Shyanna finally came back to the ship, only this time she had to track us. I told Jacob to set the course for his and Jessie’s home, which wasn’t that far away from where we were now, and a place that would get us all off this ship for a while. I stood out on the deck watching for her; it was her panicked scream that I heard first. I began calling, “Shya” and soon after, she came swooping down so fast that she rolled on the deck for several feet before she came to a stop in a tangled mess of fishing net.
“Me’s scared,” she cried fighting the net.
“Calm down, you’re okay,” I said with a snicker.
“You’s left me’s,” she chirped, blinking rapidly.
“You’s found me though. You’s great flapper,” I replied as I took the net off of her wing.
“Meeee’s.”
“Yes, yooou’s, silly girl.” Then I lifted her up.
She put her face up against mine as her wings spread all the way out and then wrapped them around both of us. “You’s me’s me’om.” It took me a few minutes to figure out what she was saying, but I believe that she just called me, “mom”. I gave her tiny form a hug and she gave me one back. It was then that I realized that she really needed a bath. The smell she had was a musk scent, which was more than likely her normal one, but I could smell the filth that went along with it. I knew without even having to think about it, that Tanda was drawing me a bath, so I thought I might as well introduce Shyanna to her first hot water encounter.
Sure enough, I walked in to find Tanda adding oils to the bathtub. She looked up and walked over and picked up my white robe. I opened the door a little wider and Shyanna hopped in. Little by little she started sniffing the air, until she made her way to the bath. Tanda looked at me and I smiled raising my eye brows. She smiled like she had a brand new toy to play with.
“Want to get in the pretty water?” Tanda asked splashing the water just a little.
“No, no, no,” Shyanna replied and hopped back behind me. “Cold… me’s no like.”
“Not cold. It feels good,” I told her while I picked up her hand.
“No, me’om. Me’s be good.”
“Honey,” I said getting down on my knees. “You are good, very good. But me’om wants to wash your hair. Smell pretty.”
“Hurt me’s. No water.”
“What hurts you baby?” She just looked at me. “If me’om gets in, will you get in?”
She didn’t say anything, but came closer as I took my clothes off and stepped in. She watched as I poured water over my head. “I feel’s so good.” Then I did it again. Tanda put her hands in the water, and then splashed her face, making ‘umm’ sounds as she did it. Shyanna hopped over and stuck two talon fingers in and yanked them back out twice as fast. Afterward she stuck them in her mouth then wrinkled up her face. She crawled up on the edge and held her knees. She went to put her foot in the water and slipped, falling completely under right between my legs. She came up screaming that high pitched, ear piercing screech that she had, then suddenly stopped and just blinked at me.
“See, it feels good doesn’t it?”
She started purring and raising the bubbles to her face. Tanda went around her and started washing her hair. To our surprise she let her. One, because she was far too busy playing with the bubbles and second, because I think it felt good. Every time Tanda put her hands on Shyanna’s head and began to scrub, her eyes would close and her hands would freeze, as this wonderful deep purr poured from her. I could feel the vibration of that purr in the walls of the porcelain tub we were bathing in. A few minutes later I could hear feet running down the hall, not thinking about her scream until that very moment. I went under the water as soon as the door crashed open. Shyanna took flight, water and bubbles went everywhere. Tanda ran to the door and pushed the group out, explaining that Shyanna was getting her first bath and that I was in the tub with her. I felt a hand pulling me up by the hair and came up to find Shyanna blinking full black eyes at me. She lighted on the edge again and for the first time, now that she had been soaking, I could see that she had a greenish and purple tint to her skin.
“Shall we finish this?” Tanda asked, walking back over to us.
“I think I have all the icky blood off of me, well, good enough, so let’s see if she’ll get back in it by herself,”
I stepped out and put my robe on, then went and squatted down by the tub. I started playing with the bubbles, splashing my fingers through what was still in the tub, and laughing like goof ball. Shyanna slid back down and joined in not two minutes after I began. I took a bar of Tanda’s good soap, the one she always used on me. It had special oils in it, and she used it to keep my skin from looking like a man’s. That thought alone kept a smile on my face, that and knowing we were victorious had me wanting to do a jig. I was just hoping we could clean off the many years of our winged friend living in filth. Before all was said and done, Shyanna was diving under the very dark, dirty bath water and now we couldn’t get her out. Every time I tried, she would yell, ‘me’s good’ and then would go back under. I couldn’t help but to laugh. I left leaving Tanda to deal with getting her out.
I was tired. Yet, I was grateful to finally get a break from all the madness. We were going to our new home where we could live in peace, for a time that is, while we made plans to work our way up the coast. There was a bigger plan that lay at the back of my mind, eating away at my thoughts on a nightly basis. Thoughts I had kept to myself and hadn’t revealed to anyone and wouldn’t until we got closer to the top of the states, a place much better for crossing the ocean to the shores of London. I walked in to find Tammy mending the many wounds of my boys and the one woman fighting machine. Jessie fought better than any of us and almost as good as her brother…almost. She had a stab wound, which was far worse than any mere scratch, but nothing that wouldn’t heal in a few nights. Derek had several cuts and twice as many bruises. Sydney was the one that got it the worst.
Tammy was stitching up the slice across his abdomen. He had come very close to having his insides resting on his lap. Seeing his stomach brought back the visions of what we caused back at the estate. Entrails morbidly spread out underneath their owners, some sliding out as the normal fell down onto their sides. The one thing that I knew would give me nightmares, if I dreamed, would have been Jacob coldly walking up to a squirming breeder that was trying to push his own stomach contents back into his empty case of an abdomen, and shoving his blade in the man’s eye, right into the brain, or pushing the man’s head down and removing it while he was still screaming.
I had to close my eyes, because I was now remembering the eyes of the ones whose lives I took. The way they grew wide when the one who owned them knew that death was at hand. I saw even the bravest of men become scared, reaching out to me, not to hurt me, but begging for the help that I wouldn’t give. Everything that I was taught as a child, all the good that was placed in my heart, was gone. My parents would no longer hold their heads up with pride, but turn their backs in shame. I often wondered if they were watching my actions, then I simply answered myself with ‘not a chance’, my Lord wouldn’t allow it, which made me grateful. It was a good thought at least.
“Renee,” Derek said softly, holding out a cup.
“Hey, thanks.” I took the cup, drinking the sweet warm fluid down without stopping.
“You okay? You seemed somewhere else.”
“I’m just tired.”
“Your face is really red with that white thing on.”
“Thanks, Derek. I really needed you to remind me of that, and it’s called a robe.”
“I knew that, and I haven’t washed yet, so you look a hell of a lot better than I do.”
“You said a mouthful there,” I laughed handing him back the cup, touching his cheek lightly after I did so.
“Jacob has seven slices on his body, and made eleven kills…I got four,” Derek proclaimed with excitement.
“It does not matter how many one kills my young friend. What matte
rs is that one survives,” Jacob said from the shadows as he normally did, then walked over to us.
“We were lucky tonight. No one got hurt really bad,” Brandon added coming over to join us.
Sydney and Garvin were already sitting on the couch that Tammy and Jessie slept on. Tammy was sitting Jessie back up on the couch that was on the opposite side of the room. Five minutes later we had the small card playing table pulled closer to where everyone else was, along with one of the table benches, and we all were getting comfortable. Johnny grabbed his piglet and crawled off the bed and came over and got on Tammy’s lap. We had around two hours left before the sun did what it always did. One by one, everyone took a bath, while the rest of us talked about the new home we were heading to. We all agreed that it would be the safest place to leave the breeders that we’d taken on and part of the ship’s crew. I was seriously thinking about using it as a home for Tanda and Johnny. I just wasn’t sure how to bring it up.
“How many men are at your home, Jacob?” I asked leaning back in my chair so I could look at him.
“We have twenty men at our home. Well, one of many I should say,” he replied getting up moving his chair closer to mine. “I was pleased to see how well your little ones took to the fight. To be so young, they have learned well.”
“Thank you for staying with us and not taking whatever that… thing is to the elders, whoever they are.”
“My sister means a great deal to me, but in all the time that I have been alive, never once did I see my master’s death in my mind, not even once. I thought it was not possible. That is why I did not go.”
“Where are these elders?”
“We will not go there, Renee.”
“I just want to know how far away are they?”
“The messenger has a long journey and then plans will have to be set. They will not do anything at first, not without sending out scouts to first find us, then second to get our count.”
“So we have a while.”
CHAPTER NINE
I laid there while everyone, other than Jacob, slept as only death could, thinking about the rest of my life. I wanted to leave everything on the ship once we reached “our” home and become a stronger family unit while learning to be better fighters. Then afterwards, worry about going further up the coast. As of tomorrow the ship would stay out once we reached our destiny, and then come in closer to dusk. I fell asleep thinking about the stories that he had told me about the tunnels in London, and how he once worked them when he himself was a slave.
***
It was still raining lightly when I woke the next evening, and sure enough, once again Jacob was watching me. I rolled over and clenched my teeth together, because I felt like I had been run over by a train. I very slowly moved my legs off the side of the bed and sat up. My head was pounding slightly where the club had its way with me, but the real pain was in my muscles.
“The longer the night grows, the more the soreness will go away,” Jacob said laying his head back.
“So you feel it too, huh?”
“I have become accustom to the side effects of battle.”
I mimicked the words, “I’m accustomed.” Then I added, “So, you’re saying the pain ain’t no big deal.”
“Strangely put, but yes.”
“Not trying to ask a stupid question here, but are we close to your… our place?”
“We have been here for hours,” he replied leaning forward.
“You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that,” I said standing up and stretching.
Once everyone was awake, the excitement of getting to live on land for awhile was starting to show. The only ones that weren’t throwing things into bags were Johnny and Shyanna, who seemed perfectly happy playing on the floor next to the bed. Jacob sent the first boat over with the slaves that we found at Cortez’s, where I could see at least three torches waiting on a dock. He sent Jessie with them so that the ones there would know it was Chin returning, or at least think that until we came ashore. Once the boat returned we all piled in and went back as a group.
I could see the confusion on the three men’s faces that were now standing in front of the seven that we had previously sent over, as we floated up to the dock. The men said nothing; they started helping us out of the boat and immediately took our bags from us.
“Master Jacob,” one man said dropping to one knee. “Where is our lord?”
“She is standing right in front of you. Gather in the great hall, there is much to be heard.” Jacob looked down at the man who still looked utterly dumb struck. “Well, what are you waiting for?”
“There is a guest. The woman waits while her male companions seek the hunt.”
“No one hunts on our land,” Jacob growled.
“Who is this woman? Did she give a name?” I asked, causing him to drop further to the ground, keeping his eyes anywhere but on mine.
“She claims she is Rebecca, high order of Mistress Yvette’s.”
“Son-of-a-bitch!” I smiled like I had never smiled before. “Go, tell her that Chin has arrived and will see her shortly. Do not mention another word.”
“Yes, my…”
“Yes ma’am is fine.”
He nodded and took off like he was on fire. I just couldn’t stop smiling. I think I may have even giggled out loud. Brandon and Derek were both grinning right along with me. Looking at the others I knew I had to fill them in. After I told them that she and her three goons were the ones that took me with lies and deception, and that Rebecca’s men slaughtered my entire family, all nodded in understanding. Then I told them payback was going to be my bitch. Jacob and Jessie both looked me up and down.
“You must look the part of a high mistress. My mother’s clothes will fit you nice enough,” Jessie spoke as she walked around me.
“Then let’s do this. I’ve wanted to meet up with this bitch for a long time.”
Jacob took the boys with him, and Jessie took us girls with her. This was not like any home that I had even seen in books. Everything was made out of wood. Some was bamboo and some maple, but there was a whole lot of it. Most of the places that I had seen had a great amount of stone, but this seemed to be more like Mother Earth. There was greenery throughout the area that Jessie was taking us through. What I would think of as foyer, had no top, yet it was inside the home. It was just as open as the night sky itself. There were bricks covering the ground, with small wooden benches set here and there, and long palm type plants by each of them. Jessie took her shoes off and we followed, then she slid a white panel door open and stepped in going to her knees and bowing her head. Right after she stood, she told us to please come in.
“Pretty,” Shyanna said as she hopped into the light.
“Look at her shine.” Tammy pointed at her. “She’s changed.”
“No, she’s clean,” I laughed putting my hand on the top of her head.
“That’s just way too neat. When she turns she’s a brighter green, but when she moves like this,” she said moving her shoulders, “she gets a purple color rolling across her.”
“Renee,” Jessie said. “This is what my mother wore when the old one met council.”
“Wow! That is gorgeous.”
“It is called a kimono, and it will be you that makes it beautiful,” she replied looking up at me.
“Jessie, that was just too sweet.”
“I have never thanked you.”
“I’m the one that should be thanking you, Jessica. You and Jacob, both. I don’t think we could have done any of this without you.”
“You are kind to say that, but look where you were when you found us. You could have put us down, but you let us live. Why did you do that?”
“Because, you both were in the same boat that the rest of us were in, you just happened to be on that particular ride a hell of a lot longer.”
“I still fear that he will show up and kill us all for what we have done to him,” she said swallowing so hard, I heard it.
“Jessie, he is dead…good and dead. Chin, is never coming back and if he did, I’d just kill him again.”
“For such a young one, you are so wise and comforting.”
“I helped raise my siblings. I’ve had loads of practice. Now, help me put this on.” I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out and taking her arm and pulling her into a, well, I would say warm embrace but all breeders were more than cool to the touch, but it was as loving as a mother could offer a child. And I did, I loved them all.
The kimono was soft and cool against my already frigid flesh. The color was a vibrant red with elaborate golden designs sown in and it went well with my dark hair and the pale pink of my skin. It was taking much longer for the healing of my dawn burn to go away than the damage from our recent battle at the Cortez estate. I had Tanda help me brush my hair out, and for the first time in over a year, trim off the ragged ends. I let Jessie apply black liner above my top lashes, along with a dark red lipstick, that I couldn’t stop licking, which ended up getting me in trouble more than once.
Not being able to wear the blade that Bo had given me, I stuck the small black one that I’d gotten from Jacob into my silk lined pocket, what little good it would do. But, for good measure I ended up carrying my blade in my hand, I just didn’t feel complete without it. The boys came back in wearing the same type of black silk pants that Jacob had on when we had our first encounter. The waist was wrapped up high in the middle with a white silk cloth of sorts which was tied at the side with the rest hanging down their left leg. Jacob came around the corner wearing the same type of kimono that I was, only his was shorter and he got to wear pants.
“Why don’t I get a pair of those?” I asked looking at Jacob’s pants.
“You are female, of course,” Jacob answered, and then froze as he looked over at me.
“What?” I asked looking down. “Do I have something hanging wrong?”
Bloodbreeders: Seeking Others Page 8
