile. Nolan readjusted his grip on The Royal Torch and took off into the sky.

  The End

  The short stories in The Superheroes’ Wives Collection are just a taste of the Superhero Wives World that you can discover in the full-length novel, The Secret Lives of Superhero Wives. Find this book on Amazon or learn more about the series at: www.JoynellSchultz.com/SuperheroWives

  The Stellar Life of a Superhero Wife

  Devora and Derek’s marriage is like any other…only this husband gallivants around saving people as Silver Comet.

  Well, Devora saves people too, if only Derek would realize.

  Chapter 1

  Devora stood in front of the microwave, tapping her finger with the countdown. Her stomach groaned as the odors of the leftover pork chop filled the ER Physician’s Lounge.

  Five…four…three…two…