Water

by Terra Harmony

  Micah’s sigh mimicked mine as he reached in his pocket and produced a small key. "It’s no use locking you up. You’ll just make a mess of things trying to escape."

  Once released, I cradled my wrist protectively, rubbing out the red marks left by the handcuffs. An awkward moment passed as we sat side by side, neither of us speaking. Had there been a clock in the room we would have heard it ticking.

  He scooted a little closer to me and looked expectant. I certainly couldn’t bolt out the door in my current state of undress. I cleared my throat. "So is this a new method – captivity by means of nudity?"

  "As appealing as that may sound to most of our male staff, no." He gestured to a pile of clothes next to his dresser. "You’ll be staying here, with me now. Cato thinks it will be safer."

  "Safer for whom?"

  He leaned in closer. "Safer for everyone involved."

  With him so near, I stifled my breathing, lest he be exposed to morning breath and started smoothing my hair.

  He calmed my hands, laying his on top of mine. "Stop fussing, you look beautiful."

  My cheeks burned with embarrassment. I looked away quickly, still unsure of his intentions. Was that how he truly felt?

  Micah, sparing me for the moment, rose and paced the room. "Kaitlyn, I know you don’t trust The Seven, or what we are doing. But if you give us a chance, open your mind a little; you may come to believe in what we do. You aren’t captive here…"

  I snorted, letting him know I thought otherwise.

  He ignored me. "…but we need you to understand what your purpose on this Earth is."

  He paused and looked at me as though waiting for an answer. I took a deep breath and consented. "Fine – no more running away, for now. I’ll give you a chance. But there are conditions. First, answer my questions and second, when I do want to leave – you will let me. Agreed?"

  "Agreed," he said, without hesitation. He returned to the side of the bed to shake on it. "Everything will be explained to you in time, we just need to take it slowly. And I’ll be here the whole way."

  "That’s what I am afraid of."

  My joke was taken as such, and he used the relief of tension to lie down beside me in the bed, albeit on top of the sheets. His head hovered over my chest tentatively, waiting for me to accept him. I did. I wrapped my arms around him, welcoming his warmth. It felt much less awkward this way.

  I ran my fingers through his hair for a bit, letting my mind contemplate the situation. Micah didn’t give me the time to decide whether I was saved or doomed.

  He sat up with determination. "Why don’t you get cleaned up and get dressed. Then we’ll find something to eat, take a walk, and talk."

  Keeping the sheets wrapped around me, I started to make my way off the bed. "All right, but I want more than just a sandwich this time."

  "So demanding," Micah said sarcastically. He pulled on a pair of faded jeans, worn almost all the way through at the knees. At least his wardrobe was no better than mine. He pulled on a dark blue shirt, and took the time to roll up the sleeves but didn’t bother with the buttons. He left barefoot, allowing me to shower and dress in private. Despite my growling stomach, I didn’t hurry through the shower. I needed time to think, and the warm water beating down on my shoulders chased what cold remained from the lake. For the first time since I’d been in contact with this crew, I wasn’t planning my next escape attempt. I was more curious now than anything else. And I would have liked to say it had nothing to do with Micah, but he no doubt sweetened the pot.

  In contrast to the bare cupboards of the kitchen, the bathroom was stocked with everything I would have requested, and then some. Shampoo and conditioner, soaps, razors, pink shaving gel, makeup, brushes, a hair dryer, perfume, and plenty of soft, oversized towels with a matching robe and slippers. Lovely, it was the day spa appointment I never made for myself. It only took a near-death experience, a kidnapping and the life-altering discovery of magical powers to finally have it. I showered slowly, trying out each of the scented soaps before choosing lavender to wash away the muck of the lake. I paused, looking down at my legs and sighed. They were nearly as white as the bleached shower tiles.

  Wonder if they have a tanning bed on site, I thought, my hands catching my attention. Or maybe a nail technician.

  I stepped out of the shower and gained a little more confidence looking in the mirror. I rarely wore makeup; my face had a natural even-toned glow to it. My eyebrows, albeit needing a good plucking, were nicely arched and did a good job of drawing attention to my eyes. The gold streaks that were so prevalent throughout my brown hair also graced my eyebrows, and highlighted the little gold specks in my otherwise boring brown eyes. I ran a comb through my hair but didn’t bother blow-drying it. Going completely natural would hide my broken strands better. I stopped mid-primping.

  Amazing how one man could change a woman’s entire mindset. I snorted, then quickly covered my mouth. Better not do that around him.

  It was another half hour before I came out of the bathroom, and I took even more time picking out my clothes, loathe to give up the feel of the soft robe against my bare skin. Just as I slipped a fresh-smelling t-shirt over my head, Micah walked in.

  "A man of questionable timing," I remarked while quickly scanning the room for cameras. I hadn’t thought of that until now.

  He walked over to the closet and chose a belt for me. "There aren’t any cameras in here - I had them all removed."

  I raised my eyebrow, and opened my mouth.

  He answered my next question before I could ask it. "Long before our…" He cleared his throat with a smirk. "Night together. No one else will know that you snore."

  I rolled my eyes, taking the belt he held out for me. I suppressed the urge to whip him with it. Despite his teasing I had to give him credit for the belt. I would have been content to yank the oversized pants up every two minutes.

  "Come on" Micah opened the door for me.

  "No handcuffs or guards to accompany us?" I poked my head out the door expecting to see a group of men ready to escort me. At this point, I wouldn’t blame them.

  "Just me." Micah looked down at me, and took my arm in his. We walked down the cold halls, passing door after door. I tried to keep my eyes forward, avoiding sideways glances into any opened rooms. I wasn’t anxious to catch site of Cato or Shawn, who, come to find out, was well justified in wanting to knock me unconscious. As we stepped outside, I turned my head to give the kitchen a woeful look.

  Micah noticed. "I have food waiting for us out in the gardens."

  I smiled and quickened my pace. "So what is it you do here at the Chakra? I mean, besides abducting beautiful, defenseless women."

  "Oh, please." The side of his mouth curled up in a half-smile. "You have proven yourself far beyond defenseless."

  "I am still here, aren’t I?"

  "Leaving in your wake several badly beaten men, two unconscious guards, and a hypothermic Alex."

  "He ok?" I had forgotten about my running partner.

  "Didn’t recover quite as quickly as you did, but he’ll come around."

  "Just sprinkle some dirt on him and send him back to work."

  Micah laughed. "He’s not like us; doesn’t possess the same abilities. He can be useful though – he’s the logistics guy." Micah stopped short and pulled me toward him. "Thank you, by the way, for saving him. I don’t think we could have reached him in time."

  I shrugged as well as I could with him holding me. "He would’ve never been there if it weren’t for me. And the lake would never have been frozen if I knew how to control my powers. I’m sorry. Tell him that I am truly sorry for that."

  He took my hands into his. "No need to be sorry. And we’ll help you with your powers – later. Now…" He gestured grandly with his arm to a large blanket ahead of us. "We feast, kind of."

  I smelled the food before I saw it. There were different trays of meat garnished with nuts and fruits, a loaf of bread accompanied by a small basket of various f
lavored butters, and even a cheesecake smothered in strawberries. I sat down and dived directly into the meats, not bothering with utensils or plates. Micah laughed and sat down next to me.

  He started cutting slices of bread. "Cato decided to let us splurge. Doesn't happen often. I would tell you to relax and that the food isn’t going anywhere, but..." he looked over his shoulder. "You'd be surprised at how fast word gets around."

  I glance over his shoulder, keeping an eye out for any would-be food thieves, then shoved another piece of roast beef in my mouth. "I need to take advantage when I’m presented with mold-free food. And YOU," I pointed my finger at him, "haven't given a girl many opportunities to eat."

  "You are hungry because of the energy you are absorbing – it is a lot for your body to process. Don’t worry, your routine here will be a little more predictable; and I’ll be sure three mold-free meals a day get on the schedule."

  "With mold-free snacks?" I prodded.

  He laughed. "With mold-free snacks and desserts. Your tests all came back clean and the lab gave their go ahead to begin training. Try this. Almond butter on homemade sprouted grain bread."

  I took his offering, then grabbed another, letting him laugh at me.

  I looked back up, swallowing the second piece, savoring the taste this time. "What kind of training are we talking about?"

  "Do you want more bread? There’s also hazelnut, raspberry and apple butter."

  I gave him a look for ignoring my question, but grabbed another piece with the honey butter.

  "Good choice." He smiled. "You will be learning how to use and control your powers. You will also do some weapons training, martial arts, first aid, and if there is time we’ll teach you the basics to a few foreign languages."

  I looked back at the plates. I had polished off most of the meat, leaving only scraps for Micah. I moved on to the fruits but eyed the cheesecake. "I’m not exactly the warrior princess type you might be hoping for. I will, however, go Xena on your ass if you don’t pass me that cheesecake."

  Micah laughed again and put two slices on a plate for me, including a very generous amount of strawberry sauce. I put a large forkful in my mouth and let out a long sigh as the entire concoction seemed to melt in my mouth. "Will the training be safe? I mean not just for me, but everyone else?" I asked, in between bites.

  "That’s why I am here. My job is to protect you and, well…" Micah hesitated, "…to protect others from you."

  He looked down, pushing food around on his plate and, although it was hard to tell in the failing light, it seemed his cheeks had turned pink. He nearly looked ashamed.

  I decided not to push it. "With your methods of reining me in, I might be inclined to lose control more often." I pushed aside some of the plates and moved to sit beside him.

  He grinned and put his arm around me, and we laid back on the blanket together, watching the first stars of the night twinkle into view.

  "The training will be difficult," he said. "It’s designed to bring you to your greatest potential in as little time as possible. But I’ll be there the whole way and if there is anything you need, just let me know. I’ll make it happen."

  I thought about my life up until this point and surprisingly was not disappointed to leave it behind. Barring Tuesday night Karaoke with a few select friends and some rather fickle house plants, there wasn’t much to go back to. I had two bids in for photography assignments, but clients don't wait around long before moving on to the next photographer.

  As the sun dipped below the horizon, the temperature cooled significantly. I turned on my side, and he did the same so we were face to face. He threw his other arm around me, warding off the cold.

  "I'm sorry, Kaitlyn. For everything."

  I raised my eyebrows. I certainly wasn't going to say it was okay, and that all was forgiven. Although, another kiss wouldn't hurt…

  His hand moved up to my face, pushing my hair behind my ear. I grabbed hold of the hem of his shirt, twisting it around my hand and squeezing. He stopped stroking my cheek with the pad of his thumb, and lifted my chin up. "Are you okay with this?"

  I should have said no. For the most part, choice was no longer an option. Now he was giving it back to me. I moved my hand, touching the bare skin at his waist. More shocks. More heat. "What is that?" I whispered.

  "I don't know," he whispered back. "Us. Being together."

  His hand moved to the back of my neck. It was tense, I could feel him resisting the urge to pull me in the rest of the way. This was still my choice. Ultimately, the fear of long years without anyone, of denying the ache in my chest to belong, drove me into him.

  I took a deep breath, inhaling his scent which was a mix of campfire, mint, and amber. Once our lips touched, he kept me tethered – or was it me doing that to him? Hard to tell. Our limbs snaked around each other until we were tangled in a complex human knot. I rolled on top of Micah, sliding my hand in between us to feel his abs. My own were sizzling, deep inside.

  He rolled us again, and I landed in something squishy. The smell of strawberries tinged the air. I laughed, pulling the sauce out from under me. He licked remnants of the sticky glaze off my clumsy fingers, then kissed me again. The taste of the sweet berry exploded on my tongue. I hummed in pleasure.

  He held both my hands to the ground above my head, while his kisses moved down my neck, then over to my ear. I squirmed. He tightened his grip, using only one of his own hands. The other snaked up my shirt. I stilled, like prey caught in the clutches of a reptile. I held my breath as his caresses moved higher. I wanted him to continue so bad it hurt, but I hadn't done this in so long. Was there a point of no return? Do I want to cross that line tonight? Yes. No.

  He paused, lifting off of me, catching his breath. "Not until you're ready."

  Goddamn valiant gentleman.

  He looked confused. I swiped at one of his hands supporting his weight, then caught him at the lips, and rolled us. He was on the bottom again; ceramic plates clanging together beneath us. I kissed him long and hard, exploring his strawberry mouth with my tongue, until I felt his resistance melt into me. Then I stopped. If we were going to reign it in, it would be on my terms.

  I sat up, "You're right. Besides, we need to spare the food."

  He squeezed his eyes shut, "You're killing me, Kaitlyn."

  I waited until he composed himself. He took in a deep breath, exhaled, and I felt the tension dissipate. He put both hands behind his head, "At least now I know your priorities."

  "Oh, please," I swung my leg off of him, popping a grape into my mouth for good measure, "as if you didn't already."

  He laughed, standing us both up. "Come on, you need your sleep. Tomorrow we begin training."

  "Should we bring in the leftovers?"

  "I'll send someone out for it."

  Two medics, a man and a woman, watched us enter through the sliding glass door in the living room. They surveyed our soiled clothes, then asked, "We got a new shipment of food?"

  Micah gestured over his shoulder, "Out back – you get first dibs if you clean it up for us."

  "Well, second dibs, really." I corrected him.

  They didn't care, they were already jostling for position. The woman elbowed the man in the stomach on their way through the door, "Out of my way – I think that was cheesecake!"

  Chapter 10

  Miles to Run

  The next morning, I woke to the crude noise of blinds being drawn followed by the intrusion of the glaring morning sun. I closed my eyes tighter, turned away from it, and muttered with a scratchy voice, "Coffee."

  Something hard landed on the pillow next to my head. I cracked open my eyes.

  "Apple," Micah said. "Wakes you up better than coffee."

  I groaned, but took a few bites anyway. Might help to mask my morning breath.

  All too soon Micah started shuffling me out of bed. "Up. We have things to do, people to see, miles to run."

  My shoulders sank at the last part. "Miles to run? Today?"


  "Not just today, but right now." Micah pulled together a running outfit for me.

  "What about breakfast?" There was no way he would convince me an apple, with all its wondrous qualities, served as a full meal.

  "Not before we run off that cheesecake."

  Less than five minutes later I was huffing and puffing to keep up. We ran along the outskirts of the compound and I was quickly finding out how large the Chakra really was. Micah talked the whole time, changing the subject often while trying to find some motivation for me. He talked about the breakfast waiting for us, he tried complimenting me, then bullying me, and he even tried a military cadence. Finally, he started talking about The Seven, going more into detail about why I was there and what was expected of me. He kept his voice low and always stayed a step ahead so I worked constantly to keep up. I barely noticed his pace increasing.

  "So why ‘The Seven’?" I panted. "Was ‘The Six’ taken?"

  "Actually, we’re not quite sure," Micah replied. "We believe our organization predates Christ, though documented history doesn't go back that far. In fact, we used to be called ‘Haft’, which is Persian for seven. This was back when the Persians were considered the most advanced culture around. Since then, the majority of our organization has been made up of English speakers, hence the change in name." He was barely breaking a sweat and his long-winded explanations didn’t interfere with his rhythmic breathing. "Anyway, seven has a lot of significance, both in nature and elsewhere. There are seven stellar objects visible to the naked eye from Earth, there are seven main stars in the Big Dipper and Orion, any flower that has not been crossbred has seven petals, there are seven Chakras on the human body."

  "I’ll take religion for $400," I huffed.