Chapter#14

"I look forward to it, friend." He stepped back, away from the edge of the pool. She walked to its edge, looking down at her reflection. Her reflection looked back, a grimace on her lips. Clearly, she didn't want to get wet any more than Beth did.

Oh well. Beth grabbed tightly to the steps of her backpack and stepped out over the water. Just before her feet penetrated the surface, she saw him lean out over the water. His top hat was tilted to one side, his dusky red skin aglow with tiny flames. A large smile spread across his face when his yellow eyes met hers.

"Found you," Oliver whispered, his voice in her ear. Her heart leaped into her throat and she spun around as she sank into the pool, but all she saw was Asterion. She felt his fingers close on her arm, and then the whole world dissolved around her.

***

Mike coughed, his eyes watering from the drywall bits and wood dust that had gotten blasted in his face. He squinted, partially feeling his way into his bathroom. His eyes burned like crazy whenever he opened them, so he was alternating which eye he barely opened. Once his hand was on the bathroom counter, he pulled off his filthy clothes, tossing them in a heap on the floor.

"Naia?" He touched the edge of the tub. Already, water was filling it at an impossible rate. He stepped over the side and sat along the wall. The tub was huge and could easily accommodate several people. The water swirled over his hips, and then she appeared. Her blue-green hair emerged from the water's surface first, the rest of her body translucent as it took a human form. Her blue eyes sparkled and she pulled his face into her breasts. They were still largely made of water and Mike held his breath. The whirling current inside her body swept away the irritants all over his face and she leaned away leaving his face clean.

"Better?"

"I bet people would pay good money for something like that." Mike didn't even have to wipe the water from his eyes, for Naia had taken it with her. "Maybe twenty bucks to shove their face in there, get nice and clean. MIght increase drowning deaths though."

"Only if I didn't like them." She sat back, her smooth bottom resting on top of his thighs. The tub had filled up to his chest and stopped, the warmth of the water leaching away the the aches and pains in his joints. "How did it go?"

"We got the ceiling patched, but it looks like shit. Tink is in a fit because we had to shortcut it. We didn't have time to do anything but toss in some spare boards that we had and then drywall it. Tink had Cecilia pass through the bottom so that she could screw it in from the top, but that meant leaving a screwdriver up there. Without getting back into the Rat King's lair, that tunnel can't be sealed away." He groaned, shifting lower so that the water came up to his neck. Naia's body became temporarily weightless to allow him to shift. "Were you able to remember anything about the Rat King?"

"No." Naia frowned. "And that worries me. Now that you have found them, the geas should have released those memories, but it hasn't. That would imply that all memories of the Rat King had been tampered with prior to Emily's death, and I don't know who would have done such a thing, or for what purpose. I have some flashes of Emily discovering the second floor, but that's it."

Mike rolled his eyes then leaned back. Things had been relatively calm for a few days and he had almost gotten used to it. "Well that's more info than I usually have."

"Sorry lover." He felt her fingers twirl through his hair. Beneath him, the water pulsed against his body much like a massage chair. "I'm afraid there's only so much I can do."

"You do plenty." He smiled, running his hand up her thigh. "Got an email from Dana this morning. She made it to Colorado okay, though mentioned that Lily has caused a couple problems." He had really hoped that the succubus would stay with them in the house where it was safe. If he was enemy number one on the Society's hitlist, she was close behind in second place.

"Nobody is surprised." Naia laughed. "She has a good heart though, I can feel it."

"Yeah." Mike thought back to when Lily had tried to kill him in his sleep. Since then, the rogue demon had proven herself to be more than what she seemed and an invaluable ally. "And that's where I'm stuck. The Rat King needs to go, but what if he's another Lily? What if by finding a way to co-exist I strengthen the whole house?" The realization had hit him while he had been holding a piece of drywall against the ceiling with Sofia's help. What if the Rat King could help them? He needed to find a way to get the rodent to listen, but what would that be?

"Your willingness to see good in others is one of the things I love about you." Naia pressed herself into him, her hands sliding up his chest toward his face. "Just be careful that it doesn't get you in trouble."

"I'm starting to think it already has." He closed his eyes again. In the back of his mind, he was thinking about the Rat King. What if he had a gun, or a crossbow? What if he had commanded Abella to tear into them at the first sign of hostility?

He let out a long sigh when Naia massaged his temples. The real issue wasn't the idea that the Rat King had pulled one over on him. It was the idea that he might not be able to work a deal with something already living here. If the Rat King refused to play by the rules, Mike would be forced to kick him out or kill him.