Chapter 27; Goodbyes
The day began clear and sunny and quickly descended into clouds and thunderstorms. Jack took her time getting dressed. Riddick lay on the bed watching her, his eyes moving over her slowly, his look devouring.
Damn she looks good.
Jack looked up from fastening her pants. "What did you say?"
“Nothing.”
He shook his head, but she could have sworn she'd heard him speak. With a shrug, she picked up her brush and began brushing her hair.
"Come here." Riddick sat up and motioned for her to stand between his legs.
She went to him without reservations and relinquished the brush to him.
"I've been wanting to do this for days now." He turned her so that her back was to him and drew the brush through her hair.
Jack sighed. It had been a very long time since anyone had brushed her hair and it felt heavenly. "You've been wanting to brush my hair?"
"You have beautiful hair, Jack." The brush slid through her hair easily, the fragrance of flowers drifting up to him.
A shiver traveled along her back. She'd gotten used to everyday scents, feelings and tastes pretty quickly, but every so often something sent her into overload and she had to stop and reflect on it. Jack sat down on his knee, her eyes closing.
"Like that?"
"You know I do." Her voice was a whisper and she sagged against him.
Riddick wrapped his arms around her. "Ready to face Alexa?"
"How did you know that was bothering me?"
"How could I not?"
They left the room hand in hand.
Alexa wasn't in the front room.
Skye was in the kitchen staring at the wall as she scrubbed a clean pan.
"Skye?" Jack moved to the woman and touched her shoulder.
Skye dropped the pan into the sink with a crash. "Jack..."
"Where's Alexa?"
"Imam and Marie took her to the library."
The strain was showing on Skye's face. The woman's eyes were dull and tired and the lines on her brow seemed more pronounced. "This is hard on you."
"Life has been hard on me, Jack. I'll survive. Are you leaving today or tomorrow?"
"Are you trying to get rid of me, Skye?" Jack teased, trying to lift the woman's mood.
Skye managed a tiny, tight smile. "Never. I'm being realistic. I knew you wouldn't stay long."
"I'm sorry, Skye."
"Don't be, dear." Skye touched Jack's arm, then turned back to the sink. "They'll be back soon."
Riddick didn't say anything. He simply stood behind Jack, a comforting presence at her back. He was there if she needed him.
Jack waited quietly for Alexa to return, sitting on the couch with Riddick. He seemed content to read a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit from Skye's library, but she was restless beside him, moving around so much that he sighed in irritation several times. Jack rubbed her arms. The temperature in the apartment felt like it was dropping. Goose bumps studded the flesh of her arms and she started shivering.
It was Riddick who looked up suddenly, tossing the book aside. "We have to go now."
Skye came from the bedrooms. "Now? Why?"
"Instinct."
Her eyes moved from him to Jack and Skye moved to the young woman. Jack's skin held a bluish tint and she was shivering almost violently. "God, Jack your skin is icy!" Sky felt waves of cold emanating from Jack.
"Pack her things. Now."
Whirling, Skye went into the guest room and fairly threw Jack's clothes and toiletries in her bag. Riddick's bag was packed by the door. Ready to go. She picked up both and took them to the front room.
Riddick took them from her. "Get out Skye. Get out now and stay gone for awhile. Call Imam at the library. Tell him he can't come back here today."
Jack's breath was raspy and she gasped, clutching at Riddick's arm. Energy rolled over her, sheer icy power that was a tingling pain on her skin. "Riddick, we have to go now!"
Skye reached for her jacket and by the time she looked back, Jack and Riddick were gone, the only sign of their departure was the open front door. They were fast and silent. Skye stepped into the hall and felt the hairs on her neck prickle. Down by Alexa's old home, there was a ripple in the hallway, as though the very fabric of reality was being forced open.
Skye fled.
Chapter 28; Huntress
Carolyn strode along the streets of New Mecca, some city she hadn't bothered to learn the name of. They were there; she could almost smell them.
Jack and Riddick both.
Following the ghost of a scent, she stalked towards a tall building.
People practically dove out of her way, but most would never be able to describe the woman that had made them so afraid just by walking by them.
She'd cut her hair. It curled just slightly at her neck. Carolyn wore tight black pants and a black shirt she'd found on the merc ship. Her white eyes hid the triumph she was feeling as she followed her nose to an apartment.
Imam had just gotten Alexa to sleep and sent Marie home, when the front door imploded, waves of cold pushing in at him. The windows slicked over with a layer of frost and his skin went numb. He fell to the floor. Forcing his eyes to the door, Imam's mouth fell open.
It couldn't be.
Not Fry.
She was dead. Wasn't she?
"Imam." She purred in a voice that wasn't hers. "How very good to see you again."
In the bedroom that had been Jack's, Alexa began to scream, her eyes wide and empty.
"Be so good, my friend, as to tell me where Jack and Riddick have gone to? Their scents are stale. Save me the trouble of tracking them."
Her eyes were white and expressionless, yet somehow more malevolent than anything Imam had ever seen. What had Fry become? A demon of some kind? He shook his head, Alexa's screams beating about his brain. "No. I will not tell you. I would not even if I knew."
In a lightning quick movement, her hand struck him, sending him flying against the wall. "Where are they, Imam? Tell me and I may spare your life."
"My life is Allah's no matter what you do to me. I do not fear death."
"Then perhaps I'll spare the girl." She crouched over him and smiled. "Where are they?"
There was no sign of Riddick and Jack in the apartment, so he assumed they'd left and Skye had gone to see them off. "Safe from you."
She drew back her lips and hissed, nails slashing his cheek and drawing ribbons of blood. "I'll have Riddick."
"He will not want you."
"He did once."
"He's made Jack his wife."
Disbelief showed on her face for a moment. "Riddick isn't the marrying type. He's the fuck 'em and leave 'em type. You lie. It's not binding, whatever they have."
"Not binding according to man. According to God. They are one in their souls and you cannot rip them apart. Hurt her and he will hunt you down as his prey. No place in the galaxy will be safe for you."
"So says you, holy man." Again, she hit him, his head striking the wall.
Her image wavered before his eyes and Imam retreated into unconsciousness.
Carolyn stood as heat emanated from the hallway in a rush. The frost melted from the windows and she smiled with her teeth bared. "I know you're there. Show yourself."
The heat increased and she snarled.
"Show yourself!"
A voice came from the wall of heat.
“There is nothing for you here. Leave or I will destroy you.”
It was a woman’s voice, but the thing that had been Carolyn knew the creature in the hallway was not male or female. Gender was just a form that humans could understand.
“These people now have my protection.”
Carolyn walked to the door. “Riddick is mine, bitch; don’t interfere. I can hurt you as much as you hurt me.”
“That remains to be seen, Dark One. Do your worst.”
With a last glance at Imam’s unconscious body; Carolyn nodded, a smile again curving her lips. “Very well, Ancient. We shall play. I’ll leave these alone, but when I win, I want both Riddick and Jack.”
“Unacceptable.”
“Accept it, or I take these two as well.”
“You won’t win, Dark One.”
“Then you have nothing to lose.”
The heat disappeared, signaling the Ancient’s agreement to the terms.
Carolyn walked from the apartment without a second glance back.
Alexa stopped in mid-scream, laid back on the bed and slept.