Fire and Fantasy: A Limited Edition Collection of Urban and Epic Fantasy
Page 140
“What would you like to know? To start with the basics, it’s about the size of Chicago, all of Chicago not just downtown. It’s not as crowded, since a good part of the population there still have reproductive issues. If I’m honest, I do miss it, it’s really beautiful. Fresh air, clean water, everything there is naturally pure. It’s how Earth used to be, or at least how they tell us it used to be.”
“Before man made machines and pollution.” She scoffed, she couldn’t remember the last time she had taken a deep breath of air without the stale taste of metallic contamination. The human population was so used to it that they didn’t realize it at all. Generations had never known what the Earth was truly intended to be.
“Exactly. Oikos is a beautiful place. A place I was happy to call home at one time.”
“What changed that?” It was a question that had been on her mind for a while. Why did Carter make a home for himself away from his people when he still shared a common interest with them? “What made you want to leave?”
“My mother died. Once she was gone, people treated me differently. Some even blamed me for her death. When I was old enough to leave, to survive on my own, I did just that. I didn’t see the point in staying somewhere where I felt unwanted, even if there were a few who were sad for me to go. Staying there meant being shunned, talked about, and avoided like a walking plague. Not many wanted me there. Hard to call a place home when you feel like an outsider.”
“I’m sorry for your loss. I lost my mother at a young age as well. It is not easy. Like you, I never knew my father.” Her father was a source of speculation as well. Many claimed that her father was a Titan himself, Atlas to be exact. What with having to hold the sky up, what time would he have to raise a daughter? It was a wonder he had time to participate in creating one. She wasn’t sure what she believed and gave up on wondering. Her mother would simply tell her that her father was a man with a wandering heart. Apparently, that heart led him away from them.
“Well, at least we know we finally have something in common.” He chuckled as he finished off the cup of coffee. “Great thing, too, huh?”
“Yeah nothing better than the commonality of missing fathers.” She laughed. “You know, because hunting down returning Greek gods and running from a very pissed off one wasn’t enough?”
He leaned back in his seat, stretching out his full stomach. “I guess you’re right. We have an entire day to kill before we will be able to go to Oikos. Any ideas of what you would like to do to pass the time?”
“What, none of your many errands to run today?”
“Nope. Saturdays are for rest in my world. You have me all to yourself.” He beamed. “Try to contain your excitement.”
“Oh, well lucky me.” She clapped her hand and smiled at the waitress who dropped off their check.
“Have you spent very much time in Chicago?” Carter reached for the bill before she could and gave her a look to tell her not to even bother trying to pay for it. She wouldn’t fight him on it. If she didn’t have to dig into her wallet, she wouldn’t. Hell, saving money for an eternity of living wasn’t exactly simple to do.
“The last time I was here was a while ago, but so much has changed since then. I feel like I am seeing everything for the first time.”
“Well, then, it seems like we are in for a cheesy tourist day … unless you have other things to do.”
“As luck would have it, I have nothing on my agenda today.”
“Great! First stop, Millennium Park. If you haven’t visited in a while, there is lots to see. Besides, I really need to walk off all of those waffles!” He smacked his belly.
“No one told you to stuff yourself like a hog.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t really need an invitation to do that.” They walked outside and were greeted by the warm sun. “Beautiful day for a walk. Good thing we can stroll right on over to the park.”
As they walked, Asa’s mind wandered.
It was a warm day, like that one. She’d finally gotten past the loss, or at least had been able to convince herself that she wasn’t depressed about it anymore. It had been months since Ares made his departure, and though her heart still ached, longed for him, she was able to move on. A small boat neared her land; because of her long absence, sailors were no longer hesitant about venturing near. The hunger, the heat that called to her was one that pushed her to sing her song. The melody worked as it always had. Soon the vessel had changed its course and touched down on her shores.
This man, the one who departed its deck, was nothing spectacular, but he would suffice. He was handsome, strong, and tall. His creamy skin paired well with the long, blond hair pulled back at his shoulders. Blue eyes were dazed as he approached her. He fell to his knees before her, praising her beauty, and she smiled. She’d forgotten how good it felt to have a man beg for her touch, to really be in control.
She used him up. Her play toy, never to leave her side. No one would come looking for him, and because he didn’t have a crew with him, no one would know she had him. He wasn’t one who was on a path for greatness, there would be no need for interference from Olympus. It was perfect. On the day that this perfect little existence would be rocked, they were walking along the shore, enjoying the sun and periodically stopping to enjoy more of each other. The familiar feel of arrival gave her pause. She asked him to never return, and yet that tingle at the back of her neck told her he had.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, not turning to see his face. What would it do to her, how would it affect her to lay eyes upon him again?
“I told you I would return.” His voice was deep, heavy with lust and anger.
“I begged you not to, there is no point of your return.”
“Calypso, you know how much you mean to me.”
“Do I? That’s humorous, especially considering the last time I saw you, you made it quite clear that my value to you is very little.”
“Who is this man?” Anger was there, jealously. How dare she replace he who did not want her?
“That is no concern to you. Why are you here, Ares?”
“Is it not okay for me to visit my lover?”
“I am not your lover. Leave here, now!” She turned on him, her own anger erasing her fears of seeing his face. The audacity he possessed, the nerve to leave her broken and still hope to hold claim to her.
“You do not order me around. Have you forgotten who I am?” Ares grabbed her by the arm, holding her tight enough to leave bruises beneath his fingertips.
Calypso’s dazed lover lunged at the god. The spell holding his mind gave him false impression that he was strong enough to defend her. Of course, this did not end well for the man who lay lifeless on the island shore as Ares dragged Calypso away from the ocean and into the tree line. She cried looking back at his body, the flesh of his skin blending in with the sand. She knew not what would happen to her but she knew that she would never know peace again.
“Leave me alone! That is all I asked of you!” she screamed as he tossed her onto her bed.
“You are mine, Calypso! Forever and always.” He grabbed her face, leaning close to her. “Nothing will ever change that. Until you realize that, this will not be pleasant for you.”
“I am not yours!” she cried. “You didn’t want me then, and now suddenly you do? Did she reject you? Is that why you are here? Did your precious Aphrodite turn you away? So, you return to me for comfort, for sex, for what?”
“You will not speak to me that way!”
“I will do as I please! I do not fear you!” She stood. “You come here, the God of War, and throw around your power, and for what? To intimidate me? To make me live a life where I am alone forever? What pleasure does that bring to you? Why is that something that makes you happy? My misery!”
“I will not stand here and listen to this. You will comply. You will do as I ask of you. You will be mine!”
“If I should say no?”
“If I can’t have you, I will make sure t
hat no one else does!” Size and power were on his side as he forced Calypso onto the bed. She fought him with everything she had, digging her nails into his skin and tearing away bits of his flesh. It was not enough to stop him. It was not enough to keep his fingers from prying open her lips and pouring the cool, spiced fluid down her throat. “You will be mine, Calypso, one way or another. You belong to me!”
“Asa, are you okay?” Carter touched her shoulder and nodded toward the traffic signal which had changed.
“What?” Noting the signal of a man walking, she nodded. The two started to cross the street but Carter kept watch of her.
“You kind of zoned out on me for a minute, and here I was doing my best Chicago tour guide speech!”
“Oh, yes, sorry. I am fine, just got lost in thought.”
“Care to share what fills your mind?”
“Not really.”
“Got ya. Still working on that trust thing.”
“Trust thing? You think I have a trust thing?”
“Yes, I think it’s pretty damn clear that you have issues in that department. Something tells me you have a damn good reason for that, so I won’t press the issue.” He strolled along. “Either you will come around or you won’t.”
“I appreciate that.”
“In time, you will open up to me. I’m a patient man. I can wait,” he said confidently as she stepped around a group of young teens who were chatting excitedly about visiting the Willis Tower.
“I’m glad you’re so sure of yourself.”
“Well, in my line of work, there is no room for doubt.”
They walked forward, and as the smooth cacophony of tones reached out to them, Asa lit up. “Is that jazz?”
“Sounds like it.” He glanced at her, amused by the grin on her face. “Must be one of the summer festivals gearing up.”
“Oh, I love jazz!” Asa started to dance, swaying her hips to the rhythm of the music as the sounds pulled her closer.
Watching her, Carter admired the way her body fused with the music, as if the sound was being controlled by the swing of her hips and the bounce in her step. “I can see that.” He smiled, and before he knew it, he joined her; spinning her around and dipping her as they made it to the grassy hills of Millennium Park. Their faces close together, he couldn’t help his mind, thoughts of kissing her eliminated all logic, but before he could make a move she was already dancing away.
“That was fun!” She clapped her hands as the music ended. “I haven’t danced like that in a long time. Where did you learn those moves?” She poked his arms.
“First love was a dancer. I learned so that I could get her attention. It worked.” It was a brilliant plan that worked exactly as he hoped, even if it did mean embarrassing himself.
“Ah, so there is more to the warrior, the hunter.”
“Oh yeah, so much more.” He grinned. “Just keep peeling back those layers, but be careful, you may fall for me.”
“Yeah, not at all worried about that.”
“We have time, if you want to go watch them play.”
“Actually, I’d really like that. Besides, we’ve done a lot of walking. Don’t want to tire you out!”
“Look at you! So considerate.” As they approached the area, Carter spotted an empty section. “You go stake claim there. I will go grab drinks. I don’t know about you, but I’ve worked up a thirst. It’s supposed to be a hot one today, too.”
“Sounds good.”
Carter watched Asa as she half walked, half danced her way to the area he indicated. Observing her movements took him back. Val was her name. Val, the dancer. He first saw her in a night club, and further inquiry of her friend—who was far too loose lipped after having a few drinks—led him to her dance studio. He hadn’t approached that first night; she was enjoying herself far too much. He didn’t want to take away from that. Besides, he’d seen her deny three men in the time he’d been watching her. She wasn’t there to make new friends.
After watching her move across the floor for nearly an hour, he left the club with his newly acquired information about Val, the dancer. He’d traveled to the southside to find her at the Bombshell Dance Studio, and tried not to feel self-conscious as most of the patrons were female. She was a hip hop dance instructor, though her background was in classical. She loved all forms and took the time to master every movement. He showed up that first day, a new student eager to learn. For an hour, he made a fool of himself all in the name of getting closer to her. At the end of the class, he asked her for private lessons. She granted him the lessons, and he happily paid the higher rate for her time. It took three weeks of classes, three times a week for him to work up the nerve to ask her out.
“I was wondering if you would be open to possibly going out with me some time.” It was the hardest thing he’d ever done, asking out Val, the dancer.
“Possibly,” she responded with a smile. “If you ever ask me out, I would possibly give you a real answer.”
Three days later, he took Val on a date in downtown Chicago. Three weeks later he admitted to himself he’d fallen in love, three months later, after she’d just spoken those words back to him a week before, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The mass found on her brain was too far spread for surgery. For the next three years, he stayed by her side. Through the good times and the bad. Days when she danced, her heart and soul full of joy, and the days when she couldn’t work up the strength to get out of bed. He was by her side, through it all. Right until the very end.
He thought the hardest thing he’d ever have to do was ask Val, the dancer, to go out with him. That was until he had to say good-bye to her. He held her hand as she took her final breath, and watched the last dance of her soul behind her eyes before that curtain was called for the last time. He would never see her dance again, and that more than anything else, broke his heart.
Carter returned to find Asa stretched out in the grass a few feet from the bench he’d pointed her to. Her boots were on the ground besides her, toes wiggling under the sun.
“Bench wasn’t to your liking?” He glanced over his shoulder to the seating which had become occupied by three teenagers. Summertime meant constant escape for teens to the city where they could take part in all thing free.
“Do you know how rare it is that I get to do something like this? Just lay under the sun and listen to jazz? I plan to enjoy this moment. Who knows how long it will be before it happens again. Hell, if ever.”
“Such a grim outlook.” He handed her the cup.
“No,” she said, took a sip from the straw, and rolled her shoulders in a happy little dance. “Just a realistic one.”
He laughed. The woman was a riddle, a complete puzzle. One moment she was a total hard ass, ready to take his life. The next she was soft, not quite vulnerable, but he could see the qualities about her that would make a man insane. He watched her closely as she completely ignored him, taking languid sips of lemonade and dancing in her own small space to the music. Every time it played her body moved. No matter if they were in full swing or just tuning their instruments.
“I love jazz.” She smiled as the band started packing up.
They sat there for the full two hours of performances, not speaking, only listening. In that time, he observed her and learned one thing: there was so much more to her. It wasn’t just a secret that he knew she was keeping. It was more, this woman, there was more to her. That part of him that moved him to learn more about Val, the dancer, had returned and moved him again. Pushing him to dig deeper to find out all that he could about Asa, the jazz lover.
“So, what’s next on our agenda?” She smiled at him as they prepared to leave their claimed spot.
“What would you like to do?” he asked her. “Anything you want, we can do. I don’t really have a preference.”
“It’s probably overrated to someone like you, who lives here, but I would love to see the pier.”
“Oh, I haven’t been there in years. Of course.”
After the hours spent at the pier, they walked up and down the Magnificent Mile, mostly people watching, before landing in a crowded Giordano’s and ordering a deep-dish pizza that was far too much food for the two of them to finish off. As they exited the restaurant, Carter handed the food to a homeless man who thanked him profusely then headed off to share the meal with a friend.
“Not enough corny tourism in one day for you?” Asa jabbed him playfully as they walked the quiet blocks that led to the skyscraper the city was known for. She stared up, unable to see the top of the Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower.
“No, never!” he mused. “This is actually our final stop. The path to Oikos awaits.” He dropped his head back to look toward the top of the tower.
“Up there?” She pointed where his eyes led.
“Well, hell, I know you didn’t think it would be an easy access panel! What better way to keep people from stumbling across the doorway than to make it extremely difficult to get to?” He smiled, proud of both the cleverness and utter ridiculousness of the doorway’s location.
“Yeah, somehow, I feel like there were better ways to accomplish that, but you lead the way.” She gestured for him to go ahead and followed behind. “The sign says access is closed, how do you suppose we get up there? Fly?”