by Crymsyn Hart
Savanna set it on the counter and glanced over at her roommate.
“How did you and Savanna meet? You don’t look like you’re her type at all.” Chastity closed the door and shot her a murderous stare.
Drake leaned on the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “I thought she told you. I pulled her from the briny depths. Dinner smells wonderful.”
“Thank you. It’s almost ready. Chastity, did you ever find your earrings?” she asked her roommate, who stared at her still. “You don’t want to be late for your date.”
The other woman stomped off into her bedroom and slammed the door so the whole place shook. Savanna focused her attention back on Drake, who was taking in everything around him. Her hand shook as she walked over to the cabinets and pulled out the plates and glasses for dinner. She didn’t have any wine glasses, but Chastity did, so she used them. Her roommate always borrowed her things without asking. She found a corkscrew buried in the back of the drawer and tried to pull out the cork, but it wasn’t budging. She gripped the neck and grunted when she tried again. Drake’s hand wrapped around hers and everything stopped. She twisted slightly and stared deep into his dark eyes and saw a hint of fire. The touch of his skin burned against hers. He slid his fingers along hers as he snatched the bottle from her grasp.
“Allow me,” he said. With one quick twist and a pop he yanked the cork from the bottle and placed it on the counter.
“Thanks.” Nervous energy bubbled within her, but she took the chicken out of the oven and set it on the stove. The rest of the dinner was done, so she just had to plate it. “Are you a wing man, thigh, breast...”
“All of them. Although breasts are my favorite.”
Her cheeks seared as she turned toward him. “Oh. Well...”
Drake laughed. It seemed he was having a good time. She wasn’t going to get her hopes up. “You blush very easily.”
“I’m not used to having someone over, and it’s just the heat from the chicken.” Savanna carved the chicken when there was another knock on the door.
“Can you get that?” Chastity called from the bedroom.
She rolled her eyes and shot a look at Drake. “I’ll get it.” He slipped out of the kitchen and opened the door.
“Hi, is Chas—”
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Whoa! Drake. What are you doing here? Sorry about today. I was busy and...”
The next thing she knew loud noises came from the doorway. She raced over and saw Drake was on top of the other man, hitting him. He drew his arm back and was going to deck him again. Savanna grabbed his arm. Drake shoved her away so she stumbled backward and landed into the wall. The impact hurt, but she got to pull the two of them apart. Savanna still had her fork in her hand. Drake was about to hit the man again, but she rammed the fork into the meat of his shoulder. He turned around and roared at her, but it got him to stop.
“Enough,” she roared. The timer dinged on the stove. Everything about her shook. Drake stopped, stood up, and the madness in his eyes faded way. He turned around and checked the mirror to see the fork sticking out of his shoulder as though it didn’t upset him one bit.
“What the hell is going on?” Chastity ran out into the room dressed only in her electric blue bra and a short black mini skirt that barely covered her ass. Her hair was in curlers and only one side of her face was done up in makeup. Savanna rolled her eyes.
Drake had attacked Mr. Blackmore. A trickle of blood seeped along the side of his mouth from his split lip and down his nose. A bruise was already forming on his cheek. An itching started at the back of her neck, but she pushed the feeling way because she wasn’t ready to see what her guides wanted to tell her. Sometimes being psychic was inconvenient.
“Can you take the fork out of my back?” Drake asked.
“Are you going to be civilized?” She stood with her arms crossed over her chest.
“He...” Blackmore said.
“I don’t care what the beef is between you.” She pushed her way past him and went to help the other man who was slowly starting to get up. Savanna helped up the man who had given her a ride. His shirt was torn at the collar and a little bit of blood and dribbled down it. “Come into the kitchen.” She grabbed a wet cloth and gave it to Blackmore.
“Thanks,” he said.
“You’re welcome,” she answered.
“Oh baby, are you okay?” Chastity came running in and threw herself into Blackmore’s arms. He winced and glanced over at Savanna, who tried to keep from laughing. Blackmore wasn’t as enthusiastic at seeing his date as she was. Savanna went to deal with Drake who was trying to pull the fork out of his shoulder. She yanked it out.
“Ouch. That hurt,” Drake grumbled.
“You deserved it.” She pulled him aside into the living room. “What was that about?”
He shook his head. “Nothing.”
She pushed her finger into his chest. Her anger boiled over. No one fought in her home. “No way. That’s not going to cut it. You come into my house and get into a bar brawl. ‘Nothing’ is not an answer. You tell me what the hell that was all about or else.”
Drake laughed. “Or else what? You’re going to stab me with another carving fork?”
“Come to think of it, yes. It might not be your shoulder, either. I stuck a fork in you because I was done. It could be your balls next, so tell me what the hell that was about!” Savanna glanced over to the other couple. Blackmore tried to push off her nymphomaniac roommate. He glanced over his shoulder with a pleading look on his face.
“Gee, I’ll remember not to get you angry,” Drake said.
“But we had plans tonight?” Chastity squealed.
“Look, this was a long shot by any rate. I was only going out with you because one of my guys set us up. Chastity, I’m really not interested. You should go get dressed.”
“But. But.” Her roommate backed away and stood in the small hallway across from the kitchen. “Go to hell. I didn’t want to go out with you either. I know the rumors about you.” She held up her pinky finger and wiggled it at Blackmore. “I guess even money can’t make up for a small dick.” She stormed off into her bedroom and slammed the door. A moment later music blared from down the hall.
“How do you live with that?” Drake inquired.
She sank into the sofa. “Not by choice, believe me. If I could, I’d live by myself again. Business has been slow these past few months, and I needed a roommate to pay the rent.”
“Do you mind if I join you so we can talk?” Blackmore asked.
“Are you going to jump on him again?” Savanna really didn’t want to pull the two of them apart again.
“And risk being forked by you again? I wouldn’t dare stand in your way.” Drake took a seat on the sofa next to her. He ran his hands over his pants. She noticed his knuckles weren’t even bruised from slamming the other man.
Blackmore sat in the seat across from them. “Drake. About this morning, man. I really did intend to meet you and talk, but something happened at one of the jobsites. I needed to get one of my guys to the hospital.”
“What happened to him?” Savanna asked.
“He tripped, and somehow got his arm caught in a chipper we had on the site. Offending you is the least of my worries when my guys need medical attention.”
Drake sighed.
She glanced at Drake and saw some resolution, but not the sympathy she felt for Wyeth. “Is he going to be okay?”
“I’m not entirely sure. He lost his hand, but he’s still alive. I don’t know.”
“Aren’t you worried about the insurance claims or getting sued by him? All the Blackmores I’ve ever known have been consumed by money.”
He looked Drake straight in the eye. “I don’t give a damn about the money. I just happened to be born into the family. The silver spoon syndrome never rubbed off on me. Or maybe it did with you, Drake.”
Drake nearly got up off the couch, but she slammed her hand dow
n on his leg and held it there. For a quick second, Savanna caught a glimpse of something else. She sensed another presence linked to Drake. It was feral, and very lonely. “Don’t even think about it.” She warned him. “Look, Mr. Blackmore—”
“Wyeth.”
“Wyeth, I apologize for Drake. I don’t know the history between you two, but whatever it is, you have some major conflict to work out. We are going to work it out like adults over dinner. I’m hungry. Both of you sit your asses down at the table.” They each started to say something, but she shot them a look. “I don’t want to hear it.”
They got up and went to the table, each throwing death glares at one another. Savanna brought out dinner and set it on the table before them. She grabbed a regular fork and a knife and carved the chicken. Drake retrieved the wine. He downed the glass in a couple of sips and poured himself another. After a second, Drake set a glass before her and Wyeth. She said nothing as he sat back down, took the napkin, and set it in his lap. He bowed his head and a few moments later raised it.
“I always give thanks for a meal. I hope you don’t mind,” Drake said.
“Of course not. I’m not exactly religious, but I understand.” Savanna saw the surprise on Wyeth’s face as well. “So, what do you guys want?”
“Anything is fine,” Wyeth answered.
“A leg for me,” Drake added.
Savanna loaded their plates with meat and sat across from Drake, but next to Wyeth. They filled their plates with the potatoes and broccoli. For a few minutes the scratching of silverware on plates echoed in the room. Each time she heard it, her ears ached. “Okay. Guys. Drake, why don’t you start talking to Wyeth so we can get your grievances all out in the open?”
His dark eyes smoldered. “It’s a private matter that has been in our families for generations.”
“I don’t care if she hears it. You told me that once you spilled your guts, then you were on your merry way.”
“Just pretend I’m not here. Whatever I hear, I’m not going to repeat. I have clients that I would never divulge the things that I tell them. Think of me as a mediator or something.”
Drake set his fork down. “I’d rather do this at the manor, but it can be done here. What I am about to tell you will seem like a crazed man’s confession, but it is the truth, and I can prove it. You know the stories of how your family and mine are tied together.”
Wyeth nodded. “Yes. My ancestor helped yours out of a situation and yours set up our mutual fortunes. Ever since then our wealth and our lives are intertwined.”
“That’s about right.”
“Are you going to reveal the great family secret or something?”
Drake chuckled. “Something like that, but all of it is a lie. The truth is this. Your great-many times over grandfather washed up onshore after a great boat broke upon the rocks. Right where the lighthouse is. That’s one reason why I wanted it built there. He was the only survivor of the wreck. Battered and broken, he made his way up into the cave where I slept. His presence and his pain woke me. I healed his wounds with my magic. He saw me for who and what I was. We struck a bargain. I’d make sure his family was taken care of and he would help me with a human persona. In order to heal him and bind our fortunes together, I had to impart a little piece of my soul to him. It gave him longer life than normal, kept him healthy, gave him a magnetism most humans don’t have. When one of the Blackmores passes on, I feel it. When you make a great decision, it resonates along our bond.”
Wyeth snorted. “You expect me to believe you were alive four or five hundred years ago when my ancestors founded this town? That because of you, we have all of this wealth, and you gave your soul away so you’re connected to me? Yeah... I’m sorry, but that’s a little farfetched.”
“As I said. I didn’t think you’d believe me, but it’s the truth. And I can prove it.”
Savanna listened to Drake’s tale. As inane as it sounded, it rang true.
Wyeth chuckled. He took another mouthful of food and gazed at her. “Are you hearing this?”
“What about you, Savanna? Do you believe me?” Drake questioned her.
“I don’t know. It’s a lot to swallow. I...”
“You who believe in the supernatural. You who have a touch of it inside of you, aren’t sure? Even if I could prove it to both of you?”
Wyeth rose from the table. “Are you seriously considering this, Savanna? I can’t think you’re listening to this quack.”
Drake grabbed his arm. “Sit back down,” he barked.
The sudden change in his lowered voice made it come out as a snarl. The flesh on his face stretched and danced across his bones. Underneath his skin was something more than just him. Savanna had sensed the otherness about him before but hadn’t been able to figure out what it was. Wyeth tried to back away from Drake.
“What the fuck? What the hell are you? This has got to be some kind of trick.”
Drake swayed back and forth and got within an inch of Wyeth’s face. Savanna wasn’t sure what she was seeing because it wasn’t possible. No one could do that with their face. It wasn’t physically possible, and yet his features rearranged so that his eyes were near slits and his skin grew black, resembling scales. She almost reached out to touch it but caught herself before she did. Wyeth shook as Drake held onto him. For some reason she wasn’t afraid of Drake. She wasn’t about to run away. Her instincts said if she did, she would never get another chance.
Savanna laid her hand on Drake’s arm, the one that clutched Wyeth’s leg. Wyeth was about to get up from the table, and with her other hand she touched his shoulder. Once she touched Drake, she saw something else lurking beneath his skin. It was large. Larger than what should be sharing his flesh. As she shared his mind, Savanna stared into the darkness of the creature’s eyes. Loneliness and fire. The fire touched and consumed her at the same time. She wanted to release Drake, but her grip was locked to his, and his gaze burned into hers. Wyeth grabbed her to keep her steady. In that quick moment, where they were all locked together, something zapped within her and connected the three of them. She shook her head as it snapped into place. Savanna felt the link Drake had talked about that threaded the Blackmores to him and now she was woven into the mix. A vision of something vaster and stranger than she had ever experienced before overtook her.
The others were talking to her, but the scene she saw was from the air. Savanna gazed down at a great mountain with creatures flying around it, landing on the large outcroppings. She was flying through the air. The power within her was pure, the essence of life, she didn’t know how else to describe it, but it made up everything. As abruptly as the vision overtook her, it was broken.
“Savanna, are you okay?” Drake asked.
His voice drew her back to herself. His visage had transformed back to normal. Wyeth knelt beside her. She was in her seat at the table. Drake had pulled up a chair next to her. “I-I’m fine. I think.” Her head spun, but after a couple of breaths it cleared. The electric charge that bound him to Wyeth also connected her as well. “What the hell are you?”
Chapter Six
Wyeth wasn’t sure he believed what he had just seen. None of it was possible. Drake had contorted his face into something that wasn’t exactly human. It had almost seemed reptilian. Wyeth hated to admit that he was afraid of anything, but this man frightened him. He wanted to bolt, but Savanna seemed like she would faint, so he caught her. Too much had occurred for him to process. His face hurt from where Drake had decked him. His shirt was still torn, but the food that Savanna had cooked was pretty good. He was still trying to figure out exactly how and why this was happening to him, and then Savanna touched Drake. All three of them were connected. Something had zapped him as though he stuck his finger in an electrical socket.
He had tried to shake the feeling, but something was different. Savanna looked stunned, but no longer pale. Wyeth got up and grabbed her glass of wine. He handed it to her.
“Maybe this will help,” he offer
ed.
She snorted. “I’m not sure the whole bottle will help. What about you? I think you need it more than me.”
“No. I’m good. I’m still trying to wrap my head around what the hell just happened? Drake, what the fuck are you?”
“You believe me now? There will be no more name calling or disbelieving?”
“Stop sounding so smug. I’ll believe you if you don’t hit me again. I already apologized for today. My crew comes first.”
“Sorry about that. It won’t happen again. I hoped to tell you this morning, have this dinner, and leave town. Something within you just grates me to the core. It was the same with your namesake.”
“He was named Wyeth?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “In the end, we were good friends. He and I were bound together in fortune and in death. I experience the death of all of your kin, those blood bound to you, not the ones who marry into your line.”
“What are you?” Savanna asked.
“What am I? If I were to show you my true nature it would burst forth from this house and break it. That is one reason I wished to do this at the mansion, because I have access to the cave underneath the residence. It was there that he found me sleeping.”
Wyeth had always heard rumors of a cave below the house somewhere, but it was below sea level. The only way of getting there was by diving. The strong current made it challenging to do, so he didn’t know anyone who had taken the chance. “How do you get into the cave?”
“A couple of secret tunnels lead from the house down into the cave. I can show you. Things are in the cavern that you should have.” Drake glanced at Savanna. “But we can discuss that later.”
“Right. What happens now? Are you leaving town?” he inquired. “You never answered Savanna’s question. What are you?” Wyeth asked, intrigued to know more about Drake. “Are you an alien that crash landed on our planet, and you helped my ancestor because he gave you his firstborn?”
Drake threw his head back and laughed. “No. I’m not an alien, although that is one of the more inventive things I’ve been called. I’m nothing you hav—”
