by S. E. Smith
Since when did my life get so complicated? No boyfriend for over a year, and suddenly, I have guys literally falling out of thin air! she thought.
“Well, this is definitely a surprise,” she responded before taking a deep breath. “So, tell me what happened. I can’t wait to discover how you and Butch became great chums.”
Ashure sat sipping the delicious brew that Tonya had ordered for him and stared out of the window. He was surrounded by conversations and music, but they were the furthest thing from his mind. Inside his head, he could hear the souls’ whispers. It was the absence of one voice in particular that was beginning to grate on his nerves. He pursed his lips and intensified his focus inward.
The world around him faded. The yellow walls of the coffee shop turned into a dark, depressing gray before they disappeared entirely. An endless barren field stretched in all directions, and the shadowy figures of those who had crossed the paths of the Pirate Kings through the millennia struggled to break free of the black holes threatening to suck them into a void conceived by their worst fears.
He knew each and every soul that resided on the desolate plane. He knew each and every deceitful, horrible act they had committed. Not every soul would enter into the Cauldron of Spirits. It was reserved for the worst of the worst.
Walking along the winding path, he ignored the plaintive pleas of those who were doomed to waste away for eternity. He slowed when he came to the spot he was looking for—the spot that had been unusually silent the past couple of days. It was empty. A soul had escaped.
13
“What’s wrong?” Tonya asked.
“What? Nothing. It sounds like your interview went well,” Ashure replied in a distracted voice.
“It was great. He has ten pet sea monkeys, three mermaids, and a saber-toothed tiger,” she said.
“That’s nice,” he replied.
He frowned when Tonya slowed the car and pulled onto the shoulder. She shifted the car into park, and turned toward him. He reluctantly faced her.
“Out with it. Is it because Pete asked me out?” she demanded.
“He asked you out as well? I hope you told him no! It is bad enough that you are planning to go out with this Deputy Dan,” he growled.
“Now I’m sure something is wrong,” she dryly replied.
“If you really must know, it very recently came to my attention that there is a minor issue with my visit here. It is nothing for you to worry about. I’m sure I will be able to rectify the situation in short order,” he answered.
She shook her head. “A minor issue? You are from another world, Ashure. You can do things nobody else can do. I seriously doubt that anything you consider ‘an issue’ is minor,” she stated.
He grimaced and started to look away, but she lifted her hand and touched his cheek. He gazed into her eyes, and it felt as if he were being pulled toward her. The shadows that had been fighting to escape shrank back and grew quiet.
“I have lost a soul,” he confessed.
She stared at him with a blank expression. “You lost a soul or your soul? Is it back at the coffee shop? Did you leave it in the bathroom?” she asked, trying to understand.
He shook his head. “There are a few minor details that I neglected to mention to you over the last few days,” he confessed.
“Minor—I would think losing a soul might be right up there with—I don’t know, maybe something monumental like being dead, discovering there really is a God, finding yourself in an alien world—zombies,” she said.
“Yes, well, that is a good description. I didn’t lose my soul, but someone else’s,” he reluctantly replied.
“I’m sorry, but I’m having a difficult time following you. How do you lose someone else’s soul, and where did you lose it?” she pressed.
“Tonya….” He paused and released his seatbelt so that he could face her completely.
He held her hand in his and looked directly into her eyes, opening himself completely to her. The sound of her shocked gasp ricocheted through him. He tightened his grip on her hand when she tried to pull away from him.
“What—?” She leaned closer to him. “What is that?”
“Perhaps I should have fully introduced myself the first night we met. I am Ashure Waves, King of the Pirates, but I’m also the Keeper of Lost Souls. I protect the Cauldron of Spirits,” he explained.
“The Cauldron of Spirits? Are you saying that the shadows I see in your eyes are—are—are souls trapped inside you—somehow?” she inquired in a voice filled with skepticism and a touch of horror.
“Yes,” he simply replied.
She was silent for a moment. He knew she had been struggling to adjust to knowledge that few of her kind had ever learned, and he hated to add more to the pile, but at least she wasn’t fighting to get out of the car and running from him screaming. There had been a few women who’d done that before—the screaming and running part—even when he hadn’t told them the truth. There had been times when even an unintentional lapse on his part had sent the stoutest of men into a fit of the vapors after they had seen what he had just revealed to Tonya.
“So, are you like the Devil or Death or—or the Crypt Keeper?” she mused.
“I’m not Death and neither of the other two sounds very nice either,” he responded with a shudder of distaste.
“Yeah, though Tom Ellis makes a pretty sexy Lucifer if you ask me. Okay, so you aren’t the Devil, a gross puppet, or Death. Though, I have to say Brad—yeah, we’ll just forget that movie as well,” she muttered when he raised his eyebrow at her. “So, how did you lose a soul, and for that matter, how do you even know you lost one?”
“It is complicated, but I know every soul ever taken. I sensed something was a bit off, but I believed that was from being here and finally meeting you and….” his voice faded when she gave him a sharp look.
“Finally meeting me? Are you saying you knew about me before you came here?” She studied the guilt clearly evident on his face. “You did, didn’t you? You sneaky Pirate! How?” she demanded, tugging her hand free.
Ashure groaned and leaned back in his seat. The day had gradually turned from bad to worse. He would almost welcome an attack or some other bedevilment at this exact moment. He muttered a colorful curse, realizing that he needed to explain everything to her, there was just no way around it.
“Yes, I knew about you. A while ago, I came into possession of a magic mirror that reveals what a person’s true heart desires,” he quietly explained.
“And I showed up?” she asked.
He turned his head and looked at her. “Yes, you showed up. I didn’t know who you were or where you were from, but every time I asked the mirror to show me what my true heart desired, you would appear,” he confessed.
She stared back at him for several seconds before she turned and looked out of the front windshield. She was tightly gripping the steering wheel, and her expression was difficult to read. He wanted to reach out to her, but he could tell from her body language that she would not appreciate his touch at the moment.
“I need time to process this,” she finally said.
“I understand,” he quietly replied.
“Tell me more about this missing soul. Can it cause any problems? Is it dangerous?” she asked.
He released a long sigh and rubbed his jaw. “Unfortunately, yes, a malevolent soul can cause a tremendous amount of damage,” he said.
She looked at him with a determined expression. “Can you find it?”
“Yes, although it won’t be easy,” he said.
“Why am I not surprised?” she muttered as she pulled her seat belt back on.
The drive back to Yachats was done in silence. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts. Guilt ate at Ashure. He could tell Tonya was upset with him. She was tapping her fingers against the steering wheel and kept casting sideways glances at him.
It was six o’clock by the time they pulled into the cottage’s driveway. She parked the car, turned
off the ignition, and exited without saying a word. He grinned when she suddenly stopped in front of the car and closed her eyes. She stood rigid for a moment before she opened her eyes, walked over to the passenger door, and pulled it open.
“No more secrets, capisce? No more ‘forgetting’ to tell me something. We are in this together. I want the truth—always, no matter how bad it may be,” she stated in a clear, determined tone.
He was relieved, not only by her ability to accept what he was and what he had told her, but by her willingness to stand beside him. He unbuckled his seat belt and stepped out of the car. Then he cupped her flushed cheeks between his hands and stared down into her eyes. She looked both fierce and vulnerable at that moment.
“I promise—only the truth,” he vowed in a whisper.
“That includes any more lost souls escaping, magic mirror revelations, and—and whenever you have a talk with pooping seagulls,” she insisted.
“The truth about everything, Tonya,” he reassured her.
“Okay,” she whispered, leaning into him.
He bent down and captured her lips. Her lips parted under his, and he kissed her deeply, reveling in her remarkable spirit. When he was with her, it was as if he was finally whole.
Their breath mixed and grew fast and heavy. He slid his hands inside her open jacket, and pulled her against his hard body, pressing his hips against hers. He wanted her and made no attempt to hide his desire from her.
She broke their kiss, turned her head, and pressed her forehead against his shoulder. He gripped the material of her blue blouse and held her close as he tried to bring his desire under control. It would be so easy to sweep her up in his arms, carry her to the bedroom, and make love to her all night long. At least, that was what he was thinking until she threw a shower of ice-cold water over his thoughts.
“I have to get ready. Dan will be here in an hour,” she said.
“Dan? Deputy Dan? You still plan to go out with that—that human?” he exclaimed in disbelief.
She pulled back and looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “Yes, I still plan to go out with him. I was thinking on the way home that this is the perfect opportunity to discover if he’s noticed anything unusual—like a psychotic lost soul creating havoc and unnamed horrors,” she replied.
“He wouldn’t know a lost soul if it stood in front of him, bared its ass, and wiggled it at him,” he retorted.
“You don’t know that. I think being mooned by a ghostly ass would be pretty obvious even to good old Deputy Dan,” she cheekily retorted.
Ashure lowered his arms when she pulled away and turned toward the house. Gritting his teeth, he swore that the Goddess was having a very good laugh at his expense. First, he’d tried to keep Tonya away from the amorous Deputy Dan by bombing the human with seagull poop, which resulted in Tonya feeling sorry for the man. Now, she was determined to keep her date to help find the missing lost soul. He looked up at the dark gray clouds and scowled.
“This is not amusing,” he growled.
A huge raindrop fell from the sky and splashed him in the eye. He grumbled in irritation, lifted his hand, and wiped it away. It would appear that the Goddess wasn’t done having her fun with him.
He watched as Tonya disappeared into the house. Well, two could play at this game. Tonya hadn’t demanded he remain home tonight. Besides, with a loose soul inhabiting some human, it was only prudent that he do a little searching of his own.
14
After hearing a knock at the front door, Tonya stepped out of her bedroom and walked down the hallway toward the kitchen. Fastening the gold-hoop earring through the hole in her ear, she walked a little faster when she heard Ashure’s deep voice greeting Dan.
“Hi, Dan,” she said with forced cheerfulness.
“Hi, Tonya. You look ravishing,” he responded heatedly. When she raised her eyebrow and Ashure growled a warning, Dan quickly cleared his throat and said, “I mean, you look really nice.”
“Thanks. Are you ready?” she asked.
“Sure,” Dan replied, nodding at Ashure. The deputy backed out of the doorway and held open the screen door for her.
“I’ll be right there,” she said, stepping aside so that Dan couldn’t see her and Ashure.
Ashure turned and looked at her with a disapproving expression. It wasn’t hard to know what he was thinking. She gave him a pointed look. He took her dark red jacket off the hook and held it out for her. She slid her arms through the sleeves.
“What time will you return?” he murmured near her ear.
“Not that it is any of your business, but not too late. Yachats doesn’t exactly have a thriving nightlife,” she answered just as quietly.
“Don’t let him kiss you,” Ashure requested in a tense voice.
She paused and looked at him with surprise. “I don’t think—” she started to say, but the intensity of the conflicted emotions in his eyes as he glanced at Dan made her forget her retort.
“You wanted me to be honest, and I promised that I would be. I can’t guarantee Deputy Dan’s safety if he touches you, Tonya,” he muttered.
Her first impulse was to tell him to get over it, but then she noticed the bewilderment and vulnerability in his eyes. She reached out and reassuringly squeezed his arm. He swallowed and stepped back from her.
“You don’t have anything to worry about. I don’t normally kiss on a first date,” she said with a wink.
His crooked smile of thanks warmed her heart. She turned and smiled at Dan. Crossing the threshold, she took a deep breath and focused on Dan. Hopefully, tonight would not be as long and tedious as she feared.
She met Ashure’s eyes for a brief moment as she waited for Dan to open the passenger door of his SUV. He stood in the doorway watching her with a predatory gleam, and she felt nervous butterflies take flight in her stomach. She could handle the sexual awareness between them, but that determined glint in his eyes warned her that he was up to something.
She smiled and shook her head. Why am I not surprised? she thought as she slid into the vehicle.
Ashure rubbed his hands together and looked at the keys hanging on the hooks. Tonya had taken the keys to her vehicle with her, which eliminated that choice. Fortunately, there were two other vehicles to choose from in the enclosed room attached to the house.
Collecting both sets, he decided he would try each to see which one they matched. He had closely watched Tonya operating her vehicle again today and felt confident that he could master the controls. After all, he could fly Nali’s airships and maneuver his own vessels without any difficulty.
“Now let’s see,” he murmured with glee.
He studied the key fob before pressing the button. His eyes lit up with delight when the largest vehicle’s lights flashed. He closed the door to the house, walked over to the vehicle, pulled the door open, and slid behind the wheel.
He looked in the rearview mirror and frowned when he realized the outer door to the attached room was closed. Tapping his fingers, he tilted his head back and noticed a small black box attached to the sun visor. He reached up and pressed the button.
He looked in the mirror when he heard a grinding sound and noticed the garage door was opening. Fascinated, he tested the button several times to understand the operation of the door. Satisfied that he could now get in and out of the room, he turned his attention to operating the vehicle.
Five minutes later, he had started the large white machine and tested the various levers and buttons. Now the true test came. He needed to make it move.
Pressing his foot on the stop pedal, he pushed the lever on the steering wheel down. He released the pressure on the pedal and winced when the vehicle rolled forward and there was a clunk of metal on metal. He quickly put his foot back onto the stop pedal and looked over the hood. The clothing washer would have a small dent in the front.
He looked down at the lights on the dash. Shifting the lever to the R, he eased off the stop pedal again. This time, the large vehic
le slowly moved backwards.
“Now we are getting somewhere,” he triumphantly murmured.
He pressed his foot down on the go pedal. A hiss of surprise slipped from him and the strap of the seatbelt grew taut as the vehicle moved at an accelerated speed in reverse. He stared in alarm when he saw that he was heading straight for Tonya’s small vehicle.
He slammed both feet on the stop pedal and grimaced when his vehicle still slid a few feet and there was a slight bump. The side mirror showed Tonya’s car shake.
He deeply sighed and shifted the large vehicle into park before undoing his seat belt and opening the door. He walked to the back of the vehicle. The back of it was touching the front of Tonya’s car. The big hitch had connected with the amber-colored light on the side and cracked the casing. There was also a nice dent in the front bumper.
“This may be a little difficult to explain,” he muttered in chagrin.
“Hey, Jimmy, what’s up?” TJ drawled.
Jimmy looked up from the table he was cleaning at the pub. He scowled when he saw the group of three guys. Out of all of them, he was the youngest. The others had just turned twenty-one.
“What are you guys doing here?” he asked, looking at TJ with a wary expression.
“We’re hungry, Jim-bo. We thought you could slip us a few burgers and some beer while we played some pool,” TJ said.
“I don’t handle the orders,” Jimmy muttered.
TJ wrapped his beefy arm around Jimmy’s shoulders, causing him to wince. TJ laughed at his discomfort and nodded at the other two guys. Jeffie chuckled, too. The laugh made the rolls under his chin and around his thick waist shake. Drew snorted and grabbed at his crotch and crudely jiggled it.
“Jimmy needs to grow a pair, TJ,” Drew mocked.
Jimmy blushed and tried to pull away from TJ. “I’ve only had this job a month. I don’t want to get fired,” he defended.
