This Is Where I Want To Be

176. La Bohème

Romero

“Where are we?” Juliet asked when she stretched out her arm towards the man with her. Charlene slapped his hand away, manifested, and easily pulled Juliet up, sending her high off the ground.

Juliet squealed and giggled. “Noice.” “I must say it will take a while to get used to all you are.”

“Yeah? Try being… that.” The man mumbled. He was the Ittoqure. The markings covering him from head to toe didn’t bother me. His size was a concern. If he was that big human… What bothered me more was his attitude.

Charlene and Juliet arched an eyebrow, feeling my concern. “Seems like you’re having problems? Well, you’ve come to the right place.” Charlene turned and pointed a hand at me. “Michael, Romero. Romero, Michael.”

The man walked over, stretching out his hand towards me. I glanced down and back up at him. Miné had done the same thing. The corner of his mouth quirked. He held out his hand to Charlene. They clasped hands and shook. Michael tried again. I would have to learn their customs if I wanted to understand them. “Tighter. Firmer.” Michael prompted. He closed his fingers around my palm. I reciprocated. “Yeah. Just like that.”

“Interesting,” I remembered my father greeting Charlene in that way.

“Come on, Michael, let’s race and see who can do it the fastest.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “Is this what my life has become.”

“Please… Please.” Charlene put her hands together and moved them up and down.

“Fine,” Michael said.

It was strange. The most powerful man in the universe was indulging a child. Maybe there was hope for us yet. Juliet came to stand next to me and slightly moved in half behind my person. She seemed worried about something. It dawned on me. I had forgotten that she was pregnant. I stretched out my arm, took one step back, and pushed her with me. Then, the idea I have been entertaining hit me again. Charlene might be pregnant already. Only the thought of a child, our child, brought up more feelings I did not know what to do with. Nerves. Excitement… They went at it, changing from a Riphath to a Werewolf to a Vampire and back again. It was too hard to take in his fully grown Riphath form. They did it a few times. Charlene was slow. “Man, how do you do it? I’m at least three behind you.” She complained.

He shrugged. “You’re lazy.” It was what I was thinking. Charlene was lazy… because she was there with me and had nothing to fight for. It would be hard to rouse her to do anything. All the species were so very different, and that is why the Ittoqures were so dangerous. It was too much going on in one person. Michael pulled Charlene in for a hug. It surprised me. He was displaying tenderness. “It’s good to see you… Where are we?” Michael asked. All three of them surveyed the room. The fountain was bubbling next to us.

“This is like a common hall area. Bathhouse. Library.” Charlene walked around and pointed in different directions.

“It’s stunning. Is the whole place like this.” Michael commented and went over to the white-barked trees growing down the corridor. He ran his hand over some of the branches, feeling the smooth surface. His gaze traveled upwards. “Is this real?”

“Yes… It’s all beautiful… And strange. No leaves on these trees… Why are you here? Where is everybody else?”

Michael and Juliet shared a glance and a smile. “We ran away,” Juliet whispered. Michael’s smile broadened. “But no, really. We’re here for Ahasuerus’s vault. And the sooner, the better.”

Michael looked at me. I glanced at the fountain. He followed my gaze. “That easy?” Michael suggested.

I approached the structure and pulled a lever hidden inside the well. Walls rose from the bottom with a slight rumble and cordoned off the water, revealing steps that led down into a small room. It was where the village kept all the most important things. One by one, we took the steps into the underground bunker. There was a large wooden box on the floor. I pointed to it. Michael and Juliet shared a glance and rushed over. He lifted the lid. I stepped closer. A simple piece of paper. Juliet lifted it and read it out loud.

Dear Juliet

If you are here. I probably died.

I didn’t give you enough credit if you made it this far.

I am not so against you taking over anymore.

After the last time, you were on Zoreah. I had only pride

for the life partner Marcus had chosen. A bounded thread is always stronger than one strand.

That morning in Lucius’s garden,

I saw a worthy opponent.

But you will have to keep fighting for it.

Good luck.

Take care of him.

Juliet wiped away a tear and flipped the paper around. There was one word on it. “Iku.” Juliet turned, and they all looked at me. I didn’t know what my father had done. He only told me of the hidden box. “What does it mean, Romero?” Charlene asked.

My jaw flexed. “Death.”

“But that gives us no way of knowing where it is. We need it. Like yesterday.” Michael stated.

“It’s not a word… It’s a place.” My gaze traveled to Charlene. “Remember that guardian you feared would come out of the chasm.”

“No! Where, though?”

“On the other side of the planet. You and I haven’t traveled that far… It’s at least two days and nights in the pods. And… then a longer journey than what we went through.”

“Is the journey as bad as the one we were on?”

I shook my head. “No… It is just a lot of walking. There are no tunnels there. For obvious reasons. And then that thing at the end.” I turned around towards the guard. He was the one who had come to tell us two people were kissing at the fountain. They had appeared out of nowhere. Charlene and I rushed over. She was hoping it would be them.

“I need an audience with my parents.” The man fell on his knee and got up quickly.

“Come with me. It is almost dinner time. We can join my parents tonight. You can tell us everything.” I studied Juliet up and down. She had on pants. Loose-fitting ugly greenish color pants. A large girdle that kept them in place. It did not match the pants at all. A tight white crop top. Over it, an oversized shirt rolled up to her elbows, hanging almost off her shoulders. Her shoes were black and with thick soles.

She followed my gaze down her person and glanced up at Michael. “I thought I looked good?”

“Oh, honey. Should I show you how good you look?”

“You look like a man.” I retorted. The three of them had a burst of laughter. I walked over to the wall on the other side of the room and pulled on a cord. Charlene offered them some water while we waited. Miriam did not take long. Our way of walking was slower. The women had a way of carrying themselves. They moved elegantly. I introduced them to Miriam, who scrutinized Juliet and pursed her lips. “Take these two away. And dress her as the Queen of En-gannim.”

Miriam’s eyebrows raised. “You?”

Juliet’s hands were in her pockets. Her feet were planted wide apart. “Yeah, me.” She pushed her pelvis out, rocking from her ball to her heel. Miriam smiled. The three women left. I would give Michael something else to wear, too. Take a bath while the kitchen prepared for the dinner guests.

Michael was relaxing in the hot water. We were both in separate tubs built from the metal we sourced for all our buildings. The baths were lined with material for comfort. “How are you doing? You and Charlene are the only Ittoqure alive. It can not be easy… Thrust into a new way of life so suddenly.”

Michael submerged in the water and came up again, draining the water out of his hair. “You have regret.” I ventured. “Are you angry at Juliet? For what she asked you to do.”

“Ittoqure?”

“Earth was once filled with you. When they started traveling across the galaxies, we killed them all off... You can understand why.”

He nodded, smearing the soap over his arms. “How do I deal with it? You don’t have some magic pill to make all the demons disappear.”

“No… But it is elementary… You embrace it and stop fighting it.”

“I’ll kill her if I do.” Out from underneath eyelashes, Michael ventured to look at me.

The side of my mouth quirked up. “I do not think you will. If you keep fighting it… Then you might end up doing it in your sleep.” My smile broadened.

“What?”

“Charlene is the total opposite of you. She just… does what she feels is right. It was easy for her to focus on what she wanted. Her urges and impulses kicked in… because she embraced them. She wanted it… Just because you did not know what you would become. Does not mean something is wrong with you.”

“It’s not easy, letting go. Asking Juliet to deal with my demons.”

“Is everyone on Earth like that? Charlene has a hard time calming down and just being still.”

“Most of us, yes.”

“Do you know what brings about these fits of rage?”

Michael nodded.

“You can teleport. So… when you feel yourself going down a path you do not want to be on… What are your options?”

“You take a different road,” Michael whispered.

“Yes… And you have the ability to. Use what you have. If you are a dog. You know you will submit under her… If you are a Vampire and the lust and the greed want to take over… Eat and kill. I hear humans kind of help in that regard... Maybe something to do with your origins… Taking out the competition.”

Michael’s eyes were moving all over the room. “And when I feel nothing… Get a beating?”

I laughed lightly. “Yes, Riphath’s apathy is deadly. We had thought they would have died out already. Especially after the vamps push them out of their origin city… The only reason they were fighting was for the children. Their predisposition for their offspring is strong… And procreation.”

“So once I have a child, what would it be?”

“All three.”

Michael smiled.

“You want a family, don’t you… Is the child yours?”

He slowly shook his head.

“Maybe that is why you are so angry. Ittoqure were never meant for harems. The couples were already powerful enough as two. Thank the stars… And, of course. Species are not supposed to mix.”

I lay back against the bath and stretched my arm toward him, opening my hand for him to take it. Michael glanced at it and then at me. I closed my eyes. I felt the pressure of a calloused hand in mine. I let my golden veins flow over him. Let my shadow free to enclose him. I slightly lifted an eyelid to peek at him. His eyes were closed, taking in the sensations.

“That is what you are working towards. Follow that path. You will get there.”

“How can you be so sure I won’t hurt her.”

“Juliet does not seem like a coward… Or scared of demons… Even if you do… Will it be that bad? Worse than it is now? There is no running from you playing rough. Michael, you can never go back. If you push away from her, it will only get harder. You will resent her more and more.”

“Why do I? Resent her at all. All I feel is contempt, which disappears as soon as it comes. It’s making me insane.” Michael ran his fingers through the water. He was thinking about something.

I took in a heavy breath. “Come, I am done. The dinner will be soon.”

***

The two of us waited for the women at the fountain. The three of them walked out in splendor. Miriam had outdone herself. As a custom, Juliet was dressed the best. She was a guest and an honored one. All in white. Juliet’s skirt hugged her waist. The top was separate from the bottom. It was only two pieces of fabric that barely covered her breasts. Exposing her cleavage in the middle of her torso. It was held together by jewelry and chains woven into the cloth and tied together behind her neck and back. The jewels were made of gold and of the finest craftsmanship. Around her waist, more draped down the length of the white satin material over her thighs, hanging in strands.

Charlene’s dress was a subtle gold. She wore her favorite headpiece. It was in the shape of some flying beast. Its feathers came together behind her head and flowed down her back. Next to the bird’s face were big white flowers. Freshly picked. Both were mounted into a small hollow of the golden structure. From there hung white and black stones down next to her cheeks. I dreamily stared at her. She smiled.

Juliet’s headpiece was softer and hugged her head perfectly. It was first gold flowery cut-outs and then silver ones. Followed by more gold leaf-like ornaments. Pins stuck out into the air behind her. Tiny beaded jewels, hoops, and material hung strategically placed. Her hair was curled and flowing down over her shoulders. I liked that one. It suited her.

Juliet smiled. “I can see what you mean.”

“You will have to start acting the part.”

“One day, when you come to Earth, you’ll see why I dress the way I do… Charlene, you won’t be able to wear that thing the whole night. It must weigh a ton.” Juliet commented.

“We take them off when the main course is served. We do not dress like this very often.” Miriam said.

Juliet took in our appearance as well. Gladiator sandals. Both of us were in white pants and white shirts lined with gold. They were long sleeves but hung open over our torsos. I gave Michael golden earrings. They were long swords that hung almost down to his cheekbones. I gave him more jewelry for every other body part he had pierced. Our hair was tied up, and we had on headpieces as well.

Michael held out his arm to Juliet. She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. He pulled her closer and put it on his forearm. I held out my hand. Charlene took it, and I laced our fingers as soon as I could feel her skin on mine.

The introductions went well, and there was no lack of conversation. My parents were intrigued by the pair that ended up there. I had mentioned why they came at all. My father was eager to help in any way. He had not known that Ahasuerus had other coordinates for the planet. There was too much information in that vault to go back empty-handed. We were both concerned about the war that was about to break out.

It took me the whole night to convey most of what I had told Charlene. Juliet and Michael listened with interest. We were back at my home and having drinks.

“Maybe I should send a message, just in case they are going out of their minds,” Michael suggested. Juliet bobbed her head, and Michael left to get the plate he had brought. He sat down and started typing. “It’s not working.”

“It might be too far for communications,” I suggested.

“Marcus is going to kill me.”

“I’m sure you will win in a fight. Maybe it is exactly what you need.” He looked at me as if he hadn’t thought about it. Michael was the most powerful among the men. And he was trying to suppress it all.

“I would love to see that,” Juliet said softly. He glanced down at her. I regarded the two of them. There was so much going on, yet that longing gaze in Juliet’s eyes when she looked at him.

“Should I go back just to tell them where we came out?” Michael was constantly touching her.

“If you want to.”

Michael got up to travel. He closed his eyes when nothing seemed to happen. He tried again. “Nothing. I can’t even move.”

Charlene and I laughed out loud. “Romero drugged you, didn’t he.” She quipped. “Yeah, I know the feeling. Why do you think it took me ages to appear before Kubra the first time.” Juliet pressed her lips together.

Charlene slowly turned to me. “You went to Kubra? When?”

Charlene’s eyes fixed on a spot on my shirt. “That night… in the forest. The first night, I wasn’t drugged. I fell asleep high up in a branch and, while I was sleeping, ended up there.”

My hand reached out to her. “The next night, when you were too hurt to use your ability on both of us.”

“That’s why you were so quiet that morning….” I felt relieved knowing. “Why you were so scared when we were on those platforms.”

She nodded.

“You should have told me.” I stroked her cheek with my thumb.

“You guys are so cute together. Romero, you must know we’ve never seen Charlene like this. All wound up and… in loooveee. Giddy at the sight of a boy.” Juliet drolled. She was getting drunk.

Michael stood up and pulled her with him. “Sleep time. You shouldn’t have had any alcohol. At all.” He scolded.

She jumped up, and he caught her. I pointed to a door. “Good night, you guys.” She said.

Charlene was resting on her hand, watching me. I lifted my fingers and made only the ends purple. “Tempting, but not tonight. We have guests. You will have to do it the old-fashioned way.”

“I think I will manage. You should not have had any alcohol, either. You might be pregnant.”

“How will we know?”

“You have not bled again.” Her eyes widened. “I will take you to our midwives. They have ways to make sure something is cooking.”

“Cooking?” She laughed and got up. “I’m tired. Let’s go to bed.”

“Not too tired, I hope?”

“No… Not too tired.”

I was happy to see Charlene so relaxed. And glad her friends had made their way there, even if it was a coincidence. The time Charlene and I had spent together was worth everything we had gone through. On our travels, I had nothing but pride in showing her off to my world. At night, I had her in my arms and in my bed. I had been waiting for her all my life.

***

“Aunty Juliet! Michael!”

Michael bent down and stretched out his arms. Miné jumped into them. The bond she had with all of them. It was strange. “Oh, darling, we missed you. How are you?” He spun her in a circle and kissed her cheek.

I glanced at Charlene. How much she had given up.

“I am well, thank you.” Miné played with the pointy part of his beard.

Michael cocked an eyebrow. “You have become a real lady,” He glanced at Juliet.

Miné held out her arms to Juliet. She took her and spun in more circles. Kissed her all over her face. “I missed you too.”

“Where is Sammy?” Miné asked.

“She is with Louis, Marcus, and Chris. They are spending some time together.”

We all went to the library and sat at one of the workstations. I took the map and rolled it out over the table. “My father and mother... Michael… You and I will be traveling in separate pods. But once we are there, we will stay together.” I paused. I glanced up at Charlene, who was laughing lightly.

“You didn’t think this through, did you?”

“I did not have a chance. You tire me out.”

“How far exactly?”

“No, Charlene… It is too dangerous.”

“How far exactly?”

I studied the map. My finger trailed the space I thought it would last. Even in the pods… We were close behind each other. For couples, they send them down sooner. I considered the terrain.

“What’s going on?” Juliet asked.

“When I said that we are supernaturally bound… I meant like… glued to the hip.”

“More like we are glued to the planet and each other.” I ventured.

Juliet glanced at Miné… “I will have to bring Sammy for a play date.”

“Or we could move here,” Michael said. “Charlene just fixed our home base situation… Neutral ground. Safety. Family… You won’t mind, Romero?” I shook my head. Charlene stretched out her fist to Michael, who indulged her again with some weird ritual.

Juliet pointed to the area on the map. “So this is the beast’s lair… I suppose… Your finger made an area like this.” Hers stopped at a rocky mountain. “What if we go with and stay right here? Will we be safe there? Maybe a cave?”

“It could work… The thing is fast. Giant and not really a beast. The terrain is up and down. It can move anywhere, and we would need to follow… But…. “I looked at Michael. “With you there, it might work… Or, I stay with them here.”

“I’m ready if you are. And Juliet won’t do anything stupid, will you.” Michael looked at her.

“Marcus will already kill you… Can you imagine what he would do to me?”

Michael smirked. “Yes, I could. And I would love to see that.” Juliet laughed and kissed him.

“Will you stay with Miriam for a few days?” I asked Miné. She bobbed her head. “Then let’s get ready. I will alert the troops. We won’t be alone this time.”

“Are we leaving right now?” Charlene asked.

“Yes, my father wants to be off by midday… We will stop for the night.”

“Can Juliet and I travel in one pod?”

“I can not see why not.”

They clapped their hands and jumped up and down, leaving us there. “This time, I’ll pack my own bag,” Charlene commented over her shoulder.

“You won’t have to,” I yelled. “Your servants will follow you all the way. I shook my head.

“You two seem happy,” Michael said as we got up to follow. “I’ve known Charlene for so long. Watched her just as much as Juliet.”

“Watched?”

“It’s a long story… But we’ve never seen her like this.”

“Not even with Kubra?”

Michael shook his head slightly. “Their relationship is very… volatile. Kubra is taciturn and a calculating person.”

“What about this Carl character?”

“I don’t think that will ever happen. You don’t have to worry… He is still a child. Much more than they are. She did try, and he didn’t want to. When he tried… She was with Kubra and was studying.” Michael clapped me on the shoulder. “Will you be able to handle her with another man? I don’t see any harems here.”

My fingertips went red and green. The veins mingled in color up my arm. I lifted my hand, thinking about her being touched by someone else. “If he survives, it seems.” I thought out loud. “And you, how do you do it?”

I touched him to let him know how I felt. He gripped my arm and squeezed. “You will have to choose another path,” he said through gritted teeth. I let go. He shook himself. “I’ve watched Juliet with so many men… That’s not what’s wrong with me.”

Michael was struggling to get through the thick sand that surrounded every building. He was large and heavy. It would not be an easy trek for any of us.

***

Carl

The training for the watchers was rigorous. It was a typical army base with regular ranks. Every country had started its own barrack, but we were all connected under a few generals. Rotations were made so that all the country’s soldiers got time to practice together. My mornings started off with drills. Shooting practice. Or tactical training. The rest of the day, we had our duties. Every teleporter was manned in shifts. The people using it documented as they came and gone. It was a lot of paperwork at the end of the day. Our workload slowed down when Michael ate that one woman... Lucy. It didn’t mean we could sit back and take time off. All our hours were packed, and when I needed to help Juliet with anything, I had to do both.

Since my father died, it had not been any different for me between the men. None of them treated me like a criminal. Or the son of a traitor. Bertram might have made the wrong decision. But it was political. When he came from Palmyra, he didn’t lose his job. Because he knew so much, they didn’t let him go. It was seen as him trying to create an avenue for future alliance. Like Michael had predicted. War was a general’s job anyway. Not a man behind the scenes or at a desk. The watchers were for war, not politics.

Our unit and living arrangements were on base. I didn’t have an apartment in Washington anymore. We only worked at the Embassy and had to report back to the barracks. The business was also not lucrative for the soldiers. None of the watchers were connected to a host anymore or had to sit and watch a subject the whole day. The paycheck had gone to a normal one. It was more about prestige than anything else. The risks were still a lot, and if we ever had to go to war on some planet. Our compensation increased for that time, almost like overtime.

I had not stayed out of the limelight as I had hoped. After my father died, it just got worse. Every reporter wanted an interview. Luckily, being on a base or in a different location every day made it impossible for them to follow or track me. It was only this one woman who was relentless in her pursuit of the truth. She kept digging for answers, and her name would pop up here and there.

Jack stayed a watcher and took over second in command. They gave him the option of retiring. Two hundred years ago, when he connected to Louis, he was only twenty-nine, so he stayed and figured a career was better than settling down anywhere at that very moment.

Unfortunately, the confidentiality agreements were still in place. And if you blabbed while drunk… The cost was higher than getting a bullet in your head. You were picked up by a van and never seen again. These criminals or watchers who leaked information were sent to camps or empty prisons. Solely for that purpose. Once you went in. You never came out. The governments worldwide still thought it profitable to have a source of people for the alien creatures. If they ever needed human blood and flesh. Or, if they ended up stuck on Earth, there would be meals.

We stayed and lived together in teams. We ate together. Went out together. It made for a good source of accountability. Our unit consisted of me, Jack, Warden, and James. Warden was with Sammy every day and connected to her. He was the only one who still had that privilege.

Louis, Marcus, Chris, and Michael were the only four men constantly surveilled. A team with Jessy did their surveillance. It was a small request from Juliet, and the general had no scruples when allowing it.

Our unit was very aware of Holly. We believed she was a freelance journalist with no allegiance to any newspaper. Holly had not made any waves, and the consequences for a citizen leaking secrets about the aliens were still debatable. No one so far could get any.

One of the secrets the government wanted to keep under wraps was that the aliens were criminals and that Marcus and the general had lied to the people about why they were there in the first place. The werewolves on the compound were without a home. They had their different crimes and didn’t pose a threat. What the world would make of them being sent there as the scum of their planets was also discussed.

Sporadic missing people were a big problem for the watchers and the governments. With the crime so low when a person up and vanished… It was nine o’clock news. The Aliens were almost always blamed by a family member who was seeking justice. We got the fallout for not doing our jobs properly. The humans were ignorant of how impossible it was to find those rogue aliens. A few vampires and werewolves had gotten lost in the cracks. Jacklin was one, and others were vamps Qadir had given amnesty to over the years he was in charge.

The second secret was the infected vamps. The third secret was that no humans knew of other planets. As far as the Earth was concerned, there were only three species. Fahan getting his hands on his own teleporter tech would send the world into a new frenzy. If they saw them. Or even those bird beings would create a mass panic that Earth could become a target.

The biggest secret… Was Michael and Charlene. When Michael killed that girl in the club, he was a Riphath. Another Chris. At that time, the government had no choice but to divulge the existence of another being. Jamal manifested himself in the club during his fight with Jessy. It was plastered on the news and had already created too much debate that our future was uncertain. Mainly because it seemed that every being… Ate humans.

We covered it up. No one knew that a human could be branded. Not even other aliens knew the practice existed. What would happen if people knew they could instantly turn into another creature, let alone all three. Holly was the only one with enough guts to follow every crumb she thought suspicious. Our team was on the hunt to find her.