Secrets of the Fog

by Jaye Shields

  The crystal ball turned murky with darkness and smoke, and the Wiccans were forced to look very closely. The thick haze in the crystal ball parted, revealing a nightmare. The site of the island portal was swarming with chaos. Demons dropped out of the mystical barrier in massive numbers and feasted upon the people at the island. A wave of violence swept through demons and humans alike and the Bay Area was overrun with domestic warfare. The air was filling with fists being thrown, guns being fired. The sound of gunshots and screams a deafening nightmare. Blood swirled around the crystal ball until the trio could see nothing else except for flashes of gunfire.

  Pain shot through each of the Wiccans as they experienced this foretelling of a horrific event to come. Scenes of chaos blurred their vision until Sparrow, Morgana, and Melissandra each faded to black, unconscious and helpless to stop the nightmarish future they foresaw.

  Chapter Eight

  The short trip back to the heart of San Francisco from Yerba Buena Island was quiet. After the cab dropped them back off at the pier to procure him a shirt, Sabin seemed to be assessing every aspect and detail of the world he was surrounded by. In turn, Tera was trying to discern how to best deal with the handsome, yet highly aggravating warrior. The Goddess Artemis would slap some sense into Tera if she ever found out how much Agrotera had truly enjoyed the taste of Sabin’s lips.

  “I’m very suspicious that the Nunanish has not made its presence evident. They rarely turn their back on an opportunity to incite violence,” Sabin said.

  Tera cringed at his choice of small talk. Hopefully no passersby got suspicious. After all, the hulking brute next to her looked strange enough walking down the sidewalk.

  “Maybe it just wants to hang out, see some sights. The cable cars are super fun and Ghirardelli Square is right there.”

  “It must die.” Sabin spoke harshly.

  “I agree. It was a joke. Geesh. I guess there isn’t much comedic relief in the Realm of the Fog.” Tera raised an eyebrow and shook her head in disapproval.

  The mission to find him a shirt had been much needed, as the sight of his broad muscular chest was attracting entirely too much attention, her own eyes included. Now Sabin walked out of a store with a tourist t-shirt stretched across his chest that read “Alcatraz Triathlon: Dig, Dive and Run.” Tera wondered if he realized that he had chosen a shirt for the island where he came through the portal. But the Alcatraz gift shop on Fisherman’s Wharf was one of the only places open after the earlier “gas leak.” The white shirt just barely fit and didn’t leave any of his muscles to the imagination.

  “Nice choice.” Tera shook her head at the sight of him. It was silly seeing the otherworldly warrior in a tourist shirt, but he still looked mouthwatering.

  “It was the largest shirt they had. Thank you for your assistance, Dryad. I’m sorry I do not have the currency required of your world.”

  “No problem, Knight. So, can I have my wallet back? I’m gonna hail us another cab.”

  “Can we not go on foot? Where do you take me, Agrotera?”

  The sound of her name on his tongue made Tera feel like a schoolgirl — not that she ever went to school. “You know, you can call me Dryad if you want.” Her name sounded far too much like a seduction coming from his lips. Tera halted to hail a cab drawing near.

  Sabin came up just behind her, silent and light-footed, catching her by surprise. He whispered softly against her ear. “Does it make you uncomfortable when I speak to you like a lover, Tera?”

  Tera forgot all about the cab and turned to face him just as he was about to nibble on her ear. “It’s getting dark and there’s no way I’m taking you to my home, so I thought I’d get us a couple of rooms near Golden Gate Park. If we stay in the city we’ll be closer to wherever the Nunanish is hiding, and the park could give us some cover if we needed it.”

  Sabin raised a hand to hail the cab that she had all but forgotten. The yellow Prius pulled over, and he opened the door for her. “Are you sure about this transportation?” Sabin eyed the interior of the cramped vehicle.

  For a moment, she hesitated before getting in, knowing it would be a tight squeeze with the warrior. No doubt their bodies would be molded together in the back seat. “This isn’t New York, we don’t have tons of cabs here, and we should take this one since we have it. You can sit in the front seat.”

  But Sabin grinned. “I’ll sit in the back with you.”

  Heaving a sigh, she resigned herself to the narrow backseat. “Of course you will.”

  Ten minutes later, she was pretty sure she knew every hard crevice of Sabin’s powerful body. The warrior had delighted in the cramped space, pulling her against his hard stomach so he could stretch his legs out around her. Despite her best efforts to maneuver her way to the other side of the seat, Sabin’s firm arm wrapped around her like a lover.

  “Thank goodness, I thought we’d never get here. Thanks.” Tera paid and tipped the driver as he pulled up in front of the Red Victorian Bed and Breakfast on Haight Street.

  “This place is just a couple blocks from Golden Gate Park and is pretty close to everything so we should be good,” she announced.

  “I never doubted you, Dryad. And I quite enjoyed the road despite your tiny human earth-bound vehicles.”

  “Ummm, okay.” Tera started to walk through the bright red doors of the old-fashioned building in San Francisco’s busy hippy hang-out. Sabin looked quite out of place standing on the sidewalk as scrawny, long-haired, wanna-be hippies and Mohican-punksters squatted here and there, smoking and playing guitar. In contrast, Sabin towered over everyone in the vicinity, and his hulking stature made him look like Russian mafia. In a word, he looked more James Bond than John Lennon. Tera couldn’t help but smile. “C’mon, big guy.”

  Inside the colorful building, an elderly lady sat at the reception desk reading. When she saw them, her crinkly eyes went large. “My, you are tall, aren’t you? And those pale blue eyes. Wait, gray. No, blue.” Appraising his Alcatraz tourist shirt, the old lady smiled. “We get so many visitors from near and far, I have a knack for this. Let me guess … you’re from Sweden!”

  Tera laughed. The old woman was right; he could totally pass as Swedish. “You’re absolutely correct; he’s my Nordic pen pal.”

  “I traveled here from very far to convince this woman to marry me.” Sabin’s seductive voice brought Tera’s laughter to a sudden halt and he caught her in his arms in an elaborate back-bending kiss.

  “Ohhh wonderful!” The sweet old woman clapped her hands excitedly. “I’m so glad I have a room for you two. Quite often we’re booked.”

  Sabin’s lips released Tera just in time for him to grasp the key being handed to him. “Thank you.” His eyes glittered with seduction and Tera could have sworn she saw the old lady blush.

  “You two just head on up and we’ll take care of the paperwork later.” The wonderful old woman winked at Tera, who was being escorted up the stairs by Sabin before she had a chance to protest.

  “One room was not my plan,” she hissed as they ascended the stairs.

  “I imagine that it would seem a chore to share a bed with one my size, but you might find that I could create a pleasant experience for the both of us.”

  “Would you quit it with the sexual innuendos, please?” Tera yanked the key out of his hands and fumbled with it as she tried to open the door.

  As it finally swung open, her jaw dropped as she took in the elaborate Redwood Room, the door plaque named it. The soft pink comforter covering the bed was a stark contrast to the photographic mural of a redwood forest covering the walls.

  Sabin ushered her in. “We’ll be spending our first night together in a redwood forest. Still don’t believe in fate, Dryad?”

  “No,” she folded her arms across her chest.

  Sabin pushed past her without bothering to shut the door, and
tore off his new Alcatraz t-shirt. Tossing the fabric on the ground, he moved around the small room, peeking out the window and surveying the washroom.

  Frowning at the twist of events, she wondered if she should leave the Knight of the Cloud or the Fog or whatever in the room, and head back to where she lived with the coven in Alameda. It was a quick decision — turning loose an immortal warrior in her city was probably not a good idea. Especially after he knocked out half the tourists at the Fisherman’s Wharf. Nope, she would have to tough it out. Gazing longingly at the wallpaper of the realistic Redwood Forest, she did like the room. Actually, she loved the room. Annoying, washboard-abbed mystical warrior aside, that was.

  Heavy antique furniture filled the room in dark shades of wood, much like the trees in the mural of the forest that stretched along the wall. The window of the two-story building was bordered by layers of gauzy green fabric that also hung like a canopy over the bed. The bed! Tera realized that although she loved the gigantic antique dresser and vanity, there was absolutely no room on the floor for the warrior to sleep.

  As if on cue, Sabin walked in from appraising the washroom and collapsed onto the queen-sized bed. “Quaint bathing room. As an immortal I do not have to deal with pesky matters such as body odor or disease, but having a wash might be fun.”

  She ignored the sensual wink he sent her way. Don’t look interested. Don’t look interested, don’t look interested …

  As he stretched his hands behind his head and relaxed, Tera focused on the window so she didn’t have to see his stomach muscles flex hotly. Time to change the mantra. I’m not interested. I’m not interested …

  Finally, she snapped, “Don’t get too comfortable. And put your shirt back on. We’re heading a couple blocks down to the park.”

  “It’s dark now, is it really necessary to put on the shirt?” Sabin grinned mischievously.

  “Yes. It’s definitely necessary. I don’t know how you do things in the plane of the fog, but here in the realm of the city by the bay, one can get arrested for indecent exposure.”

  “You think me indecent?”

  Now he was messing with her. It was obvious she thought him quite decent in a very indecent way. “Oh yeah, an eyesore for sure.” Tera smirked at Sabin before crooking a finger, beckoning him. “Time for some target practice.”

  “You mean to take your frustrations out on me in the park, do you?”

  “You wish. I won’t be pummeling you anymore since I know it gets you hot. And I won’t be encouraging that. Now come on, I want to get acquainted with that cool gun of yours. If we get lucky, we’ll come across some vampires lurking about. Nothing makes me happier than leech hunting.”

  “Artemis created quite the blood-thirsty Dryad. I like it. I should let you know, Tera, that as a Knight of the Fog, I am forbidden from killing creatures who have not broken any of my laws.” He finally pulled on his shirt.

  “You mean a big hulking guy like you doesn’t just go berserk on the bad guys?” She raised an unimpressed brow.

  “I hope you mean hulking in a good way.” He released a slow smile on her that nearly made her toes curl. “And you’re welcome to my weaponry if you so desire, especially since you won’t let me carry it. Such outlandish laws here.” Sabin shook his head and opened the door to the small, charming room. His hand stretched through the doorway and Sabin bowed slightly. “After you.”

  “Thanks.” Tera was careful not to brush against Sabin’s body, which was entirely too large for the room. She all but had to squeeze against the doorway to avoid touching him. She heard him chuckle. “And I’m not bloodthirsty. I just do what needs to be done. As a matter of fact, there’s one vampire that I let live in Alameda. I followed him for a while and I determined two things; he gets most of his blood from the butcher, and he tips my baristas well. Therefore, he can stay.”

  As they made their way through the hotel, past the sleeping gatekeeper and out the door, Sabin looked confused. “Tipped your barista?”

  “Yeah, I own a coffee shop.”

  “So, how does a Dryad come to leave a forest and create a business?” Startled that he would ask so personal a question, Tera wondered exactly what to tell him. As she rounded the corner onto Cole Street, she glanced at Sabin. The tall, silvery-haired immortal looked absolutely glorious, his gaze lingering on her intently. Behind him, rows of pale-colored Victorian homes towered with dramatic, winding fire escapes.

  “People started coming to the forest quite often. The forest was safe though, protected. One day a beautiful bird flew into my branches, and after I spoke to it like I do most creatures, the bird took the form of a young girl.”

  “A shape shifter?”

  “No. A Wiccan. Although she hasn’t grown into her full abilities, her aunts enchanted her with the gift. For every tattoo she gets in the form of a bird, she can take its form. And unlike shape shifters, because it’s magic, she gets to keep all her clothes when she goes back and forth between forms.” She laughed, recalling her friend’s antics. “Sparrow is always bragging about her ‘special condition.’ She gets the best aspects of being a bird, without the heinous shape shifting drawbacks.

  “Anyway, she brought me some clothes one night and we went home together after dark when the park was closed to visitors. She was pretty young then, so part of me feels like her aunt or something, although now we appear to be of the same age.”

  Stepping onto the grassy grounds of the Panhandle, Tera continued to explain while Sabin listened, appearing captivated by her story. “So Sparrow took me home to her family, her coven of relatives. I guess you could say. I fit right in, or at least they made me feel like I do.” Tera giggled. “You see, they live in a giant Victorian house that they paid for with lottery winnings, so there’s plenty of room for me.”

  “That’s against Wiccan law,” he pointed out, his eyes smoldering.

  “Man, I would have pegged you for a rebel, not a pantywaist.”

  Now he really glowered. “Pantywaist? This is not in my vocabulary, but it does not sound good. It is my job to keep order. What do you expect?”

  “Well anyway, the Reed Coven is the most powerful coven in the Bay Area so nobody really tells them what to do. Effectively, I mean.”

  “I am sorry that I interrupted. Please tell me more about your beloved law-breaking relatives.”

  Tera detected a hint of teasing in his tone so she went on. “I moved into the house and I spruced up their garden. Like, major overhaul. You’d think a powerful coven of witches could manage their own estate. Geesh. But since I didn’t have a job, I had time on my hands. So anyways, with my Dryadically induced green thumb, I created quite the garden behind their house. I started my business by bringing my home-grown local produce to the Alameda Farmer’s Market. My fruits and vegetables were a hit. Eventually, Sparrow started using my lavender and ginger to create incredible baked confections that we also sold at the market. Then one day, the coven gave me a special gift on my birthday — by birthday I mean when Sparrow discovered me since we have no idea when I was really born. They gave me enough money to put a down payment on the spot for the coffee shop I’d been dreaming about.

  “I had been drawing and listing all the things I would offer for sale if I had a coffee shop. And I would have live music by local musicians and local art. I wanted it to be a community place, you know.”

  Tera finally sucked in a breath and noticed Sabin smiling. It was hard to contain her excitement when talking about the coffee shop. But she was starting to get the idea that he was entertained by her nostalgic ramblings, so she continued. “Sparrow was the first to sing at my open-mic night and, of course, she was so good people started coming back just to hear her — and drink my delicious coffee. Sparrow really does have a good voice, but then, she does quite a bit of singing when she’s in literal sparrow or warbler form. There’s been a couple times whe
n the aunts spelled me so that I had a desire to go up on stage with her, and boy was that a riot.”

  When Tera realized that Sabin’s gaze had never wavered from her all this time, she immediately decided to change the subject. Enough talking about moi. Small talk and arguing only from now on. “So, we’re far enough in the trees of the Golden Gate park now, about those weapons … ”

  “Yes, of course, you still have them in your leather jacket.” Sabin looked amused at her absent-mindedness. “You’re cute, Dryad. I like it when you give in to your passion. Even if it’s about a coffee shop and not me.”

  Tera blushed and pulled the astral gun from her inside pocket. She’d almost forgotten that she took it from Sabin since his tight shirt left little opportunity for proper concealment. The heavy silver gun weighed smooth in her hands. Looking it over, it looked like a pretty normal gun, save for the barrel, which was larger than most she’d seen. “So what’s the deal with this thing? It left a trail of something as it shot through the air.”

  “It’s an astral gun.” Sabin moved behind her, and grabbed the weapon from within her hands. Cupping them inside his own, he helped her to aim the gun at a sign across the park.

  “I know how to aim.” Tera muttered from their close proximity.

  “Yes, but the gun only works within my hands. You see, as a Knight of the Fog, the gun is crafted specifically for me. My mind controls the astral bullet.” Suddenly, Sabin re-aimed the gun to a nearby tree and fired. Tera screamed at the sight of the shimmering bullet heading for the tree. As a Dryad she couldn’t even fathom the pain, and if it had been her own trunk, she would have experienced the agony herself. But as she watched in horror, the bullet slowly dissolved into dust before it found its mark.

  “I can control the output of the astral gun and its bullets. If I shoot and then have a desire to retract the bullet, I can do so. You should know, Dryad, I would never inflict harm upon a tree. You think me that heartless?”