There is a world just beyond our own where ancient beings of myth and magic live and breathe. Vera Desailliers, a powerful sorceress, and her lovers, Sam and Evander, must balance their love for each other with their roles as leaders of the Mound of Gaia, the order that has sworn to protect both our world and the Beyond.

---

A frigid drop of rain slithered down the back of Vera Desailliers’ cashmere sweater. The dampness turned the fabric from soft to itchy and soaked the band of her bra. She muttered a curse and tried angling her umbrella to block the rain, but it subjected the cards and books sticking out of her open satchel to the downpour. 

“I’d very much like to know who I’ve offended,” she said, addressing the empty air. Vera hitched her satchel higher on her shoulder and peeked around to see if her outburst had won her any attention. The only other person waiting at the bus stop was huddled to the back of the shelter reading a book and trying to stay dry. 

“Le souffle de l’été,” she whispered as she drew a circle in the air with her finger, invoking the breath of summer. The rain drops began to bend around her body. The damp November chill was chased away and a midsummer's warmth flowed over her skin in its place. 

Vera checked over her shoulder to make sure that her fellow traveler had not noticed. It was forbidden to use magic in the presence of the uninitiated. She saw the secrecy as a burden, a holdover from when people thought the earth was flat and burned her kind out of fear and hate.  Still, Vera was a sorceress and the High Votaress of The Mound of Gaia. She was in charge and had to enforce the laws until she could change them, even the ones she thought were antiquated and silly. 

Nothing this miserable is possible without magic, she thought once her teeth stopped chattering. 

---

The day had been a disaster from the start. The water had gone freezing in the middle of her morning shower. Her Familiar, Sam, was supposed to be the handy one in her strange little family and bore the brunt of her ill humor after such a rude awakening. The sky had opened the second she had set one foot outside of her front door. Her car’s radiator had started to hiss and spit like an angry cat when she had turned the key in the ignition and the radiator cap had shot off like a rocket when she had lifted the hood to have a look. 

Vera’s hair was plastered to her skull and her mascara had run in streaks down her cheeks by the time she arrived at the rare book shop she owned with Sam, and her Guardian, Evander. She had not been in the door a minute before Evander told her a pipe in the store room had burst. None of their books had been lost, but three inches of standing water on the floor was a monumental problem

It’s got to be the Water Court, she mused in silence. She wracked her brain during the bus ride home, trying to pinpoint where she had given offense to the local Water Daemons. The Daemons were keeper spirits who watched over their elements like over-cautious, paranoid stage parents. Vera needed to figure out what had gotten their noses out of joint. One day of this misery was all she could take.

“Hello, family,” Vera called out. 

Shutting the door behind her, the weight of the day began to lighten immediately. She was delighted to be home. The hall smelled of Herbes de Provence and roasting chicken, and beneath that, the house was redolent with the scent of them. Her family. Vera, Sam, and Evander. The Mound of Gaia was a magic order that guarded the Passage between the earthly plane and the Beyond. The initiated entered the Mound of Gaia in triunes - a Votaress, her Familiar, and her Guardian. Vera, Sam, and Evander had been thrown together by fate at fifteen. Initiates were not expected to twine every aspect of their lives together like Vera, Sam, and Evander had, but after twelve years with them at her side, she could not imagine wanting it any other way. 

Vera set her bag on the floor and tossed her coat on the rack. She peeked up the front stairs toward their bedroom. The lights on the second story of the modernized Victorian were off. Vera, Sam, and Evander had purchased the house when they had decided to move to Arcadia City. The aptly named Victorian District was close to their store in Market Town, but far enough away that the streets were tree-lined and quiet. The neighborhood was progressive enough that they could come and go without raising any eyebrows. Their property backed up to the Pronoe River, only three miles from where she joined her big sister the Broadwater, and meandered out to the Atlantic. 

The house had been built in 1881, but updated in the early 2000s by a couple that wanted Victorian kitsch on the outside and industrial, modern on the inside. The fussy nooks and crannies, popular in 19th-century homes, had been gutted. The first floor was a single room that ran the length of the house, with a panel of reclaimed barn wood separating the kitchen from the rest of the space. The second floor was one lofted bedroom and a bathroom large enough for a walk-in shower, garden tub, and vanity for three.

Vera heard the sounds of clanking pots and running water coming from the kitchen. The mourning rasp of Nina Simone’s voice poured out from behind the partition and filled up the corners of the empty room. 

“Le souffle de l'été.” She invoked the breath of summer once again, this time swirling both hands in a slow circle like she was stirring the air. A small whirlwind, infused with comforting warmth gathered in the hall, drying her hair and her clothes. 

“That’s cheating,” Evander sang, popping out of the kitchen. He looked like he had been able to shake the stress of the day, but he was a Guardian, the brawn of their small clan, and getting a little wet was the least of his worries. He tossed a dishcloth over his shoulder and bent to brush his lips against Vera’s. 

“I don’t care. I’m cold.” She burrowed into his arms.

He clucked his tongue and kissed the top of her head. Evander was tall, his body corded with muscle, and lithe, like the Spartan warriors from whom he was descended. He was barefoot, dressed in a faded t-shirt and a pair of old jeans that rode low on his hips. 

“Did your day get any better after I left?” he asked, ducking to nuzzle beneath her ear. 

The shadow of beard on Evander’s face brushed against her cheek and made her skin tingle. A sweet pulse of pleasure flared at her center. “No. It was wretched. It’s got to be The Water Court. Thetis is the only Daemon dick-ish enough to fuck up my entire day because she’s in a snit.” 

“The Water Court?” Evander took a moment to think. “We’ll all go down to the river after dinner and see what’s gotten her whipped up into a tizzy.” He swept her hair up in one hand and began placing kisses and little nips on her neck.

“Hmmm.” The sound fell from Vera’s lips and she slid her hands into Evander’s back pockets, pulling their bodies flush together. She felt his hardness against her hip and molded herself to him. “Thank you, Evy. I warded the house so we should be catastrophe free until we figure it out.” 

Evander pulled his head back and checked his watch. “Since you’ve bought us some time, why don’t you lie down while I finish putting dinner in the oven? It should be ready in about an hour.” He slid his thumb across her lips and she relished the feel of the callus against her delicate skin. “Maybe give Sam some love? He feels awful about this morning.” He stole one kiss, brief and chaste, then stepped away. 

Vera wanted to feel his lips on hers again, but the idea of stripping out of her clothes and falling into bed sounded amazing. “Poor pup.” She kissed Evander one more time before heading up the stairs to their bedroom. 

The cool orange of the streetlights filtered through the wall of windows facing the street. The centerpiece of the room was a platform bed. It was low and mid-century in style, easily the width of two king-size mattresses, and long enough that even Evander, who was almost two meters tall, did not have to worry about his feet hanging off the edge.   

The bed was occupied by a massive Irish wolfhound, with a coat of coarse silver fur streaked with ebony. Vera lay down beside him and scratched behind one of his ears. The hound regarded her with amber eyes, then heaved a great sigh, and let his head fall onto his front paws.

“Don’t tell me you’re still pouting because I yelled at you?” Vera said and stroked the animal’s flank once, before sliding back to lay against the pillows. 

The room was filled with the hiss and spit of ungrounded electricity and Vera was overcome by the scent of peat smoke and caramel. The air around the wolfhound’s body shimmered and the boundaries of skin and fur began to blur. A percussive vibration buffeted the air, building in intensity until it reached the peak of its crescendo, cracking like the snapping of bone, then all was silent. 

A man reclined in the spot where the wolfhound had been. He was naked; his skin was unmarked and shined in the low light like polished bronze. As he rolled onto his front and propped himself on his elbows, his full lips stretched into a broad, unguarded smile. Vera tucked a lock of thick, ebony hair behind his ear.

“A little dramatic, don’t you think, Sam?” 

Sam leaned his head into Vera’s palm. “No more dramatic than throwing a full-blown strop over a little cold water.” His voice was gruff but sweet, with a hint of brogue that hardened his r’s and made his vowels round and soft. 

“I am sorry about that.” 

“I suppose I can let it go, this once. Evy said you had a shite day.” He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and crawled the length of Vera’s body until they were face to face. She tilted her head up and took his mouth, licking at the seam of his lips until he opened to her, sliding their tongues together. 

Vera arched into Sam’s body, loving the feeling of his bare arousal. He lifted a hand from the bed and started to run his fingers through her hair, over her face, and across her throat. Sam teased her with the promise of a firmer touch and pulled away when she started to push into his palm. His deep chuckle ignited a fire in her body. 

“Don’t be so impatient,” he said, kissing down the pale length of her neck to where her shirt opened. He pulled at the fabric and licked along the swell of her breasts. 

“Did I mention my day was horrible?” She unbuttoned her shirt and Sam nipped at her skin, following the plunge of the lingerie to the clasp between her breasts.

Unlatching the clasp, he exposed Vera to his mouth. He suckled one dusted-rose nipple, flicking it with his tongue and then biting down, with just enough pressure to cause a bolt of pleasure to flood her center and make her gasp. His other hand toyed with the other nipple while he lavished attention on the one between his lips, sucking at the hardened bud and then blowing gently on her skin. He alternated between her breasts, drinking in her pleasure until she was writhing beneath him. 

Vera’s body was burning and her hands scrambled between them, tugging at the button of her jeans and passing over the heated velvet of Sam’s length. She slid her thumb across the uncut head of his cock, collected the shining drop at the tip, and slipped it into her mouth, keeping her eyes on his while she sucked her thumb clean. 

Sam glided down her body, peppering her with kisses. He slid her pants off, stopping to lave her inner thighs with nips and kitten-licks. She looked down the length of her torso, watching Sam ghost his lips over the lace of her panties, running his tongue along the seam until he placed his mouth over her center and let loose a gust of breath. 

“Please,” she panted and Sam slipped her panties down her thighs, removing the last barrier between them. He paused, his eyes full of warmth. One of Vera’s hands caressed her breasts while the other reached down to her womanhood. She reveled in the slick sensation, caressing herself, taking the time to dip one finger inside before spreading her legs wide.

“Look at you, my sweet Vera,” Sam said, his hands snaked up the outside of her thighs, before he slipped his arms under her legs, and draped her knees over his shoulders. “You’re beautiful.” 

Sam’s eyes locked on hers and he lowered his mouth, caressing her clit with the tip of his tongue, before leaning in to kiss and lick at her center. 

Vera threaded her fingers through Sam’s hair and scratched at his scalp. “That’s so good.” A delectable shiver followed each quick pass of his tongue. “Kiss me slowly, love.”

Sam slowed his motions, making love to her with his mouth. Vera luxuriated in the pleasure of Sam’s attentions and the sharp sting of the little bites he made on her thighs. Sam and Vera were so lost to sensation, they failed to hear Evander’s tread on the stairs.

A sigh captured Vera’s attention and she opened her eyes. Evander watched as Sam worshipped Vera’s body, and the palm of his hand pressed against the hard line of his cock. He slipped out of his clothes, his own length standing against the firm muscles of his abdomen, the head ruddy and shining. Vera held out her hand and Evander took it, leaning in for a passionate kiss.

Evander pulled away, letting a low, growling laugh go when Vera whimpered. Sam continued to lick and suckle her while Evander let his hand glide over Sam’s back to massage the globes of his ass. 

 “Sam, give Evy a taste,” Vera said, letting her fingers take over for Sam’s tongue and tease her clit. Sam lifted his head, his eyes shining, and bit at Evander’s lips. Both men groaned and Evander’s hand flew to the back of Sam’s head, holding him steady while he devoured his mouth. They broke apart to breathe, panting together.  

“You taste amazing.” Evander’s voice rumbled in his chest. “Is this serious fun or play fun?” he asked. All three shared a smile. 

It had taken time to create a language that worked for their strange, loving family. They were all magical beings; they knew the power of words. They used language to draw the line between the times when they made love and when they played together. Serious fun was when they stripped themselves bare of everything other than the overwhelming depth of feeling they had for each other. Play fun was for pushing their boundaries. 

“I don’t know about you two, but I could use some play fun,” Vera said, leaving it for Sam and Evander to decide.

“Play fun,” they replied together.

“Color?” Evander asked. 

The colors were part of their ritual. Green for yes, yellow for slow, and red for stop. It gave them a way to make sure they shared an equal voice in their pleasure.

“Green,” Vera said.

“Green,” Sam echoed.

Evander nodded. Vera saw him turn inward for a moment before he fixed his eyes on her and directed Sam to do the same with the hand that still grasped his hair.

Vera lifted her hips and buried two fingers deep in her body, swirling them around, and delighted in the obscene whine that escaped Sam’s lips when she took them in her mouth to lick them clean. Evander molded himself to Sam’s back and pressed his mouth against his ear. 

“Do you know what I love, puppy?” Sam moaned again when Evander’s other hand snaked around his hip and began pumping Sam’s cock. “I love to watch you worshipping her cunt.” Vera stretched her legs out and spread herself wide for Sam. “She’s Gaia incarnate. Will you honor her, make her come for us?” 

Sam nodded. His voice failed him as his focus reeled between the sensation of Evander’s hand massaging his length and the sight of Vera throwing her head back in pleasure as she stroked her clit.

Evander’s hand tightened in Sam’s hair. “Speak, puppy.”

“Yes, of course.” Sam sounded like the words had been punched out of him.

“Good.” The hand that Evander had tangled in Sam’s hair slid down his back, tracing the crease of his ass. He stopped to draw a light circle around the furled rose of muscle and pulsed his thumb on the tender skin behind Sam’s balls. “He’s such sweet puppy for us, isn’t he?”

Vera reached down and stroked Sam’s hair. “You’re our good boy,” she said, loving the blush that crept into his cheeks at the praise.

Sam resumed his worship of Vera’s pussy with long, flat swipes of his tongue. She was fascinated by the single-minded devotion he showed her. Evander let go of Sam’s cock and pulled a small bottle of slick from a bedside drawer. Sam moaned high in his throat at the loss. 

“Hush, puppy,” Evander soothed. “Do you want to come with his tongue and his fingers or his cock, love?” he asked Vera. 

“His tongue, his hands,” she panted, her voice more breath than sound.

“And how would you have our little pup receive his pleasure?” Evander asked. 

Heat was unfurling in Vera’s core and she felt a quickening in her veins. “Give him your cock. Oh, Gaia!” she cried. “I want to watch him come apart with you inside him.” 

Evander nodded, running his hand down the length of Sam’s back. “Slow, now. Show our Goddess what that gorgeous tongue of yours can do, but don’t let her come. Not yet.” 

Vera’s hands skated over her body, stopping to tug at her nipples or caress Sam’s face as he pleasured her. Evander grabbed a pillow from the head of the bed and lifted Sam’s hips. He slicked his fingers and began to open him, relaxing the tight muscle by sliding in first one, then two fingers, alternating fucking him and scissoring his fingers to widen Sam’s body enough to accept his cock. Sam keened when Evander plunged three fingers inside him and crooked them to pulse against the small bundle of nerves inside of his body. Shocks of pleasure radiated outward from Sam’s center and he lifted his hips enough to begin stroking himself.

Evander laughed and pulled Sam’s hand away. “Don’t worry, puppy, you’ll find your release.” 

Sam groaned, the vibration of sound resonating against Vera’s body while he caressed the silken walls of her cunt with his fingers. She pushed down, grinding onto his hand and then up into his questing tongue. Vera began to unravel, chasing after her ecstasy. Evander lined his cock up and slid into Sam’s body in one long push, stopping when he felt his hips flush against Sam’s ass. He gave his lover time to adjust before he started making small circles with his hips. Sam’s body flamed with fierce heat and his ass gripped Evander tight enough to pull a broken gasp from the Guardian’s lips. 

“Oh fuck, you feel amazing,” Sam said between licks, his mouth open and panting against Vera’s center.

Evander pulled out until the tip of his cock caught on Sam’s rim and then plunged back inside. He gave Sam no quarter, holding his hips still so that he could pummel his prostate with each stroke.

Vera watched Evander fucking into Sam. They were stunning together; Sam’s gaze was fixed on Vera’s face, his pupil’s blown wide enough that his eyes looked black in the low light. Evander’s body undulated, rocking in and out of Sam, the muscles of his shoulders and chest straining beneath his skin. 

“Gaia, please!” Vera cried when Sam curled three fingers inside her and sucked on her clit, his cheeks hollow with the pressure. Her body was alight with sensation, the intensity so pronounced she felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. “Please Evy.” 

Evander let go of Sam’s hip and leaned in, stroking his cock while he whispered in Sam’s ear.  “She’s so close. Is her cunt closing around your hand, holding you inside?” He stopped to lick at a bead of sweat that had rolled down Sam’s neck. “Can you feel her clit twitching against your tongue? You’re gorgeous, puppy. Make her come!” he cried and drove his cock home while Sam panted and licked at Vera’s pussy. 

She was frenzied, every muscle trembling with pleasure as she slammed into her orgasm. Sam’s fingers continued to stroke her as her body convulsed. His mouth open against her thigh, a rhythmic huff heating her skin, he was lost to the desire that was chasing through his blood. 

Evander grasped Sam’s hair, pulling his head back. “Look at her. Look at what you’ve done, puppy,” he said and then leaned back for a handful of powerful thrusts, making sure to strike Sam’s prostate each time. Sam howled, coming untouched. He shuddered, his ass milking Evander’s cock and drawing the Guardian’s climax from him with such force that Evander’s vision grayed as he shook through his completion. 

They were all gasping for air. Sam collapsed, his head pillowed on Vera’s thigh, while Evander gently pulled out of Sam’s body and slid up beside them both. The three lovers watched the shadows on the ceiling dance as wind shook the trees outside. The only sounds in the room were those of rustling bedclothes as legs and arms intertwined and the occasional swish of a car passing over the wet asphalt outside.

“Dinner smells amazing, when do we get to eat?” Vera asked, propping herself up on her elbows. 

“It’ll be ready by the time we get out of the shower,” Evander said. His whole body bowed into half-moon stretch, and he let loose a jaw-cracking yawn.

Sam traced spirals on Vera’s stomach with a finger. “I’m too comfortable to move,” he said, shifting so he could snuggle up behind Vera and wrap an arm around her waist.

“Too bad, you’re going to have to,” Vera said, and reached back to plant a light slap on Sam’s hip. 

***

“Perhaps we should wait until the rain stops?” Sam said.

Evander slipped into his touring motorcycle jacket, the black waxed cotton perfect for the rain and the pockets ideal for hiding a myriad of weapons. 

“My puppy isn’t scared of a little rain, is he?” Evander laughed, slinging an arm around Sam’s neck, and nuzzling against his ear.

Sam rolled his eyes. “What did I say about the “p” word outside of the bedroom?” 

“That you love it?” He crowded Sam against the coat closet door, slotting one leg between Sam’s and then rising to his full height. Sam, being shorter, was forced onto his toes, but managed to roll his hips against Evander’s thigh. 

“Not that I don’t appreciate the view, but can we save the foreplay for after we figure out why these soggy assholes are shitting all over our life?” Vera said, laying a sharp smack across the ass of Evander’s jeans.

“You’re no fun when you’re crabby,” Sam said. There was a crack like breaking rock and buffeting of air as Sam slipped into his hound-form. He paced over to Vera and nudged her hand with his muzzle.

“And you’re an attention whore regardless of whether you’re on two legs or four,” she said, but there was no heat behind the jibe. Vera scratched behind one of his ears. “Shall we?”

Vera aimed for comfort and movement when she faced the charged unknown and had chosen a black wool shift dress paired with her favorite black jeans and a structured ruby cape that was more Rei Kawakubo than it was Renn Faire. She scooped up a silver ewer from the kitchen before the three headed out the back door to the dock behind the house.

The Pronoe River was swollen in her banks, the chop stippled by the deluge that fell from the sky. Sam trotted ahead onto the dock, his heightened senses attuned to seek out the presence of danger. Vera and Evander waited until Sam turned and issued two short, sharp barks. The three lovers stood at the edge of the dock, the pilings rocking with the force of the current. Vera handed the silver ewer to Evander, who filled it with river water and presented it back to her with a deferential bow. 

She whispered a shielding charm to hide them from the eyes of the uninitiated. A neighbor looking out of a window would see only undefined shadows in the darkness before the memory vanished from their mind like a puff of breath in the morning fog. She held the ewer in both hands, lifting it aloft, like she was offering it to the storm. Earth, water, fire, and air coalesced within the confines of her body and radiated outward, shimmering on the surface of her skin like she was wrapped in starlight. Evander and Sam felt the telltale swirl that started in the core of their bodies. The sensation radiated outward, racing like fire along the length of each man’s spine, and they were pulled forward by that burning force, accompanying Vera through the ancient Passage and into the Beyond. 

The night was clear in the Beyond with a full moon sailing high against the sky. It was much like the earthly plane, save the chorus of life force that resonated in everything from the wind to the deepest well of the molten earth. The Ancients had retreated to the Beyond when the world was young and humans were emerging from their caves, blinking in the sunlight as they experienced their first inkling of intelligence. The Mound of Gaia were the Keepers of the Passage and Vera, who wore the Crown of the High Votaress, was their queen. 

A large barge of woven reeds floated beside the dock. A woman stood on the prow; her skin was black as volcanic sand. A feral rage glowed in her azure eyes and lent her stern expression a measure of savagery. The woman was swathed in a gown of water that flowed over her body like a serpent twining itself around a branch. Sam growled. Evander stepped in front of Vera. 

“You two need to settle down,” Vera said. Evander opened his mouth to complain and she walked around them both. 

“Thetis.” Vera bowed. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Has the Mound of Gaia forsaken the Water Court?” The Daemon’s voice thundered like white water roaring over the edge of a cliff. Thetis was the Daemon of the Water Court, an irascible elemental being that, much like the element from which she had been formed, could soothe or rend depending on her mood. 

“Not last time I checked. Why, what do you think we did this time?”

“My children suffer, poisoned in the blood that flows across the human’s earth. Yet we forebear sweeping these lower beings into our frigid depths, but reap no harvest for our mercy.”

The Elemental Daemons were a cagey bunch. They reveled in cryptic riddles and hating humans. Communicating with them required a great deal of patience. Vera was suddenly glad that they had played that evening. She had bled off the stress of the day with a spectacular orgasm, which would make wading through Thetis’ minefield of backwards elemental logic easier.

“The Water Court’s harvest is its bounty, what more might we give to reward your great beneficence.” Vera struggled not to gag on her own words.

“The Feast of Achelous passed with no tribute.”

Vera resisted the urge to snarl. Elemental Daemons feasted every ancient god on the books and demanded a tribute for each one. Vera was certain they purposefully forgot to mention upcoming feasts because they enjoyed being offended. 

“I assure you that the Mound of Gaia intended no slight. Please, as High Votaress how might I rectify this injury and honor Achelous.” 

“Will you make the Song of Water as tribute?” Thetis said.

Vera nodded. She had not anticipated a tribute and so, had not prepared. Evander and Sam would be furious afterward, but it could not be helped. She crouched down beside Sam and scratched under his chin. 

“I’m going to need you on two legs for this, love,” she said. She stood up and placed her hand over Evander’s heart. “You okay?” 

He nodded once, a curt bob of his head, never taking his eyes from Thetis’ face. Evander had fixed his gaze on Thetis the moment she appeared. He was a gentle man with Vera and Sam. The kind of lover that made pancakes on Sunday mornings and cups of tea on rainy days. His love for Vera and Sam was unapologetic and unparalleled, but he was also a Guardian.  He embodied the unrestrained fury of a hurricane and there were no lengths to which he would not go to protect his family. 

Sam shifted with a loud crack and stood beside Evander, his face grim. Both of her lovers knew the tremendous toll that the Daemon’s tributes took on Vera. If asked, each man would articulate the respect they had for her as High Votaress and the necessity of the tributes, but they worried like a brood of hens over her during the days it took to regain her energy. Tributes were different for each court; the Water Court demanded that the Votaress performing the rite open her body and mind and serve as a conduit for the element. 

Vera stripped off her clothes and presented herself to Thetis, with Evander on her right and Sam on her left. They crowded close, poised to catch her if she were to fall.  

“I offer myself as a vessel of tribute, Thetis, Daemon of the Water Court.” 

Thetis thrust out her hands and water streamed from the tips of her fingers, surging in ribbons toward Vera. The water encircled her and trailed across her skin. Vera shivered at its cool touch, like an endless scarf of silk flowing across her body. It teased her breasts, her thighs, and the delicate skin at her center. She gave in to the energy building in her body as the force of the water caressing her increased, pulling a moan from her throat. It was as if Thetis herself flowed inside her, lavishing her womanhood with rising intensity. 

Prickling chills teased the buds of her nipples until they were hard, aching with an enchanting tangle of pleasure and pain. Vera’s body thrummed with desire and she writhed against the waves that kept her upright. She was blazing with a craving for release, the heat at her core building to a crescendo, while the water that stroked her skin shifted from the blue of a becalmed ocean to the brilliant white that rides the crest of each wave.

Vera began to tremble with the force of her release and her mind became consumed by the vision of a mountain stream tumbling down to flatter land. The stream joined a broad river that rushed through canyons banded by sandstone, across arid plains, and out to the open sea. Her mouth opened and the sound of that journey poured out of her, from the trickle and plink of water deep within an earthen cavern to the crashing might of the ocean.

As Thetis’ water began to recede, Vera lost consciousness falling into the safety of Evander and Sam’s arms.

She woke days later, safe in her bed, with Evander curled around her back, his breath ghosting across her neck in gentle puffs as he slept. Sam was sitting up against the headboard, reading. His eyes were tired and Vera knew, without asking, that Evander and Sam had been resting in shifts, so she would not wake up alone. 

“Hey.” She tried to speak and frowned. Her throat was raw from the tribute and it came out sounding more like the croaking caw of a raven.  

Sam set his book aside and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. “You know better than to try to speak.” His chiding was gentle.

She cleared her throat again, but could still manage no more than a whisper. “How long?”

“Two days. I’m not surprised, you had no time to prepare yourself, which, by the way, was stupid. Can we agree that we don’t do tributes on the fly anymore? I thought Evander was going to lose his mind yesterday.” 

“He’s lying to make himself look cool. Sam was ready to go back and start some shit if you didn’t come out of it soon.” Evander sounded groggy, but his voice was suffused with relieved warmth.

“I’m fine,” Vera whispered. “I’m also starving.” Her stomach clenched with a pang of hunger.

Sam leaned over to his bedside table and came back with a bottle of neon-colored sports drink. “How about we start with this and work up to food?” 

 “Fair.” She took a sip, grimacing at the watered down-sweetness and the lingering taste of salt. “How’s the store?”

“All covered. The back room cleaned up fine, we didn’t lose any stock and the Water Court is appeased for at least the next few months.” 

“They better be.” The more that Vera moved, the more she felt the ache of strained muscles. A wave of exhaustion swept over her and she put her head back on her pillow. Sam plucked the drink from her hand and she snuggled against Evander, soaking in the heat that poured off his body. 

“Go back to sleep, love,” Sam whispered. “We’ll force Evy to make us pancakes when you wake up.” Vera smiled and Sam stroked her hair with one hand and picked up his book with the other. 

Vera Desailliers drifted back to her dreams; she was lulled to sleep by the sounds of her home, from Evander’s gentle snores and Sam’s steady breath, to the creak of bedsprings, and the gusts of November wind mouthing at the eaves. 

---

Anne Stagg's 'Mound of Gaia' series is a Bellesa exclusive.

I. The Song of Water
II. Rumors of the Wind
III. Flame's Tongue
IV. The Sacred Passage
V. Blood Makes Noise
VI. Drink Deep and Remember
VII. The Huntress

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