An Unhuman Journey Page 2

  I slowly stood, reached for another bottle of orange juice, and managed to walk three steps unaided to a chair. His words had lit a fire in me, and my already sensitive clit throbbed in time to my racing heart once again.

  “I had no idea.” I knew he’d smell my arousal but there was nothing I could do about it.

  He lifted an eyebrow. “You want me? I’ve never smelled your arousal aimed at me before.”

  I pulled my legs into the chair, tucked the robe around them, and took another long drink of orange juice as I steadied my nerves and found my center.

  I stared at the juice bottle as I told him, “Nothing’s going to happen between us. I haven’t agreed to anything exclusive with Abbott, but he considers us an item even though he knows about my activities with Master James and Mordecai.” I sighed and finally met his gaze. “My life is crazy right now, please just be my friend, Nathan.”

  He gave me a sad smile and I was sure I saw regret in his eyes. “The truth is, I couldn’t offer you much more than a friends-with-benefits relationship. I have certain duties as the Amakhosi, and I’ll never be able to be exclusive with anyone. At least, not while I hold the title.”

  “Losing it means death though, right? A new King can’t take power until you’re dead?”

  He nodded. “Just losing the power would likely bring about my death, even if the new King let me live, which he wouldn’t. Lions don’t live to be eight hundred years old — I’m still alive only because of the power of the office.”

  Chapter 2

  I made it home late Saturday afternoon, and picked food up from one of my favorite restaurants on the way.

  Lauren was now driving just about everywhere, and Xiaolan had bought an inexpensive motorcycle, so she was getting around on her own as well. They thought I’d been training all day, and expected me to come home tired and ready to veg in front of the television. We had a movie marathon of a few eighties shows planned and I’d made sure we had plenty of popcorn.

  As it turned out, we ended up watching the first three Nightmare on Elm Street movies, and then I let Lauren sleep with me — as much to soothe her fears as mine. Why do we humans scare ourselves on purpose?

  * * *

  I had a late breakfast planned with Mordecai the next morning, and I stopped by my gym to swim a few laps first. Another six weeks and I could open the pool, but until then I was stuck at a public indoor facility.

  I’d learned swimming helped me get my own energy moving again faster than any other exercise. I was filled with Mordecai and Nathan’s energy, and I needed to make it mine before I’d feel like myself again.

  One of the local marinas has an uber-fancy brunch on Sunday mornings, so when I finished swimming laps I donned a dress, pulled my hair up in a twist, and put make-up on so I looked acceptable for high society.

  Mordecai was waiting for me in the parking lot wearing what I’d learned is one of many handmade suits from his tailor in Italy. A perfect suit over a perfect body, but Mordecai would always be out of my reach. Yes, he’d been inside me yesterday, but only his body and his energy. He cares for me, but merely as his current pet project. Nothing more.

  But we’re so different, I couldn’t blame him. Relationships should be between two equals, which pretty much means whatever Abbott and I are exploring is doomed to failure, too. I had my eyes wide open going into this, but I wasn’t ready to end it just yet.

  Mordecai offered his arm and I wrapped my fingers around his muscles as we walked in together. I wasn’t surprised when we were seated away from the other patrons so we could be assured of a private conversation. Mordecai always seems to arrange for things the way he wants them.

  “I stuck around long enough to be sure Nathan took care of you, but it occurs to me I might need to explain again why I don’t feel it’s appropriate for me to handle your aftercare.”

  I shook my head. “No, I understand. You’re my teacher, my trainer, my coach. The fact we have sex as part of it… I get why you want to be sure neither of us sees it as more than it is.” Aaron had explained how humans automatically want to worship Mordecai, as if it’s in our DNA. I felt the pull; I understood why he wanted to keep his distance.

  “Because of what I am—”

  “Please, don’t over-explain it?” I interrupted, making sure I kept my tone respectful. “You used to be some sort of god, and probably still are but just don’t want to admit it. I get it. I feel it. I’m appreciative of every session we have together because I learn more from you than I’ve ever learned from anyone. I get frustrated and irritated, but it isn’t at you — it’s at the learning process in general. You understand that, right?”

  “You’ve been to Faerie, yes?”

  I was used to him ending one conversation and starting another with no segue, so I nodded and clarified, “For about five minutes, once. I was warned not to eat or drink anything, and to remain silent if possible, but if I spoke, to make no promises or oaths, and to never lie.”

  “The Underworld — what humans think of as Hell — is another realm like Faerie, and you’d be wise to follow the same warnings about eating. You can drink most flowing water, though it’ll taste terrible, but never drink water someone hands you, or anything from a still body of water.”

  “I have no intentions of going.” I may have been recruited for this whole upcoming-battle-between-good-and-evil thing, but I didn’t intend to leave this realm to fight it.

  “And yet, I feel the need to explain the rules to you, which likely means you’ll need to know them at some point.”

  “Do you think I’m going to go in after the missing women?” Okay, so maybe there were a few things that might make me consider going, though only with the proper planning and training.

  He shook his head. “Those women have been there too long to come back. We’ve blocked the gateway so it can’t be used anymore, but it’s too late for a rescue mission. As for if, when, or why you may go — even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you. Humans aren’t supposed to know their future. I don’t know, though. I just feel it’s important to talk to you about the rules in the Underworld.”

  I nodded. “Okay, then. Tell me about it.”

  “It’s called the Underworld for a reason. There’s no sun. There’s a stone ceiling of varying heights, but legend has it that no one who’s ventured above the ceiling has come back alive. Whether this is because they ended up somewhere else and couldn’t get back, or whether they died trying, the legends don’t say.”

  I noted he wasn’t telling me what he knew, but only what the legends said — but I decided it wouldn’t be wise to point it out. He was likely telling me what the rules said he could tell me.

  The waiter came to take our order, and when he left Mordecai continued. “I don’t know for sure if I could survive there, but I don’t intend to try. Some of my… species, have gone and come back, but they were mentally unstable when they returned. Others have been torn apart by the energies of the Underworld within moments of entering. Still others have been okay in the outer ring, but were torn apart as they ventured deeper.”

  “What’s the light source, if there’s no sun?”

  “Burning sulfur. I’m told there’s no danger of anyone eating during their first couple of days because the stench is nauseating. However, once you get used to it, apparently you stop smelling it.”

  “What would happen if a human ate, while there?”

  “It makes it harder to leave, and can make you more susceptible to…” He shook his head. “Let me back up. With very few exceptions, humans in the Underworld are slaves. A few humans managed to win their deal with a demon, so they entered the Underworld with all of a demon’s possessions, including the demon’s home, valuables, and slaves. Demons rarely make a deal they aren’t positive they can win, so defeating a demon at their own game is exceedingly rare.”

  “How do other humans end up there?”

  “They figure out how to call a demon to this realm, think they can contain a power
ful, magical being in a salt circle in their basement, and learn the error of their ways. Or, in some cases, half-demons are paid to come here and kidnap them before taking them back. The aging process isn’t the same there. A week in the Underworld is usually no more than a few hours here. It isn’t an exact science, and sometimes a week might be a whole day, but other times it might be a mere five minutes.”

  I shook my head. “Food? What happens if a human eats?”

  “The most important thing you need to know, is if you don’t take in any of the energy there, if you have plenty of energy from this realm stored inside you, and you keep it, then you’ll be much better equipped to keep your wits about you. By the same token, if you ingest something physical, it brings the energy of the Underworld into your body, where it feeds your individual cells. You can probably recover from a few bites, but a few meals? You might not. Once you become the energy of the Underworld, and it’s what you’re running on instead of the energy of this realm,” he shook his head, “escaping on your own becomes next to impossible. If you’re rescued, the potential is there to eventually recover, but it’ll be much harder to re-assimilate if you’ve ingested food.”

  Something was telling him I needed to know this, so I considered what I might need to understand that he wasn’t thinking to tell me. “Explain how the three worlds are the same? This one, Faerie, and the Underworld?”

  “Gravity works the same. Cold is cold, hot is hot. The basic physics are the same, but magic is easier in the other realms. Or, maybe easier isn’t the right word… more available, perhaps?”

  “How are they different?”

  “Your Earth is sentient, but she’s mostly a watcher. She’s alive, certainly, but she rarely interferes with humans on a personal level. Most of the time a bad storm is just a bad storm, but on occasion the planet gets pissed and sends a hurricane or an earthquake or a volcano into an area she thinks humans are causing too many problems. Otherwise, though, the earth lets humans live on her without interfering.”

  He took a bite, chewed, swallowed. “The land in Faerie is all about keeping things fair. Promises, thanks, favors… the land keeps track of these things and there are consequences for not holding up your end of a bargain.” He sighed. “The energy of the Underworld has been described as evil, though I’m not sure the word is entirely accurate. The point is, though — it’s dark, and it thrives on pain and suffering. There’s no expectation of karma or balance, just the strong overpowering the weak. Survival of the fittest. Deals and promises are made into a real thing there, but fair never enters into anything, and the only true rule is that you can’t kill, though it’s perfectly okay to torture and maim.”

  “There’s another realm, right? Probably a lot more, but I know you come from somewhere else and it isn’t one of those three.”

  Mordecai took another bite, chased it with a drink, and I wasn’t sure he was going to answer. Finally, he said, “Yes. Few humans have been. It’s closest to your mythological Olympus, though as with all stories of other realms, many of the details are wrong.”

  “But some are right?”

  He nodded and changed the conversation. “I’m told your sword instruction is coming along well, though your teacher tells me you’ll still be better off in a fight with your quarterstaff than a sword — and that’s without him knowing you’d be using a quarterstaff of light that can melt through skin and bone. Should you end up in the Underworld, use whatever feels right. You look scarier holding the sword of light than the quarterstaff, so if you think you only need to bluff your way through, use it.”

  “I haven’t had much luck creating anything other than the white light weapons I started with. If I go slow, I can make it more orangish-red. Do you think color will matter in the Underworld? Or will speed be more important?”

  “Stick with what you’ve successfully practiced. If the white doesn’t work then take the time to make it red the next time. Otherwise, just make whatever your instincts put in your hand.”

  “Do you think my instincts will make it a different color, if that’s what I need?”

  “It’s possible. You figured a lot out before I began teaching you. Trust your gut.”

  “I couldn’t do the exploding-head thing on Xaephan before he left, will he be able to teleport away from it in the Underworld, too? Will they all?”

  “I don’t know how the various citizens of the Underworld will handle your powers. The most powerful demons can all teleport, some of the less powerful demons can. Some of the humans have developed powers. Most aren’t more than parlor tricks, but a few can be formidable. Remember, the law of the land is basically survival of the fittest. You won’t get in trouble for hurting someone, even if you bring them to the brink of death. Just tread very carefully so you don’t actually kill them.”

  “If I were to end up there, I probably already have a lot of enemies, seeing as how I’ve killed so many demons.”

  The look on his face told me he agreed, and he was glad I’d figured it out so he didn’t have to explain it.

  “I’m going to push energy into you a few moments. A gentle stretching so you don’t scream and cry in the restaurant, but I feel it’s important.”

  I took a long drink of my juice, set the glass down, and sat back in my chair with a nod. He streamed it through my toes this time, and literally filled me from the bottom up, like a glass. I smiled as it rose over my knees, and suppressed a groan as it washed over my groin, and my clit once again lit up like a damned lightbulb. It was uncomfortable only because I was still burned from the day before, and not because he was stretching my capabilities. However, once I was filled to the top, he kept streaming it in, and he pushed faster than I could release it.

  I held my breath to remain silent, and just as I was about to gasp in pain, he stopped.

  I took a few breaths, downed some more juice, and asked, “Why?”

  “There may be times you’ll need to appear normal amongst humans while fighting off someone on the metaphysical plane. Also, we won’t have another intense session for perhaps four to six weeks and I’d like to make the most of the one we just had.”

  “I wish there was a way for me to adequately thank you for the help you’re giving me. No one else has the knowledge, I don’t think. What you’ve taught me is invaluable.”

  “I’ve told you before, my reasons aren’t entirely selfless. A battle is brewing and we need all the fighters we can muster on the side of good.”

  “Do you know where Aaron is? Nathan’s being mysterious about it.”

  “I don’t know, and Nathan is being cryptic because he likely isn’t sure, either. We both have a good idea of what the crazy old dragon is up to, but I’d be hard pressed to find him so it’s a good thing I have no intention of trying.”

  * * *

  Mordecai spent an hour at Drake Security with me, working on my various powers. He had me shooting lasers of various colors, not just blue and red now. However, it still took time to create and solidify a different colored weapon. I could manage weapons on the red end of the spectrum, as well as my original nearly-white, but the other colors just wouldn’t cure into a solid-ish object. We worked on it a while, and then he made me try to form the flame on my fingertip again, even though I had zero luck with it. He said eventually it should just happen, and not to get frustrated when it didn’t.

  I worked with him until Lauren arrived for our time in the shooting range, and I spent an hour target practicing with my daughter. When we’d finished and stored our weapons, Kenny sparred with both of us in the workout area for a while, and then Lauren and I showered and changed and went out to eat.

  “Mom, your purse is seriously embarrassing. It’s huge.”

  “Yes, but it has a change of clothes and plenty of snacks.”

  “I almost died when you pulled three bananas out for you and me and Kenny when we finished sparring. Normal people don’t have fruit in their purse!”

  “And yet, you and Kenny both ate them and
seemed to appreciate the energy boost.”

  She rolled her eyes, shook her head, and changed the subject. “I know you’re the therapist for the guys at Drake Security, but sometimes they treat you more like one of them than their therapist.”

  I shrugged, careful to not tell a lie while not telling her the whole truth, either. “Aaron requires all of his employees — even support staff — to be proficient with firearms and to have at least a little fighting skill. I know some of their secrets, so my position is kind of a big deal.” I was proud of her for being so perceptive but it was time to change the conversation. “What’s going on with Josh?”

  She rolled her eyes. “He told everyone something that wasn’t true, so I told everyone he had a little… you know.”

  No one told me just how much being a mom would change my life. I loved Lauren before I adopted her, but I didn’t really know her, yet. Bringing her home and becoming a family had changed me in ways I hadn’t anticipated, one of which is how fiercely protective of her I am. However, if I wanted her to talk to me about this kind of thing, I had to be able to take it in stride and not let her know I wanted to rip the nuts off any guy who lied about having sexual relations with my daughter. So, I lifted my eyebrows and asked, “He told them ya’ll had sex?”

  “No, he told them I… it doesn’t matter. The point is, I laughed and said it was tiny, and he decided to retract his story and tell everyone I hadn’t seen it so I couldn’t know.”

  I chuckled. “I think this ranks in my top ten proudest moments as a mom. Would it be too geeky to do the fist-bump thing?”

  She smiled, I held my fist up, and she bumped hers with mine.

  “He’s a jerk for saying anything,” I commented. “I’m assuming this is why you aren’t speaking to him?”