Soul Broker

by Tina Pollick

  She nodded again.

  Drew wanted to reach out and pull this sweet little girl into his arms. His heart melted when she gazed at him with those big brown eyes and long lashes. You have your mother’s eyes. His arms were empty, with her only a few feet away, but this was the closest he could get to his daughter without risking her future. If he held her in his arms and Olesha felt her presence through him, she could pull them both back to Hell. He’d already decided that these next three days were going to be his last. He knew somebody was going to die, and it wasn’t going to be Mackenzie or Sophie.

  Drew reached down and lifted the bear. “Should we put Mrs. Bear to bed until we come back?”

  Sophie nodded, approached the bed, and pulled the covers back. Drew placed the bear on the pillow. Sophie covered the bear up and kissed it on the head. “Naw’ yoo’ be a gu’d girl and take a nap.”

  “Sophie will be back for you soon,” Drew whispered.

  She smiled at him, and pointed to his neck. “Whad’s ‘dat fe’r?”

  “You can see this?” Drew grasped the collar.

  “Yes.”

  “This is a necklace.” Drew dropped his arm.

  Sophie ran over to her dresser, and lifted the lid of a small pink box that played music when it opened. She pulled out a string of rainbow beads and placed it over her head, then shut the box.

  “Me have a neckw’ace too.”

  “It’s very pretty.”

  Sophie smiled and her eyes lit up. Drew’s chest tightened at the thought of all the possibilities that would never be.

  Mackenzie came back carrying the full bag over one shoulder. “Are you guys ready?”

  “Shhh! Mrs. Bear is sw’eeping.”

  “Sorry,” Mackenzie whispered. She kept her voice low. “Are you guys ready?”

  Sophie giggled.

  Mackenzie placed a small backpack on Sophie. She picked up one large bag and Drew grabbed the other.

  “Let’s go.”

  Drew stopped. If he held onto Mackenzie all three would be trapped there. He searched the room until he found a small scarf. He handed one end to Mackenzie.

  “What’s this for?”

  “I can’t hold either of you.” He grasped the collar. “Do you see this?”

  “What?”

  “You can’t see this?”

  “See what, your hands on your neck?”

  “His pw’etty neckw’ace, mumma.”

  “I don’t see anything.” Mackenzie stopped. “Why does Sophie?”

  “She’s half me…”

  “You have a necklace on?”

  Drew glanced down at Sophie and smiled. “Yes, but this necklace has the power to bring me home.” He lifted his head, and Mackenzie nodded.

  “So you think by me holding this scarf we can’t be brought back to He—I mean, your home?”

  “I don’t think, the bi-,” he glanced down at Sophie, who listened to every word he said. “The birds can feel the material.”

  Mackenzie nodded and picked up Sophie. She had Sophie on her right hip, holding the scarf under Sophie’s leg, and a bag in her left hand.

  “Let’s go before I change my mind.”

  “You can open your eyes,” Drew said.

  Mackenzie slid her feet back and forth with her eyes shut. Feels like sand. Surely they don’t have sand in Hell. Sophie struggled to get down. I guess it’s now or never. She cracked her lids, eyes blinded by sunshine. She raised her arm to provide shade, allowing her eyes to adjust.

  “Where are we?” She kept a hold on Sophie’s collar, almost able to see, and looked around.

  “My home.”

  Waves rolled in to touch the sand, then darted back into the ocean. The water was inches from drenching her shoes. She took a few steps backward, pulling Sophie with her. She turned to see the island’s edge was dotted by palm trees, that appeared to be holding the dense forest at bay from overtaking the sand. A few yards away, a house made of wood sat at the edge of the jungle. The front porch was covered with a thatch roof, windows covered with shutters, a wooden board across each one securing it close. A hammock made from nylon mesh cut into thin pieces of rope was strung across one end of the porch, and the other end had a small round table with two chairs.

  “I didn’t picture Hell like this…”

  “What’s Hell, mu’mma?”

  Mackenzie cleared her throat and glanced at Drew. He stood with his arms crossed and brow raised. If he smiles right now, I’m going to kill him.

  “Sorry Sophie, ‘Hell’ is a bad word. Mommy won’t say it anymore.”

  Sophie pulled on Mackenzie’s arm and she squatted down to her level.

  Sophie rubbed her head. “It’s okay this time.”

  Mackenzie hugged her. “Thanks for letting me off easy, kiddo.”

  Drew laughed.

  Mackenzie glared at him. “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing. Nothing at all.” He covered his face, but she could still see the grin threatening to expose itself.

  “Is your Master going to be along soon?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I asked if this was He-,” Mackenzie glanced down at Sophie, who crossed her arms and gave Mackenzie the same look she was sure she had given to Sophie. “The ‘H’ word.”

  “I said it was home, not He-“ Drew watched Sophie, who was giving him her full attention. “The place where I have a Master.”

  “I see.”

  “Come and I’ll show you two around.”

  Drew pushed the wooden door of the house open. Mackenzie stepped inside, Sophie followed. The first thing she noticed was the size. It was bigger than it appeared from the outside. The wooden walls, painted white, made the living room—kitchen combination feel bigger. Three large fans decorated the ceilings. On the far wall were two closed doors. Cobwebs trailed along the walls and filled the corners.

  Mackenzie swiped at a cobweb and turned to Drew, who stood at the door watching them. “It’s been closed for a while?”

  “About fifty years or so.”

  “Fifty years?”

  Drew nodded.

  “You say that so casually. You do realize, fifty years is a long time for most people?”

  “Yeah, but I’m not most people, and I suspect you aren’t either.”

  Mackenzie wondered what he suspected. Did Drew know she was a witch? She thought back to everything that happened over the past few hours, and her heart started pounding faster. Shit! She wanted to scream for being so stupid. He said his father was a God and she accepted it like he was talking about the weather. She should have had some kind of reaction. And hell, she didn’t even bat an eye when he said he lived there. This was definitely not good. Now she wondered what Drew knew about her.

  Mackenzie turned and pointed to the door. “Are those the bedrooms?”

  “Bedroom, yes. You and Sophie can take it; I’ll sleep on the couch. The other door is the bathroom.”

  “This place needs a good scrub.”

  “There’s cleaning supplies under the sink. Some of it may still be good. Write me a list of the things you need and I’ll go and get them.”

  Mackenzie bent down, and opened the cabinet under the sink. She screamed and fell to the ground, then scrambled to get away.

  Drew rushed to her side. “What’s wrong?”

  She pointed to the open cabinets. “Spiders!” she cried out.

  “Are you kidding me?” Drew reached into the cabinet and knocked down the web. A large, hairy, brown spider raced across the floor.

  “Kill it!” Mackenzie jumped to her feet, grabbed Sophie and ran to the couch.

  Drew laughed, shaking his head.

  “He bent down and picked up the spider, walked it over to her, and held it up. “This is what you’re afraid of?”

  Mackenzie moved as far back to the couch as she could, holding Sophie firmly in front of her. “Get that thing away from me!”

  “Alright, alright.” Drew went to the
door and set the spider down. It scurried away before Drew turned around.

  Mackenzie searched the ceiling and floors. “Are there any more of those man-eating spiders in here?”

  “Maybe.” Drew shrugged.

  Mackenzie glanced down at the floor before lifting Sophie and heading to the door, looking left then right. When she was sure the monster was nowhere in sight, she ran off the porch. “I’m not coming back inside until they’re gone.”

  Drew laughed.

  Mackenzie watched from a safe distance as Drew raised his arms, and mumbled a few words

  “Come on in, chicken.”

  “Not until they’re gone!”

  “They’re gone.”

  Mackenzie approached the door one step at a time, glancing around. The house could pass any white glove test. “How did you do that? And more importantly, why didn’t you do it before we came in?”

  “Demi-god. I’m going to start the generator and then I need to find my father.” He glanced down at his watch. “We’re running out of time.”

  “Spiders all gone, momma,” Sophie said.

  “It looks that way.” Mackenzie grabbed Sophie’s bag. “Let’s go see your room.”

  Mackenzie opened the door. A platform bed, surrounded by netting, took up most of the floor. A dresser filled one wall, and the other had double wooden doors. She opened them and stepped out onto the deck. A large wooden tub took up most of it. She peered into it, but it was empty. She turned and headed back into the room. She opened the bags and pulled out Sophie’s things, placing them in the drawers. She put the toys and books on top of the dresser.

  “Can you reach these?”

  Sophie walked over and placed her hand on top of each item. “Yup.”

  “Good. We’ll keep them here then.” Mackenzie opened the netting on the bed. “Do you want to come up here?”

  Sophie ran to her mom and jumped on the bed. She giggled as she fell back, and then yawned.

  “Are you sleepy?”

  Sophie shook her head.

  “Of course you’re not.” Mackenzie pulled the blankets down, removed Sophie’s shoes and covered her. “No matter what you do, don’t go to sleep then.”

  Sophie giggled.

  “I’m not sw’eepy,” she yawned.

  “I know. That’s why I don’t want you to go to sleep.” Mackenzie lay down next to Sophie, brushing her hair with her fingers.

  Sophie turned to the side, clutching her bunny. A few minutes later, Sophie’s arm to fell the side and her lids closed. Mackenzie scooted off the bed, careful not to wake her.

  Drew had opened all the windows, and the generator now hummed outside. He stood leaning against the counter. “Where’s Sophie?”

  “She’s sleeping.”

  “The refrigerator is full and so are the cupboards. You should be all set until I get back.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Down the beach, I’m going to look for my father there first.”

  “I need to go outside for a minute before you leave. Will you stay in here with Sophie?”

  “Sure.”

  Mackenzie grabbed her backpack and left the house.

  If Drew was leaving and there were demons after them, then she needed to do something too. She would use her powers if need be, but having learned to use them alone, she didn’t always trust that they would work like they were supposed to. She would go with a back-up plan and cast a protection spell that would help keep her and Sophie safe.

  She knelt at every corner of the house, placing a pyramid-shaped quartz crystal. With the last crystal placed, she whispered,

  “By the Goddesses’ light,

  in this plight,

  I call to thee to lend me your might.

  By the power of three,

  I conjure thee,

  to protect all that,

  surrounds me.

  This is my will,

  so mote it be.”

  Mackenzie went into the house. “I’ll see you when you return.”

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Drew removed his shoes, socks, and strolled on the beach, where the sand met the water. He tried to envision his father’s face, but after a few centuries of blocking the image, he struggled to recall it. His smile was the first thing that came back, followed by the hearty laugh that echoed through his house as he grew up. Piercing blue eyes, followed by the blonde curly hair. He continued until he reached a cove and went out into the water.

  “Father!” Drew called. “Father, I need you!”

  Drew waited, not sure what to expect. He wasn’t sure how he knew all he had to do was call to his father, but he was grateful for the knowledge. He didn’t really know how long it would take, or if his father would answer. He had to try.

  He was met with silence. For a moment his chest clenched. He had abandoned everyone he loved, and now he sought help. He hoped it wasn’t too late. He glanced at his watch, not much time left. He needed to come up with another plan if his father wasn’t going to help.

  As he started to lose faith in the man who used to carry him around on his shoulders, a large wave loomed in the horizon. Approaching rapidly, Drew tried to run onto shore to avoid it, but the wave crashed down, soaking him.

  “Was that for my lack of faith?” he asked, brushing his hair from his face and spitting out the salty water.

  Silence.

  “I’m not asking for help for myself, Father. It’s for my daughter, your granddaughter. I have less than three days to save her from a fate similar to mine.”

  Drew waited, wet and cold, but nothing happened. He turned, cursing himself and his decisions. Poseidon wasn’t coming to rescue him, and he couldn’t blame him. He walked onto the sand and sat. He needed to come up with another plan. He thought about the look of disappointment Mackenzie would have in her eyes when he told her he failed. That was something he wouldn’t allow to happen. If only he could think of some way to destroy Olesha. That would solve all his problems. It may even give him and Mackenzie a chance for a real life. Drew laughed. He knew better than to believe in childish fairy tales. There wasn’t going to be a happily ever after for him, but he would give his life to make that a reality for Sophie and Mackenzie.

  The water parted abruptly, with a mammoth-man-looking figure emerging from the sea. As it reached the shore the features became more distinguished. His father stood before him as a man.

  “Now you understand the joy and pain of being a parent.” Poseidon placed his hand on Drew’s shoulder. “I’ve missed you, son.”

  Drew raised his head. “You came!”

  “Of course I came.” Poseidon sat down next to Drew. “It has been a long time, son.”

  “Yes, it has.” Drew hung his head. Shame filled him. He never wanted his father to see what he had become, but the love for his daughter outweighed his desires.

  Poseidon rested a hand on Drew’s shoulder. “Tell me about my granddaughter.”

  Drew glanced up, his heart aching. There were so many things he wanted to say, he needed to explain. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words stuck in his throat. He tried again. “I’m sorry, for everything.”

  “Life is a bitch, son. We all make mistakes, we learn, and then we move on. I was never disappointed in you. Your choices were your own to make. I think you’ve paid for those mistakes, but only you can decide when your punishment has been enough.”

  Drew’s dad was always larger than life. Even before he knew anything about Gods, his dad was a hero to him. And now he sat next to him. A father’s love truly was unconditional. This was something Drew couldn’t fathom before meeting Sophie, now he finally understood.

  “If only that were true. I’ve ruined my life forever, but I don’t want my daughter to have to pay for my mistakes.”

  Poseidon folded his hands and stared out to the ocean. “You’re a better father than I.”

  “No, you were a wonderful father. I’ve let you and everything one I love do
wn. It’s time for me to take some responsibility and not let my mistakes affect Sophie.”

  “Sophie?”

  “She’s your granddaughter.” Drew smiled at the thought of her. “She has long blonde hair and big brown eyes, like her mom. When she laughs, it fills me with happiness. She’s smart, compassionate—she’s just like her mom.”

  “She sounds wonderful, and so does her mother. What can I do to help?”

  Drew explained to Poseidon that his Master considered Sophie her property. He told his father that he was given seventy-two hours to bring her back, and if he didn’t then she would send others to do it.

  “I need you to help me keep them safe.”

  “What about you?”

  Drew stood, “I’ll go back to Hell and deal with the consequences.”

  He headed toward his house when Poseidon appeared in front of him.

  “I didn’t ask you to come to help me. I needed your help to protect them. Ah, just forget it. I’ll figure something out.”

  Drew walked away. Poseidon grabbed his arm and stopped him. He turned Drew around.

  “What do you think Olesha will do if you come back without her? What do you think she’ll do to you when she can’t find Sophie?”

  “How did you know her name was Olesha?”

  Poseidon’s face grew somber. He turned away from Drew. “I’m a God.”

  Drew grabbed his shoulder. “Bullshit! What do you know that you’re not telling me?”

  Poseidon jerked away from Drew. He faced the ocean. “When you were little, I used to take you to the water every day. You loved being near it. When you had trouble sleeping, I’d bring you here and the sound of the waves would lull you to sleep. I’d get back to the village with you sleeping in my arms, and your mother would wonder how I did it.” He turned to Drew with glassy eyes. “Of course she didn’t know, and I couldn’t tell her. She was my sanity in an otherwise insane world. I loved your mother, and hid among the humans, trying to escape my problems and responsibilities. It lasted for about eighteen years, and then my greatest treasure was affected by my sins.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Rage boiled inside Drew. It filled every inch of him. He gritted his teeth, and clenched and unclenched his fists. His past, and all the mistakes he’d made, came rushing back.