CHAPTER#54

"So what now?" Lily asked. She still sat at the edge of the fountain, wearing her intern clothing. She had taken off her shoes, her feet soaking in the warm water.

"We wait, I'm afraid." Naia could feel Mike walking through the home, so close yet so far. She dreaded that disconnected feeling she would get when he stepped into the closet. He would suddenly disappear, and she would be unable to feel him. She took comfort in still knowing he was alive, but sometimes it wasn't enough.

"You could order me to go with him," Lily said, her voice soft.

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" Naia smiled at the succubus. "You are right. I could make you go, as your master. You would have to protect him, maybe die for him. And you would like that, because it would prove that you're right. It would prove that I put him above you, ergo he puts himself above you."

Lily didn't respond, her eyes focused on the water in the fountain. Naia could see the tension in her shoulders, the fear of what was to come next.

"The Caretakers of this home have been many things, but this one is different. I have loved them all, in my own way, but something about Mike makes my soul sing for him. He doesn't see us just as objects, or slaves, or even as monsters. He sees each of us for who we are. He respects us. Some of the others haven't been nearly as kind, barely tolerating some of us to be here."

"That's easy to say for someone who will fuck anybody who comes in this place." Lily's face reddened as the words left her mouth. "You're the one who gets to choose, aren't you? I saw it in his memories. You can drown anyone who isn't a good fit."

"If that isn't the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is." Naia lay on her back, floating along the surface of the water. "It's like a calling. I can tell they will take care of the house, but not necessarily love those who dwell here. And things can change over time. It isn't perfect. No relationship is. There's a reason Zel hid from Emily. Consider that."

"So why not make me go help him?" Lily asked. "He didn't give Beth a choice. Why give me one?"

"He didn't give Beth a choice because he doesn't have one either." Naia swirled the water with her arms, becoming one with the waves. "And if you think he isn't beating himself up over it, you are wrong."

"That's the worst part," Lily said. "I can tell that he is. I can feel him as if he stands behind me, his chest pressed against my back. I can feel you in the front, both of you just standing there, waiting to command me. It will happen eventually, you'll see."

"Maybe. Maybe not." Naia stared at the sky. Storm clouds were forming up above, a result of the magical attack on the Geas. "Just remember that he is doing his best to protect the others. Somehow, I feel like that's the same reason you are here, isn't it?"

Naia heard Lily pull her feet out of the fountain. The back door slammed shut as Lily went inside the house. A smile crossed Naia's face, and she became one with the water, melting beneath its surface.

-

Strong arms held her tightly, fingers interlaced with her own. Dana pushed herself farther into those arms, breathing in through her nose and letting out a sigh. She could smell the faint hint of Alex's deodorant, felt hot breath on the back of her neck. Months of anguish were somehow forgotten, Dana moved to another time and place. Alex must have been working on the motorcycle, because the bed smelled faintly of motor oil.

"Alex," she whispered, squeezing the fingers in her hand. The fingers squeezed back, gripping her tightly. Memories of the crash and the ensuing months suddenly flooded her mind, the sweet release of sleep now eluding her. She could feel the tears running down her face, hesitant to open her eyes and break the spell, knowing that her true love would vanish in the waking hours of day.

She heard the clock chime, alerting her that it was time to put the past behind her. The weight of Alex lifted free of her, those strong arms vanishing into nothing. The past stripped itself away from her, leaving her with the cold remnants of the morning. Wiping the tears off of her face, she opened her eyes, her vision settling on the window nearest her bed. She could hear the birds singing outside. Groaning, she sat up, a dull ache just behind her eyes. Rubbing her head, she slid out of bed, walking past the clock and into her bathroom for some aspirin. She swallowed the pills and walked back out onto the loft.

The morning light had snuck in through a few gaps in the blinds, scattering errant rays across the garage. Several of them bounced off the chrome of the bike, lighting up the floor of the garage. Dana stared at Alex's motorcycle, wondering now if she truly wanted to finish fixing it. She had thought that riding it would bring her closer to Alex, make it feel like they were together again, but the cold reality of day reminded her that she was still alive and Alex was gone.

Shaking her head, she retrieved her phone from its hiding place, only to discover that she was almost an hour late for work. She had a couple of phone calls already from her boss.

"Fuck!" Grabbing clothes off of the floor, she dressed as quickly as she could and then bolted out of the apartment. Getting into her car, she turned the ignition and nearly backed into a giant town car that now blocked the driveway.

"Fuck!" She jumped out of her car, staring at the man behind the driver's seat. He wore a chauffeur's hat and stared right through her. "Hey. Hey! I need you to move so I can get going!" The driver of the town car ignored her, even as she approached. Banging on the glass, he ignored her, his gaze fixed eerily on nothing in particular. "Hey! Asshole! Let me out!"