The Kotahi Bay Quartet

by J. C. Hart

  Not that the world was closed to her, not through her new connections. She could feel the earth beneath her, the ebb and flow of her mother’s energy grounding her in the now.

  Brandon came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "Everything okay?"

  "Yeah, everything is wonderful."

  Of Souldust and Starlight

  Chapter One

  Samantha flicked the sign to closed and turned to face the shop. Everything was in order and things were getting back to some semblance of normal now that the barrier was once again in place. Sure, it wasn't as strong as it had been—it never would be without the power of the ghost—but it was all they had to guard against Tū’s child, and whatever wrath they were bringing to the Bay.

  Her spirit companion, a black panther she called Shadow, wended his way around the counter, bumping his head against her thigh. As incorporeal as he was, she could still feel him when he touched her and that gave her comfort.

  He was the only comfort she had these days. The only comfort she'd ever have; the spirit form of the soul-mate she would never have in this lifetime. Who knew why he took that form, but he always had. And it wasn't like she was the only one who'd seen him either. Her mother had known about him, and her best friend in high school. Mona had moved away now though, and the other guardians of the Bay had filled the void.

  That said, these last few months had been hard, watching Melody and Noah connect in that breathless, chemical way, followed by Jake and Moana, who had become so like each other over the space of weeks. Hell, a dead sea-girl could find love, but not Sam. And then there had been Alyssa and Brandon...

  Sam sighed. She'd thought she was fine with that—if she couldn't have her soul-mate, then she didn't want anyone—but that had only lasted as long as it took for those around her to fall in love. Sorrow had kept her company since then.

  "Come on, must be time to find some food," she said to Shadow and his tail flicked in response. They moved through the curtain to the rear of the building, and into her kitchen where she put the kettle on. "Two minute noodles for me, and a scratch behind the ears for you." She smiled as the big cat leaned into her hand, his low purr rumbling through her body. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Shadow. You keep me sane."

  He flicked his tail against her back and padded off to the lounge, leaving her to it.

  Samantha shook her head, laughing. He was about as tolerant of sentiment as a regular man, but at least he couldn't clean out her cupboards or her bank account. There were some perks to not having a corporeal lover.

  She was just pouring the boiling water over her noodles when the buzzer from the shop rang. At this time of the night it could only mean one thing; Noah had a delivery.

  "Coming!" she called, setting the kettle on the bench and heading into the store. "Wasn't expecting you today." She could barely see Noah behind the boxes he'd piled on the counter. Melody appeared behind him and pulled the door shut. Samantha tossed her a grin.

  "We got a call about some estate boxes that might contain something useful and thought we'd go get it," Melody explained.

  "I think we need to bolster the barrier," Noah added, "or we're going to run into trouble."

  Melody put the bag she’d had slung over her shoulder on the counter as well. "It's still okay that we store stuff here?"

  "Yeah, of course. You know I like seeing what comes in." Samantha grinned as she opened the first box, then wrinkled her nose as the stench hit. "Gods, this smells really old and damp."

  "But it's meant to be an excellent booster. Jake is good, but he's been distracted lately. Even with Alyssa now in power it's not the same as Constance—"

  "And that's okay," Melody cut in, placing her arm around Noah's waist. "Because we're a team now, and we can work together to figure out what comes next."

  Noah rolled his eyes and laughed. "Yes, dear." He gave her a kiss on the forehead, then looked at Samantha. "Is it okay if we dump and run? I'm ravenous and this one will get cranky soon if she doesn't eat."

  It was Melody's turn to roll her eyes. "Come on. We'll see you tomorrow, Sam! Thanks for this."

  "Yeah, no worries." She reached for her incense, selecting the most potent one, and just hoped it would be enough to cover the smell coming from the box. That one was going out the back, she didn't care how precious its contents were.

  Once it was gone she brought the other two boxes and the bag into the kitchen and sat at the table with her soggy noodles. There was nothing less appealing, but at least it would quiet her stomach.

  Shadow came back in, finally curious about what she was up to. He gave the bag one sniff and then growled, twisting his body away from her and pacing the kitchen, teeth bared, the fur on his back raised.

  "What's gotten into you?" Sam said. She reached a hand out but he shied away and shot back into the lounge. Part of her wanted to go after him, but she was more curious about what had got him upset.

  Sam pulled the bag toward her and unzipped the top. Inside were the regular kind of relics they got—chalices and old jars containing a range of magical goop from throughout the ages. Where they found this stuff, Samantha had no idea, but every now and then something of monetary value would end up in the boxes. Something she could take and sell on—her fee for storing the stuff that was used to protect the Bay.

  And there it was. An antique necklace, its silver links were scuffed but she could instantly see the beauty in it, the pendant was emerald set in a silver filigree. Sam brushed her fingers over it. A jolt of energy sparked through her arm and she drew back, a flash of imagery seared into her brain. Trees all around, and him, there with her, his hair thick and dark, his face clean-shaven and his green eyes—eyes the same colour as the stone in the necklace—adoring her.

  Gods, it was him. She'd never flashed on her own past, never held an item from her past, and if it hadn't been for that deep awareness that this man was her soul-mate, she never would have known that this necklace had belonged to her.

  From another lifetime.

  No wonder Shadow had reacted so badly, he didn't want her to touch it, didn't want her to feel all the things that were rushing back to her now as she grabbed the necklace and squeezed it between her hands.

  He'd given it to her, a token of his love. They were going to be together, marry, have a family, no matter what his father said, even if they had to run away to do it.

  And they did run away, or at least... they tried. It was a bit blurry at that point and she dropped the necklace onto the table, suddenly bereft. She went through to the lounge, seeking Shadow. She needed his comforting presence but he wasn't there. He'd gone and who knew when he would be back.

  Samantha went back to the kitchen and felt around in the back of the cupboard for her emergency chocolate stash—thank gods she had that at least—then curled up in bed and cried.

  The clock ticked over to one AM and Shadow still wasn't there. She couldn't sleep without his calming presence—he'd been her companion for as long as she could remember, trailing her as a child and following her footsteps into adulthood, never aging, never changing, never making demands.

  It wasn't until she hit her late teens and her friends were falling in love left, right and centre that she'd really figured out what he was to her. The completeness she felt at having him in her life showed her that he was 'the one' and naturally there was no way she was going to meet her soul-mate in the flesh if he was a spirit.

  Not this lifetime, anyway.

  And he had never left her alone in the night, never. Even when she'd had company he'd lurked in another room, not grudging her the comfort of sex in the arms of a physical man. But now where was he? Driven off by a necklace, by a historical link between them?

  Samantha tossed back the blankets and scraped her long blonde hair up into a bun at the top of her head. Loose strands tickled her neck and she shivered though it wasn't cold. She made her way to the kitchen, the necklace was still there, moonlight glinting of
f the silver links.

  She grabbed a glass and drank some water before picking it up and going back to the bedroom. The metal was cool to the touch and she wasn't quite sure what to do with it, but she knew that she had to push past the blur, to find out what had happened in this past life, because whatever it was, it had done something to Shadow, and she couldn't suffer life without him.

  Samantha lay on the bed with her eyes closed and placed the necklace across her forehead. The pendant pressed down on her like a tonne of bricks and she let the weight drag her into the past.

  He was there, flooding her senses. She could smell the sweat on his skin, taste it on her tongue and she could feel the press of his lips to her neck. Oh Lordy. Even the remembrance of it across all this time was more potent than any lover she'd had in this lifetime. Samantha gasped as he pulled away. His father was calling him, and they couldn't get caught like this, not now, not so close to making their break for it.

  "Go, see what he needs," she'd said to him, tracing her hand down his cheek. "I'll meet you at our spot, down by the lagoon. Tonight. We'll be gone and married before they can do anything about it."

  "I wish we could go right now." His breath was ragged and she could feel him yearning to touch her, press himself against her just one more time before he had to leave.

  "I know, my love. I know." She put a hand to his chest and nudged him away, a smile playing on her lips. "Tonight."

  "Tonight!" he called back softly, running now, running so that he could get the rest of the day over with.

  And she had waited. Samantha could feel the chill in the night air and hear the toads croaking in the lagoon. The night smelled crisp of jasmine. She heard footsteps behind her and turned, expecting to see him but finding his father.

  "Sir, what are you doing here?"

  "I know that you've tempted him. I know you want to take him away, but you can't. He's my son, my heir." His hands were balled into fists and between them was a rope, pulled taut. His face was impassive in the moonlight.

  "We're in love, sir. You must know what that feels like," she pleaded with him, taking a step back, her hands raised.

  "I know of duty, not love." He launched himself, tackling her to the ground. She was no match for his weight, his strength, and he had the rope around her neck in moments. He flipped her onto her stomach and stones dug into her legs and chest as she tried to throw him off.

  "No, please, no." She sobbed, hands at her throat trying to claw the rope free. "He will never forgive you."

  "He'll never know," he spat the words into her ear, saliva hit her cheek, and she clamped her eyes shut, not wanting to see the way her vision blurred, black spots dancing before her.

  He'll never know, she thought. He'll never know that I waited, that I wanted him. He'll think I ran, that I left him and that will kill him. Surely.

  She bucked one last time, but it was nothing to the man. She could feel the pressure in her chest and knew that this was the end.

  Samantha sat up and flung the necklace across the room. It crashed into the wall and hit the floor and she stared at it, her heart breaking all over again.

  He never knew.

  No wonder Shadow left, he'd been reminded of the last time they were torn apart, the time that he was sure she'd abandoned him. Never mind that she was here for him now, the living memory was strong and who knew when he would return.

  She had to get rid of the necklace, now. Bury it in the garden, throw it in the sea, something.

  The garden was closest. She pushed herself from the bed and grabbed the necklace before dashing outside into the moonlight. The metal kissed her skin, bringing back the memory of his touch.

  Could she really part with it? Even if it held pain, there was pleasure in this item, pleasure and memories of things she could never have. Samantha rubbed her fingertips together, torn.

  No, she needed Shadow more than this visceral imagery, this taunting pleasure. It would drive her insane. She crossed to the far corner of her backyard and dug with her bare hands, clawing at the dirt until there was a big enough hole. She shoved the necklace inside and buried it, tears streaming down her face, sobs hiccupping from her mouth.

  Samantha scanned the lawn and found a rock, placing it on top as a reminder, least she forget where it was and dig it up by accident. Not that she would ever forget. She could feel the pendant calling her now, tempting her, so she turned and ran inside, slamming the door behind her and heading for the shower.

  Shadow would come home now. He had to.

  Chapter Two

  Kyle set his coffee down on the railing of the deck and let out a huff. They hadn't had much luck with the locals so far, and Kyle wondered whether he'd be able to get Jake to see his side of things; the kid had been pretty quiet lately, since that fiasco with the river. And boy it had been. Kyle shook his head. If Jake was smart he'd more than likely joined the dots, realized Kyle was involved, but there wasn't anything he could do about that now.

  Ah well, there were always others he could sway to his cause. Or his boss's cause, anyway. Kyle didn't care much either way—he had a task and he set about fulfilling it, ticking things off the list without giving it too much thought. It was what he was good at. Doing, not thinking. If he thought too long, too hard... it was like coming up against a brick wall.

  He scratched his shoulder absentmindedly. He really needed to get the ink job finished, though for that he needed Jake... Kyle shook his head. He was going to have to find a way to get him back onside. For some reason, he felt a connection with the kid. Wanted to make it up to him, to prove that he wasn't all bad. Yet.

  He knew it was coming though.

  As he so often did these days he tried to feel something about that. He knew what was right and what was wrong, but it had never really had the same effect on him that it did on others. And the only real joy he got was in a job well done and the rewards that came with that.

  Anahera had found him in his early teens, yanked him out of his shitty life, and set him up in style, giving him the freedom and means he'd so desperately wanted—and he'd never looked back. Trading his soul for all the good things in life had seemed a small ask.

  His phone vibrated in his pocket and he slipped it out. The boss herself. Must be important. He got a tingle thinking about having a new assignment.

  "Anahera," he answered.

  "I need you to go clear up after last night."

  "Nolan's house?" he asked. He knew she'd arrived in town, though she wasn't with him yet. She'd had some business to attend to. "A non-conspicuous job, or—"

  "No, something that'll send a message. I've had enough of playing with my food, it's time to feast."

  "On it. I'll go as soon as it gets dark."

  "Good." She paused, and then added. "I'm back outside the Bay, and the barrier is in full force. Were you aware?"

  Kyle shook his head slowly, and then smiled. "No, no I wasn't." He couldn't keep the trace of amusement from his voice. This was going to present an interesting challenge, and he liked a challenge.

  "You need to eliminate the woman, Alyssa. If we cut her off then the barrier goes down and we can finish this. I can probably get back in, but she’s just going to be a nuisance."

  "Getting frustrated?" Kyle asked. He sipped his coffee and looked out across the town with fresh eyes.

  "No, but let's not forget what's at stake here."

  The rebirth of Tū. The death of the Maori gods if possible. And for him, the gift of wholeness, of being fully realized. He was like Pinocchio, not a real boy. Part of a person, but not able to access the full range of humanity. Maybe that was why he didn't mind the work he did, he could watch people as he changed their lives and see things he never felt himself.

  "I won't forget. I'll do what needs to be done," he said.

  "A permanent solution. Got it?"

  "Loud and clear."

  The call ended and Kyle locked his screen and shoved his phone back into his pocket.

  Wel
l, his day had just got more interesting.

  Kyle slipped down the path and into the shadows cast by the trees in the back yard, pulling the keys to Mrs Nolan's house from his pocket. He slid the right one into the door, the click of the lock loud in the night. The house felt strange, the lack something more than just the absence of its owner, who'd been stripped of her soul and taken from the Bay by one of Anahera's other lackeys.

  He hadn't been there when it happened, but here he was cleaning up after.

  Kyle shook his head, his frustration leaching out in the scowl on his face. He'd been at this for years now, doing little jobs for the woman, and he didn't mind that so much except that now they were finally here and things felt...different somehow. There was something about the Bay, the quality of the air, or the way the sea sounded when it slapped against the shore. The people perhaps? Not that he'd really interacted with many of them. Whatever it was, he knew it was special and he wasn't quite sure what Anahera had in mind; whatever it was, it wouldn't be good.

  And normally that didn't bother him. He thrived in the grey areas, doing the jobs no one else wanted to, and that had only gotten easier after he'd met Anahera. Doing bad things for her had netted him a lot more of the good things than a regular life of crime would have.

  Kyle shook off those thoughts and looked around. His bag had the necessary supplies—petrol, paper, matches—he just needed to get it done and get out of there. Burn the place down so that no one could figure out what had happened. Mrs Nolan was the biggest clue, but there was no way she could tell them all how Kyle had convinced her to muddy the waters and stall on getting the barrier back up. She'd been effective too, once he applied the right kind of persuasion.

  He dumped the bag on the ground and moved into the kitchen, scanning the bench til his eyes hit the hob. He skimmed the torch over the top of it.