Swamp Kings 1 (Bayou Bishops #18)

CHAPTER FOUR

“And do you think he’s accidentally found his way onto my boat?” Natasha hissed quietly to Celeste at the far end of the pontoon, as far from that Creole King Player as she could get, but surely not so far she couldn’t keep a note-taking eye on him and boy was the mental notepad overflowing quickly.

“I mean of all the boats he could be on, he picks this one, and would you look at him—God, don’t actually look—” she strained, snapping Celeste’s face forward. “With the corner of your eye, just look at all the sisters at his feet, like he’s the second member of the godhead! It is disgusting! And by all means, take unobvious notes at the look on his face, pretending to be so austere and aloof as if anybody with a pebble of a brain can’t see he’s casting his witchery spells to all near him and look at the glow on his face, how he loves it, he loves that he is the most beautiful, most sexiest man on the planet and that is the… Celeste what’s wrong? You’ve got black spots on your face! ”

Her eyes snapped up to hers with a gasp. “I do?”

“Do you feel sick, are you hurting?”

She nodded a lot.

Natasha jumped into touching and feeling her for symptoms. “Why didn’t you tell me!”

“Because you…you needed somebody to listen to you.”

“You don’t feel feverish. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s him,” she gasped.

“Lore!” she barely hissed, instantly furious then getting her rapid headshake.

“Kaphas. My stomach is in knots, I’m nauseated, my head is pounding my body is hurting and look, my nails, they’re—”

“Black!” Natasha shot out, alarmed.

Celeste quickly hid them and faced her. “What if something’s wrong with me?” she pled so very quietly.

“What do you mean, wrong? How?”

She stared into the fretful brown eyes, watching in alarm as the whites filled with specks of black now.

“Ever since…we made love, I have him in me, parts of him, he told me this. What if my human bo dy can’t take it, what if…”

Natasha pulled Celeste into a tight embrace when a sob threatened to burst from her crimped mouth.

“I got you now, you’re okay.”

“I don’t want to die, sister. Not when I’ve just found him.”

“You are not dying!” She put her before her firmly. “You are surely not dying, the Quantum King would not have allowed you to…to join with him if there was a risk to you!” Natasha assured, petting her head over and over while her stomach knotted at the possibility that she could be wrong. She wasn’t though, she couldn’t be. Of course he would know everything about that before daring to risk such a thing. “And here I am going on and on with my stupid potential problems when you have real, immediate ones. Why is he whistling!” Natasha growled.

“Yours are real,” Celeste strained, gasping. “I like it.”

“You like what?”

“His… whistling.”

So he had witch-whistles too. Was he going to try and woo every female, even those taken by other males? “Good, are you feeling a little better?”

“I am,” she said, her breaths steadying. “Why do you hate him?” she barely mumbled, sounding confused. “I thought… you liked him more than was safe or sane? ”

“I did! Do!” Natasha assured, getting close enough to embrace her so that her mouth was near her ear. “That’s when I realized it.”

“What?” she murmured.

“That I was under a spell.”

“A spell,” Celeste said, her voice barely a wisp.

“Did you know he has voice powers? He can speak and make people feel and think things. Like right now, you feel better because of his whistling. He’s using his witchery on you.”

“Oh…” she mumbled.

Natasha refrained from pointing out that the reason she didn't care was because she was too woo’d by it. She focused on what could be wrong with her right as she became aware of the King of Lure making his way to their side of the boat.

She realized how she likely sounded, babbling about voice powers and that beautiful man, all while she’d given herself like a library rent-a-whore. The real problem was how very much she’d loved it, wanted it, and still wanted it. That was the true problem. She was burning alive but not from shame, from the anger and fear of still wanting him more than was sane! After learning of his voice powers from one of his brothers, it all dawned on her. She was being manipulated and used to answer a need, not her own, but the needs of a man. Always the needs and desires of a disgusting man . And that was the second problem. He was the exact opposite of disgusting. Try as she could, and oh how she did, she could not loathe him. She’d been sexually manipulated and violated so very many times but nothing like this.

Dear God the closer he got the less sense she made in her own head.

She braced for impact and gave him the barest look when it was no longer possible to pretend she didn’t see him. “Is she okay?” he asked.

“I’m much better,” Celeste said. “I think your whistling… helped.”

“I have vocal abilities that can sometimes calm people.”

He sat on the other side of her, and Natasha focused on Celeste, stroking the hair from her face while feeling his eyes drilling into her skin. “Natasha mentioned it,” Celeste whispered.

Natasha’s hand froze briefly before resuming their motherly duties.

“Did she.”

She detected four things in those two words. Worry. Accusation. Wonder, and… humor . That last one snapped her face to his, the rogue anger flinging her right into his gaze. Big mistake.

“What other powers do you wield over women with your voice?”

No! She’d just told on herself !

His smile obliterated whatever might be wrong with her question and allowed for her fiery indignation.

“I have many,” he said.

“Oh, I know,” she said back. “As do all the women. Good show.”

He lowered his head with a chuckle and the sound vibrated between her legs!

“Now that you know she’s fine you may return to the very opposite end of the boat. You have ladies in waiting.”

She sounded jealous!

“I’d rather sit here and make sure Celeste is okay. Kaphas asked me to watch over her.”

Celeste perked up and sat forward. “He did?”

“Yes.”

His eyes were locked on Natasha still.

“Thank you,” Celeste said, sounding on the edge of a dream. “What an amazing gift to have.”

“I also have hearing gifts.” He added one of his irresistible sexy smiles right as her brain caught up to what that meant.

Heat crept up her neck and face while he made love to her body with only a gaze as her brain taunted her with He loves that he is the most beautiful, most sexiest man on the planet .

“Do you like what you’re looking at?” Because opening her mouth and giving the square root of her disasters was the perfect solution .

“So very much,” he said, the heat in his words drawing a gasped moan from her lungs and a godawful shame.

“Then I guess I’ll have to leave!”

She shot up from her seat, tripping her way past three bodies before she realized how very stupid she looked. Managing to squeeze herself between two sisters standing at the boat rail was her final hail Mary.

“I’m sorry….” she heard him say behind her. “Excuse me.”

Was he…

She looked left, finding him in her peripheral vision headed her way.

Just remarkable.

She focused on the swamp and the crisp, wet air as her heart tried to beat free of her chest. He parked himself right behind her, gradually easing himself closer. It was so well done, she was sure not a single soul noticed he was now pressed into her side like a boa constrictor, strangling her slowly with an invisible lust and desperate need.

She stood there, white-knuckling the rail with her eyes closed, focusing on not making a sound as he had his way with her. This was no different than being forced. Forced to endure. Forced to give herself, to take what he gave. She kept repeating the offense as he did it to her right there in public with only his presence. Then he moved in for the kill, she felt it without looking, his mouth coming for her. Hot breath fanned her ear first for many seconds, its own assault, its own wicked, glorious tease.

“I don’t know what you think you’re doing,” he said, his words so low, she could have thought them. “But whatever it is… has me on the verge of doing every, devious, delicious accusation that comes out of that lovely mouth. And now that I feel how much you want it…” he said, his unsteady breaths making its way to her clit where it danced with a slow, erotic pressure. “I am eager to give it…exactly… as you say.”

“Why are you doing this?”

Her words were barely heard even by herself, but it brought his mouth right up to her ear. “Because you crave it. And that pleasure… is all mine to answer.”

“You’re making me crave it!” Natasha realized she’d half yelled the words and looked around. “This life, these…swamps,” she further gasped. “I can’t wait to help the families. Thank you for allowing us all to come. We’re so very happy to be here.”

The round of amens sucked a relieved breath from her as she prayed the ride would end soon.

“We’ll finish our conversation later,” he said quietly. “And you’ll tell me what has happened to bring you to these odds with me. Sadly, my gifts stop at mind reading. ”

He pulled back and the sudden absence of his magnetism sent her sagging into the rail, her soul floundering. What wretchedly wonderful powers he wielded. It was so much worse than a sexual violation. This reached into her body and blood and soul. And beyond.

****

“Excuse me,” Kaphas said to Spar at seeing Fetch, Fathom and Fin all headed for him with an odd look on their faces. He leapt from the porch, every step their way bringing a heat to his Kevlar and low vibration in his blood from what it sensed.

All three stopped before him with Fetch front and center. “He asked for you.”

They turned and led the way through a throng of people. Kaphas wasn’t sure what emotion filled him as the sea of eyes watched him and his three brothers make their way toward a small house. Just before the porch, he looked up and found a row of heads lining the rooftop. His gaze landed on a familiar pair of eyes. It was the woman who gave the divorce papers to Spar. The woman he said he should have married. But hadn’t had the balls to act on a fucking thing. Juliette.

He climbed the porch then paused, puzzled over the look in the woman’s eyes he’d just seen. Not Juliette, but the one on her right .

He returned to where he’d made the brief connection and looked up. At finding her gaze again, he engaged his backlash power and sent it to capture the pulsing energy he’d seen in it.

His power gently grabbed hold of the odd essence and drew it toward him. The moment it entered his own eyes, his kinetic energy merged with it and activated his phantom sight. He studied the wavelengths within the unique spectrum, their mystery turning on his micro-optics. Fragmented drawings raced across his neural interface, getting rapidly buffered. He watched as the backlash power overlayed spectral light patterns next, revealing hidden energy fields and microscopic details. Kaphas angled his head as these details synthesized into a multi-dimensional image. The woman’s emotional resonance was the final integration and it left Kaphas mesmerized as he stared at the intricate connections hidden within these images.

“Brother.”

Fetch’s urgent call sent his backlash into hyperdrive, and he raised a finger at the woman, sending a controlled line of the energy back to her. He watched as it entered her eyes with a calming resonance, showing her all that he’d seen and done.

Her smile slowly grew as he held her gaze, allowing his power to solidify the bond he’d just formed with her before hurrying on to learn what had his brothers on edge .

Kaphas’ eyes adjusted as he entered the dark interior right when Kult stood up from a chair. “I’m going to tell you what I know about what’s going on to save us from repetition and you’ll fill in whatever blanks remain. I recently learned through three grapevines,” he said, gesturing to Fetch, Fathom and Fin, “that your brilliant plan after getting a body was to take our demons on an eternal date in the ever after.” He held up his right hand, fingers spread. “Five things. One.” He pointed to his thumb. “I’m dying to know how the fuck you managed this. Two.” He moved to his index finger. “I don’t want to know number one right now . Three,” he said, touching the tip of his middle finger, his voice raising a notch. “I know your number one plan failed. And Four?” He warned, plucking his ring finger. “I know you still have this bullshit inside you.” He held up only his pinky now and wagged it. “This one. It’s the only one I care about at this very moment. What. Do you plan. To do about them.”

“Tell him about Handy,” Fetch said.

Kult’s glare moved between Kaphas and Fetch. “Why is he talking in third person about you?”

“His wife split them,” Fathom said next. “She chose Kaphas and when she gained his backlash power it not only rewrote his original death code, it split them right in half.”

Kult continued looking between all of them now. “Are you… fucking shitting me? ”

Kaphas eyed Kult. “What he says is true.”

He started to pace a little. “So you’re saying Handy is now… there, but not you?”

Kaphas gave a single nod with his, “Yes.”

He stopped and turned. “When did you know this?”

“I learned it last night. When he showed himself to us.”

“Us?”

“Celeste and me.”

A span of silence stretched.

“Is he here now?”

Front and center. Waiting patiently for a turn to speak. Captain Kaphas .

Kaphas knew he was being polite about it. He had more power over his body or at least equal. “He’s here.”

Kaphas recalled what it felt like when he took him over last time. Can you do this without raping my cells again?

I can try, Peaches.

Kaphas braced as the shift began. A subtle prickling of static electricity in his mind that meandered its way through his body. His breath released with the intense cold blasting in his veins followed by warmth in his chest. The jarring contrast set his heart racing despite his effort to hold himself together. His vision blurred with smeared colors and shapes then snapped back into focus while sounds muted. Handy’s neuropathways began to merge with his, the wall of odd energy fluttering through his muscles, blood, and even bone, a silent hot pressure pulsing against his skull.

Kaphas slowly moved within himself, floating in reverse until his back met resistance just an arms-length away from where he was before. He was fully aware of everything – the feel of the ground under his feet, the air against his skin, the taste in his mouth and the sound of his blood pumping in his ears. He attempted to move and encountered that terrifying disconnect from his own body, bringing panic rushing in like a tidal wave.

“Handy?” Kult wondered, getting their single finger in the air as Handy focused on helping Kaphas transition.

You have no reason to freak out , Handy reminded, bringing an instant release in Kaphas' mind. You have all ability except control of the vessel. Just think of it as a ride in the car with your very own faithful and trustworthy chauffeur.

He relaxed a little more. His perceptions were sharp as ever, maybe even more while the doing was absent from the experiencing. Like somebody else scratching an itch, verses scratching your own. Everything felt… more. The biggest change was his emotions and thoughts. He was feeling Handy’s too, which were different in every way. How he felt th ings, tasted things, heard things, smelt things. All of it was unique to Handy.

You good?

Was he? I think so.

I’d like to say your pleasure is all mine but… it ain’t. Anymore.

Kaphas sensed there was more to that than he understood.

“Hello brothers,” Handy finally greeted, his words creating a unique vibration in his vocal cords. “I know how very much you missed me.”

He smiled and Kaphas noted the change even there. He was a left-sided smiler while Kaphas was the opposite. Fascinating. And curious. From which of his brothers did these traits come?

Not the warm welcome I was hoping for. What exactly does that look on Kult’s face mean?

Kaphas turned his attention there. Ninety percent curiosity.

It’s the ten percent I’m worried about.

Fear. The concept was foreign to Kaphas in this regard. Our powers permit us to fear nothing.

It’s not about power, it’s about how crazy he is. He’d likely make me kill him.

Kaphas realized they still shared certain feelings. Handy cared for Kult the same way Kaphas did. Maybe more somehow .

Kult tore his eyes away and looked at Fetch, Fathom and Fin for five seconds before bringing that stuff in his gaze back to them.

“Is Kaphas still here?”

“He is.”

Kult nodded at them barely. “I need to ask you things. Privately.”

“Kaphas knows everything that needs knowing.”

Kult continued those slow nods. “And I need to know stuff he doesn’t need to know.”

Handy crossed their arms over his chest, making Kaphas oddly aware of his own perfect physique. “And why exactly do you need to know that?”

“Because you’re both our brothers.”

Those words hit their neuropathways like a drug and brought a flood of power that gripped their breath. This brother bond was the very source of their DNA, and its purpose lit up their very blood and bones.

“Kaphas. Would you mind closing your ears?” Handy asked.

I don’t know how. Nor do I want to.

“Kaphas would prefer to hear.” They know something, Handy said, looking at Fetch, Fathom and Fin.

“Do not attempt that, Brother,” Fetch warned quietly when he sent kinetic energy to learn what he could.

“What is he attempting?” Kult demanded.

“He perceives we know something and is trying to learn it,” Fetch said.

“Might it be possible for me to know what the fuck we’re fetching and fathoming?” Kult wondered, his control on a taut leash.

“If he doesn’t know, and he learns it, we would need to be prepared,” Fin said, heating the Kevlar in their cells.

Kult demanded, “Prepared for what?”

Celeste, Kaphas realized.

You think? Handy said, adding his own fears to the volatile mix surging inside them

I don’t think. I know. Make them tell us.

“Where is Celeste?” Handy asked, his question bringing a flicker of electricity along Fathom’s skin.

It is her.

Kult’s gaze swung back and forth between them, and he pulled his phone out.

“Who are you calling?” Handy asked.

“Harlow. To find out what boat she’s on. What do I need to know about her, clearly this is the big secret. ”

“Whatever it is,” Handy warned, “our brothers should tell us before our powers extract it from them.”

“Where are you?” Kult said on the phone. “Here?” He looked at Handy. “What boat is Celeste on? It’s here? Thank you.” He hung up and headed for the door. “Let’s go find out what’s going on.”

“It’s not that simple, brother,” Fetch warned.

Kult halted and turned as this news brought Kaphas’ power so quickly it blew out the glass in the windows and slammed Kult into the door.

“What the fuck!” Kult gasped.

“Tell us brother!” Handy yelled as their Kevlar turned molten and flooded into all their pores. “I cannot control this!”

“Because she has your control!”

Handy flashed to Fetch and grabbed him by the neck, unable to stop the need to destroy raging through him. His brother’s bones morphed into a dense material, sending his backlash diving into the codes to unravel them so he could crush them. “Five seconds and these powers will find you!” Handy warned, as Kaphas strained to help him hold it back.

What is happening? Kaphas demanded, his fear getting unmanageable.

A jolt of electricity seized their mind and muscles as Fathom removed their death clutch from Fetch’s throat. “She has your demons, brother,” he said, right in his face .

A switch flipped inside them, and they stared into his sparking eyes, heaving with the terror his words brought.

“She doesn’t have all of them,” Fin said. “But to remove them will not be simple.”

“Quantum…” Handy gasped, turning to Fetch then Kult. “Harlow will know how, he’ll know what to do. They need to remove them from her and from Kaphas and give them to me in a new vessel, one equipped to quarantine and sustain them and I will take them so far from here you will forget they ever existed.”

Kult stormed up to him and latched his hand on his throat, getting right in his face. “If you think you’re trying that bullshit again, you’re out of your motherfucking mind. You’re not leaving this place or this fucking planet, not for anything, not for anybody, as long as I have breath in me. We will find another way.”

“The Syphon King,” Fetch said.

“And their Seer,” Fathom realized.

“And their Reliquary,” Fin, finished.

“They can help,” the triplets said in unison.

For Kaphas and Handy, their final words meant only one thing they cared about. Salvation.

“Let’s find them,” Kult said, hurrying out the door.

We need to get to her, Celeste needs us, Kaphas urged .

We will.