Heart of the Resonant: Book 1: Pulse (Resonant Series)

by B. C. Handler

  She looked away in a scoff. “I’m not doing it for you. If Neepa gets in trouble then so do I. And I don’t want her drowning at the bottom of a bottle,” she mumbled.

  I didn’t quite get that last part, but before I could ask, she stood and offered me her hand. I took it and she pulled me to my feet. I winced as pain bloomed from my stomach. The bandages had fallen off during my sprint. Blood traveled freely down the stab wound. Not enough for alarm, but it hurt.

  “Nothing but troubled,” Eva grumbled. “Come on,” she ordered, walking ahead without even waiting. I complied and hobbled after.

  As we walked, Eva would veer left and right and scan the foliage. She stopped in front of a small shrub, then yanked off some leaves before chewing on them. She came up to me and spat out a wad of green mush on her palm.

  “Rub it into your wound, it’ll stop the bleeding.” I stared at her hand hesitantly. She rolled her eyes and shoved her hand forward. “Do it.”

  Apprehensively, I grabbed the mush and rubbed it my stomach. The pulpy mass stung, and it felt gross rubbing it in an open wound. Though, the bleeding did stop.

  We carried on in silence as we trekked through the dense forest. Now that my head was a little clearer, I really admired how beautifully vibrant the plant life was. Lush and full of life. The trees were tall and thick and radiant, a testament to how pure and fertile the soil must’ve been around here. However, there were some stark differences to the forests I’ve seen back home. While there were a lot of greens, browns, oranges, and yellows, there were some pinks, blues, and purples as well. It wouldn’t have been odd on flowers, but it was the trees that bore the exotic colors on their leaves. The trees looking in disagreement on what the season was. One said autumn, the other argued spring. Additionally, some of the fauna I’ve caught glimpses of were like nothing I’ve seen before.

  The birds, while too fast or far for a good look, produced different tones of what's expected in the ambient sounds of the woods. I did catch a peek of see some small game running along the ground and in the trees.

  We passed one such creature perched up on a branch, cracking into some kind of nut. It looked like a lemur crossed with a cat. Long, lanky body with fluffy grey and black fur interlaced with streaks of white. Its tail was narrow, but its ears were big and tall, which twitched and pivoted in all directions, on constant alert. The lemur-cat’s head perked up suddenly, then it shoved the nut in its mouth and bolted from sight like a furry flash of lighting. Quick little thing.

  By the time we emerged from the forest, the sun was already kissing the mountain peaks to my left in the west. The view was magical. Vast rolling felids with an expansive mountain range in the distance and a massive walled city to the side, all bathed in tepid golden light. Even Neepa and Eva’s home looked pristine in the sun’s radiance.

  The sky forced me to a standstill. Stars aplenty crowded on the approaching blanket of night, but it was the moons that stole the show. One large white disc with faint swirls of blue, and two smaller ones trailing behind it. An impossible sight hanging over my head.

  I caught up with Eva, who was waiting on the road in front of her home.

  “I have duty within Scintillion, I’ll be gone for three days.” She patted down her gear and gave her bow a secure tug.

  “Where’s that?” I asked.

  She gave me a bitter look and jabbed her finger towards the walled city. “There, idiot. Did no one tell you the name of the city?”

  “No.”

  Her mouth opened with a follow up only for it to clack shut a beat later. She considered that and buried her retort. A real lack of foresight that no one bothered to mention the city’s name. Then again, it’s my fault for never asking.

  “Well, there it is,” she said. “The city is named after our world, remember it.” Then, she got right up to my face and glared at me with those intense jade eyes of hers. “I don’t want you in my home, but Neepa insists, so it is what it is. I expect you to be a good guest, understand?”

  “I don’t know what you pegged me as, but––”

  Eva stepped in, pressing her breasts into my chest and grabbing the hair on the back of my head, twisting until my ear hovered inches from her mouth.

  “Because if you act like a bad guest and hurt Neepa in anyway,” she whispered in an almost sultry manner, “I’ll string you up by your cock with my bowstring and let gravity castrate you while I watch and commit your cries of agony to memory for my own pleasure. Do you understand me, Al?”

  The way she whispered my name made my body tingle in all the wrong ways. I swallowed hard and said, “Yes.”

  Eva pulled away and pressed her forehead to mine, her eyes practically melting mine with their intensity.

  “Good boy. Three days,” she reminded. “Don’t do anything stupid.” With a parting light pat on my cheek, she released her hold of my hair and started down the road.

  As I watched her powerful hips sway away, I realized I was practically hyperventilating. The threat. No, the promise she made was almost sensual in nature. A woman has never terrified me so much before. Any human, for that matter.

  Once it felt safe to move, I looked at the humble home before me. Light flickered behind the windows. I took a deep breath and went up to the door. The heavy slab of wood groaned open on worn hinges. The fireplace lit the interior with a faint orange bloom. Tucked away in the corner where her workbench met the wall was Neepa, huddled up as if trying to shrink herself into a ball. No movement in response to my entrance, her face glued to her knees.

  In hindsight, I acted like a real ass. Anger clouded my perception at the time, but remembering her twisted face and regret sent a wave of shame. Remembering how I struck her hand, the audible smack, promoted more guilt.

  I approached and stopped at a respectable distance. In the softest voice I could muster, I said, “Neepa?”

  “Gah!” Neepa yelled and flailed with a start, causing me to jump in surprise, too. She frantically looked left and right, and then her gaze slowly locked onto me. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, but a heavy blush formed across her nose and in her cheeks. A glass bottle rolled into my foot, another body clutched in Neepa’s hand.

  Don’t tell me…

  “G-Gal?” she slurred. Her eyes were two glassy marbles, struggling to focus on anything. After a long delay, her face scrunched up and fresh tears spilled from the corner of her eyes. She turned her head towards the wall and sobbed. “D-Gim… sowy, so… sowy.”

  Wasn’t expecting that. One of the most pitiful things you can see is a drunk crying. And seeing Neepa like that made my heart lurch because I was the reason she ended up like that.

  I let out a deep sigh, then, without saying a word, sat shoulder to shoulder with her, causing her to jump and stare at me in confusion. I grabbed the bottle from her hand and inspected it. Green glass tinted whatever contents where inside, but what drew my attention was the label: a picture of a skull. I took a whiff and got the faintest aroma of apples. If she was drinking it and it smelled of something natural, it had to be good, right?

  I took a swing and saw nothing but white for a second. The mystery drink went down like gasoline, burning my mouth and esophagus before resting at the bottom of my stomach like molten lead. After the burning subsided, I tasted the faint twinge of granny smith apples.

  Good stuff.

  Another swig sterilized my insides, then I set the bottle between us while the liquor worked its magic.

  Neepa threw her arms around herself and tried desperately to force herself into the wall and away from me.

  “Al…” she started, but stopped when a hiccup snuck up on her.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.”

  “No…Ims––I’m is to be sorry. I…lied…” she shamefully admitted.

  Her shoulders started heaving as she fought back another sobbing fit. I threw an arm over her shoulder and pulled her in close. She flinched initially, but then eased hers
elf into me.

  “Look, telling someone something like that is… a lot to bear. I’m not quite sure how I would’ve handled it if I were in your shoes. Just understand that I don’t hate you, Neepa. In fact, I’m grateful for how you helped. After killing the Caster, I thought that was it for me.” The memory sent a tremor that my body fought against. Fighting him recklessly like that was so stupid; but, had I just rolled over, my fate would’ve been sealed.

  “A lot happened and it stressed me out. And then when I learned that.” I blinked away some tears and drew in a breath. “It was a lot at once. And you didn’t deserve it, not when you’ve been so sweet.”

  She pressed a hand to my chest and leaned in. “Al…” Neepa murmured as she gazed up at me with a deep longing in her eyes. Neepa really was a stunning woman who carried such a gentle air. My cheeks burned from her closeness. She brought her mouth close to mine, but stopped when she was only inches away.

  “N-Neepa?”

  Her breath felt warm against my check, her womanly scent and liquor making me a tad dizzy.

  Neepa stared at me blankly, her eyes glued to my lips. Just as I thought she was going to commit, she pulled away and burped. Then her face contorted with a grimace and she retched all over my lap.

  Chapter 8

  To my surprise, and salvation, the backroom past the kitchen was a bathroom with running water and plumbing. It perplexed me to no end. The tub was a large, circular barrel, essentially, sort of like one of those wine making barrels people squash grapes in with their feet. At the end of the tub was a copper spigot that came straight through the stone, it had two knobs: one for hot, one for cold. The tub had a cork in the center for the drain. The toilet looked a lot like a high-tank toilet from the 1800s. Though the tank was made from hammered copper and the bowl was a blocky hunk of stone that lacked a seat cover. Not that I was going to complain, definitely beats having to shit in the woods.

  A knock at the door interrupted my fascination of the toilet.

  “Al, you okay?” Neepa asked behind the door.

  “Yeah, I’m good,” I replied. It was a bit of a mess afterwards; literally and figuratively.

  “I’m so, so, so, so, sorry,” she said after a long pause.

  The embarrassment must’ve been near fatal. I wasn’t mad, sure as hell surprised, though.

  “It’s okay,” I assured. “Are you feeling any better?”

  “Yes, I took some medicine.”

  Hacking up a belly full of booze helped her sober up, too.

  I looked at my shoulder when she mentioned medicine. That ointment she used earlier must’ve been some kind of magic because the gash she applied it to was looking better than the one I didn’t tear.

  Still, I couldn’t believe magic was a thing. But my wounds were proof enough of its existence. Deep lacerations like these would’ve taken a lot of stitches and several weeks to look as they do now. And I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure a stab wound to the gut would require some form of surgery. No signs of probing or extra incisions.

  Regardless of the procedure, magical or not, I was going to have some ugly scars.

  Scars are a man’s medals.

  I sank deeper into the tub and let my muscles unwind. The water had a green, opaque appearance to it, making me wonder if it Neepa’s home was connected to some underground hot spring. How else would it be hot? But how is the water getting pumped? Or was the green tint a result of magic? Or is that how the water is in this world. No, the river I saw was sparkling blue. How…?

  I splashed the hot water on my face and let out a long, slow breath.

  I’m experiencing some serious culture shock here…or is that world shock?

  “Al, is it okay if I come in?” Neepa asked.

  “Yeah, sure,” I replied automatically as I continued to think about the mechanics of her plumbing.

  Wait. WHAT!

  The door opened and in stepped Neepa, almost completely naked except for a towel that hardly covered her. The conservative dress she wore really did no justice to those luscious curves of hers. The small towel did little more than cover half her chest and her womanhood; the sides of her breasts, hips, everything, was out in the open. The sight was more alluring than if she’d just stroll in bare. Her milky skin seemed to glow amidst the steam of the bathroom, and it contrasted beautifully with her long, raven hair.

  A heavy blush assaulted her face as she willed her features to remain calm. She peeked and our eyes met for only a second. A nervous frown ruined her calm. I realized then that I was staring with my mouth open. I hastily spun around until my back was to her.

  I heard her feet padding against the stone and stopped just in front of the tub. “Do you mind if I bathe with you?” she asked quietly.

  “I can get out, you know,” I said without looking at her.

  “No, you should stay… the water is good for you,” she lightly argued.

  “I don’t mind, it’s just…”

  Neepa didn’t wait to hear what I had to say and slipped into the tub. The water rose and I felt one of her feet lightly graze across my waist. She settled in and all was silent in the bathroom except for the light drip from the spigot.

  “You’re still sore, right? I can scrub your back for you,” Neepa offered.

  Before I could politely refuse, she’d retrieved the washcloth from the bucket beside the tub and rested one hand on my shoulder, the other scrubbing the cloth along the contours of my back. Neepa’s out of character boldness bewildered me, so I just sat still and let her work. The tenderness of her efforts felt good, which was very bad.

  Seeing her hips set me at full mast. Having her delicate hands roam over my back had made me harder than trigonometry.

  Thank God the water was opaque.

  “I know you said I saved you, but you saved me first,” Neepa said as she scrubbed. She worked my back for a few minutes of silence, but then stopped and asked, “Why did you?”

  “I’m not too sure myself. When I heard you scream, it just—I couldn’t let you get hurt.” My mom always told me that if I could someone, I should. A part of me wanted to runaway when it happened. But the other part knew the guilt would’ve slowly killed me.

  She ceased her efforts and pressed her hands against my shoulder blades.

  “You know, if it were anyone else, like another soldier or mage, they would’ve let me die. It wouldn’t have been the first time something like that almost happened. But you… You, a complete stranger, helped me.” Her voice wavered, a heavy breath being drawn before she went on. “And when you punched Felix, when you called me a friend…” She sniffed. “I never felt so happy.”

  She wrapped her arms around my neck and mashed her bare chest against my back. My back tingled from where I could feel her nipples pressing into my skin. Her nose pressed lightly into the nape of my neck, the sensation of her drawing in my scent sent more tingles down my spine.

  “And when I saw the pain in your face when you learned of your home, my heart broke. I felt so awful for lying to you. I’m truly sorry. For everything. For the pain I’ve caused in your heart and for the scars on your body, I’m sorry.”

  It was hard to tell with the water, but I swore I could feel tears dripping on my back. She really felt that distraught over everything? Eva’s words played back in my mind so vividly that I could feel her breath tickling my ear, but at the same time, I had no idea how strongly Neepa felt. Eva said not to hurt Neepa, and I did.

  I untangled Neepa’s arms and turned to face her. She was crying.

  “Better me scarred up than you.” I brushed away one of her tears with my hand and then held her cheek. Her eyes widened momentarily before she closed them and leaned into my hand, resting hers on top of it. Her skin was like silk under my fingers.

  “No man has ever been this kind to me,” she said wistfully.

  “I’m finding that really hard to believe when you’re this kind and beautiful.” Neepa was the literal personification of a flower. Naturally
striking, delicate, almost frail. No one this compassionate deserved to shunned.

  Neepa’s eyes opened and asked, “You think I’m beautiful?”

  She leaned in closer, our foreheads almost touching.

  “Yeah,” I replied quietly.

  She looked at me openly, her lips pursed, weighing the honesty. The questioning look she presented put me through a loop; Neepa’s charm couldn’t be truer than the sky being blue. She was so beautiful that it hurt, in more ways than one, believe me. Those warming brown eyes of hers glanced back and forth between my eyes and mouth. Slowly, and with great apprehension, Neepa leaned in closer and closer, as if waiting to be shoved away by me. But I never did.

  Those plump lips of hers pressed against mine with the lightness akin to a butterfly landing on the fluff of a dandelion. It was the purest kiss of my life.

  Her blush grew and Neepa looked away while her lips curled into a bashful smile. “T-that was my… first.”

  My heart pounded so hard that my body resonated like a gong. ‘W-would,” I started but stopped when my breathing hitched. “Would you like a second?”

  Neepa’s gaze met mine and she bit on her bottom lip. She happily obliged.

  The second was much like the first: soft, tender, and a little awkward. She moved in a bit of a tense manner, which made sense if this was her first encounter with intimacy. I took the initiative and, very slowly, played more aggressively.

  With a firmer kiss, I gently caressed her lower back with my left hand, and held the back of her head with my right. Then, very carefully, I prodded her lips with my tongue. Her mouth accepted my ministrations and her tongue lightly met mine, and we prudently explored each other. The tension I felt from her eased, and she began to exert greater force. My hand traveled from the small of her back down to her supple ass, which I took a firm hold of.

  She sucked in a sharp breath through her nose and moaned in my mouth. As if flipping a switch, Neepa began to reciprocate with a sudden hungry eagerness. She wrapped her hand around my neck and pressed herself against my body. My cock got sandwiched between me and her stomach. She broke away suddenly, staring blankly, and then her gaze drifted down to the water. Her hand traveled down my chest, into the water, then her fingers lightly brushed against my shaft.