by J. C. Hart
Dammit.
He pulled on his jeans, jersey, and boots before heading for the door.
The moon was full in the sky, providing a more pleasant glow than the street lights. It wasn't long before he was past them, his feet in charge, unthinking, guiding him to the sea. Could he defy them?
It turned out that he couldn't; he was at the beach before he knew it. He kicked off his boots at the line between grass and sand and padded out, barefoot, across the iron-dark expanse towards Moana, who was sitting just above the lapping waves.
She turned and smiled to him sadly. "I'm sorry for making you come." Her words were soft but they carried on the sea breeze, bringing with them the tang of salt.
"It's okay," he replied, and was surprised to find that he meant it.
"You know, when I first saw you, Tangaroa told me to kill you. To take you into the sea so that I could use you up to try and push back the poison. But then we touched and I knew there was more to you, that I couldn't just take your life. Well, I could, but not like that, not when there was so much more to you that I didn't know."
"I know." Jake sank onto the sand beside her and leaned back on his hands, resigned. There was no point in being disappointed, though he couldn't help that pang from hitting him in the gut. She needed him for the same reason everyone else did. "You need me to make your magic stronger."
"No, no that wasn't it." Moana turned to him, moonlight glinting off the shine of her parted lips. Her eyes were narrowed as if she were still trying to figure him out. "I just felt...connected. More than I have before. You didn't feel like a tool for me to use and throw away, so I..." She glanced to the sea.
"You spared me." The sincerity of her words dispelled any fear he had. She wasn't going to kill him, not any time soon. "Well, thanks. I guess." He wrapped his arms around his chest, wishing he'd brought a jacket.
She turned to face him, crossing her legs between them.
"I'd take it back, if I could."
"Take what back?"
"My kiss. I know it's hard to escape the sea once you've been touched. It will try to lure you in even if I don't want it to."
He resisted the urge to touch his lips, quirking them into a smile instead. "So you don't want to kill me now?"
She smiled, so normally, that he forgot that she was more than human.
"I need your help. And that connection... Tell me honestly. I promise not to hurt you. But did you feel it too?" Sadness welled up in her eyes and then dripped down her face, tears glinting against her luminescent skin.
Jake reached out to wipe her tears away with his thumb but they reabsorbed into her skin. He managed to stop himself from flinching at the strangeness. It made him even more curious about her. He brought his thumb to his lips and licked the salty residue, tangy against his tongue.
"How did you get like this?" he asked. He let his hand stretch out and felt her fingers clasp around his, chill against his warmth. Moana seemed different tonight. Less like a sea goddess and more like a young woman.
"For my twentieth I wanted to go boating. Dad didn't want us to go, but Mum insisted. I loved the sea, loved the freedom I felt on it. I didn't know what I was until that day." She pulled her bottom lip through her teeth before she continued, her eyes firmly on the ocean. "They had a massive fight, and the louder they got, the harder the waves crashed against the side of the boat. Then it tipped. I couldn't see either of them, at least, not at first. I tried to swim but there was seaweed everywhere, and there hadn't been before. It dragged me down. I tried to hold my breath, tried to get to the surface..."
Jake gripped her hand tighter as the memory of pain flashed across her face, her blue eyes as turbulent as the sea she was describing.
"I couldn't hold it anymore and I let the water in. It was so cold, Jake. So cold. I could feel it filling me, taking over and I screamed. I screamed and screamed until I realized that it had been too long and I wasn't dead. I was still alive. Somehow." She shook her head and looked back at him. A sad smile playing on her lips. "I saw them then, their bodies limp, and I fought my way free of the seaweed. I took them to the surface but they were gone. There was nothing I could do."
"Wow." Jake shook his head, unsure what else to say.
"The sea speaks to me sometimes, and I've learned a few things over the years... It, Tangaroa, is my father. When he heard them arguing, heard my other father say he would never let me go Tangaroa thought my mother had tricked him. But she would have gone through with it. She would have." Moana sighed, resignation lining her face. "The sea is my family now, even though it stole her from me. Stole my whole life and gave me another."
"How long ago?"
She laughed sorrowfully and shook her head, glancing down at their intertwined fingers. "I don't know. Twenty years? Thirty? It's hard to keep track when you can't own a calendar." She gave him a wry smile.
"And you've been alone, all this time?"
"Until now." She gripped his fingers tightly and drew him forward, pressing her lips against his.
Jake wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulled her into his lap and returned the kiss with more passion than he knew he had. She was cold to the touch and he shivered from both the chill and desire that seeped from her body to his. The desire won over, made him forget the chill.
She pushed him to the sand, her movements sure and frenzied. Small rocks dug into his back but he ignored them, reveling in the feel of her fingers as she slid them under his shirt and up his chest, nipples turning as hard as stone under her icy touch.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, forcing the words out. His eyes closed as her teeth grazed his nipple and her nails raked his sides before sliding to his fly and undoing it.
"Are you?" she asked playfully, moving to straddle him.
"As long as this isn't some kind of sex-death thing, then I'm in."
She threw her head back and laughed, her dark hair shimmering black on black against the sky. "No, this is not a 'sex-death' thing. I promise I won't kill you. Tonight." Her lips curved in a grin as she hitched her dress and slid onto him effortlessly.
Jake groaned at the sensation of her, somehow wet and warm and cool all at once. He reached for her hips, moving with her. He could see by the look on her face that she was focused on her own pleasure, setting the pace that suited her.
He didn't mind. There was nothing more erotic than a woman taking charge, and god, she was good at it. Jake closed his eyes again, losing himself to the ebb and flow of her passion until he was on the brink. Moana moaned, her muscles contracting around his cock and his orgasm came crashing out, his whole body shuddering with the release.
"Fuck," he groaned. "That was...wow."
Moana laughed again, this time it was low and satisfied. She rolled off him and stared up at the sky. "I haven't done that in far too long."
"We can do it again sometime, if you want." He probably shouldn't have said that. Moana was a very dangerous woman. But after seeing her tonight, hearing her story, he couldn't help but think of her as lost. Alone in the big wide sea.
Moana's expression shifted and she huffed out a rueful laugh. "If I want you, then I'm not sure you'll be able to resist," she said.
Jake's muscles tensed. He hadn't come here thinking he would get laid, and he'd been more than happy to oblige, but he didn't like thinking that it was out of his control.
He rolled onto his side so he was facing her. "Let me be very clear about this." He kept his words firm but polite. "I wanted you tonight, and I'll no doubt want you again, but if you ever use your magic to force me into having sex with you, then whatever this is? Whatever it might be? It's over."
"You dare threaten me?" She looked shocked, her thin black brows raised to the extremities of her forehead.
"I'm here because I want to be. Don't fuck that up." He pulled his pants up and straightened his shirt, not even bothering to dust the damp sand from his body. It grated against his skin, but he didn't care. Nothing could be worse than the ir
ritation he felt towards Moana.
He didn't look back as he stormed up the beach, resisting the draw of the ocean, the salt, and the memory of her lips on his.
Moana watched Jake's form retreating down the beach, containing herself only until he was out of earshot before she dove back into the depths of the sea and screamed her frustration. Fish flitted away from her in surprise and she inhaled and exhaled, flooding her body with the water that loved her, the only thing that loved her. Her body shook with rage and so she swam, forcing herself deeper and deeper until she'd come to the place where the dead things slept.
She hadn't meant to open up to Jake like that, but she'd been feeling sorrowful and wanted him to know that she wasn't just using him, that she didn't just want his help. There was something about him.
He'd said he was an amplifier, and that fact turned over in her mind as the water rushed past her. Obviously, she had known he was magical. Magic called to magic, though sometimes these non-gods couldn't seem to feel the pull of it. She had no doubt that his ability might come in handy for her, but that wasn't what intrigued her the most.
She would be hard pressed to convince him of that though, the man had a real chip on his shoulder about his magic.
A chip on his shoulder about all kinds of things, apparently. Who knew that a few words, which she'd meant teasingly—even if it was half-truth—could press his buttons so thoroughly?
Moana reached the floor of the ocean and swam across it towards the altar. It wasn't a real altar, of course. Her god was all around her, there was no way to differentiate him from her, no need for a space of worship. It was, in a sense, a place for remembrance of her past.
She pushed through the kelp that surrounded it, the sight of her parent’s bodies lying on top of the altar didn't bother her, not anymore. Not after so many years of sharing this space.
Moana had never really known why Tangaroa had preserved them like this, had created a little bubble where they would remain whole and untouched by time and the ravages of the sea. No fish came here, nothing nibbled at their toes or swam into their bodies. The water had washed away the traces of blood from their ship’s debris but for the most part they were just as they had been before they had died.
They could have been sleeping.
Moana sat in her usual spot, facing them, contemplating their faces, trying to recall them as they'd been in life. Normally, she couldn't. Nothing would come back to her but that last night at sea and the way the wind had howled and the sea had roared back as if they were arguing with each other.
For all she knew, they had been. Tāwhirimātea, the god of the wind, was as present as Tangaroa, and he seemed the kinder of the two. So many curiosities that she may never figure out.
The movement of the sea caught her mother's hair and it swayed across her face. Moana reached out to tuck it back behind her ear and a memory flashed of her mother carrying out the same action on Moana.
"Some days, I don't know how you see to do anything," she'd said with a smile before she had kissed Moana's forehead. She could remember it now, so vividly. She'd been wearing a dark blue dress and white stockings, all of ten. Her mother's dress was black with tiny polka dots on it, and she had the prettiest hat Moana had ever seen.
She would have cried if it were possible, but here under the sea she never could.
Somehow, Jake's touch, Jake's presence—Jake—had given her back a memory. Just one for now, but one was more than she'd had in half her lifetime, or the whole of her dead time, if that was what she was.
Moana shut her eyes, pressed the palms of her hands against them and tried to remember more.
Chapter Nine
After seeing the lights on at home, Melody and Noah conferring in the kitchen despite the stupid early hour of the morning, he'd spent the last few hours trudging around town.
Finally, he was at the diner, and he had just enough time to grab some food and the coffee before Kyle was due to pick him up.
"You look like hell this morning, son. Not getting enough sleep?" His mother reached across the counter and cupped his cheek. "Go and sit down, I'll bring you some kai. You want eggs?"
"Nah, Mum. I'm meeting a friend soon. Got any sandwiches I can have? And a couple coffees, both black, mine with sugar."
"I'll throw something sweet in as well." She frowned. "You need to take care of yourself, boy. Please, tell me you're being careful. Whatever's going on with you-"
"I'm fine, Mum. I swear. You don't need to worry about me." He felt a little guilty using those words, knowing that it was always Melody she'd had to worry about before and ever since his sister had left, his mother had put that worry on him.
And now he was lying to her, because this wasn't really safe, was it? He barely even knew what he was getting himself into.
She kept looking at him, as though she knew he wasn't being honest, but then she turned and dealt with his order. "Go on, get out of here." She nodded towards the door. "I love you."
"Love you too, Mum." He grinned, leaning across the counter to give her a kiss on the cheek before heading out.
Kyle was already there, idling in a black car by the curb. Jake swung the door open and slid in, handing over Kyle's coffee before sorting out his belt.
"Good to go?" Jake asked.
"Any idea where we're going?" Kyle sipped his coffee and sighed with pleasure. "This is good. You look like shit by the way."
"Gee, thanks." Jake rolled his eyes, but laughed. "I know which river it is." He pulled out his phone and navigated to the maps, showing Kyle where the river was. "Somewhere up here."
"You know what? I have a feeling I know where this might be coming from. I wish you'd sent me this earlier."
"Well I didn't think about it, okay? You're not a local."
"No, but I want to be. Remember our deal?" Kyle leveled his gaze at Jake, it wasn't menacing but it didn't fill him with joy either.
"I remember. Don't worry. There are a few possibilities. I heard Angie has been thinking about heading out of town. Her best friend is on her death bed, and the place won't be the same without her."
"Oh, really?"
Jake nodded, not trusting himself to say anything more. Sure that he'd already said too much. "I made a list of some possibilities, but you didn't get it from me okay?" He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and held it out to Kyle. The other man took it slowly but didn't unfold it.
"Thanks for this. I mean it." Kyle put the paper in the glove box and then leaned back against his chair. "Let's hit the road then, shall we?"
They'd been traveling for about fifteen minutes when Kyle pulled over onto the side of the road and cut the engine.
"What, here?" Jake asked.
"We just came over the river, and last time I came into town I noticed this red pickup with barrels on the back going down a gravel track just up from here. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but when you mentioned what was going on it seemed like a good place to start."
"Good sleuthing. Anyone would think you've done this kind of thing before." Jake grinned at Kyle.
Kyle shrugged. "I do all kinds of things for all kinds of people, so you might say that I have."
"Guess I should be pleased about that." Jake grasped him on the shoulder, feeling an unusual camaraderie with the guy. For someone who never seemed entirely genuine, he was actually okay.
Kyle headed down the road and Jake set off after him. The sound of the river grew louder as they approached, and then Kyle veered into the bush, pushing aside some bushes and disappearing from view.
It was strange out here, beyond the barrier. He didn't have much reason to venture out in general and he was sure he could feel the lack of that layer of protection, like the air had a different quality, a different taste. Not better, just different.
He wasn't entirely steady on his feet—the lack of sleep was catching up to him—but he couldn't let that stop him now. If only he could find the source of the petrol leak, then he could take the inf
ormation back to Noah and Melody and prove that he was good for something other than propping up their magic. He needed evidence, that was all. It wasn't like he was going to go in and bust the guy right now. Not on his own. Not when he felt like this.
And then there was Moana to think about. There was no way she didn't want a piece of the culprit.
Jake's vision blurred slightly and he shook his head, trying to clear it.
"You alright there mate?" Kyle's voice came from in front of him, but Jake couldn't immediately see where he was.
"Yeah, just... tired. It's okay though. Do you think we're almost there?" He should have been taking note of their path, should have taken photos on the way down. He pulled out his phone and snapped a few.
"Not too far to go. You sure we should be doing this though? You really don't look so good."
Jake pushed his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "I'll be fine. We're just taking a look. I'll figure out what to do after I know what we're dealing with."
They'd made it to the edge of the river now and Kyle waited until Jake was alongside him before he pointed at an outcrop of rocks. "You see those over there? They aren't natural. They've been moved to hide a pipe of some sort. It's coming out just under the edge of the water. Can you see it?"
"Shit. I can. I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out to me." Jake scowled. Whoever was doing this was smart. "You reckon the guys place is far?" His ears started to ring. He should have had more coffee, or faced up to his sister and then got some sleep. He needed to get his shit together or the only thing he'd prove today was that he really was a fuck up.
"Can't be far." Kyle pushed through the bushes upstream and Jake did his best to keep up. He stumbled a bit as his vision blurred, but there was no other choice than to keep going.
A few minutes later they emerged on the edge of a cleared area with a farm house and sheds dotting the site. A motor putted away from inside one of the sheds but no movement was visible.
"What on earth..." Jake muttered.
