My headache worsened the more I thought about returning to the city. I was not ready and I knew it.
I left my tent, upset that I couldn’t say goodbye to my friends. I didn’t think I would return. I wasn’t sad about it; I was angry. They would quickly forget about me.
A gunship waited. There were five men on board. All were oversized Neanderthals with too many muscles said no girl ever. I was handed a headset. I rested it on my knees while I adjusted the flight straps. I put the headset over my ears and positioned the mic in case I was asked a question. Two men manned M61 Vulcan six-barrel rotary cannons, each facing an opposite doorway. I may not be able to shoot, but I hung out with the rangers and listened when they talked guns and ammo. A third soldier stood in the middle to keep the ammunition rolling if it were needed. A pilot and copilot sat up front. I chose one of three empty seats directly behind them.
I wondered why they thought all this firepower necessary but didn’t ask. The vampires and werewolves left the military alone for the most part, but there were contingents of humans who did not. It had never occurred to me that humans outside the military would be well armed. I hadn’t left the camp since the first day I walked into it and asked for a job. I was a scrawny kid of eighteen. Captain Davies took pity on me. I still had no idea why. I also didn’t understand why he wasn’t here to see me off. I shrugged his absence away, refusing to be upset.
Like the captain said, a backpack waited in one of the seats. It would easily slip over the sheath on my back. I opened the pack and discovered a change of clothes, including socks, a metal water bottle, and a large sack that took up most of the space. I opened it and saw smaller sacks. They were filled with black powder for bullets. Six bags total, about two pounds. They would sell for a small fortune. Guns were easy to come by, but bullets and powder were another story. It was a good choice for the black market.
I couldn’t help wondering how the city had changed. From conversations I overheard, things had calmed down, but gangs ruled throughout the human sector. I had hoped the vampires and werewolves would remove them but so far that hadn’t happened.
My father had made money by hiring out his sword to business owners who didn’t want gang protection. He was gone more than he was home. When I was four years old, he no longer left me with a sitter. He said I was safer on my own. Looking back, I realized I’d had trouble containing my power and he was worried the sitter would notice.
Tears built behind my eyes. I hated thinking about the past because it inevitably led to thoughts of my father’s death.
“They’ve found us and they’re coming after you,” my father said as he lay dying with a wound to his chest. He didn’t say who had found us. “Hide outside the city. You’ll know when you can come back. Say goodbye to Mira and Kenner but don’t linger. You will place them in danger.”
Mira and Kenner were our friends and the only people my father trusted.
He gripped my fingers tightly. “Promise me.”
Those were his last words. He died within minutes, his hand going limp in mine. I barely remembered his face now. That saddened me. He’d been my world and he was the only safety I’d had. I thought my life was over. The only thing that kept me going was my promise to leave the city and wait for something unknown to happen. I’d waited six years and the only thing different now was the tingling of energy that wouldn’t go away and was getting harder to hide. My limited magic, and that’s what I’d started thinking that it was, didn’t provide comfort. It scared the hell out of me.
I found the map Davies mentioned. The rangers had last been seen in a very dangerous section of the city. It was my father’s stomping ground and I was familiar with it. The businesses there might remember him and offer me a small bit of safety if Kenner and Mira were no longer in the city.
My head throbbed to the whoosh of the blades. I leaned back in the seat and closed my eyes. We would arrive outside the safe zone in about forty-five minutes. It was enough time for a nap.
If I’d known the dream would come, I would have vetoed sleep.
My second dream man was the star of this one. He was wilder than the other, slightly disheveled but equally as dangerous. His chestnut hair was unkempt and fell slightly past his shoulders. Where dream man one was hard lines of wiry muscle, these muscles bulged and I had trouble believing he could contain them under a shirt. He’d never worn one in the dreams so maybe I would never know.
I didn’t name my fantasy men. I’d tried but nothing suited them. If they continued doing delectable things to my body, I was okay with their namelessness.
The dream took place outside. He had never taken me indoors. I hid in the tall grass beside the river, but he found me like he always did. I wasn’t sure why I behaved like a scared rabbit until he touched me. This man loved the hunt and finding me was part of his game.
I lay still, barely breathing when he leaped over a large log and landed feet from my hiding place.
“Come out, little rabbit,” he said huskily.
I continued shaking until his hands lifted me by my arms. He held me up so I was facing him, his lips inches from mine.
“You can never hide from me,” he said.
I couldn’t and I wasn’t sure why I tried other than he liked the game.
“Please don’t hurt me,” I whispered.
“Will you cry if I hurt you?” he asked with a smile that made my heart beat faster.
“No,” I said. “You cannot make me cry.”
“Oh, little rabbit, I will make you scream,” he promised.
He moved backwards, carrying me like I weighed nothing. His back hit a tree and he lifted me higher. Using his teeth, he angrily tore my shirt so it hung open in front. In another move too quick for me to follow, my pants were gone with a small burning pain from where they ripped from my body. He forced my legs around his waist.
“Keep them locked or you won’t like the consequences,” he breathed against my skin.
I was braless and his mouth latched on to one of my breasts. He used one hand on my back to keep me in place while the other seared down my body. He wasn’t gentle when his fingers entered me. They were large and rough. He nipped my breast and the sweet pain had me grinding against him. His other hand moved from my back and found my ass cheek, his fingers digging into my flesh.
A deep growl left his throat when I tried to unlock my legs. This too was part of the game. He released my ass and jerked my head back, exposing my throat. His kisses had small nips with his teeth. I groaned and pressed harder into his fingers.
“No,” he said. “I control your body.”
His fingers punished me and I writhed in unfulfilled need. I pulled his hair and he laughed. I bit him much less gently than he did me and he moaned. Tears trailed down my face but I remained quiet. His hand returned to my ass and one of his large fingers rammed inside me while two punished me relentlessly.
I screamed to the sound of his laughter and my eyes jerked open. I sat up straight and looked around. No one was paying me any attention. I was surprised I hadn’t cried out in the small confines of the helicopter. The gunship landed. Sparks of power sizzled on my fingertips. I pushed it back. I’d learned to hide it when I was young, but it was growing stronger.
I glanced outside. The area was sparsely filled with vegetation though a tumbleweed rolled past.
“Get out,” said the captain.
I didn’t need to be told twice. I grabbed the pack and jumped four feet onto the sandy dirt. The blades never stopped spinning and as soon as I was outside, the chopper lifted into the air and flew away.
Just great, I thought to myself as I looked at the barren landscape.
I had a long hike in front of me, so I took the water bottle from the pack. My headache had not improved. I took a few swigs and put the water away. After adjusting my baseball cap, I started walking toward the tall buildings in the distance. They were deceiving. I had at least ten miles of walking ahead of me.
The dust settled from the chopper blades and I noticed more spewing behind the low hills. It seemed strange that the guys in the helicopter hadn’t noticed someone coming. Maybe the people ahead were here to accompany me into the city. It was a weak optimism.
I stared into the distance. Friend or foe?
Walking forward, I heard them a minute later and then saw three motorbikes. I walked over the hill and they were driving straight for me. They didn’t stop at first and I held my ground. Within minutes, they were circling about twenty feet around me. I waited while the dust spun up. It made breathing hard.Assholes.Finally, one drove closer and the others stopped.“Fancy finding a piece of tail out here?” the biggest and ugliest said from a few feet away.He was dressed in dirty jeans and a leather vest. No shirt to cover his overly hairy body. He had several thick gold chains around his neck and I wondered if they got caught up in his chest hair. His shaggy brown hair was oily and rivulets of sweat rolled down his dirty face into his scraggily unkempt beard. All I could smell were the bike exhaust fumes but I had a feeling they covered the group’s body odor. I should be thankful. My eyes quickly scanned the other two. Triplets came to mind. They matched all the way to their bushy bea
I found the hotel. It was run-down but no more so than the last time I’d seen it. This was where I’d gone after my father died.I opened the thick wooden door and entered. It was cooler inside with the Spanish tiled floor exactly as I remembered. A familiar woman stood behind the counter. She hadn’t aged.“We’re booked,” she said without looking up. “Try the rooms down the street.”She told everyone this.“Mira?” I asked.She looked up and examined me.“Who are you?” she asked.“Tara.”It took her a moment to accept that I was who I said I was. She walked from behind the counter and drew closer. The biggest smile broke across her face and I was wrapped in her ample arms and pulled against her wide body and bulging breasts. I couldn’t breathe for a moment; her hug was so tight.She released me and held me at arm’s length.“We thought you were dead.”“Why would you think that?” I asked quizzically.“It’s been six years,” she replied sternly.Mira and her husband Kenner—I didn’t know his
The wooden sword was perfectly balanced, though lighter than a metal sword. Kenner had his own metal forge and carved the wooden ones himself. I’d left my sword in my room. Kenner made it for me when my father commissioned it. Kenner said it was his best work. I looked at the swords on the wall and had trouble believing it. They were all beautifully detailed and made with love.We went straight to the courtyard to the area where I’d watched him and my father practice. There were rises of different heights on all sides with sand traps between. I would listen to the clash of their swords for hours as they dodged, jumped, and charged.My father never told Kenner he took it easy on him but I knew. We faced each other but neither of us bowed. Respect to your opponent was given after a fight. Kenner came at me with a solid mid strike which he pulled and reversed the blade so it came upward, looking for an opening.My fingers tingled and I dodged the move, knowing his intent.“You have been
After they walked inside, I stood where I was for a few minutes, wondering if talking to them about the gift was something I should have done. I hated being skeptical of people who obviously loved me, but my father’s training was hard to put aside.I had to trust my intuition and it told me Mira and Kenner would never betray me. I went upstairs to my room. My father’s sword remained in my hand. I placed it on the chest of drawers before I sat on the bed. I held the package for several minutes, simply savoring it. When I was ready, I attacked the string first. It was knotted and had to be cut. I slowly removed the paper. Inside was a square wooden box about an inch thick. It had no seam to open and I wondered if it was simply a piece of cut, polished wood. My fingers tingled as I held it. The energy grew until it lit up the entire room. I allowed it to expand. The box recognized my magic.Blue, purple, and green swirled around the room. I watched the wood change into something else ent
I kept a tight hold on the sword, adjusted my stance, and held on. It glowed and pulsed. My father’s instructions didn’t say how long to keep it in the dirt or that I should hold it. I’d never had an affinity for plants, but now, the surrounding plants reached toward me. I carefully released the sword with one hand and touched one. Its energy caressed my fingers. I exhaled in wonder.“Tara?” Kenner asked.I jumped and then turned and smiled.“My father gave me a few instructions,” I said excitedly. “Apparently, the plants and earth recharge my power. He never mentioned any of this to you?” It was a stupid question because I knew the answer.“He told me it was dangerous for me and Mira to know too much and I took him at his word. When I first met your father, the war between the vampires, werewolves, and humans was raging. The last thing humans needed to know was that there were more supernatural secrets.” He paused for a moment, picking his words carefully. “I was opposed to the vamps
“What are you doing here in the middle of the week, Kenner?” a large man, unwashed and wreaking of alcohol asked.“Get out of my way, Nelson. I have business and it’s none of yours.”“Bastard.”“Drunk.”We continued our slow and steady pace until I noticed motorbikes, very similar to the one stored in Kenner’s barn, parked along a cracked sidewalk.“They’ll know where you got the bike so better off leaving it where it is and ride the horse if you come back. They’ll also know how many of their men you had to kill too.”“It was three.”“Sword?”“Knives.”He bit his lip. “You need no lessons in lying.”I followed Kenner’s example and got off the horse when he did. We walked them closer to a small group of men and Kenner handed me his reins.“Is Murdock around?” he asked no one in particular.“Who wants to know?” The man who spoke was twice the size of Kenner. He wasn’t bad-looking in a Neanderthal kind of way. His shaggy hair reminded me of Dog. The man had recently worked on a motorbike
The rumors were the prophecy my father spoke of in his letter. It made sense but still didn’t help me.“I’m not some great savior,” I told him honestly. “I couldn’t even help myself when I left after my father died.”He waved his hand in frustration. “You found a position in the military as a civilian which is unheard of. You’ve kept your power a secret and stayed hidden. You saved yourself with no help.”“I had no choice,” I argued. “If it’s different, kill it. That’s the human anthem and why I’m in this mess. I’m—” I hesitated. “Different.”He stayed silent until we saw his home in the distance.“You are not a monster,” he said softly but with resolve.I hadn’t said monster but he knew I thought it.My father said he and my mother were powerful but the wielders hadn’t defeated the vampires or weres and they never faced humans. Healing others, making a sword burn, and tingly fingers were one thing, changing the world, quite another.Dinner was a quiet affair. Mira looked between me a
I moved on instinct. My sword was in my hand and blue fire lit up the room.“That answers my question,” the vampire said. He remained seated, seemingly unconcerned that I was prepared to remove his head from his body. “I would suggest you take a seat. It wasn’t easy to find you or get you here and we have much to talk about.”“I do not talk to vampires.”He smiled, showing fangs. His hand came up and he flicked his fingers. Murdock stood from the table and left the room with the man who showed me in.This gave me a minute to observe the vampire. The fact he was the most gorgeous man alive shouldn’t affect me, but it did. I had to remind myself that vampires were designed this way. They tempted their prey with staggering sexuality. I was not immune.“You are coming into your power,” he said.He knew who I was. This was not good. I remained in my fighter’s stance, ready for the coming battle.“Tara.” My name was a caress on his lips. “I have known who you are, what you are, and where yo