Malcolm’s jaw dropped, along with the photo in his hand. He clutched at his chest and felt the world spin around him.
“I thought… monsters were supposed to be sterile,” he said. “How is that even possible?”
“You were in space when it happened,” said Rose. “Zero gravity works in mysterious ways. Don’t worry, she only gave me an abridged version of your… intimacy.”
“Why didn’t someone come and find me earlier?”
“How, exactly, do you imagine that would have happened?” asked Rose. “We didn’t know where you were, and Second Wind kept this place relatively secret. It took us months to put the pieces together, and then even longer to pinpoint where Olympus was.”
Malcolm went totally silent, feeling joyous and overwhelmed at the same time. He slowly shook his head in disbelief.
“What… happens now?” asked Malcolm. “I mean, I’ll come back. Of course I’ll come back. But…”
He trailed off.
“What do we expect from you?” asked Rose. “That’s a good question. I thought… I’d find your grave, rather than you. I guess we’ll have to tackle what happens next once we all have a chance to sit down together. But for now, I’m just glad to have you back.”
Malcolm nodded.
“I’m glad to be back,” he said.
“And Tapestry will be glad to have you back,” said Rose. “As a friend.”
“As a friend,” repeated Malcolm. “Knowing her, it’s going to take some doing to earn any trust back. But what about you?”
Rose grinned mischievously at him.
“That’s still up in the air, though I might be easier to persuade,” she said. “But seriously… Disappearing for a year after the way you tricked both of us? Shame on you, Malcolm.”
He started laughing. He couldn’t help it. He put an arm around Rose and let out a sigh of relief.
“Let’s go home,” he said.
THE END
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Thanks for reading. I couldn’t think of anything particularly poignant to write here, so instead, enjoy one of my favorite quotes from The Shawshank Redemption.
“I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living or get busy dying.”
Sign up for my newsletter or check out my website for info on upcoming releases. Thanks for reading!
Edmund
Moons of Carnathia
CHAPTER 1
I would give my clothes willingly to the poor and suffering, walk exposed and naked through the street. For all to see me as I am and make their own choice, including the lonely, the wandering, and the desperate, is but another test of true faith. – Iathia the Pious, Book of Stars
ZAK
The air was clean, and the third season sun hung halfway down to the horizon. Zakarias felt the ship swaying underneath him as he stared out across the water, observing the reflection of the knotted white clouds overhead.
Krexellious, the rose moon, had just begun its afternoon ascent. The sky was otherwise clear, and the sea was calm and easy, devoid of the massive storms that usually ravaged the Arkaian island coasts late in the year.
Other than the Sand Angel, there were no other vessels resting on the nearby ocean. A larger than average wave crashed into the bow, shifting the ship’s hull just enough to force Zak into gripping onto the railing he’d been using as a seat.
He’d been on bigger ships before, but not often and not for long. The Sand Angel was somewhere in the middle of the upper size tier, fifty feet long and roomy enough to be comfortable for Zak and his three crewmates, who’d served as his deck family for the past five years.
The water was clear, and even the gleaming stripe of the sun’s reflection wasn’t enough to obscure his view of the sea life below. A donphar pup, tiny and excitable, surfaced into a quick, somersaulting jump above the water’s surface, blasting a geyser of mist out of its blowhole.
“It’s a little early for you to be taking a break, Zak,” said Hachia. She slipped up behind him silently, somehow managing avoid all of the creakiest planks in the deck on her way.
You’d think she’d get bored of sneaking up on me eventually…
“I’m on watch,” said Zak. “Sharks, or qyss. They could attack at any time.” He grinned at her.
“Real cute,” said Hachia. She didn’t smile back.
Zak let out an exaggerated sigh. He turned around on the railing and dropped down to the deck, snagging up the net he’d left within arm’s reach and sorting out tangles.
“You’re no fun,” he said. “Come on, the sky is clear, the seas are calm. And you’re looking especially beautiful, even though it’s been days since we’ve been to port.”
Hachia folded her arms. The slightest hint of a smile pulled at the edges of her mouth.
“Flattery won’t get you anywhere,” she said.
“And so smart,” he said, winking. “Too smart for my diversionary tricks.”
She brushed a few strands of hair out of her face and nodded to the net in his hands.
“You’re already halfway there,” she said. “Good finger work on those knots. I notice things like that.”
Zak rolled his eyes, but continued moving. He walked a few feet down along the railing, giving the donphar a safe berth before tossing over the net. He always did that, treating the smaller ones with kindness befitting their intelligence, and giving the massive, ship killing ones the distance and respect they deserved.
“For your information, I wasn’t taking a break,” said Zak. “I was just thinking.”
“Of course you were,” said Hachia. “Let me guess. You were imagining yourself skipping to one of the moons? Floating all the way up to Krex, and claiming it as your kingdom?”
She moved in closer behind him, leaning over the railing in a manner that was unmistakably provocative. Hachia didn’t look at him directly, instead waiting for him to look at her, open to the attention of his potentially leering eyes.
Zak pretended to ignore her, mostly out of necessity. Hachia was a walking mess of contradictions. She was attractive, three years younger than him at nineteen, with a lean body and alluring curves. Her sandy blonde hair managed to look good even when worn ragged, loose and comely around her shoulders. Unfortunately, she knew all of this, and had mostly gone through life taking advantage of the benefits of her appearance in a brusque and direct manner.
In comparison, Zak was tall and lanky, and though the musculature of a life lived as an oceanfoot was nothing to scoff at, his tanned skin and minimalist, somewhat ragged clothing didn’t add much to his overall appearance. Not enough for him to feel as though he was playing against Hachia with a full plate of Parxus chips.
“No,” said Zak. “I was thinking about something a little more grounded then that.”
“So… what, then?” asked Hachia.
Zak scowled.
I should be used to this by now.
“I give up, Hachia,” said Zak. “I’m working, see? Go back to Demetro and tell him that your mission has been accomplished.”
Hachia’s lips puckered into a pout and she let out an exaggerated sigh.
“Why do you always have to be this way?” she asked. “Other people like to have fun too, you know. My fun just happens to consist with occasionally torturing you.”
“Well, I give you credit for admitting it,” said Zak. He reached over and dipped his fingers into one of the ship’s rain barrels as they passed by, pulling up his hand and flicking a palm’s worth of water in her direction. Hachia let out an annoyed shriek and glared at him.
“You are… such a pain!” snapped Hachia.
“No,” said Zak. “I just give unto others as I would dream for them to give unto me. A regular Iathia the Pious.”