Juliet
There was no way in hell I was going to leave Earth before I'd even seen Louis… It had been excruciating to let Basaam decide how he wanted to reveal his… uh person to his father. Clearing away freaking long grass versus telling Louis I was there… For a hundred years, my whole life had been about us coming together again. Since we reunited, all I could think about was finalizing this last puzzle piece—Louis. And now Michael didn't want to tell me what was going on. Caleb didn't want to blab either. For sure, something was up. What—I had to know. Because if the Louis and I part of our family were over… after everything… it would be crushing to know we couldn't weather this tiny storm—time.
While everyone was still sleeping, I snuck away from our mats, although my heart was beating out of my chest. Normal. Completely normal. Accompanying heavy breathing didn't help—as if I've smoked a carton—also... normal. I twirled my hair around a finger all the way to the village, trying to think about what to do with Romero; even all of the planning and how badly it could go couldn't keep my mind from imagining the worst. Maybe he had completely lost it, crossed over, and was stuck in a cage… I shook my head… The thing was, Michael was kinda disappointed but hadn't given up entirely. So… what the hell could Louis have done?!
I had opted to walk along the beach rather than go through the spider-invested jungle. The choice might not have been the best; in these parts, the land protruded into the ocean, making it impossible to walk all the way in a straight line; it wasn't soft sandy beaches but rather dull, debris-filled patches. In some places, I had to navigate in a zig-zag to get there.
Coming to the end of a long stretch, I heard it—fighting. Someone landed a punch, and another grunted. Two men? Okay… who would be out this early? My gaze drifted over the water to see how far the sun had risen over the horizon. There was only a sliver of muted orange in the almost black background. How did they see anything?
The sounds came from around a bank covered in plant life and trees connected to the thick forest. I had to wade through the water around the bend to get even a glimpse of them. Beyond it was a tiny alcove—surrounded by foliage—covering them from any eyewitnesses or anyone stumbling upon them unless you were invisible.
Knee-deep in the ocean, I came to an abrupt halt. Two vampires. Louis! That's why they could do it so early… He was manifested in his scary face, very much in control. Louis wasn't acting crazy. Relieved yet apprehensive, I held my breath, holding my self-control on a tight string. My husband was dressed only in shorts; the rest of him was covered in snakeskin from his ankles to his color bones. He had a hell of a time with his spells; was this the problem? They gave each other no gap or mercy. Who was the other guy? The dark-haired man was your typical vamp. I was engrossed in the scene—seeing him after so long—and wouldn't have known there were two women seated on some rocks deeper inland. "Are you guys almost done?" My head snapped at the female voice; she was too hidden away.
Louis lifted his hands and dropped his manifestation, issuing a cease-fire. The man was my age, I guessed… Louis threw his arm around his shoulder, "A little more control on your left jab."
Both headed toward the voices speaking to them. Two women? Louis took a shirt from her and pulled it over his head. It had long sleeves and a high collar. How did he get away with it? The other women handed him pants to pull over his shorts. Who were all these people? How would we fix his skin if we couldn't teleport anymore?
The young man stretched out an arm, "Come on, Mom. You can do it." Mom!? My nails dug into my palms. When Jacklin stood, her gigantic baby bump protruded from her midsection. I would kill him and her! Focus Juliet! Get your heart under control! Attacking Jacklin would only make him protect her and not you. The humiliation was enough. I took a few deep breaths and listened for the tiny heartbeat. Healthy. No wonder Basaam couldn't look me in the eye; he wasn't Louis's only son.
Jacklin grunted to get to her feet. The baby must be close. "These morning walks are not helping—at all."
"The midwife said you had to," Louis chastised. Each man hooked an arm under her shoulder and lifted her off the sand with ease, carrying her in the opposite direction.
I couldn't move… Louis, my one constant, had moved on. Had a new family. So much for hoping he might have slipped up once… Like Marcus almost had… How else would there be a vampire in their midst if Jacklin and Louis didn't have a baby… Before they disappeared, with all the anger I could muster, I jolted Louis with a crippling force. He couldn't help but break his hold on her and tumble into the water, completely submerged in the dark. Jacklin reached for her son and was okay, but now she was wet, and the waves were slamming into their legs with the high tide almost knocking her off her feet. Could the freaking woman not manifest! To the son's credit, he did and swept her into his arms and waded past the other point of the hollow-out little beach. He had to rush back to drag Louis out of the water, "Are you okay?" Louis gasped for breath. "What's going on? Why is it so bad this time?"
The young woman was stunned for a moment, taking it all in, and also drifted out of sight. Louis groaned loudly, crying out with every spike I sent his way. He nudged me to let him go, begging.
"Can't she just leave us alone?!" Jacklin yelled.
"How many times do you have to tell her to forget about you," the young woman cried.
The truth pierced through my anger, and I released him. Louis took deep gulps of air and groaned. I could only listen. Did it hurt so much?
"Louis!" Jacklin begged.
"Leave," he croaked.
"F— she always messes with you just when we forget about everything."
"Please, go… Give me a minute."
"Come, Mom, I'll take you home."
I thought the last time we spoke meant he hadn't forgotten about me—at all. He was jealous and even asked more questions than usual. No, there was never an I love you…
Louis came my way, soaking wet, struggling through the water, rubbing his chest. He ambled and fumbled onto the sand, laying there for a long time before he could sit up and look out over the ocean view, pulling his knees up to rest his elbows on. I hated to see him like this… Why did I always have to be the cause? He locked his fingers and sighed, dropping his head. What was he thinking? How to tell me—probably!
After a few minutes, he crossed his legs and lifted two arms. This was what they looked like when they had to message me. I sighed heavily; he wouldn't be able to get me invisible. I hurried past the undergrowth and hid far enough so he wouldn't be able to read my mind.
He would wait till I was ready. I nudged.
[ Are you okay? ]
Two nudges.
[ You've only done that one other time ]
One answer. Louis was referring to the day I gave birth to Basaam. I lost it a little at the end because he wasn't there and couldn't see his son be born. Now, I was in the same boat as my mother and my father. What if Louis wanted an open relationship? I'd sooner kill her.
[ I wish I knew what's wrong ]
I ignored him. Insane idiot. As if we'd be friends after this! Believing I might have grown out of my jealousy… I was not my mother.
[ I think I'm going crazy ]
One to make him keep talking.
[ I thought I heard you call me an asshole ]
I laughed out loud and looked up. Did he hear me? F—, I was going to ruin things for Basaam. I nudged once to say, 'Yes, you are.' Well, there were a few more appropriate words I could've used. Did his vows mean nothing? What did I expect? The last time we had sex, he couldn't even control himself… If he forced her—my hand shook as I held back the tears and looked out over the ocean. Our family would be so broken up if my parents couldn't figure out what they wanted to do… How would it feel every time Basaam wanted to see Louis and Michael had to bring him here… Would they actually want to come with us? I couldn't, not even if he did, and felt guilty... I turned to walk away when my hand went to the paper.
[ Juliet ]
One nudge. Please. Please say something that means anything.
[ I won't make it if you don't stop ]
Louis's held-back sobs pierced my bones. Screw it! I would do what my father had done and at least get the divorce papers. I took a step; the next moment, I was on Mirach in Michael's arms; Caleb was where Chris usually enveloped me. They'd seen everything.
"I'm going to give you guys a minute," Caleb said.
"Who do you want? Do you need drugs? Can I take you somewhere?" I didn't want to let go of him. "Oh, honey, this wasn't your fault… This time… it was just circumstances."
"I was so sure."
Michael pushed his lips into my hair, gently caressing me with a thumb, "We all were…"
The door opened to our room. Michael turned us so I could see who it was. Marcus's head peaked in, "There's someone who wants to speak to you."
Basaam stepped into the room. "Why are you here? You guys are supposed to be on Earth." I wiped away the tears as Michael put me on my feet.
"Can you guys give us a minute?"
Michael met my eye; I nodded, and they left us alone, closing the door. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't be such a mess… It's been so long… I knew it might have happened! I don't know why I'm so shocked." I sat on one of the pillows on the floor.
"Why do you love him so much?" I shook my head aimlessly. "Not with any of them were you ever like you are now? I didn't know how these relationships of yours worked… I thought it was going to be a mess… But the four of you here every day… You guys are a unit… They love you and have proven themselves beyond my expectations. This family blew my mind when Satya manifested, and every last one of you stood up to protect Caleb… How all our lives are intertwined, and in the end, everyone is on the same page… You have waited and fought for so long to get back to them… If Louis will ruin this, I won't go to Earth." I looked up. "He doesn't even know I exist… He's asked you multiple times to let him go… It's not like he didn't warn us."
My emotions took over, and I drew in an overdue sob, trying to keep it together. "This is my fault," I choked. "I could never love Louis the way he loved me… I made one joke, and I ended up with four husbands… Because he knew I would never be able to forget about Chris… Your father never wanted them with us… It all kind of just happened…"
"Regardless, he made the choice, not you." I nodded. "He made another one." I pressed my fingers onto my closed eyes, rubbing away my feelings. "There is a lot for us to do here."
He came toward me and held me until I could breathe.
"Basaam… I hear you, but you'll always wonder. It will nag at you… I think you should go in spite of me, the family, or your father… Do this for yourself and that baby coming." Basaam looked away. "You guys need this time as much as anything else… Take it as a honeymoon and get to know your wife… People are different when they are alone… This will bond you forever." He stood and headed for the door. "Oh, and Michael will only come in the morning every third day… Don't leave the area for anything so I know where you are... Protect her with your life, and be careful."
"I will. If anything happens, we'll run south along the coast."
"Good idea… Everything will work out."
Basaam left, and I didn't have a bad feeling about them going. I guess there was nothing left the universe could throw at me… Although we were risking another separation. What if the villagers saw them manifest, or the two of them did something stupid. I laughed, chuckling—still half crying. I sounded like my mom. I was a mom with separation anxiety. It's the first time we'll be away from one another. Jeez, Juliet, he's a fully grown man.
Another head came around the corner. "You okay?" I shook my head. "Can I give you a hug?" I nodded and got to my feet. He only gave a quick squeeze before he let me go. Naji couldn't possibly have gotten anything from me in a second.
He sat on one of the cushions. I drew in a breath to say something, but he held out a hand to stop me. One finger dropped down. Then, the second. When his thumb went down, he pointed at the door. I held back a laugh when Silvanus stuck his head in. Hmm, chuckle, "There you are… If you're with your mother… I can go see what Agatha is up to."
"I've got him… You go and enjoy some fun time."
"Don't mind if I do… Don't let me find him wandering the streets alone."
Naji sighed and looked about the room. "You're so much like your father; it's jarring."
"I am?" he asked with a straight face, no emotions.
He did say we should start somewhere, but I could deal with one Marcus, but two? I pulled out the pad of paper I carried in my pocket and read the last thing I put down. 'I won't make it…' F— what was Louis going to do when he met his son! Did everyone give up along the way? I ripped it off and shoved it into my pocket. The one line would be enough to keep me from bothering him—ever again.
Naji watched me while I held out the pad to him. "I can read and write."
I waved it at him. He took it. "Write down five things you could do here."
He scribbled fast and handed it back to me. How? Ahh, he's not mentally stimulated… Too clever for his own good. Had an awesome ability he could do wonders with and needed an outlet. He definitely didn't know when to give his mother a minute. So he doesn't go around assessing our moods.
I read the few words he put down on paper.
[ I'm sorry things didn't work out with Louis. ]
"Thank you, but I was serious."
"We won't have time for anything else for a while… We'll be walking in two weeks—for years."
"What? You can't do two things at once?"
"Fia says no."
"Was that a joke?" He shyly avoided my eyes; a hidden smile peeked out on his lips. I went down on my knees, "Yeah, that was a joke." I poked him in the ribs. "Well, if you need sex advice, you came to the right room."
"What?!" he jumped up and headed for the door.
"Hey, come back!" I followed him out. "I'm not allowed to leave your side."
"Go away." Naji went into a run. I followed.
By the time he stopped, we were in the dining room, where everyone was waiting. "Oh, thank goodness you're here," Charlene complained, "Are we still going to follow through with our plans?"
"Yes, let's do it… I need to get drunk."
She clapped her hands as an order, and the servants in the room went into song. We all huddled together. "Okay, we need to abduct Romero now before we join his army, or we'll never get him away."
"What do you mean, abduct him?" Fia asked.
"We need to forcibly take him somewhere we can have a proper family meeting," Charlene said. The girls didn't like the idea.
"He'll never leave on his own… And it's the only way to figure out what he's thinking. Romero's not talking to anyone," I tried to help them understand.
"I can't do it," Kaia said, "It's not the way."
"Do we really need to be so extreme about it?" Fia asked.
"This won't work if you two are not onboard… We need you to purple him up," Charlene said.
"No! No, I can not. He is… is our king… We do not abduct our king and force him to mate."
Her little speech created a few chuckles. "If Nami was here, she'd do it."
"My sister left the way."
"She did, and you're right… I can't force you to do it." I looked at Charlene, "You'll have to do it the old-fashioned way."
"He'll be too angry. Romero is going to pitch a fit!"
"Why don't I grab Nami—" Michael tried.
"No! We can't… They might be busy with other things."
"I can knock."
"It's their honeymoon—no knocking." I thought for a second and smiled. "I know exactly who to ask… Okay, Chris, you and Michael begin taking people to the island… I'll keep Romero busy. He's waiting to have a report anyway."
"This is wrong," Kaia whimpered.
"Chris, she goes first." Kaia wanted to run; the two had her cornered and disappeared.
Caleb aimlessly reached through the air, "Mom!"
"Desperate measures, Caleb. Do it for Charlene."
Chris was back, and Caleb said, "Take me first. I'll try to help her through this."
"You don't have to worry. The one thing about your wife; she's easily diverted. One look at the porta potty, and she made a beeline to check out all the stuff we have there."
***
Earlier The Same Day
Romero
My feet dragged through the sand; we were only half an hour away from the city. The last hour, from when you could see the outline of buildings to where you actually walked into it, was torture for me. I wanted to beg Charlene to take us to the last part but could not. Since I snubbed her the other day and ignored her because we were so busy, she left me be… There were about fifteen thousand people between us. Usually, it was more than a million, and I could at least forget... I stumbled over a rock, too tired and unable to manifest. The only thing that kept me moving forward was freeing my people. Silvanus handed me a waterskin. "Thank you." I lifted it to my lips and took large sips; the rest I poured over my head. With two hands, I gathered my hair, thinking I should either cut it or style it with rows like the rest of the army. For now, I tied it on top of my head.
"Can I take you to the palace?" he asked.
I shook my head. There would be no point; it was too far from Charlene, and the only way I knew she had to be there somewhere. Selena and Jamal appeared out of nowhere, clean, well-dressed with plates of food. Silvanus and Agatha happily took some fruit. Seeing her, I realized I had fallen so far behind—I was walking with the women. Taking a piece of bread and meat, I looked over my shoulder to see if anyone was behind us. Yes, there was; the rest of the family never left Agatha alone. Our misfit group had grown while I had seen my parents only a few times over the years… I missed the village, our quiet family life, and my father's guidance.
In the city, we split up; I headed for my room and fell on the bed. Although it felt like I was lying on a bush of spikey plants, waiting for Juliet to give me good news about the teleporters. She said they would be here today. Where was she?
I barely had a minute before a servant came into the room. Three followed with giant pitchers to fill the bath. I closed my eyes, hoping they would go away. These were not my personal people who understood my every whim and need. I could not be rude or yell at them like I wanted to; it was not the way… Obediently, I got up and headed for the water, undressing as I walked, dropping clothing along the trail. One of the young men was forced to follow and pick up each item.
As quickly as possible, I scrubbed myself, let them wash my hair, and rinse me to finish the ritual. "Has Juliet arrived yet?"
"They have your excellency, but there seems to be a problem. Everyone is whispering about their journey."
"What happened?"
"There was a problem… with one…" he mumbled the last bit, "of her husbands."
Every part of our culture was ingrained in us for centuries. No one here would ever even think about another mate. This man could not speak about it without feeling he was saying something wrong. "I want you to answer me honestly."
"Of course, Your Excellency." The other two servants stopped what they were doing.
"What did you think when you heard about your queen."
The three men shared nervous looks, "We heard you made the journey, and the room accepted her… Nothing is more sacred than finding our true mates… It is out of our hands."
From the open door, out into the palace, the faint sounds of singing dheka drifted our way. I sighed. What were they doing now? I tried to focus on the men in front of me, "True… And when you heard she had another mate?"
One of the others answered, "No one questions the way… If she carries the mark of the Royal family, we will lay down our lives for her and her firstborn."
It was as I feared. If Fia did not receive the mark, she would not be accepted… When we had more children, they would need to choose this life—wait for a thousand five-hundred years to find a spouse—and with the example of the mixed species, none of my dheka kids would be willing to believe in our customs… The fact that Fia even wanted to try was a miracle… If the whole of Mirach was not already questioning our way of life… What had I done!?
The music stopped abruptly. "Thank you. Leave me alone for a while."
I headed for the bed again to close my eyes only for a moment. The door opened.
"Hey!" Juliet said. I did not even react. "I have bad news and good news."
"Bad news," I complained into the fabric, unable to lift my head to talk to her.
"It will take us… maybe… ten years to figure it out… That's if we do nothing else. Round the clock in shifts."
I held my breath. It was not what I wanted to hear. "Good news?"
"You're being abducted."
I was on my feet and manifested in a second. Juliet laughed, "I anticipated the reluctance and brought back up."
A figure in the door caught my attention. I dropped my shoulders, closed my eyes, and swore.
"Your Excellency."
Juliet turned to me, "I have all the respect in the world for you, but I warned you. She had a life before she came here. You made a choice… You slept with her… Your race is all about honor. If you can't act honorably, what happens, Iku?"
"You need correction."
"What do you do with a king who doesn't honor his wife."
I dropped my eyes and looked away from the two.
"He has to kill himself."
"W… What?" Juliet stuttered.
Iku went on, "It is the way. The brandings demand it. So she can be free to find another."
I cursed under my breath. My wife's other husbands would welcome it.
Iku held out a respectful arm so I could walk out of the room first. Michael was waiting. I do not know how they coordinated, but in a second, I was on our international space station. Iku and Juliet followed.
Every last person who didn't belong on Mirach was gathered around a fire; the flames were a person and a half tall whipping a dangerous blaze into the sky. A noisy sound came from a radio and speakers all over the place... I had heard this song before—on Earth. Michael was behind the bar pouring drinks. It was like I was back in France in the middle of a club, losing my mind. Anger spread through every muscle, and my shoulders tensed. I said no fire! I expected them to behave.
With rage, my head flung towards the only one who could do anything to me, and before Iku could even manifest, I had him on his knees. Juliet followed, and the rest of the crowd, one by one, they had no choice but to drop their heads to the ground. The large shadow tried to break my hold and come to life; agonized, he looked at me, unable to do more... I had a hundred years to practice with the strength of two riphaths behind me. Was I too cruel to remind him what led to their defeat in the first place?
I walked to the device, fueling my irritation, and smashed it to pieces. The music finally stopped. Only the crackle of the fire hit the silence. Nature and stars were our only witnesses. I breathed in a relieved breath, finally understanding why Brylee had run away from Juliet taking over Palmyra. Thwarted them for so long so they couldn't figure out what Louis would be able to do. It was why Ahasuerus gave her the stone… There was still a chance if they were kept busy for too long.
I came to a stop in front of Michael, "You will take me home, or I will make the pain much worse." He chuckled harshly in response.
Frown lines pushed down on my brow. What were they planning? My stomach was stabbed with a thousand swords. My heart burned like the heat of the flames behind me... A restless hand jumped to my chest. What was happening? I looked down at my leg. A golden shadow I did not control wrapped around my waist and tore at my skin. I groaned and spun to Carl, who was grabbing fistfuls of sand repeatedly in a convulsing rhythm, using all the energy he had… separating me from her. Charlene screamed from somewhere. The horrific sound made me drop my guard for a moment. Carl was also too overcome, hearing our wife in any discomfort, and the pain in my breast subsided; I could breathe, increasing my hold to keep them all in place.
"Don't stop, Carl," Charlene whimpered.
"You will stop, or I will kill you right now."
He lifted his head, shaking with the strain around his eyes, "Not… before… you're off her."
Our wills met in the middle by the force of this unseen entity between us. A surge of pain branched across my skin; every line of the image slowly lashed out at me. We pushed against each other, both of us groaning with the exertion. Carl manifested into his vampire form; black eyes shot up; he was on his feet and hit me across the jaw. I drifted through the air. Michael had me in his arms and cut me with a red blade. I winched and curled my arm too late before he flung me out into the night sky; a giant shadowy hand buffered my fall… Soft… Around me, it was black and dark, and purple lightning bolts penetrated my body.
I sucked in a sharp breath, being shoved through tent flaps, Charlene beside me in another giant hand. Our lips met just as our bodies convulsed, finding release without having to do anything. We panted like beasts, open-mouthed, writhing against one another; every touch sent us over, momentarily blinding us... I grunted loudly while Charlene moaned with passion. The music blasted outside, consuming our noises. I complained, pushing down my wet pants to my ankles, and had her off her feet. Charlene quivered under me, getting rid of her own clothes. Barely undressed, I was between her legs and entered her warm, soft essence... Two arms went about my neck, our climax cresting right there; it pushed over, and when it released, it built up in seconds. I pulsed inside her; walls gripped me with every wave. In between, as I slid in and out of her, we were consumed; her body arched underneath me, and we cried out.
After the initial shock, I could breathe; my senses found a sliver of calm. Was this it? Was it over? No… I groaned. Her soft skin against mine stoked my desire. Our mouths joined tightly—tormented—the heat rising. I frantically kicked both our pants off. Her knees lifted, and her feet rose high as she opened for me. Rigid with agony, I drove into her, my peak building again, never leaving. She moaned with me—into my mouth—robbed of the release that was supposed to come but rewarded with a pleasure I had never experienced.