Hera slowly walked up to the tall, lean figure near the end of the dock, admiring a gleaming catamaran. She tried to shuffle her feet as she got closer, hoping he would hear her arrival, but he made no sign he did.
"Hello?" Hera tentatively spoke, waiting for him to start the code her aunt had quickly taught her. His head turned first, followed by his body, which instantly creeped her out. She waited and waited as his birdlike eyes pierced her soul for the sentence. But it never came.
Instead, he said evenly, "It's so good to see you after all this time. How is your lovely aunt Jackie?"
She knew something was off with him but responded anyway. "She's fine, but aren't you supposed to say something to me? I thought you were strict about codes..." Hera let the sentence die as each word became quieter and more fearful.
"Ah yes, the code... Well, never mind that. Your aunt said this was urgent, so I'm here to take you to safety. Immediately." The way he spoke sounded like a threat.
Hera took a step back. "I don't think you're the person I'm looking for. I better go now. Thanks anyway!" Hera was too enthralled in his unwavering gaze to turn away, but she steadily retreated down the docks until she was almost on land again.
He didn't move. She didn't even see him blink. Hera turned her head to see the step behind her, and when she looked back, he had vanished.
"What the fu-" She went running, only to crash straight into the man's stiff, cold torso. "Holy shit!" Hera rebounded and fell backwards onto the docks 'crab-walking away from his unsmiling face.
"It's time to go," he stated. His taloned hand clawed at her arm but froze just above her goose-bumping flesh. His fingers twisted back towards his forearm, and he squawked in pain, cradling his arm against his breast.
A stern but warm voice rang in her head. "Move to the end of the dock." She got up in time to see two sets of hands latch onto the 'Bird man's biceps and drag him off his feet. One was larger and had a gold ring on its middle finger, while the other was smaller, with nails well-manicured to sharp points.
Attached to those hands were two of the most beautiful people she had ever seen. The young man must have been in his early twenties with dark curls and deep golden skin. His amber eyes attempted to bore holes through the Birdman as his grip tightened.
The woman looked so enraged at the person she held in her grasp and growled. "Where are you keeping them?" Her body was so muscular she looked like she could have ripped his head clean off his shoulders. He didn't make a sound, but he smiled at Hera, making her skin crawl.
The pair dragged him further back towards an idling van as another man stepped around them, making a beeline for her. He smiled wide too, but unlike the Birdman, it was safe. Soothing even.
He flounced over, and the others didn't seem to notice. They were hardly saying anything at all, considering they were dragging someone they knew into a flashy van.
The newcomer stopped a foot from her and stared deep into her eyes. Usually, she would be utterly terrified of some oddball approaching her and ogling, but she knew deep down to trust him.
"I've been waiting so long to meet you, my friend." His smile grew impossibly wide. "You look like a star. A beautiful shiny star. I've never seen a star so bright..." He held his hands out to her and placed her shaking fingers in his palm. Her vision blurred and then sharpened so quickly she got visual whiplash.
"What was that?" Hera's voice sounded distant to her ears. The man in front of her was... Glowing? He giggled hysterically, grabbing her face in his warm hands.
YOU ARE READING
Evolved
Fantasy"Do you know what you're doing to me?" He leaned his head forward and buried it in her neck, inhaling deeply before peppering kisses along her sternum. She was on fire now. Her energy had a mind of its own, intertwining with his and causing them...
