by Ponce, Jen
“I don’t know that many people here,” I said, not getting at what he was saying. If the Rider could only attach to people its host hated ...
His gaze was kind. “Do you think a man like that only has one enemy?”
NINE
I crawled back onto the furs with Krosh and we took a nap together. Last thing I remembered was his big hand stroking my hair. When I woke, he was asleep, color back in his cheeks. I pushed myself off the ground, and left him to hook back to Earth to see how much time had passed since I was gone. I wished I had a watch that would give me Earth time while I was in Midia and vice versa. It would make life a whole hell of a lot easier.
As it was, I arrived early morning, though I had a mini-panic attack until I found my phone to verify that it was Sunday. The kids would be home today, probably in the afternoon, knowing my father. I checked my messages but everything was quiet. Strange. The way my life went, I was surprised there wasn’t some disaster going on.
I took a quick shower before hooking back to the Dreaming Caves. The main cavern was empty but I could hear raised voices echoing throughout the chambers. It reminded me of the first time I’d met the coven of witches Arsinua belonged to. I’d been surprised that they were arguing, rather than chanting and dancing naked under the moon.
Real life wasn’t nearly as fun as the movies made it out to be.
I walked from the caves down to the village, nodding at people as I passed them. I slipped into Kroshtuka’s hut to find him still asleep. Of course. Did I think he’d be up, packing a bag or something? I stared down at him then yawned hard enough to cause my jaw to ache. I needed to sleep too and I knew better than to do it here. I’d lose tons of time. With a sigh of regret, I hooked away home and crawled into bed fully clothed, hoping nothing would happen but sleep. Sweet, blessed sleep.
I supposed peace was too much to hope for. The phone rang, waking me, and I fumbled for my cell. “Hello?”
“You are a hard lady to get a hold of.”
“Hey Naomi, what’s up?” I hoped she wasn’t about to ask me to have coffee with her. I didn’t have time, though maybe I needed to make an exception anyway.
“You haven’t heard?”
I gripped the phone. “Danni?”
“No. No, sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. No, I was calling because the husband of that client you helped on Friday somehow escaped from jail. His body was found outside of town. Mutilated.”
A memory swirled around in my head and was gone before I could pin it down. “Oh. Marco Rivera?”
“Yeah. No one knows how he got out and so far, the cops have no idea who killed him. His wife had an alibi, thank God, or you know they would have tried to pin it on her.”
We chatted for a little while and then, after making a lunch date for a couple weekends down the road, we hung up and I called Danni. When she answered, I said, “Are you okay?”
“Yes, why?”
I told her about my conversation with Naomi and felt her worry through the phone. “Do you think it’s a little too coincidental that he was freed from jail so soon after Harrison?”
“Yes.” There was that niggle of memory again, but I couldn’t catch hold of it. “But I don’t know what the connection would be, besides the fact that they both abused their wives.”
“Do you think the group that freed Harrison helped Marco?”
I just didn’t know and told her so. Maybe none of it was connected. My client had told me Marco sold drugs. He might have gotten on the wrong side of the wrong people. “Just stay extra alert.”
“If I get any more alert, I will have a heart attack,” she said.
“I wish they’d just catch him.” I wondered if Tytan had picked Harrison up yet. He knew where the bastard was; all he had to do was snatch him up and take him to the Slip. No more Harrison to worry Danni.
“Me too. Thanks for checking up on me.”
“Of course. And if you need a break, let me know. I can pop you to the other side of the world in a blink, you know.”
She laughed. “Maybe I need to visit the Riviera.”
We joked about the endless travel opportunities hooking presented, playing on the word until we were both teary eyed from laughter. Then we said our goodbyes and I tucked my hand under my pillow and tried very hard to go back to sleep.
***
When I woke, the house was quiet. I checked my phone and saw I’d missed a text from Dad.
‘At Chuck E. Cheese. Trying to win the bad ass remote control truck.’
I laughed and shook my head. Knowing my father, they would stay until he ran out of money or they won. I had a few more hours yet of alone time. I stretched and made those noises people make when no one is listening.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.”
I jerked upright. “What the hell? Get out, Ty.”
My kids’ kitten was sitting in the middle of his naked chest, purring loudly. “She likes me.”
“Yeah, well, she’s young and deluded. Why are you here?” I climbed out of my bed, wanting to have space between me and his six pack.
He smiled one of his, ‘I want to fuck you now,’ smiles and stroked the cat. “I missed you.”
“Uh huh. You saw me. Now go.” I didn’t say it with any heat because I knew he wouldn’t leave until he was damn good and ready.
“I have news about Amara.”
Now that was interesting. “What’s she up to?”
“She’s plotting your downfall and cursing you, since some of her spawn are wanting to pledge themselves to you. As are many other Skrivens’ spawn. You’ve started a revolution.” Cheeseweed leaned into his fingers as he found a sweet spot. When I looked up, he was grinning, his gaze as palpable as a lover’s touch. Shit.
“I didn’t start anything. For heaven’s sake, if they’d treated their spawn better, none of this would be happening.”
“But they didn’t and now you are acting savior of the Slip.” He patted the bed next to him and I snorted. “You’ll have to go home and accept their pledges.”
“No.”
“Yes.” He moved the kitten and sat up, the covers falling off his torso.
My eyes dipped down, of course they did, and I was relieved he had pants on. Sort of relieved. No, really relieved, I told myself. I had a boyfriend and—
“You need to cement your power. The more spawn you have, the more power, and the less likely anyone else will try something against you.” He was moving toward me on his knees, the covers wrinkling and folding in front of him as he pushed forward.
Like an idiot, I stood in the same spot as he came to the edge of the mattress—inches from me. “Why don’t you have a shirt on?” I remembered the feel of his soul in my arms and shivered.
He reached out and traced my jawline with his thumb. The heat from his touch made me shiver, then my whole back shook as his hand slipped around my shoulders. Tension I didn’t know I had riding there eased, and I sighed in relief.
“See how useful I am?” His lips were entirely too close and lassitude crept over me all at once, making me wonder if he’d learned a new trick. Apathy. I didn’t care that he was close, or that his chest was suddenly pressed against mine, the ridiculous heat of him making my nipples respond.
“What are you doing?” I asked, but the words were slurred, as if I’d had a few too many shots of tequila.
“Enjoying the sight and smell of your arousal.”
Lust uncoiled itself in my belly—not the manufactured kind Ty was good at creating. This was all my own and it filled me with a slender ribbon of white-hot desire, loosening my arm and leg muscles but tightening everything in my core with anticipation. “Well, knock it off.”
“I don’t think I will.” He brought his lips almost to mine. His breath warm on my skin. The color of his eyes had changed from their normal reddish brown to Jasper’s grey when Ellison had flung his soul at Tytan. Now, though, the grey was gone, Ty’s eyes a deep crimson, his pupils dilated His other hand slid arou
nd my waist and pulled me even closer, pressing me against his hard body and even harder cock. “Damn you smell good.” His voice lowered further, until it was almost a growl that weakened my knees. “I bet you taste even better than you smell.”
His lips possessed mine. Everything about him overwhelmed me. His heat, his hardness. The smell of him and the taste. Oh god. The taste was like nothing else I’d experienced. It tasted of sex. Liquid sex. My desire roiled from my center like the super-heated air forced upward by an explosion. A supernova in the dark vacuum of space. He could destroy me, this I understood. This lust was a black hole that would pull me inexorably over his event horizon, making me believe I had nothing to fear, as I stretched like taffy and his gravity consumed me.
My hands went to his chest to push him away when the door opened. I felt the cooler air waft in and heard the horrified gasp of Arsinua behind us. Ty didn’t release me and I couldn’t make him let go. I physically couldn’t resist him and knew that he had to be doing something that was fucking with my mind. It was the only explanation, right?
“Devany.” Arsinua’s voice held accusation and condemnation. It pissed me off but I was in no position to answer her.
The kiss deepened and I fell into it again, losing myself. Had anyone asked me if I could have sex while someone watched, I would have said, “Hell no,” until now.
“Devany! He’s using his magic on you.”
Not magic, I wanted to tell her. Something else. Just when I thought I might let him pull me down on the bed and horrify the witch, he pulled away from me. Our lips parted with that exquisite sound of souls parting and his eyes were on mine. He didn’t say a word, just smoothed a finger over my swollen lips and then disappeared.
“Shit,” I breathed.
“How could you?”
I wanted to wallow in the sensations, not discuss the kiss with Ms. Frowny Pants. “He kissed me.” It sounded lame, even to me, but it was true. He’d kissed me. Then I kissed him back. And, oh dear heavens, it was good.
“He’s evil. A killer and stealer of souls. Or have you forgotten?”
I swung around to face her. “I’m a stealer of souls too, or have you forgotten?”
Her expression didn’t change from one of deep disgust. “He’s a monster and you keep forgetting that. Do you want to let him kill your family?”
“Knock it off, Arsinua. He’s never touched any of them.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “He put your husband in the hospital.”
Damn it, she was right. “He helped me get you a body. He helped me defeat Ravana.” My voice rose as I spoke. “He’s helped me stay alive!”
“He is luring you in and you don’t even see it.”
The utter disdain in her voice pissed me off. “I’m not stupid.” The words were low and angry. She took a step back and I realized I’d balled my hands into fists at my sides. I forced my fingers to uncurl. “Get out of my room. You need to knock first.”
“I wanted to tell you I read your father’s book,” she said, stepping into the hall. She tossed the paperback to the floor at my feet. “Read it. It’s important.” Then she walked away, her back straight and her movements stiff.
I glared after her, then took two steps to shut the door in her wake. I didn’t slam it, though I was tempted.
My father’s book looked good. A woman stood on the cover, her arms outstretched as she surveyed a giant blue pit. The stars in the sky looked unreal. I realized I was looking at Tempest Peaks, which was ridiculous because it was on Midia and—
I sat down hard on the end of my bed and opened the book.
“To my beautiful wife. I wish you were here to read our story.”
My heart thudded painfully in my chest as I read.
***
Dad and the kids came home a couple hours later. By that time I’d read enough to know that Dad had, at some point in his life, been to Midia. Mom, too. I couldn’t even put what my feelings were into words. I had no idea how to ask him about it. And either he’d sat there and lied to Arsinua about not knowing anything about Bran the Forsworn, or he really didn’t remember. That he had perhaps heard the story somewhere didn’t make sense, and I doubted he would have been able to put so many of the tiny details in that he had, if he hadn’t been in Midia, experiencing them for himself.
“Mom! We had so much fun,” Bethy said as they walked in. She had a stuffed boa constrictor around her neck and a sucker in her mouth. Liam was grinning around his own sucker and he was holding the mythical remote control truck. I cut my eyes to Dad.
“It looks like it,” I said, giving Dad the stink eye. How much money did you spend? I mouthed.
He smiled at me, looking as happy and hopped up on sugar as the kids. “Did you know it’s really hard to crawl through those tube thingies? Liam had to help me out. Got stuck in a bend.”
I wasn’t even surprised my father had been crawling around in the tubes designed for kids. He had always been a rather young-at-heart kind of guy.
“Mom, we have to go back to Chuck E Cheese soon. They have to get a new top prize now that we have the old one.” He lifted the truck to show me and I exclaimed over the flashy paint job and chrome exhaust pipes thrusting from the back of the cab like triumphant fists.
“You guys stopped wanting to go to that place four years ago.” I petted the snake, which had the same over-stuffed feel of a carnival toy, then admired their pictures with the mouse himself. “You guys had way too much fun.”
“Grandpa needs to stay here forever,” Bethy said, wrapping her arms around my Dad’s waist.
“And take us to Chuck E Cheese every weekend.”
“And the zoo.”
“You’ll bankrupt him in less than a month.” I gave Liam a hug before he disappeared into the living room. “Dad? Can I talk to you?” I held up his book and his smile widened.
“Did you love it?”
He really didn’t know. I nodded. “I’m not all the way done yet but it’s really well-written. The details are actually amazing. So real.”
He tapped his temple with a finger from his free hand, his other patting my daughter on her shoulder. “Imagination. Never lost it, though a lot of old dudes do.”
Arsinua came upstairs then, and she didn’t look any less pissed with me than she had when she’d walked in on Tytan and me kissing. Well, he’d kissed me. I had ... what? Stood there? I’d done more than that. I’d wanted to do more than that, despite knowing he wasn’t exactly a good guy—or even a guy. Despite Kroshtuka. And I thought Arsinua knew it, which was doubly damning. It wasn’t any of her business, but her disapproval stung nonetheless. And anyway, a kiss wouldn’t end the world. “Dad, can we go out on the back porch and talk. You, me, and Arsinua?”
“I want to go too.” Bethy hadn’t let go of my dad’s waist and looked determined to press the issue.
“Okay. It’s probably best you come with us. We want to talk about healthy sexuality.” I looped an arm around my daughter’s shoulders. “You’ve been doing projects in health class, right? You guys talked about contraception yet?”
“Mom, it’s not going to work. I know you’re just trying to get rid of me.” She tipped her head up and whispered in my ear, “Is this about magic?”
“No.”
She stared at me and then frowned. “Fine. It’ll probably be boring anyway.” She squeezed Dad one more time. “Thanks, Grandpa. If you want to take us home with you, I wouldn’t complain.” She shot me a glare and left the room, headed upstairs to slam her bedroom door, no doubt. I wasn’t even sure why she was so angry. I would have to figure out how to include her in more, no matter what it was.
“What just happened?” Dad asked, his fuzzy white eyebrows raised.
“Hormones.” I paused, sighed. “She feels left out and I’m not good at including her when she needs to be in on the conversation. So she’s upset with me and rightly so, I imagine.”
“Honey, kids aren’t that complicated. You weren’t.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I raised my voice so Liam could hear me over the video game gunshots. “We’ll be out back.”
“‘Kay.”
We settled on the porch, me in the swing, Dad on the glider, and Arsinua perched on the railing.
“I feel like I’m sitting out front of the principal’s office. What’s up, ladies?”
I held up his book. “How did you come up with this story?”
He glanced between us. “You think I stole it or something?”
“No. I think you’ve lived everything in this story.”
He laughed and propped his flip-flop covered feet on the rail beside Arsinua. “Sweetheart, you know that’s a book, right? A work of fiction?”
“Dad, I’ve—” I stopped, having just been ready to say, ‘I’ve been to the places you’ve described in here. This could be a tour book for another world just off our own.’ I looked at Arsinua with a ‘help me’ face.
“Morgan, remember that story about Bran the Forsworn?”
“Bran the Forsworn?” He paused, thinking, then shook his head. “No. No, I’d remember something like that.”
“Dad, she told you that story Friday evening when you got here.”
“What story? And don’t you dare try to make me think I have Alzheimer’s or something. I don’t. I remember the introductions and that she thought I looked familiar.” His words trailed off as Arsinua moved to stand beside him, holding her hands over his head as if his hair was on fire and she was warming her hands over the flames.
“There’s a tangle of knots here.”
His hand brushed over his balding dome. “I comb my hair every day, thank you very much.”
Magic, she mouthed.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Someone had, what? Wiped my dad’s memory? Made sure he couldn’t remember Midia or the things he’d seen there? Well, I guessed it wasn’t working too well. He could remember them long enough to write them down. But how had my dad gotten into Midia? Had they been looking for a cure for her cancer? Had they wandered in by mistake, like I had?
