Lost at Sea Book 2 DriftersChapter 24
- 4 years ago
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“Get out!” Belita yelled as the door opened.
“Nope,” Danica said, walking in and shutting the door behind her.
“I said leave!” Belita snarled, pushing herself halfway up into an unsteady, angry crouch.
“And I said no,” Danica shrugged. She walked over and sat down against the wall next to the Captain. “Part of my job is to tell you no when you need it. Right now you need it. What’s going on?”
“Insubordinate… I’m going tae-” Belita couldn’t find the words.
“What? Lock me up? Whip me? Hang me?” Danica prompted. “Then who will run your ship while you’re drunk in the middle of the day?”
“Fuck ye,” Belita glared.
“Fuck me?” Danica asked, a hint of anger seeping into her voice. “We’re marooned. We have a busted hull, limited supplies, half the crew is injured, the noble we’re carting around is pissed off, and you’re in here drinking yourself stupid and crying!”
“I just need some time,” Belita snarled.
“We don’t have time! None of us do!” Danica barked. “The longer we’re stuck on this island, the more likely we are to die here. Even if we don’t die, the more likely it is that if we manage to get out to sea again that Morant will decide to cut his losses! You know what happens then?”
“Yes,” Belita shook her head. “I cannae do it.”
“The fuck you can’t,” Danica glared.
“I cannae!” Belita repeated. “I buggered this up past salvage! I never should have taken this job. We’re barely on our way, and I’ve already gotten us shipwrecked. A dozen dead already. How are we ever going tae make it through the Drifts? This is a cursed voyage.”
“Yup,” Danica agreed.
“Oh, fuck ye,” Belita spat again.
“What, do you want me to try to convince you otherwise? Sounds like you got the situation pretty well figured out.” Danica put her hands behind her head and relaxed. “Things are bad. Some of it is your fault, but most is just bad luck. Are you going to wallow it it, or lead us out?”
“I got us into this. I’m nae fit tae get us out,” Belita swallowed, tears welling in her eyes again.
“Then we really are fucked, because you’re the only one who can,” Danica said with a shrug.
“Ye’ll do just fine. Ye got Reeve tae help ye,” Belita shook her head.
Danica laughed and looked at the captain like she was mad. Danica laughed and looked at the captain like she was mad. “Reeve! You think this crew, your crew, is going to follow Reeve?! That man’s terrifying! You know that, right? He’s one hell of a sailor, and he knows how to get the job done, but he leads through fear. He makes a good bosun for you because you can counter that with inspiration and not let him push too far, but you’ve heard the stories of his ship, right? You want the Kestrel to turn into that?”
“At least ye’d all be alive,” Belita said bitterly.
“Is that what this is?” Danica asked, turning to face her friend. “Yeah. People died. A lot of people. Some were crew that had been with us years, some we barely knew, and they died on our watch. It’s awful. It hurts like hell, and we’re burying them tonight, and the whole crew is going to need you to help them get through it.”
“I cannae even get m’self through it,” Belita shook her head. “I’ve never lost this many. Those fucking monsters.”
“That’s what you have me for,” Danica said. “And Coleman, and Will. We’re your officers. Our job is to help you through the things you can’t do on your own. So let us help?”
“I cannae see the horizon on this one,” Belita shook her head. “I’m gonnae get all of ye killed.”
“That’s life on board a ship,” Danica put her arm around the Captain's shoulders. “We can’t always see where we’re going. We get through it together.”
“I’m not who you think I am, Danni,” Belita said quietly.
“I know,” Danica nodded.
Belita froze. “You know?”
“Of course. You came out of nowhere. A fully formed legend that spread like wildfire, and one adventure after another. I was swept up in it at first, same as everyone. It’s why I joined you. Eventually, I started seeing the gaps though. No one had sailed with you before about seven years ago. You’re not that old, so I figured someone must have remembered you from before you were a captain. You had to have started somewhere. A navigator, a bosun, a quartermaster. Someone had to have known who you sailed with before, but no one did. Before you were Captain of the Kestrel, you were someone else.”
Belita leaned away, studying Danica’s face in the dim lantern light. “You knew? And you didn’t say anything?”
“Actions speak louder than words. I didn’t need to know who you were before to know you were the best Captain I’d ever sailed with. By the time I figured it out, you were also my friend. I didn’t see the use in ever bringing it up. You wouldn’t be the first sailor to take to the seas to run away from their past.”
Belita laughed like she was trying not to cry. “Ye are too damn smart, ye know that?”
“Go on,” Danica smirked.
“Ye always see the gaps, the holes in the stories, the things gone missing. It’s one hell of a gift. Wish I had it,” Belita smiled.
“If you had it, you wouldn’t need me,” Danica grinned.
“I’ve cocked this right up, haven’t I?” Belita sighed. “I thought it was out of my system last night, but it came back this morning with a vengeance. I just can’t shake feeling like a failure.”
“Nobody knows but me,” Danica said. “Oh, and Bella. You owe her a pretty big apology, by the way.”
The Captain’s eyes went wide. “Bella? How’s she know? What did I do?”
“She came in earlier. You scared the daylights out of her,” Danica said.
“Is that who that was? I didn’t even look,” Belita groaned. “Poor lass.”
“Poor lass is right. She started having… I don’t even know what to call it. You remember DeCoin? His night terrors, and how he’d be after he woke up?”
“Aye,” Belita nodded. “Near unresponsive for a while. Locked in his own head with fear. Music helped him.”
“Bella was like that,” Danica explained.
Captain Vex’s eyes went wide. “Because of me?”
“The Doctor says it’s because of stuff she went through a long time ago, and it’s been brought back because of last night. Now, things like being yelled at make her shut down like DeCoin did,” Danica explained.
Belita groaned. “I dinnae mean to… Dammit.”
“Just talk to her. I don’t think she’s going to hold a grudge,” Danica gave Belita a small squeeze.
“Of all the bad luck and bad decisions that got us here, I have tae go and add ‘upset a witch’ to the list.” Belita rubbed her hands across her face.
“How about we start by fixing that, then move on to surviving the jungle?” Danica suggested.
Belita nodded and stood up. Her legs were unsteady from sitting against the wall for so long, and the rum in her veins didn’t help. She took a step in the direction of where her mirror used to be, then stopped. “Dammit.” She turned around. “How do I look?”
“Ragged, just like the rest of us,” Danica shrugged.
“Guess it doesn’t matter,’ Belita shook her head. Normally she obsessed about her appearance, and the impression she left on people. Right now, she just didn’t care. Somehow, in this situation, that feeling was empowering.
“Nope,” Danica smiled. “Let's go.”
_________________________
He didn’t even bother getting undressed. He just kicked off his boots and walked into the steaming hot spring with Tonya’s sleeping form cradled in his arms.
Feathers rinsed off of them and started floating away in the water as he stepped deeper and deeper in, until the water took Tonya’s weight and left him barely lifting her. He found the nearest ledge and sat. She curled against his shoulder and sighed happily.
The water was soothing and hot. Caine didn’t come here often. He wasn’t a fan of bathing in public, and while the hot springs weren’t open to customers, they were always public to the people who lived here. Tension began to flow out of him and he found himself wondering why he didn’t do this more often.
“S’nice,” Tonya muttered.
“You alright?” Caine asked. Her tiny body felt good in his arms. He wanted to take care of her, and keep her safe. He also wanted to fuck her until they both collapsed. He scowled, wondering where those thoughts kept coming from. He transferred her weight to one arm and used the other to adjust his uncomfortable erection.
Tonya’s took advantage of being moved to tilt her head and kiss his neck, then his jaw. He froze, feeling like he should stop her but unable to make himself say the words.
“You’re so nice to me,” Tonya said sleepily.
Caine sighed, exasperated at the situation but not knowing what to say.
“Stop it,” she said, feebly thumping her fingers into his chest just above the water. “You pretend like you’re a big grump, but you love us all, and you take care of us.”
“I am a big grump,” Caine said half-heartedly.
“Only ‘cause it keeps everyone away. ‘Cept me,” Tonya said into his neck. “I’m inside now.”
Caine sighed. “That’s not good. I can’t play favorites.”
“Guess you’ll have to let everyone else in too, ‘cause I ain’t letting you push me away,” Tonya kissed his neck again.
Caine tipped his head back against the smooth stone walls of the hot spring. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so conflicted. He was used to occasionally being at odds with himself. He was usually of two minds about everything, but usually, those minds agreed in principle. This felt different. Tonya was different, and he had no idea what to do about it.
He let his breath deepen and sunk down into himself, opening his mind and shedding his bodily sensations in that way he’d practiced so many times. The heat and comfort of the spring made it even easier than usual.
He stepped out of himself and into the swirling mists of the Ways Between. Then his golden counterpart followed. They stood next to each other, sharing a quick glance before focusing their respective gazes on the scene before them. He held a half-asleep, nude, beautiful young witch. Her head was resting on his shoulder and her arms were wrapped around his neck. Her face was contented and trusting.
“You aren’t worried about drowning?” his golden counterpart asked.
“We’re both right here. We can see her. And ourselves,” Caine shrugged. “I’m more worried about… everything else. What the hell do we do about this?”
“I have no idea. This sort of thing isn’t exactly in my realm of experience,” his glowing clone answered.
“Mine either,” Caine sighed.
“Oh come now,” his counterpart laughed. “I know you’ve been through this sort of thing before. You have children.”
“A lifetime ago, before you,” Caine countered.
“Several lifetimes ago,” the other Caine agreed. “My arrival can’t have erased your memory thought.”
“Having kids doesn’t mean you know what the hell you’re doing,” Caine shook his head. “This emotional bullshit was never my strong suit. That’s why I left it behind. I fucked it up bad. I don’t want to put her through that.”
“So you do care,” the other Caine said with a knowing smile.
“I do. She’s right. I care about all of them. Her especially, now. No idea why though,” Caine scowled. “You have to admit, this isn’t like us at all.”
“No, it isn’t.” The other Caine walked around the still pair in front of them, walking on the surface of the water, casting a golden glow across the grey ripples and through the mists. “That doesn’t mean it is a bad thing though.”
“I just want to know what it is,” Caine said, frustrated.
“We talked about this,” his other half said. “Go see Alexandra.”
“I was hoping not to have to do that,’ Caine rolled his eyes.
Tonya lifted her head and looked at Caine’s peaceful face. She smiled, then slowly adjusted herself until she was straddling him.
“Oh, she is getting ideas,” his golden half smiled.
“Fuck,” Caine groaned, stepping towards his body again.
His glowing twin put his hand on his shoulder. “Why stop her? Why not enjoy this?”
Caine gave his counterpart a surprised look. “Because last time we blew up the vestibule, and nearly killed Janie.”
“We were connected to a powerful source of energy at the time. It may be different. This is an opportunity to learn something,” the other Caine insisted.
Caine gave his twin a critical look. “You know, for being born without a dick, you’re awfully horny.”
The other Caine snorted derisively. “Born. Ha.”
Tonya took Caine’s head between her hands and tilted it towards her, looking at him lovingly. She gave him a gentle kiss and said something that they couldn’t hear while they were in the Ways.
He was conflicted. Again. How had this girl so quickly managed to get inside his head? Was he being too stubborn? Well, yes. He was always too stubborn. He just didn’t like feeling like he didn’t understand what was happening to him. He needed more information. Maybe his other half was right. Would it be so bad to give in to this? Maybe they’d figure something out. “Fine,” Caine said flatly.
“Oh yes, complain more about the affection of a lovely young woman,” his golden twin rolled his eyes, stepping forward on the opposite side.
Together they stepped back into their body and Caine opened his eyes. “What did you say?”
“I asked if you were awake,” Tonya said, her apologetic shyness belied by her obvious ardor.
Caine huffed out a short laugh. “Am now.”
“You shouldn’t fall asleep in the bath. You could drown,” Tonya cautioned.
“Weren’t you just asleep in the bath?” Caine raised an eyebrow in challenge.
“Well yeah, but that’s because I thought you were looking out for me,” Tonya said with a mocking glare.
“Ouch,” Caine said with a half-smile. “Well, I wasn’t really asleep. I was meditating.”
“Suuuure,” Tonya smirked.
“I was still holding you up, wasn’t I?” Caine asked pointedly.
“You obviously just sleep all weird and tense, like you do everything else,” Tonya shrugged.
“I am not tense,” Caine said flatly.
Tonya snorted. “You are the stiffest drunk guy I’ve ever seen. I’ve never seen you consume anything but beer, and every night I’m pretty sure you're the most sober person in the whole building.”
“Maybe I just have a high tolerance?” Caine suggested.
“You need to switch to something stronger just so you can relax,” Tonya teased.
“I’m pretty relaxed right now,” Caine shrugged.
“You still have your clothes on,” Tonya deadpanned.
“I didn’t want to put you down to take them off!” Caine scoffed.
“You can take them off now,” Tonya suggested, her eyes full of mischief and promise.
Caine didn’t move. His face clouded with conflict.
Tonya sighed and rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She started to climb off him and his arms snaked around her waist tightly. She turned her face back to him, surprise and confusion warring in her eyes. Their eyes met. Caine still didn’t say anything, but she knew. “You’re worried,” she said. “Because of last time. Bella’s place, and Janie, and… everything.”
Caine nodded slowly. “Yes.”
“But you want this anyway,” Tonya said.
“Yes.”
Tonya reached beneath the water and hooked the hem of his tunic, pulling it off over his head. “All I did earlier was break a bed. We’ll be fine.”
“Weren’t you upset about not being able to… finish?” Caine asked, letting her undress him.
“That’s why I need this now. I’m so keyed up I might explode,” Tonya said. Caine gave her a pointedly worried look. She gave him an exaggerated, apologetic grin. “Alright, poor choice of words.”
Caine chuckled. “This might be a very bad idea.”
“Are you ever optimistic about anything?” Tonya teased as she tugged on his belt.
“Not if I can help it,” Caine shrugged.
She slid off his knees into the pool, tugging his pants free in one steady yank, and let them float away as she slid back into his lap. “Let's see if we can give you something to be hopeful about.”
Caine’s strong hands pulled her in. Their lips met fiercely. Tonya was so frustrated and turned on that she thought she might bruise herself on his mouth, and Caine was brimming with pent-up, barely restrained carnal tension. The heat between her legs was hotter than the water. As her slit found his shaft she hissed contentedly. He groaned and gripped her ass with both hands, grinding her compact body onto his length. Her fingers gripped into the meat of his shoulders. She reveled in the feeling of his powerful muscles as they transitioned between soft and hard with every squeeze of his hands.
That feeling of energy transferring between them returned. Tonya could feel her passion beginning to wane as tiredness crept up within her. Surprise and worry were mirrored in their faces as their eyes met. Tonya scowled defiantly.
“Hurry up and fuck me,” she said fiercely. “If I’m going to get tired anyway, might as well make it worth it.”
Caine’s concern was written all over his face. “Are you-”
“Yes!” Tonya cut him off. She reached between their legs and took hold of his shaft, lining it up with her entrance. The water made it easier to move around, but washed away some of her natural lubricant. She was so turned on that there was still more than enough. She rotated the head of his cock against her soft folds until together they created a slippery seal and he slid inside her. Not far, but enough. Then she rocked her hips, working him deeper into her inch by inch. He took a long, shallow breath and held her hips tightly, helping push her down onto his length.
She was hot, and tight, and practically squirming with need when she finally got his entire length inside her. She rolled her hips forward so she could press her clit against his hard pubic bone and took his head in both hands. They moaned into each other’s mouths as she began to grind, stirring her insides with his hard shaft.
The water rippled outward creating small waves in the hot spring as Tonya rocked her body. The floating feathers lapped to the edges of the pool in time with her quickening breath. She could feel her fatigue building. That steady, constant drain from being in contact with Caine was maddening. The warm water and the feeling of being held was so comforting, it would be so easy to just close her eyes and drift off to the wonderful sensation of having Caine inside her, but she forced herself to stay present and awake. She wanted to come! She was determined this time!
She added some up-down motion to her grinding, letting Caine’s cock start rubbing past that magic pleasure button inside her. Every downstroke she rolled her hips to grind her clit against him. The sensations alternated. The squeezing, pulsing tension inside her played back and forth with the spike of intensity that tingled up her spine as she rubbed against his pubic bone. She rode him and held his head in her hands, letting the bliss build. She was so fiercely turned on that she reached that familiar threshold in moments.
She closed her eyes and tried to push herself over the edge...
It was like trying to catch water. The harder she tried, the faster it slipped away. She growled in frustration as the tension reached a wonderful simmer but refused to boil over. Normally she’d be rolling into her first orgasm already, but she... Just. Couldn’t. Get there!
Caine was coming more alive. His trepidation was clearly gone, and he was rocking his hips in time with hers. His strong hands pulled and pushed, keeping her held tightly down against him. She pulled his shoulders forward, luxuriating in the feeling of his smooth, hard chest rubbing against her nipples.
Her breathing was erratic, her whole body tense with need, but she just couldn’t reach release. She closed her eyes and sank into her own sensations, going back to Bella’s most basic teachings. She imagined herself as a reservoir, and tried to feel how full she was, tried to feel the pressure building.
It wasn’t.
It felt like her reservoir was… enormous. The same amount of buildup just wasn’t enough.
That was the problem. The pressure was actually diminishing, which was why she was having to try so hard to maintain her level of arousal. Her head was so very there, but her body was slipping into exhaustion faster than she could build the pressure up enough. It was making her work harder. She could even feel it. She knew exactly where it was going. Now that she was paying attention, she could feel a second reservoir. No. Not one. Two.
What the hell was going on?
It seemed like the energy she usually built up during sex, that ‘primal kint-esessence', or whatever Bella called it, was being drained away into Caine. Twice.
His hand traced warm wet water up her back and gripped the base of her neck. The water cooled quickly causing a shiver to roll through her. The shuddering clench around his cock curled her toes. He gently bit her bottom lip and she moaned into his mouth and was suddenly right back into the breathtaking sensations again.
It occurred to her that just like the other night when she was sharing the bed with Janie, she was getting easily distracted by other thoughts. Earlier with her John, her head just wasn’t in the game like usual. Now, she was distracted by thoughts of the water, and her reservoir, and whatever was going on with this strange connection with Caine.
She was also just tired.
“I need you to take over,” she whispered into Caine’s lips. “I can’t keep this up much longer.”
“Are you alright?” Caine asked.
“Yes. I think. There’s something going on with my… magic. I’m trying to figure it out. I don’t think it’s dangerous, so stop worrying,” Tonya reassured him, dragging her lips up his ear while she ground down on his cock.
“You’re getting obnoxiously good at figuring out what I’m thinking,” Caine growled.
“So punish me,” Tonya nipped at his ear.
Caine lifted her abruptly, sending water cascading down their bodies. She yelped in happy surprise and hung on as he stood up. He turned her around and laid her down on the smooth stone at the edge of the hot spring. It was slick and cool, and surprisingly comfortable. He pulled her thighs, dragging her into position and driving hard into her. Her eyes fluttered and she gripped the edge of the pool to keep herself from being pushed away by his thrusting hips. “Yessss,” she hissed.
He fucked her hard. Fast. Deep. The water splashed around his thighs. Unlike Tonya, he was feeling better than he had in days. Since before Bella’s catastrophic ritual. He was finally starting to feel like himself again. Maybe his counterpart was right. This felt good.
Tonya was splayed out on the dark, wet stones, her legs resting on his shoulders, rolling her head back and forth in exhausted bliss. She was gorgeous. He liked how his hands nearly encircled her tiny waist. Her smallish breasts bounced and rippled with each thrust. He bent down and took one of her hard nipples in her mouth. She grabbed the back of his head and let out a plaintive moan of frustrated need.
“Fuck, I’m so close,” she whined. “I can feel it. Harder!”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Caine said a little worried about the stone, and how hard he was thrusting.
“Fucking hurt me!” Tonya snapped, sitting up on her elbows and glaring at him. “No more worry, no more, holding back. I’m not made of glass! Fuck me like you want to break me in half!”
Caine slowed down, worried.
She slapped him.
He stopped, surprised and shaken.
She slapped him again. “If you stop now, I’ll never speak to you again.”
He blinked, completely taken aback. It didn’t really hurt, but the violence of it was completely unexpected.
“Do you know what this feels like?” She glared. “You know when you’re trying to yawn, but get interrupted?”
“Oh, that’s not fun,” Caine said, not sure of how else to respond.
“Imagine that, for the last two days!” She snapped. “Because you are stealing my breath!”
“What?” Caine asked, completely confused.
“It’s going into you!” Tonya said fiercely. “Every time I get close to an orgasm, the tension, the energy drains away! Into you! I keep getting tired for no reason! Right now the only things keeping me awake are sexual frustration, and anger.”
“Why?” Caine asked, still not knowing how to respond.
“I don’t know, but until you get your fill, I think I’m just fucked,” Tonya said bitterly. “Whatever Bella did is draining my energy into you, so I need you to fuck me like my life depends on it, because for all we know, it might.”
“Are you sure we shouldn’t just stop? If I'm draining you, this might be a bad idea,” Caine cautioned, pulling out of her slowly.
Tonya hooked his neck and held him in place before he could completely escape. “It happens no matter what. It’s just faster when we are touching.”
“That isn’t really a vote in favor of continuing.” Caine’s eyes narrowed in thought.
“You are the most frustrating man I have ever met in my life,” Tonya said flatly, gritting her teeth.
Caine chuckled. “Not the first time I’ve heard that.”
“Cock. In me. Now,” she growled.
“I don’t usually let myself get bossed around by anyone, let alone tiny women half my size,” Caine said, giving her a slow, experimental thrust.
“I don’t usually do the bossing,” Tonya shrugged, laying back down and smiling at the feeling of penetration. She was exhausted. All the fighting and yelling had taken a lot out of her.
Caine slowly built up his rhythm again, loving the feeling of her slick tightness enveloping him. “You slapped me,” he chuckled.
“You needed it,” Tonya countered, pulling on the lip of the hot spring to meet his thrusts.
“You know, I’m not going to argue with that,” Caine shrugged.
“Good. Harder,” Tonya ordered.
Caine sped up, pulling her thighs with more force. She felt like she weighed nothing. He slid his hands around her waist again, pressing his thumbs against her hip bones and his fingertips into the edge of her plush, rounded ass. He could feel the cool stone against his knuckles. She hissed her pleasure and arched her back to accommodate his hands. Her toes curled next to his ears.
He pounded into her. The wet slapping of their bodies echoed through the natural cave. Tonya mewled and rolled her head back and forth on the wet stones, pulling at the rock, and his wrists, squeezing her own breasts and breathing in shallow, lust-filled pulses.
His intensity rose. He pulled her onto him like she was made only for his lust, a willing pleasure tool, a possession gifted to him for exactly this purpose. Years, decades, lifetime's worth of reservations and self-imposed boundaries peeled back. Inside him, his counterpart was laughing out a long peal of cathartic amusement in his head.
He could feel it now, the energy building up inside him. He felt incredible. Like he could take on the world. Brimming with raw, barely restrained power. He felt more alive than he had in decades.
“Fucking. Gods,” Tonya groaned. His cock battered her, hammering that blissful button inside her with every stroke. She loved it. She couldn’t remember ever being this pent up, this ready, this close.
The dimly lit natural cave began to brighten. The water rippled with glittering light. Caine’s eyes lit up with golden fire as he felt his balls tighten.
“Yes, now, yes!” Tonya thrashed. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, her head rolling back and forth. One of her hands held Caine’s wrist in a death grip, and the other worked her clit in a frenzy. Suddenly her back arched. Her eyes opened wide. She gasped in a silent scream, staring into the light from Caine’s eyes. She saw it, but was too preoccupied to wonder. It was finally, finally happening!
She came. The tension burst. It was a long breath of fresh air mixed with a lightning bolt. Power and pleasure and release ripped through her exhausted body. Caine thrust into her one final time and held her still as she thrashed and shook. His orgasm felt like blissful liquid fire. It didn’t come in pulses. Instead, it was one hard, long wave. Tonya’s eyes lit up with gold, and she felt something inside her burst.
The slow, steady siphoning of energy that had been happening, which got worse when Caine touched her, suddenly reversed. All that power rushed back into her all at once, filling her to the brim. The golden light from her eyes went white. Pleasure became overwhelming. The dam inside her burst. She screamed and grabbed for him desperately. They slid into the water holding each other for dear life like drowning sailors in a storm.
The hot spring exploded.
Water erupted out of the natural tub like a depth charge. Cracks formed all through the stones around them. Tonya was on her knees in the center of the now mostly-empty crater, her ears ringing, her vision swimming. She wondered why it was raining, and why the lights had gone out.
She took a slow, ragged breath, her whole body ravaged but feeling wonderful. She looked up and realized that water was dripping from the ceiling. She grinned and couldn’t help but laugh. It was like the bed. Another boom. She’d blasted all the water out of the pool, and broken the lanterns too.
“Worth it,” she giggled. She rubbed her eyes, noticing the soft glow from her eyes was still there. She looked at her hands. They were pink and raw from holding the stone.
“Caine?” she asked, looking around. “We blew up the-”
Her laughter sputtered out like a candle flame. In the soft glow from her eyes, she could see Caine on the other side of the room, blasted at least twenty feet away. His neck was at an impossible angle and his skull was misshapen. A dark pool was spreading on the stones beneath him.
“Fuck. No. No no no,” Tonya cried. She scrambled, feeling the edges of the new cracks cut into her knees and her feet as she awkwardly scrambled out of the slick, broken tub. She didn’t bother trying to stand. She just half-slid, half-crawled to Caine’s slumped body. She put her hands on his chest, on his face, babbling incoherently. Blood pooled around her knees. She shook him and his head rolled to the side, showing a terrible gash and white bone. He was limp, motionless.
“No, please no,” she sobbed. Her hands shook as she frantically, mindlessly tried to push the pieces of his broken skull back together. She knew though. In her heart, she knew.
Caine was dead.
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Fantasy & Sci-FiThe crescent shaped cliffside was littered with walkways and bridges, and dotted throughout with caves. Platforms made from a hodgepodge of materials were anchored into the walls, and stacked on each other haphazardly. Thick ropes and chains made an elaborate net that reminded Will of rigging designed by a madman. The largest platform hung in the center of it all, ringed with crane arms and hoist tackle. The whole web looked unstable, but figures walked throughout the tangle without a hint of...
Will got out of the tub after a quick rinse. He was impressed at how warm the water had stayed.“Jus’ pull the drain stopper,” Belita said. She was in the process of being dried off by her dutiful cabin girl. She had her foot up on a stool and Bella was finishing dragging a soft cloth along her thigh and calf.“Do I get that sort of treatment?” Will asked.“You’re not captain,” Cabin Girl Bella said, smugly. He looked around for his own towel. The one Bella had been using hit him in the face. The...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWill got out of the tub after a quick rinse. He was impressed at how warm the water had stayed. “Jus’ pull the drain stopper,” Belita said. She was in the process of being dried off by her dutiful cabin girl. She had her foot up on a stool and Bella was finishing dragging a soft cloth along her thigh and calf. “Do I get that sort of treatment?” Will asked. “You’re not captain,” Cabin Girl Bella said, smugly. He looked around for his own towel. The one Bella had been using hit him in the...
The sky was a flat, grey plane of clouds, slowly roiling. The air was warm and charged. The winds were gentle. An electrical storm was brewing.Will stared at Jack for a long time. “Do you ever think about what you’re about to say before it comes out of your mouth?”“Come on, Will! You never used to care about the words. You could see right past them and knew exactly what I meant. Try that now,” Jack demanded. She was barreling straight on, trying to get Will to catch up.Will wasn’t having it....
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe sky was a flat, grey plane of clouds, slowly roiling. The air was warm and charged. The winds were gentle. An electrical storm was brewing. Will stared at Jack for a long time. “Do you ever think about what you’re about to say before it comes out of your mouth?” “Come on, Will! You never used to care about the words. You could see right past them and knew exactly what I meant. Try that now,” Jack demanded. She was barreling straight on, trying to get Will to catch up. Will wasn’t having...
Will was surprised. He’d heard Bella talk about how bad hexes were before. “I thought you didn’t hex people.”“I don’t, usually. It’s one of those things the Magistrate really frowns on, but against pirates trying to kill us I’m willing to bend the rules,” Bella smiled. She finished crawling around and drawing the second circle as Will tied the mirror to the mast. Inside the mirror Will heard Tonya arrive. “Sorry it took me so long, I really needed to get cleaned up. What’s going on?” Bella’s...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWill was surprised. He’d heard Bella talk about how bad hexes were before. “I thought you didn’t hex people.” “I don’t, usually. It’s one of those things the Magistrate really frowns on, but against pirates trying to kill us I’m willing to bend the rules,” Bella smiled. She finished crawling around and drawing the second circle as Will tied the mirror to the mast. Inside the mirror Will heard Tonya arrive. “Sorry it took me so long, I really needed to get cleaned up. What’s going on?”...
Captain Vex’s hands knotted in the witch’s dark curls. Bella was a profoundly skilled lover. The Captain had a taste of what Bella could do on top of the lighthouse, but being the sole focus of-of a sex witch’s ministrations when there were no other distractions (and Bella was feeling particularly thankful) was to be given the best possible seat in a masterclass in how to pleasure a woman.Belita had already been turned on fiercely by helping Bella with her recharge ritual. The witch was so...
Fantasy & Sci-FiLace lounged against a tree, enjoying the music and her drunken buzz. The wake was still going. It wasn’t the happiest reason for revelry, but after a shipwreck and being attacked by monsters it was clear the crew would take any reason they could get. Sailors were an odd lot. They tended to be fairly stoic until you put a few drinks in them. Then everything they were feeling came pouring out. They were communal too, so what one felt, they tended to all feel, even if they generally didn’t talk...
“Bring her about to port, nice and gentle, but keep tightening the turn until she starts t’ list. Then pull back,” Captain Vex said.“Aye, Captain,” Colin Strong said with much less enthusiasm than usual. The big man looked like hell. The whole right side of his face and parts of the left were swollen and bruised in an angry clash of colors. Purples, yellows, even some blues and greens. The impact points were the fierce dark red of abraded skin and broken blood vessels. His upper lip was swollen...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“You should have come straight to me,” Lord Morant said with an authoritarian stare.They were standing on the deck of the fishing boat as it pulled away from the docks. Morant, Lynch and Jack had joined them without a word as they boarded the ship. Will had started to speak, but Morant had cut him off.“Why would I do that?” Will snarled back, still fuming.“Nae, Will. He’s right,” Captain Vex said. She wore her hat and coat, but her other clothes had still been wet and were packed away, so she...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe crew began rousing themselves around noon. It was just too hot to sleep comfortably any longer. The shipwrecked survivors moved slow and gingerly, trudging through their tasks with stoic determination. There was a lot to be done. The ramshackle camp was mostly just strewn hammocks and bedrolls at the edge of the lagoon. There hadn’t been time or energy for much else, so the day’s first priority was to set up a more organized campsite. Nearly half the crew, lead by Mister Reeve, were off in...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe crew began rousing themselves around noon. It was just too hot to sleep comfortably any longer. The shipwrecked survivors moved slow and gingerly, trudging through their tasks with stoic determination. There was a lot to be done. The ramshackle camp was mostly just strewn hammocks and bedrolls at the edge of the lagoon. There hadn’t been time or energy for much else, so the day’s first priority was to set up a more organized campsite. Nearly half the crew, lead by Mister Reeve, were off...
“The energy doesn’t have to come from you, it just needs to be received by you,” Bella said. She was watching Captain Vex’s back arch against the bed while Will’s tongue worked between her legs. Belita stretched languidly like a big golden housecat, her expression happy and glazed.“Received?” Tonya asked, not following.“Well, it has to turn you on,” Bella clarified. “That’s not a completely accurate way to put it, but there’s enough overlap that it will work until you have enough experience to...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe prow of the wrecked ship hit the Kestrel with a sickening crunch. Swabs went to their knees. Riggers hung on to their ropes as they were whipped back and forth by the jarring impact. A few unlucky sailors even found themselves bowled completely over, or found themselves hanging in the air, suspended by their safety lines. Rope burn, splinters and scraped skin abounded. Those at the front of the ship fared the worst. Danica and Mister Lynch were thrown backwards from the prow all the way to...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“So there was something under the water?” Captain Vex asked. “Yeah,” Will nodded, as he bolted down the last of the spotlight-lanterns on the railing next to the ship’s wheel. The other three hadn’t survived the fight on the prow. Captain Vex wasn’t thrilled about that, those lanterns were expensive. Will’s hands hurt badly, but he still had a bit more to do before he could let the doctor look him over. Besides, there were a lot of crew worse off than he was. “I started to figure it out when...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe island of Barcola was primarily Nivalese. The inhabitants had managed to repel a mainland occupation a half-century prior by pulling the majority of their people into the mountains and fighting a brutal guerrilla war against the colonizing forces. In the narrow mountain passes, the mainlanders’ usual tactics of shielded firing lines and phalanx-style close combat were completely useless. The colonists tried to starve out the natives, but the lush tropical mountain provided everything the...
“What did you do?” Caine asked. Janie hadn’t really noticed him come in. He was leaning in the doorway watching Janie blow out the candles in front of the mirror. She was disheveled and flushed after watching Bella work her oral magic on Captain Vex, and she definitely did not expect an audience for what she was thinking about doing next.She was recovering from being startled, but Caine didn’t give her time to reply. “A customer says you stiffed him?”“That isn’t true at all!” Janie said. “I did...
Fantasy & Sci-FiJanie looked at herself in the mirror. She barely recognized the person she saw.Her had been styled with hot metal rods and some kind of light, fragrant oil that held its shape as it dried. It had taken a while, sitting there and letting Tonya do who-knows-what to it. Then Tonya had put makeup on her and helped her pick out an outfit from a communal closet. After all that work she could finally see it all. Her hair tumbled in loose flowing waves. A small black hat with a white band was pinned...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe prow of the wrecked ship hit the Kestrel with a sickening crunch. Swabs went to their knees. Riggers hung on to their ropes as they were whipped back and forth by the jarring impact. A few unlucky sailors even found themselves bowled completely over, or found themselves hanging in the air, suspended by their safety lines. Rope burn, splinters and scraped skin abounded. Those at the front of the ship fared the worst. Danica and Mister Lynch were thrown backwards from the prow all the way...
Captain Vex’s hands knotted in the witch’s dark curls. Bella was a profoundly skilled lover. The Captain had a taste of what Bella could do on top of the lighthouse, but being the sole focus of of a sex witch’s ministrations when there were no other distractions (and Bella was feeling particularly thankful) was to be given the best possible seat in a masterclass in how to pleasure a woman. Belita had already been turned on fiercely by helping Bella with her recharge ritual. The witch was so...
Bella took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. She was exhausted. She’d been standing unmoving, concentrating fiercely for hours. Her whole body ached. Fighting to remain in one position while the ocean rocked the floor beneath her had been much more difficult than she expected. Her thighs were quivering. In spite of her fatigue, her eyes were glued to the mirror, watching the scene play out in her alcove.Tonya was naked, sitting on Bella’s table, her legs spread wide and wrapped around...
Fantasy & Sci-FiA loop of rope dropped around a pale neck. The screaming head attached to it didn’t seem to notice. The makeshift noose went taught. A pale, rag-clad body was yanked thrashing into the air. Lace Webber swung down like a boom, counterbalancing the weight of the creature she’d just lassoed against her own. She crashed into another grindylow with both feet, feeling a satisfying crack and sending the clumsy creature sprawling across the deck. Another crewman quickly took advantage of the opening,...
Fantasy & Sci-FiA loop of rope dropped around a pale neck. The screaming head attached to it didn’t seem to notice. The makeshift noose went taught. A pale, rag-clad body was yanked thrashing into the air. Lace Webber swung down like a boom, counterbalancing the weight of the creature she’d just lassoed against her own. She crashed into another grindylow with both feet, feeling a satisfying crack and sending the clumsy creature sprawling across the deck. Another crewman quickly took advantage of the...
“So there was something under the water?” Captain Vex asked. “Yeah,” Will nodded, as he bolted down the last of the spotlight-lanterns on the railing next to the ship’s wheel. The other three hadn’t survived the fight on the prow. Captain Vex wasn’t thrilled about that, those lanterns were expensive. Will’s hands hurt badly, but he still had a bit more to do before he could let the doctor look him over. Besides, there were a lot of crew worse off than he was. “I started to figure it out...
The night was everything an evening on ship should be. Clear skies, calm seas, land distant flecks on the horizon close enough that they could faintly hear the cries of seabirds. The sunset had been long and gorgeous, full of oranges and pinks that gave way to darker reds and purples before disappearing into dusk. The western horizon was a glowing purple haze that slowly faded revealing more and more stars above.The Nivalese had a strong musical tradition full of drums and guitars, and many of...
Fantasy & Sci-FiBella stared, not sure how to respond. “You know what Will’s curse is?”“Damn it,” Jack whispered. “I didn’t want to talk about this.”“Too late. Do you know how to get rid of it?” Bella demanded.“Yes,” Jack sighed. “It isn’t what you think though.”“What is it then?” Bella asked, wishing Jack would just give her a straight answer.“No. I’ve already said too much. You and Will are both too damn smart and neither of you can just let anything lie,” Jack shook her head. She stood up.“Oh no! You don’t...
Fantasy & Sci-FiGrindylow were starting to crawl up the Kestrel’s sides, cresting the railings toward the midship, flanking the defenders. At the helm, Captain Vex cursed. They were running out of time. “Danica, Coleman, get us free!”“Aye, captain!” came the answering calls. Coleman and Danica North led their gaff hook wielding swabs toward the prow, but the fighting was too thick. There wasn’t going to be any safe way to employ their hooks and shove them free of the black ship. For every Grindylow the crew...
Fantasy & Sci-FiBella took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. She was exhausted. She’d been standing unmoving, concentrating fiercely for hours. Her whole body ached. Fighting to remain in one position while the ocean rocked the floor beneath her had been much more difficult than she expected. Her thighs were quivering. In spite of her fatigue, her eyes were glued to the mirror, watching the scene play out in her alcove. Tonya was naked, sitting on Bella’s table, her legs spread wide and wrapped around...
“What did you do?” Caine asked. Janie hadn’t really noticed him come in. He was leaning in the doorway watching Janie blow out the candles in front of the mirror. She was disheveled and flushed after watching Bella work her oral magic on Captain Vex, and she definitely did not expect an audience for what she was thinking about doing next. She was recovering from being startled, but Caine didn’t give her time to reply. “A customer says you stiffed him?” “That isn’t true at all!” Janie said....
Bella stared, not sure how to respond. “You know what Will’s curse is?” “Damn it,” Jack whispered. “I didn’t want to talk about this.” “Too late. Do you know how to get rid of it?” Bella demanded. “Yes,” Jack sighed. “It isn’t what you think though.” “What is it then?” Bella asked, wishing Jack would just give her a straight answer. “No. I’ve already said too much. You and Will are both too damn smart and neither of you can just let anything lie,” Jack shook her head. She stood up. “Oh...
Jack idly watched Bella draw an elaborate warding circle. The first ring ran along the floor of the round tent. She was in the process of drawing a second ring on the walls in large white symbols. Friday was outside whispering some sort of incantation and walking in counterclockwise circles around the tent. They were moving with practiced efficiency, but to Jack it felt like ages. She lay in the center of it all on the pile of blankets and furs, exhausted and barely able to move. Her mind...
The night was everything an evening on ship should be. Clear skies, calm seas, land distant flecks on the horizon close enough that they could faintly hear the cries of seabirds. The sunset had been long and gorgeous, full of oranges and pinks that gave way to darker reds and purples before disappearing into dusk. The western horizon was a glowing purple haze that slowly faded revealing more and more stars above. The Nivalese had a strong musical tradition full of drums and guitars, and many...
“Bring her about to port, nice and gentle, but keep tightening the turn until she starts t’ list. Then pull back,” Captain Vex said. “Aye, Captain,” Colin Strong said with much less enthusiasm than usual. The big man looked like hell. The whole right side of his face and parts of the left were swollen and bruised in an angry clash of colors. Purples, yellows, even some blues and greens. The impact points were the fierce dark red of abraded skin and broken blood vessels. His upper lip was...
Janie looked at herself in the mirror. She barely recognized the person she saw. Her had been styled with hot metal rods and some kind of light, fragrant oil that held it’s shape as it dried. It had taken a while, sitting there and letting Tonya do who-knows-what to it. Then Tonya had put makeup on her and helped her pick out an outfit from a communal closet. After all that work she could finally see it all. Her hair tumbled to in loose flowing waves. A small black hat with a white band was...
“You think he’s still down here?” Jack asked.“I can feel him,” Bella explained. They were in the ship’s hold. It felt like a tomb. Everything was still, and quiet, and lifeless. Bella slowly wandered down the hallway and found herself in front of the Quartermaster’s hold. The bars blocked her way.“He’s in there?” Jack asked. Bella nodded. “I’m honestly surprised he didn’t run off into the jungle as soon as we got here.”“Maybe we can get Mister North to give us the key,” Jack said, looking at...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“You think he’s still down here?” Jack asked. “I can feel him,” Bella explained. They were in the ship’s hold. It felt like a tomb. Everything was still, and quiet, and lifeless. Bella slowly wandered down the hallway and found herself in front of the Quartermaster’s hold. The bars blocked her way. “He’s in there?” Jack asked. Bella nodded. “I’m honestly surprised he didn’t run off into the jungle as soon as we got here.” “Maybe we can get Mister North to give us the key,” Jack said,...
“I’m sick of being stuck on the ship. Let’s get out of here,” Jack said as they headed back to the Galley. “There’s still a lot of dishes left,” Will said. “Go tell Lace we’re leaving. I’ll be right back,” Jack said. She disappeared below deck leaving Will with an amused expression on his face. “Apparently we’re leaving,” he said as he walked into the galley. “If the dishes aren’t done by morning, North will get a lot more creative with his extra duties,” Lace shook her head. She didn’t stop...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“Bella!” A lilting woman’s voice called her name from the darkness. She jolted unexpectedly at the noise, then smoothed her skirts to sweep away the spike of worry. Her heart was suddenly pounding, which annoyed her. She sighed at her own foolishness. She was obviously still just jittery.“Yes?” she answered back.Jack’s tent was still lit from within and threw off enough light that Bella was able to recognize Doctor Kalfou’s form as she walked closer. The Doctor’s white clothing was fairly...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“You alright?” Tonya asked, slowly sticking her head through the door to Will’s room.Janie was sitting on the bed using her rosary like a worry stone. She wasn’t even sure why she still wore it, but somehow it was comforting. At the very least it gave her hands something to do while her mind was having trouble focusing. “I’ll be fine,” she answered. “I just… didn’t enjoy the conversation.”“Yeah, it was a little weird,” Tonya shrugged. She came in and looked around. Will’s room took up most of...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“I really appreciate this, Mister Kaduska,” Janie said as she accepted his hand and sat up from the canvas sack she’d spent the last hour hiding in.“Oh, my pleasure, my dear. Anything for you, you know that.” The big merchant grinned. “Besides, any opportunity to be a thorn in the side of the Teach gang is one I’ll take.”Janie swung her legs off the table Kaduska had set her down on, and let the rest of the canvas bag fall away as she stood up. She looked around. It hadn’t been long since she’d...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“That’s a fucking Caravel!” Barney gaped. “Yeah, so,” Jack asked, snapping her eyes open from the light doze she’d been in since they’d made it to the inlet. On the other side of the lagoon, the ships lanterns and cookfires from shore lit up the Kestrel in a way that might have been majestic if not for the gaping hole in her hull. “How the hell did you get a full sized fucking Caravel through that inlet? In the dark! In a storm! With a breach!” Barney kept rowing, but gestured with his head...
“I’m sick of being stuck on the ship. Let’s get out of here,” Jack said as they headed back to the Galley. “There’s still a lot of dishes left,” Will said. “Go tell Lace we’re leaving. I’ll be right back,” Jack said. She disappeared below deck leaving Will with an amused expression on his face. “Apparently we’re leaving,” he said as he walked into the galley. “If the dishes aren’t done by morning, North will get a lot more creative with his extra duties,” Lace shook her head. She didn’t...
“Bella!” A lilting woman’s voice called her name from the darkness. She jolted unexpectedly at the noise, then smoothed her skirts to sweep away the spike of worry. Her heart was suddenly pounding, which annoyed her. She sighed at her own foolishness. She was obviously still just jittery. “Yes?” she answered back. Jack’s tent was still lit from within and threw off enough light that Bella was able to recognize Doctor Kalfou’s form as she walked closer. The Doctor’s white clothing was fairly...
“You alright?” Tonya asked, slowly sticking her head through the door to Will’s room. Janie was sitting on the bed using her rosary like a worry stone. She wasn’t even sure why she still wore it, but somehow it was comforting. At the very least it gave her hands something to do while her mind was having trouble focusing. “I’ll be fine,” she answered. “I just ... didn’t enjoy the conversation.” “Yeah, it was a little weird,” Tonya shrugged. She came in and looked around. Will’s room took up...
Jack followed the big man with the blue scar over to the bar, feeling like her whole world had just been thrown unexpectedly off kilter. Things seemed wrong, but she couldn’t put her finger on exactly how or why. The big Nivali man gave the bartender a quick hand motion and waited. “How’s your head, Hatchet?” the bartender deadpanned as he towled out a dented mug with a dirty rag. The big man snorted and rolled his eyes. “Fine.” “Good. I’m not sure how much more damage your busted face can...
___________________“I have to go. John’s about to show up,” Janie said.“I thought you wanted me to watch?” Bella smirked. “Well I didn’t know the mirror was going to be on a patio behind a bar. I’ll have to get through it without you.” She seemed uncomfortable. It was hard to make out her face behind her veil, but Bella could hear the tension in her voice.“What’s wrong?” the witch asked, leaning toward the mirror.Janie sighed. “I was going to see if I could get Tonya to help me again but its...
Fantasy & Sci-FiCaptain Vex looked at the jar in her hand with raw horror. Understanding flooded through her like bile. She felt light and disconnected from herself. Her vision contracted and the room swam. Her heart pounded and she felt like she was floating. She didn’t notice as the jar slipped from her fingers, but Danica did. With a quick lunge, her first mate took a knee and caught the jar, but wasn’t fast enough to catch the Captain as she folded herself bonelessly to the ground. “No ... No no no,”...
Caine pulled on his trousers in a rush. He’d started moving before the pounding on the door had stopped, swearing under his breath the entire time. Tonya grabbed Caine’s tunic off the floor just in time for him to snatch it out of her hands and start running down the stairs. The two naked women just stood there, wide eyed and wondering what to do. Janie was Magistrate, so getting a visit from them wasn’t unreasonable. All the yelling was making the young witch nervous though. “What do we...
Will had a moment of conflict in his mind. He’d just met Shae. It seemed a little soon to be calling him a pet. He wasn’t sure he liked the implications, but he brushed his concerns aside. Taling to her about it now might throw off everything they’d negotiated. People in power were often oblivious to how their words came across. She probably didn’t mean anything by it. Maybe it was just the sort of thing she was into? If she liked it, that was good enough reason to indulge her. What could it...
“What? Why.... monkey?” Will stammered.“Very eloquent.” she laughed.“Monkey!?” he repeated.“It’s a witch thing.” Bella grinned. “He’s my familiar.”“You have a familiar now?” Will said, impressed. “Isn’t that pretty high up on the witch achievement scale?”“Middle-range, really.” Bella gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I had him watching from outside in case Jack came back.”“He told you all that with one terrible noise?” Will asked, finally buttoning up his breeches.“Yes. It isn’t my fault you don’t...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“What? Why.... monkey?” Will stammered.“Very eloquent.” she laughed.“Monkey!?” he repeated.“It’s a witch thing.” Bella grinned. “He’s my familiar.”“You have a familiar now?” Will said, impressed. “Isn’t that pretty high up on the witch achievement scale?”“Middle-range, really.” Bella gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I had him watching from outside in case Jack came back.”“He told you all that with one terrible noise?” Will asked, finally buttoning up his breeches.“Yes. It isn’t my fault you don’t...
Fantasy & Sci-FiTom Hayden hauled the last bag of firewood down the path and dropped it on the ground near the front door of the cabin. He stretched his back, taking another look at the scenery around him. The sun was almost set in the early summer sky, a splashes of elusive coloured light were filtering in through the trees around him. Despite the warm weather they’d had earlier in the day, the air was rapidly growing cold and Tom shivered in his duffel jacket. He breathed in a lung full of air and...
It was Monday evening and Jilly was even livelier than usual, giggling like a school girl on the other end of the line as she tried to relate the past few months of her life to me. It had been a long time since we’d spoke and I was looking forward to seeing her again. I brushed my blonde hair across one shoulder and shifted the phone uncomfortably against my ear, absently trying to place the name. ‘Drifters End? I’m sure I’ve heard it somewhere before.’ The computer screen in front of me...
“Fuck,” Will swore. Will tried to turn, but his foot slipped on something. His bourbon from earlier. He ended up catching himself on the bar, but he was off balance. Inside him, he felt something seem to slide.Caine stood up.The whole room went quiet. To Will, everything seemed like slow motion. He knew this feeling. It felt like the world was sliding sideways, and he was a bystander in his own body. He tried to say something, but it was like he was moving through molasses. He only had time to...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“Fuck,” Will swore. Will tried to turn, but his foot slipped on something. His bourbon from earlier. He ended up catching himself on the bar, but he was off balance. Inside him, he felt something seem to slide.Caine stood up.The whole room went quiet. To Will, everything seemed like slow motion. He knew this feeling. It felt like the world was sliding sideways, and he was a bystander in his own body. He tried to say something, but it was like he was moving through molasses. He only had time to...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi