by S. E. Smith
It was the soft expletive from Gabe that pulled them apart. She couldn’t stop the delighted laugh that escaped her when she saw why he was cussing. Wilson, not to be left out, was standing on his hind legs with his paws on Gabe’s chest, licking his face.
“Damn it, Wilson,” Gabe muttered, tilting his head back. “I know you like to drink out of the toilet, you dumb mutt.”
Kane’s laughter mixed with hers as the Husky eagerly reached for Gabe’s face. “Come on into the living room,” Kane suggested, wrapping his arm around her to steady her when she swayed with fatigue. “You lost a lot of blood, and have been through a lot over the last few….” He broke off with a frown. “Listen, Gabe made a wicked dessert. Do you like chocolate?”
Magna gazed back at him with a puzzled expression on her face. “Chocolate?” she repeated before shaking her head. “I have never heard of it before.”
“One hot fudge brownie coming up,” Gabe replied with a wink, pushing Wilson down with a sharp command to behave. “I swear I need to send him to puppy school again.”
“Come with me and give your master some peace, Wilson. I will give you attention,” she murmured to the pup.
She leaned heavily against Kane and grinned at the mischievous pup that raced ahead of them into the living room. She murmured a soft thanks to Kane when he led her to the plush chair near the window. It was as if Kane knew she wished to look out at the ocean.
Her right hand slipped over the side of the chair and she scratched Wilson behind his ear. There was something very soothing and almost normal about what she was doing. She smiled her thanks when Kane draped a thick blanket across her lap and carefully tucked it around her. Resting her head back against the head-rest, she stared outside.
Dark clouds were beginning to form over the ocean. She loved it when the waves grew rough and wild. Orion, Kapian, and she used to ride the huge waves that would form, diving deep as they crashed.
After several minutes, Wilson released a contented sigh and trotted over to his bed where several thick chew bones lay. He circled several times before lying down on top of them. Buck followed Gabe back into the room and lay down on the rug in front of the large section of glass doors. She turned her head and watched as Gabe carefully placed a small tray in front of her, followed by a bowl filled with a strange mixture of warm brown cake and a white, creamy topping.
“There was one thing you said that has me confused,” Kane said as he settled into the chair across from her.
“Only one?” Gabe asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I will tell you all I can. It is the least I can do for all your kindness. What would you like to know?” she asked, lifting a spoonful of the creamy concoction up so she could sniff it. It smelled delicious. She took a small bite, her eyes widening in delight at the mixture of warm chocolate and cold ice cream. “Oh! This is marvelous!”
Gabe gave her a slightly crooked smile as he sank down on the couch. “I’m glad you like it. Chocolate brownie and ice cream,” he said, before looking at Kane. “So, what’s your question?”
Kane leaned forward, gazing at Magna as she eagerly scooped more of the dessert into her mouth.
“How old are you, Magna?” Kane asked in a quiet voice.
She paused and tilted her head as if she wasn’t quite sure what he was asking. There was a slight frown that creased her brow. She slowly lowered the spoon back down to the bowl and licked her lips, making him want to groan again at his body’s reaction to the innocent move. A thoughtful look came into her eyes as she stared at him.
“I’m almost two hundred and fifty years old,” she said, biting her lower lip. “That may be very young by most standards, but I feel much older.”
“Two hundred and…. Shit,” Gabe muttered, sitting back in his seat and running his hand down his face.
Magna turned her gaze to him. “I really am mature for my age. After seeing and doing everything that I have, it forced me to grow up very quickly,” she replied in a defensive tone. “Orion isn’t much older than I am, and he rules the Isle of the Sea Serpent.”
Gabe released a short, biting laugh. “That’s nice to know,” he responded with a shake of his head. “I’m going to get a beer. Do you want one?” he asked, standing up.
“Yeah, I don’t have to do my rounds at the hospital until later this afternoon since it is Saturday,” Kane replied, sitting back in his seat.
“May I have one?” Magna asked.
Kane bit back a chuckle when Magna looked up with a hopeful expression. He wasn’t sure if she knew what one was or not, but she wasn’t on any medication. He nodded his approval when Gabe raised an eyebrow at him.
“Go ahead. She isn’t taking anything, so she should be alright, though it is a bit early for all of us to be drinking. I guess we can make an exception,” he said.
Gabe stepped back into the kitchen and walked over to the refrigerator. He opened one of the double doors and blankly stared at the shelves. His mind was swirling as he tried to wrap his head around everything that had happened since last night.
“How the fuck did life get so complicated?” he murmured, reaching into the fridge and pulling out three beers.
He twisted the tops off the bottles. Reaching for a glass from one of the cabinets, he poured Magna’s beer into it. He and Kane would drink from the bottle.
“Two hundred and fifty years? Who the hell thought they were still young at that age?” he continued.
The only thing he could rationalize was that the time in Magna’s world must go faster than time here. Maybe it was like dog years in reverse, he thought with a chuckle.
Grabbing the two bottles with one hand, he picked up the glass with the other. He walked back through the kitchen to the living room. Holding out the glass, he silently cursed when he felt Magna’s chilled fingers brush against his.
He turned and handed one of the beers to Kane, but set his down on the end table next to the couch. Pulling the throw blanket off the back, he retraced his steps to Magna, gently eased her forward before draping the blanket around her shoulders. Between the blanket across her lap and the one on her shoulders, she should warm up. He moved the tray with her empty dessert dish to the side. He’d clean it and the kitchen later.
“Thank you, Gabe,” she replied, smiling up at him.
“No problem,” he responded with a shrug. “I can turn the heat on if you need it.”
She shook her head. “No, it is actually very pleasant,” she said.
He glanced at the clock on the wall near the corner fireplace and grimaced as he returned to his seat on the couch. It was a quarter to eleven. It was definitely a little early for beer, but close enough to lunch to justify it. The hard stuff would probably come later tonight, judging by all the things he was learning.
If everything she said was real, he reasoned.
“So, you said you come from the Isle of Sea Serpents?” Gabe asked, leaning back and picking up his bottle of beer.
Magna pulled her eyes away from the window to look at him. “The Isle of the Sea Serpent. It is my father’s home isle. He often spoke of how he saw my mother along the beach one day and he rose from the water with plans of sweeping her away. My mother told me of an arrogant sea man who should have thought twice about trying to kidnap a witch.” Gabe’s fingers tightened when Magna chuckled and shook her head. “They fell in love,” her voice faded and she bowed her head.
He cursed himself for upsetting her. He was about to apologize, something he didn’t do often, when she looked up at him with a small, sad smile on her lips. Her eyes held a haunted look and she looked pale.
“Are they still alive?” Kane asked, sitting forward and resting his elbows on his knees.
Magna turned to look at Kane. “I don’t know. I turned them to stone. I hoped that my death would break the spell. It should have, but since I did not die….” She shrugged, placing her untouched glass on the tray. “I would like to lie down if you do not mind,” she murmured, pushing the bla
nkets aside and rising unsteadily to her feet.
Gabe placed his bottle on the end table and swiftly rose to his feet. Kane was already by her side. As much as he wanted to be the one to escort her back to the bedroom, he knew that for the moment, Kane would be the best choice since he could make sure that Magna was alright.
“I’ll clean up the kitchen,” he said, stepping to the side when Kane swept Magna into his arms.
Kane nodded. “I’ll be out to help in a few minutes,” he replied.
Gabe watched as Kane carried Magna down the hall. She looked over Kane’s shoulder at him. For a brief second, their gazes connected. He knew his was filled with curiosity. Hers was filled with grief.
He remained where he was for several seconds after they disappeared into the bedroom. His body was taut, and it wasn’t until Buck nudged his hand that he realized that his fists were clenched. Today was going to be even longer than last night had been.
“Come on, boy. You and Wilson can have the leftovers,” Gabe said.
He picked up his empty beer bottle before he picked up and gulped down Magna’s untouched glass. Balancing the rest of the dishes in his hand, he returned to the kitchen, and quickly filled the two dog dishes with leftover salmon and eggs.
Ten minutes later, he looked up from where he was rinsing the last dish. His eyes locked on Kane’s troubled expression.
“What is it?” Gabe demanded, turning off the water and placing the dish in the drainer before he turned to lean against the counter, and crossed his arms.
Kane glanced around, and spying his full bottle of beer, he walked over and snatched it off the counter. Kane drained the bottle in one long swig. Wiping a hand across his mouth, Kane pulled open the cabinet door where the recycling bin was and placed the bottle in the can before he closed it. Only then did he answer.
“I think she is the one. The one we’ve been looking for,” Kane stated, his eyes glittering with determination.
Gabe returned Kane’s steady look before his lips twitched. “You, doc, are just now figuring that out?” he dryly retorted.
“Well, shit,” Kane groaned, running his hands over his shaggy hair. “What do we do now?”
Gabe thought about it for a moment. That was a good question – what did they do now? The fact that they had both arrived at the conclusion that Magna was The One at relatively the same time said something about how their two minds worked, he supposed. The issue was they really knew nothing about her but what she had told them. Was everything true? It was hard for him to wrap his head around the idea that Magna was from another world – a world where magic, mermaids, monsters, and aliens existed.
Kane had shared what Magna had done last night. He wasn’t sure if Kane realized how crazy he had sounded. If it had been anyone else, he would have questioned either their sanity or asked what they were smoking. The fact that it was Kane made him have doubts. Hell, he was still trying to figure out a logical explanation for Magna turning up in his net and he couldn’t find one, short of her escaping from a submarine.
Then, there was the mention of Mike Hallbrook. The Yachats Police Detective had disappeared a couple of months ago. Supposedly there had been a note from him and a call to his sister, but there had been nothing concrete, and from the Missing Person’s posters stapled and posted all over town, Gabe had a feeling that Mike’s sister didn’t believe he’d just taken off either. Now, Magna was saying Hallbrook had shown up, shot her, and helped save a magical realm. The entire tale was straight out of a book or movie!
“Well, have you figured it out yet?” Kane asked with an impatient gesture.
Gabe scowled at his friend. “You’re the one who is supposed to be so smart! What do you think?” he growled in retaliation.
Kane shrugged and shoved his hands into his front pockets. “I don’t know,” he admitted before releasing a soft curse when his phone buzzed. Pulling it out of his pocket, he frowned and lifted the phone to his ear. “Doctor Field speaking.”
Gabe listened and knew that Kane was going to have to go in. His gaze moved to the window and he watched as the storm that had been darkening the horizon rolled closer. Even if today hadn’t been a weekend, he would have been stuck ashore.
“I’ve got to go in. Stay with her,” Kane muttered, sliding his phone into his shirt pocket.
“Of course,” Gabe replied with a sardonic twist to his lips. “Anything else?”
Kane raised his hand and drew in a deep breath. Releasing it, he shook his head.
“I’d leave a long list, but you’d just ignore it,” Kane chuckled, his worried gaze turning toward the door leading out of the kitchen. “She’s been through hell.”
Gabe’s stomach clenched at the harsh words. The depth of emotion in her eyes, her body, and her words had been humbling. There had been no mistaking her fear, despair, acceptance, and her silent plea for understanding. The last is what tore him up.
“We’ll just have to make sure that she never has to go back to it,” he replied, watching Kane grab his jacket off the hook next to the side door.
Kane nodded. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he promised. He pulled the door open, and paused on his way through. “I’m staying here,” he said abruptly, his voice laced with frustration.
He laughed. “You know the code to the door. Pick up some clothes for her before the shops close,” he called as Kane started to close the door.
“I will,” Kane replied.
Gabe stood in the kitchen for several minutes. He heard Kane’s SUV pull out of the driveway. The soft hum of the dishwasher mixed with the muted sound of the gulls warning of the incoming storm. He needed to go check on his boat before it hit.
He’d check on Magna first, then his boat. The dogs could use the run up and down the stairs – especially Wilson. He muttered a curse under his breath when he saw both dogs were missing. Striding across the living room, he headed down the hall. He had a pretty good idea where they had disappeared to.
He noticed that Magna’s bedroom door was slightly ajar. Gripping the edge of the door, he silently pushed it open. His gaze softened when he saw Buck curled up on one side of Magna while Wilson lay on her other side, his head resting across her stomach. Magna had the fingers of her right hand threaded through the pup’s fur. He was a bit shocked when neither dog moved.
Magna lay sleeping. Her face was relaxed, and a small smile curved her lips. Every once in a while, her fingers moved along Wilson’s nape. Her breathing was so shallow that if not for the tiny movement of her fingers, he would have thought she was a beautiful, frozen statue.
“Watch over her, boys,” Gabe quietly ordered.
Buck thumped his tail twice before laying his head back down. Wilson closed his eyes. Gabe swore he could see a grin on the pup’s face.
He was about to close the door when a soft glow caught his attention. At first, he thought it was light coming in from the window playing tricks, but he quickly realized that the glow was coming from Magna. His eyes widened as silver threads sparked and spun, dancing across her skin. The dogs appeared to be oblivious to the swirling sparkles and faint cloud. Unsure of what in the hell was going on, he watched as it faded as quickly as it appeared.
Shaking his head, he waited several minutes to make sure she was alright before he pulled the door closed. He rested his forehead against the door. He was not imagining things. She had been glowing.
He straightened and stared at the wooden door with a sense of resolution. Magna was special. Like Kane had said, she had been through hell and back. A shiver ran through his large body. If anyone found out about her, she would be in danger here as well.
A strange, uncomfortable feeling ignited inside him. It took a few moments for him to recognize it. Fear – it was the bitter taste of fear. He’d tasted it before and didn’t like it any better now than when he had served tours of duty overseas.
Drawing in a deep breath, he rolled his shoulders. They would find a way to keep her safe. Yachats was a small town.
He didn’t go out of his way to socialize with people here, but those who he did know were protective of the ones living here. It might be a little more difficult for Kane. His position as one of only three doctors in the area might prove an issue.
He turned and slowly retraced his steps, crossing to the sliding doors of the living room. Opening them, he stepped outside and closed the door behind him. The wide covered deck wrapped around the house that was built into the side of the mountain.
He’d built most of it himself. The construction had been a combination of a labor of love and therapy after his return from overseas. He had added as many windows as he could throughout the house to maximize the feel of being outdoors. Whether it was sun, fog, rain, or gale force winds, he loved it all and never wanted to feel confined to a narrow, closed-in space again.
Rich natural wood and rock helped the house to blend in with the surrounding forest. Even the staircase leading down to the dock below his house was made to blend in and look as natural as possible. If there had been one thing his father had done right, it had been to buy this piece of property when he had the extra cash in his pocket.
He crossed the deck and slipped through the gate he’d installed to keep Wilson from tumbling down the stairs when he was a few weeks old. He descended the stairs with practiced ease. Once on the floating dock, he checked the dock lines to make sure they were secure before stepping onboard and checking the rest of the boat. He closed the hatches and snapped the covers around the tower.
Climbing down into the lower cabin where he had laid Magna, he made sure all the windows were closed. He was straightening the covers when something fell off the bed and hit his shoe. He looked down, noticing a thin, beaded string. Bending, he picked it up.
Holding it up, he studied the necklace. The beads were small and colorful. In the center of the row of beads lay a dark green shell pendant. The shell was about the size of a silver dollar. It filled the center of his palm when he laid it in his hand. Turning it over, he was surprised to see the interior glowed and sparkled. He stared down into the glowing colors, mesmerized. His body felt strangely light, as if he was no longer….
