“Maybe we should head east and go around. We could take the I-5 and then head west once we get to Mendocino.”
“It’s all the same, little girl. There’s danger at every turn. We go this way or we can go that way, but at the end of the day, there’s still a shitload of mutant cannibals, insane dragon shifters, and vampire alien rapists. That’s the world we live in, babe. I suggest you go take a seat and enjoy the view while you can.”
Magda sighed as she stood and rolled her eyes. What an ass. She hated how these older shifters acted as though they knew everything about everything. Just because they mutated and lived through the nuclear holocaust, it didn’t give them the right to look down on dome kids. She’d had plenty of her own crap to deal with the last five years. It was the Apocalypse. Nobody got out unscathed. At least that asshole got to have a decent childhood.
Magda made it back to her seat, holding the chair tops as she walked down the bumpy aisle. Lily was still fast asleep, her cheek pressed against the folded blanket. Magda looked out the window at the clear blue sky and the glistening, navy-colored ocean. Seagulls squawked over the bluffs and the windswept cypresses that clung to the craggy hillside. It was a beautiful landscape with all the power and intensity of nature, the two forces clashing and standing against each other at the boundary between land and sea.
No matter how beautiful the ocean might be, Magda wanted to know where the hell they were going. She wanted to know why the hell a member of the Council of the Seventh House had kissed her. Again.
In all the mythology of the world, the members of the Council of the Seventh House had been known as angels, angelic beings who helped humanity in its most dire time. Could an angel love a girl? Magda pressed her eyes closed and sucked her lip as she crossed her arms tight over her chest and bent her knees up close to her body.
Michael wanted her, and she knew she wanted him too. She had little experience with boys, men. Let alone an angel, an alien overlord, one of those guys everybody talked about. The council was supposed to save them, to guide them, to tell them which way to go. But it hadn’t saved humanity from the nuclear wars, it hadn’t saved humanity from the mutations, all of the suffering the radiation had caused, and all of the destruction that it had wrought in their world. Earth. Her home.
The caravan continued north until they made it to Santa Cruz. The abandoned city had been picked clean. The few inhabitants that remained in the area most likely lived in the hills, staying away from the highways and holing up inside their homes as much as possible. The constant threat of the zombie attacks, and attacks by other shifters, made life on the outside harsh. For the most part, life inside the dome had been like a regimented boarding school. Sure, they were being raised and cared for by Pyramid Corporation flunkies who worked directly for the Anu, but her day-to-day life wasn’t particularly hard. Sometimes she’d missed it, which made her hate herself. Those sick bastards mutilated her brother.
The buses pulled into a big, empty parking lot, and everyone got out, happy for a chance to stretch their legs. The buses had been hybridized to run partially on solar electricity. Solar panels ran all along the top of each bus, making it so they could drive almost indefinitely on one tank of gas.
Magda and Lily climbed off the bus and joined everyone else as they shuffled about, talking to each other and spreading gossip about where the caravan was headed. Magda heard a shriek, and a woman came running toward her and Lily with a look of shock and relief on her face.
“Lily, thank God I found you!” The woman dropped to her knees, and the little girl ran into her embrace. Satisfaction ran through Magdalena’s heart and relaxed her shoulders. The woman stood and held out her hand for Magda to shake. “Thank you so much for taking care of her. I was terrified she didn’t make it on the bus after Xavier demanded we all get on. I asked everyone if they’d seen her. Oh, thank God.”
“I found her before the fire.”
“Come on, sweetie. I’m on this bus. Thanks again.”
“Bye, Lily,” Magda said, waving at the little girl.
Grateful that the child had found her foster mother, a deer shifter with no children of her own, Magda wandered back to her bus. Emilia and Brigid were already in the backseat speaking in low tones, close together. She walked up to them and waited for her friends to look at her.
“What’s up, Magda?” Emilia said.
“Eh, nothing. I found the girl’s mom. It’s been a weird day.”
“Did you hear anything else from that alien guy or Cassie?”
“Yeah,” she said, looking to the side and out the window. Not only had she talked to Michael, but also she’d been making out with him. Who made out with an alien, willingly? But Michael was nothing like the Anu. He was gorgeous, good, and seemingly superhuman. He was the stuff that dreams were made of. She’d thought he was a dream.
“Cassie suggested we head to the redwood forest in northern Mendocino. She said something about Xavier and Circe going there.”
“Did you tell the head driver?” Brigid asked, accusingly.
“No. When I talked to our driver, he treated me like an idiot. I didn’t think they’d listen.”
“You’d better go tell them,” Emilia told her.
“I guess you’re right.”
Magdalena shrugged and walked out of the bus to find the head driver. People were still milling around the parking lot while the drivers conversed near the head bus. She wandered over, noncommittally, her hands shoved in her pockets. Shifters all seemed to hate dome kids. It made her seriously uncomfortable to converse with them, or ask them for anything, let alone give them advice.
She stood there, slightly swinging her leg back and forth, silently listening to them talking to each other. Finally, her driver turned to her and looked at her as though she was a pest.
“Can we help you with something?”
“Well, you see… okay, see this device? Emilia made it for me. And… have you heard of The Program?”
“Yes. Spit it out.”
“Well. I can access The Program through this device, and I can communicate with Cassie. So, she told me to head to the redwood forests in northern Mendocino, and she would meet us there.”
“Are you sure you weren’t just imagining that?”
“Who do you think told Xavier about the attack?”
“That was you?”
“Yeah. I’m pretty good at The Program. You know, since I’m from the dome.” She let her voice have a sarcastic edge at the end. They looked at her as if she were some kind of idiot or monster. She smirked before she backed away and turned to walk to her bus.
Chapter 9
Just as Magda turned from the drivers, a flash of scales glinted in the sky above. A dozen dragons flew in formation, headed straight toward them from the sea. They swooped down, landing on the concrete close to the gaping crowd.
Circe slid from Xavier’s back, and the dragons began their shift, leaving a group of naked men in their place. People ran to offer them clothes as the drivers approached for information.
Xavier and his crew hurriedly dressed and headed toward one of the buses. Magda followed, falling into step behind Circe. As she approached the entrance to the bus, the driver scowled at her.
Circe turned to offer her hand. Magda took it and let Circe lead her onto the bus. The council were all there, except for Cassie and Rafe. Several of the dragons had injuries, ranging from minor cuts to gaping wounds. None looked pleased.
“It was a loss,” Xavier announced to the witches and other senior shifters on board. Magda cringed. Their home was lost. She had lived there only a few months, but it had been the only home she’d known outside the dome.
“We head north to the raven’s hold,” said Circe. “They owe us a favor, and we can hide under the cover of the forest.”
“Cassie said she’ll meet us there,” Magda informed them.
“You spoke with Cassie again?” Circe asked.
“Yes. She said she’s tried to contac
t you but couldn’t.”
“I had the same issue. It can be difficult to astral travel or communicate when either party is distracted. It is a good thing you contacted her through The Program, Magda.”
“Are we traveling through San Francisco?” asked the head driver.
“The last time we were there, we destroyed the zombie horde. I doubt we’ll find trouble crossing,” said Xavier, his chiseled, handsome face full of confidence. “But Circe and I will scout ahead to find any potential problems.”
Magda went back to her bus and waited for the caravan to begin again. The dragons stepped out from the bus, disrobed, and jumped into the sky.
Living among shifters never got boring. Magda had never seen so many naked men in her entire life. What girl had? When she first moved to New San Diego, she’d been shocked every time a shifter came out of animal form, standing there totally nude as if it were no big deal. It happened all the time.
Being fully human had its advantages, one being that she didn’t have to go around naked in front of others. She counted herself as lucky that she never mutated, although she knew that most of the shifters viewed dome kids as the spoiled brats of the new world.
The buses started moving again, and she sank into her seat, watching the landscape slide by. The beautiful, pristine beaches of Santa Cruz spread out below the highway. Aquamarine water lapped against wide sandy beaches that called her name.
Magda sat back in her seat and laid her head against a wrapped-up blanket on the window. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest and curled her feet up under her on the seat. Letting out a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried to relax.
After being up all night, it took hardly any time for her to fall asleep. In the lazy haze of dreams, she saw herself walking along one of the beautiful Santa Cruz beaches with a cool breeze blowing in her hair. The long brown locks flew around her shoulders. The winter chill made her shiver slightly, but she was warm in a heavy wool sweater.
The sky was bright and blue, clear enough to see miles offshore. Seagulls danced on the air currents, squawking above her as they rode the wind. Little shorebirds scuttled along the water, lapping against the sand. It was all so breathtakingly beautiful, the way the white waves crashed against the jagged rocks, the call of gulls and the caw of crows mingling with the rushing sound of waves against the shore.
She swept her hair out of her face, breathing deeply. She turned away from the bright sunshine and suddenly faced Michael. He was magnificent, bare chested and bronze, his long blonde hair flowing around his shoulders. White wings protruded upward from his back, feathers soft like a dove.
Magdalena took a step back. Her breath hitched. She drew her fingers to her lips, her eyes wide. He was here with her in her dream. Her skill in The Program often left her lucid in sleep. And now, she knew she was dreaming.
“Michael.”
He stepped toward her, gripping her arms in his massive, strong hands. She tilted her head back, looking into his face. His wings swept around her, sheltering them both from sun, sand, and sea.
“Magdalena, I’ve longed to do this since we first met.” He brushed his lips over hers, the sweet smell of his breath intoxicating her senses. The smooth touch of his lips sent a jolt of desire through her, making her shiver. “I want you. It’s all right.” He ran his lips, trailing hot kisses over her neck as he whispered into her ear.
Magdalena breathed heavily and let out a soft groan. He pulled her into his embrace. The warmth of his body radiated through her flesh, warming her, heating her through and through. She could feel his arousal hard against her stomach. This is really happening, she thought. How can this be happening?
“Why me? I’m a human from this backward planet your council wouldn’t even save. Why would you desire me so?”
“It was a mistake to let you kiss me the first time. It seemed such a harmless game. But now, I can’t get you out of my mind. I’m consumed with thoughts of you. You understand, living in the fourth dimension, my thoughts create my reality. I’ve never been so conflicted in many hundreds of thousands of years of life. You ask me why you. My answer is, why not?”
“I thought you were a fantasy my subconscious mind cooked up for me. You’re perfect in every way. I’m not.”
He kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer. She could smell the sweet scent of his skin, feel his heart pounding inside his chest. His hands moved over her skin, wandering down her waist to cup her behind and squeeze the sensitive flesh.
“You are as perfect as you believe you are. That is the trouble with humans. You are blind to your own perfection. But when I see you, I see the universe. I see perfection. I see a goddess.”
She tilted back her head as a tear slid from the corner of her eye. He crushed his lips to hers, his tongue slipping between the seam. Magdalena opened for him, allowing his thick, hot tongue to enter her mouth. Desire bombarded her with the intensity of a thousand supernovas bursting in her core.
He held her tight as he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He held her as if she were weightless. In the dream world, they lost their clothing and were naked in the wind and sun, wrapped in his wings. Michael tipped his face down and licked the tight nub of her nipple. Magdalena threw her head back as he devoured her breasts, sending rays of heat and pleasure coursing through her veins.
Michael’s hard length pressed between her legs. Awareness awakened inside her. He lifted her up, arranging her over him. Magdalena groaned loudly as the tip of his head pressed against her swollen entrance.
“Oh, God, oh, God,” she wailed.
“We are all gods, the universe, it is all one.” He held her hips and lowered her over him. Her ready body enveloped his manhood inch by inch as he pressed inside. As he sank inside her core, Magdalena’s mind exploded in infinite understanding as her body reeled with pleasure.
Michael kissed her neck, her breasts, her mouth, holding her firmly on top of him. Slowly, he began to move her up and down on his shaft. Magdalena’s legs tightened around his slim, muscled waist.
The infinite expanse of the universe contracted into a grain of sand, and Magdalena held it in her awareness. Inside that tiny grain, she shared consciousness with Michael. In that moment of pure connection and pure pleasure, all was known and all was possible.
Her body erupted with climax, sending ecstasy coursing through her core. Her body throbbed over his manhood as he exploded inside her. They were caught in the grip of orgasm, holding each other tight, staring into each other’s eyes, their breaths as one, their bodies as one, their minds as one.
Magdalena heard an explosion. Her eyes snapped open, her body still pulsing with orgasm. She looked around. She was in the bus, twilight darkness descending over the city. There was a scream from the front of the bus. Where were they? What was happening? Had she really been with Michael?
Chapter 10
Gripping the seat back in front of her, Magdalena stood. She looked in the back of the bus where Emilia and Brigid were staring out the window, their eyes wide with shock.
“What’s going on?” she demanded.
“Xavier was wrong about the zombies,” Emilia said at almost a whisper.
A ghoulish face slammed against her window, and she jumped back, screaming. More screams sounded around her as the driver slammed on the gas. The bus screeched forward in the crowded street.
Outside the window, Magdalena could see Xavier’s green acid fire scorching through hordes of living dead. One bite from these cannibalistic mutants would cause infection and death. The bus screeched between two abandoned vehicles and came up fast behind the next bus in the caravan.
“What should we do?” Magdalena asked, holding tight to the seats as she walked back to join her friends. Brigid was making grabbing motions in the air, using her witch spell to throw zombies away from the bus.
“There isn’t very much we can do,” Emilia said. “I’m no fighter.”
“Shut up and let me concentr
ate,” Brigid snapped.
“We’re making a run for the Golden Gate Bridge,” the driver yelled over the sound of screaming passengers.
The dragon dove through the sky, burning the zombies and creating a path for the buses. But the tides of undead seemed to never end. By the time they made it to the Golden Gate Bridge, night had fallen dark and deadly over the land.
Magdalena watched out of the back window as the last of them had crossed the bridge. Xavier swooped down and roared a blast of acid fire over the Golden Gate. In the infernal heat of his amplified dragon fire, the bridge caught fire and burned. The bodies of the pursuing zombies ignited and burst into flames. Fire licked along the support cables, melting the metal before they snapped. The bridge wavered and swung over the bay, until finally, it collapsed in a fiery blaze into the dark waters below.
Magdalena turned in her seat, tears flowing from her eyes. The bridge had survived the nuclear bombs, but it hadn’t survived their crossing. Remorse for the loss of her world stung like a knife in her gut.
They continued north along the highway without incident. Surely an exploding landmark would tip off the Anu to their location, but they saw no craft and were not attacked as they entered the deep forests of northern Mendocino.
The buses pulled into a rest stop and parked. Everyone shuffled out and looked around in a confused daze.
“We go from here on foot. Grab what you need, and be ready to walk in ten minutes,” Xavier announced to the crowd.
They began walking in the darkness. The sounds of babies crying and branches breaking echoed through the still forest. Xavier and Circe bounded into the sky ahead of the group as the collection of three hundred refugees converged on the raven’s roost. Magda doubted the raven shifters would be pleased with the situation.