Two Halves Box Set

by Marta Szemik

  “Unless you want to get them wet, leave your clothes here.” William pointed to the bench.

  “I thought you said I don’t need a bathing suit,” I protested.

  He smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ve already pictured you naked.”

  “Picturing and seeing are two different!”

  “Not in my head,” he said shamelessly, and laughed. “All right, I’ll turn around. You can leave your undergarments on if you’d like, but they won’t make a difference.” William nudged me toward the shrubbery that blocked our passage. “When you’re ready, put your foot in this loop.” He pointed to a hanging liana with a loop knotted into one end; the vine itself had been draped over a branch overhead. “It will take you over.”

  “Can’t we just jump over?” I eyed the green barrier, guesstimating its height.

  “You could, but I don’t recommend it. The vine carries you precisely where you should land to avoid the poisonous plants. And since you wouldn’t know where that is, this is the only way in.” He paused. “I’m turning around now.”

  I sighed, capitulating. “No peeking!”

  “Of course not; imagining is much better,” he teased.

  My clothes flew off in haste. I would have left my undergarments on, but the bra was built into my tank top and the g-string didn’t count as good swimwear. William didn’t look, although I could swear I heard the corners of his mouth curve up with a held breath.

  Once ready, I gripped the liana and slid my right foot into the loop—then shrieked. As soon as I put pressure on the vine, it sprang up and forward, swinging me twelve feet over the shrubbery, high enough that I cleared the top of the green barrier by more than three feet. I shrieked again as I passed over the wall and soared higher through the air, then arced down toward what looked like the reflecting surface of a mirror, oddly lit with green and blue light from underneath.

  I hit the water with a loud splash, at first mentally cursing William for not warning me, then welcoming the coolness that enfolded me as I plunged below the surface. Fortunately I’d held the last breath I’d taken before submerging, a breath that would last ten times longer for me than for a human. I’d always won bopping for apples in high school. Even so, panic crept in, and I had to concentrate on remaining calm.

  I can do this. Don’t you just move your limbs to swim? I looked toward the surface and swung my arms and kicked my legs like the swimmers I’d seen on television.

  When I opened my eyes and saw the underwater world, I stilled my efforts. The grasses and plants at the bottom of the pond released a fluorescent glow that illuminated the water in predominantly blue and green colours, with fuchsias and yellows accenting the edges and hovering near the bottom. I opened my mouth in awe. Crap! I’m out of air!

  Just as I was about to swallow my first gulp, strong arms gripped me from behind and lifted me toward the surface. I exploded above the water, hacking and coughing.

  William faced me. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes—arghh . . .hah!” I sputtered. “Thank you.”

  Once I recovered, I looked up. A million stars glittered in the black sky, their light sparkling in the moisture on the large leaves lining the tall bank of the pond. I smiled before returning my attention to my current predicament and lowered my gaze to William, silently asking what to do.

  “Kick your feet. I’ll hold you up.”

  I followed his instruction, circling my arms. The swirls beneath my arms and legs gave me lift. Swimming was easier than I’d originally thought. William was so close. The water dripping his face underlined a strong jaw, and I focused on his lips.

  “I’m gonna let you go now,” he cautioned. The sparkle in his eyes reflected his wicked thoughts.

  “Wait! I can’t swim!” I yelled.

  “Concentrate on the water. Let it buoy you up. You were born a swimmer, just like me. That’s why you’re so attuned to water when it’s needed most. Remember what you did at the airport with the fire demon? Feel the water. It will help you. You can do this.” He let go of one of my arms, then the other.

  I locked my eyes on his for reassurance and kicked my feet in a semicircular pattern, swirling my arms through the water—and stayed afloat! “Oh my gosh, I’m swimming!” I squeaked.

  “You’re not swimming.” He laughed. “You’re treading water. This is swimming!” He dove head first, and I realized we were naked when William’s white behind popped out of the water before submerging.

  Can he see me underwater? Nervous, I ducked under the surface to follow him. It was as bright as I’d thought. He tricked me! I should have worn my bathing suit.

  A school of tropical fish swam by, each a different colour and pattern, their shades shifting as the swarm zigg-zagged in unison. They looked like a mass of twinkling lights. I was surprised they weren’t afraid of me, an alien in their midst. For a moment, I thought they looked right at me as if expecting me to be there.

  Where is he? I kicked myself in a circle but couldn’t see him anywhere.

  Then I felt something brush against my left leg. I almost screamed until William swam up in front of me. My hands flew to my front, and I instinctively cupped my hand over my crotch and threw my other arm over my breasts. He laughed underwater, and his bright teeth and turquoise eyes flashed.

  That’s when I realized why he’d said bathing suits were unnecessary. William’s teeth and eyes were the only parts of his body I could see. The rest of him was almost transparent; only a shadow created by the water’s current passing around him, bending to define his silhouette, made him visible at all.

  My head emerged above the surface. “How is this possible?” I blurted as soon as my head poked above the water. I saw William’s head and a third of his torso bobbing, but nothing underneath; it was as if he had been cut at the point of submersion.

  “It’s the plants. I think their light makes our bodies disappear.”

  “Wow, people would freak if they saw this.”

  “I said our bodies, not human bodies,” William said.

  “Oh. Oh!”

  “This was the best hideout I had from my parents. Even my father couldn’t find me when we played hide and seek.”

  “Cool!”

  “I know, eh? Don’t you feel special?”

  I did. Swimming freely underwater, even as a beginner, liberated me. William had said my skills would develop within minutes if I let my senses take over, and he was right. For the first time since my horrible premonition, I felt at ease. Knowing no one else lived within miles, I imagined we were the only two beings on this planet, and this perfect body of water collected here, for us.

  We returned to the cabin before dawn. I silently promised to visit the pond often, once we were back from the underworld.

  Now, though, the time had come to face the seekers. We had two days left for final preparations. The plan was simple: seal the basement, inject enough serum to make ourselves undetectable, and hide out nearby. Once they were done searching the cabin, we’d follow them to the underworld.

  Our plan was perfect.

  Or so we thought.

  Chapter 14

  William had made a body cream that would mask our scent from the terrier-like noses of the seekers. and blend our smell with the jungle. We had to rub it on each other two nights in a row, and today would be the first session. Self-control was essential as William covered places I could not reach, and I returned the favour. Every inch of our skin had to be coated with the thick cream.

  When William pressed his palms against my body, his touch electrified my skin, each cell responding wildly.

  You’re in a salon, getting a massage—that’s all. It’s just a massage—orange eyes—just a massage—orange eyes. Breathe, just breathe. Don’t stop breathing. Ugh . . . I wish I could enjoy what’s happening to my body!

  My mind was too weak. It inevitably wandered back to one of my best dreams.

  William gently lay me down and hovered over me, kissing my forehead, then my head, my nose
, each cheek. Taking his time, he kissed each freckle. Shiveres of pleasure roamed my skin. My arms curved around his back, then slid up to his shoulders, and I yanked at his shirt tearing it off to reveal the hard, rippling muscles of his torso. I quivered, craving the pleasure of closer contact.

  A new song began playing, this one with a calmer beat, a slower rhythm. It matched the movements of our bodies, deepened the intensity of our kisses . . .

  William gently tapped my shoulder. “It’s your turn, Sarah.”

  Guilt washed my face as I strained to remember where I was.

  “Try to control your heartbeat, or I’ll lose control myself.” He winked.

  I pushed up from the cot we’d set up in the sun room, feeling my cheeks heat as I realized what my daydreaming had done to my body. My breasts had perked, and the tingling just below my pelvis was unbearable as tiny tremors stimulated the area. With a sheet tied at my front like a bath towel, I sat up, wishing I could dress to cover the physical signs of my desire, but the layer of cream he’d applied was still being absorbed by my skin.

  William watched me. “When this is all over, I’m taking you away for a month to a place where no curse will reach us.”

  “Oh? To do what?” I coaxed, hoping to hear his fantasies.

  “Whatever you’re thinking. We’ll make it real.” He took my place on the cot.

  Scooping a handful of cream and smearing it over my palms, I pressed them against his shoulders and slowly dragged downward in a thin layer. When my hands ran past his waist, William’s muscles tightened and firmed. I stroked his thighs and calves, then begun rubbing upward to his shoulders. William moaned, like a whimpering puppy, his heartbeats revealing that he too yearned for more.

  “Not so easy, is it,” I said.

  “You could say that. Should I turn over?”

  I mustered as much control as I could and said casually, “Sure.” My heart betrayed me. My gaze concentrated on top of William’s body when he rolled over and clasped his hands comfortably under his head as he closed his eyes. I wasn’t sure whether that was to make it easier on me or so he could enjoy the moment. His body responded to my touch, and no towel or sheet could cover his needs.

  After the massage, we took long showers. The lustful heat washed off the surface of my skin, but inside, it felt as if my hormones were throwing an out of control party.

  When I entered the sunroom, William pointed to a plate on the table. “Sandwich?” His v-neck shirt stuck to his torso like cellophane.

  I bit my lip. “Thank you.”

  He’d explained we had to consume only human food for a couple of days to avoid too much blood pumping through our veins so we could become undetectable. I found it ironic that we were trying to be dead vampires but had to eat human food to prevent our mortal forms from being detected.

  By five o’clock on the nineteenth day, the gray clouds of the tropical storm I’d predicted had rolled in. It hadn’t rained in my vision, so they had to be here before the heavens opened. We hid in the understory of the forest, ten feet above the ground, close enough to see the cabin’s front porch.

  “Are you ready?” William whispered.

  “No, but it’s too late for misgivings now.” My voice cracked.

  How could I possibly be ready to face these demons? Am I fast enough to follow them? Will I find the courage to look past the bright orange glow of their eyes? Did we forget anything? My gut told me we had—no, that I had, but I couldn’t remember what it was.

  “It will be all over soon,” William assured me. He wrapped his arm around me.

  I swept the vicinity with my gaze, expecting to see orange ovals between the shrubs as they approached.

  Eventually they did come, moving with cautious excitement and purpose. All three had an odd pattern of sniffing and rotating their heads to all sides more freely than a human could. They were tall, thin, and grubby-looking. The tallest one moved with authority. He had broader shoulders than the others and more wrinkles puckered his translucent skin. His eyes shone the brightest orange. The one that seemed second-in-command was about four inches shorter; he followed the leader’s every step and moved whenever the leader shrieked. The shortest one, although still over six feet tall, had a hump on his back. He yelped the most of the three, and it reminded me of a child complaining.

  Hunched over so their hands almost touched the ground, they moved across the forest floor, their heads turned toward the cabin as they approached it, studying every inch. Then they spread out. There seemed to no pattern to their search as they moved around the structure.

  They went inside. I saw them briefly through the front window as they searched the lab. Less than a minute later, they came back outside. They were still hunched over, sniffing. Again they wandered, covering a ten-foot perimeter around the building.

  After three minutes, they stopped, faced one another, and begun a strange discussion. The tallest one shrieked something from the back of his throat that sounded almost like a gurgle. The other two hissed and went back inside. Through the window, I could see the seekers gather at the center of the room. They lowered their skeletal bodies close to the floor. The tops of their backs moved as they followed a circular pattern outward leaving the house, then re-entering to retrace their path.

  On the second exit, they covered more ground outside, moving only a few inches clockwise at a time, like three hands of a clock, ticking off each second with precision, orange eyes flashing. At one point, I thought the eyes flashed at me, and chills ran through my body.

  I looked at William. He tightened his hold on my shoulder. His eyes and face said everything I needed to know. He was worried and hoped this would all end soon.

  When I turned my gaze back to the cabin, the seekers were touching the wood with their palms, and it ignited on contact. I shivered, remembering the shapeshifter at the airport. Seeing what he could have done with his fire ball frightened me. It would not be long before the cabin was consumed by flame. It hadn’t rained in months; everything was dry. The approaching storm only added to the seeker’s haste to burn it.

  Sadness filled my heart, and I wanted to cry. All I could think of were the years of work that would be gone in ten minutes. We wouldn’t be able to move back. Once we found William’s parents and my father, we’d have to transfer the basement contents to a safer location and rebuild there.

  The flames licked the walls of the cabin. Though there was never any doubt, I had hoped it wouldn’t happen, that by some miracle the cabin would withstand the fire, but that hope burned away.

  I’d already seen this—twice. William kept his gaze on the hypnotizing scene, but I took a small step back along the branch toward the trunk and briefly closed my eyes.

  They flew open when a pair of hot hands grabbed my shoulders and yanked me back so fast I had no chance to react. William turned as I crashed on the forest floor. The seeker’s comrade joined him to grab me and hold me tight.

  My fangs sprung. I struggled, but the four clawed hands heated. Any attempt at escape would burn. As the third seeker arrived, I slumped in defeat. One, I could probably vanquish—but not three.

  My head tipped up to look at William, who crouched on the branch above, regarding us with terror-filled eyes.

  He jumped down, growling and flexing his knees. “Let her go!”

  Flinging my hand out, I wiggled out of their grip and stepped toward William, but the leader stepped forward and drew a line in front of my foot with a wooden cane that flew out of his sleeve. I slammed into a mystical force radiating from the line. The energy travelled like an electric current through my veins, burning away all the serum, evaporating all residue of the cream from my skin. Throbbing pain made me crumple to the ground. When I stood, the seeker’s hot paws returned to my shoulders, immobilizing me.

  William rushed toward me but was hurtled backward by the same force that had decimated me.

  “The shield won’t let you through,” the shortest seeker squeaked then snorted. He cackled
. “Not now!”

  The tallest one looked at him disapprovingly, then shrieked and squawked something in a high-pitched tone.

  My gaze focused on William, who didn’t hide his confusion. Our plan to follow the demons to the underworld had failed.

  What’s to become of us now?

  “Sarah! Fight!” William pleaded.

  “I’m trying.” I twisted to free myself from their iron grip angered the seekers, but they increased the temperature of their palms, pressing their hands on my shoulders. My flesh sizzled with a sound like french fries immersed in hot oil, and I writhed in pain and gagged at the stench of burning flesh. As I flung my head back in agony, I half expected to glimpse my scorched skin smoking under their grip, but all I saw were the seekers’ red palms hovering an inch above my shoulders.

  William stood motionless, his eyes half closed, concentrating. I assumed he was trying to identify the seeker’s fears and wondered what could scare such beings—water, flood, tsunamis? Expecting catastrophies to manifest, I gazed beyond the force field, but nothing appeared.

  Energy left William’s body; it flew toward the demons, then bounced back from the shield. It wouldn’t let William or his powers through.

  They’re going to tear us apart! Did we underestimate their intelligence that much?

  William sprang at the shield and was ejected backward. He flew at it again and again, trembling with exhaustion and agony of the torture he repeatedly subjected himself to.

  As the thought of being away from William sank in, I realized there was no way out. My body began shaking. Uncontrollable tremors tormented my muscles. I could already see my future without having to close my eyes—seekers led me through a dark tunnel toward a dungeon. Huddled in my dank cell, I heard the moaning of other creatures and high-pitched demon discussions in a room close by. It ended with me seeing William beyond a green fog; he couldn’t see me.