Kalysta's POV
Jake and I had been walking for days. My legs are sore and wobbly.
I learned that Old Arkansas is mostly small communities like ours, but once we crossed into what was the remnants of Missouri from the previous civilization, the environment took on a stark change. Everything seemed so foreign from what I knew.
They still had car dealerships and fuel stations. Jake was easily able to procure a vehicle. It is going to be a real asset on our trip. It is something called a hearse. After getting the vehicle we found a store and bought blankets to put in the back, and stocked up on food and hygiene supplies.
Apparently this is a vehicle they used for transporting dead people. Why not just bury them at home? It's a waste of land to bury a lot of dead people in one spot and then put pretty rocks all over the place. Jake said it's a graveyard, but I call it a waste of space.
Our hearseused to bring the bodies to these yards to be buried. It seemed like a dim way to go out. Since we are now technically married I made him promise to just burn my bones when I die. I'm bonded to a Fenix after all. Fire seems like a fitting end.
Speaking of Fenix she has been clawing at the back of my brain to be let loose to fly. Travel on two feet is daunting to her.
Jake has our hearse parked under an old tree. We are down from the main road and hidden by the trees. I guess there is no harm in a quick flight. I can have Fenix scout for signs of Kyrhen.
I stepped out of the vehicle and slowly closed the door as to not disturb Jakob's sleep. Leaning against the machine my eyes closed and I allowed my consciousness fade to the back of my mind as Fenix stepped forward. My eyes lost focus when they opened. I slammed my lids shut and opened them again, only I didn't open them Fenix did.
Through her vision I could see us soaring over the tops of tree. Several small shanties and cabins marred the earth. Their rusted siding causing the ground around the building to be tinted like red clay.
They are rickety. Barely held together by a few screws and nails. As Fenix flies, every now and then a pungent odor from their cigarette smoke reaches it's way all the way up into the air, and into Fenix's beak. It causes her to shake her head back and forth. Not that I can blame her, the stuff stinks.
Her sharp eyes scan the ground until by chance we spot a familiar sight. Lowering herself in the air to get a better look, Fenix sees the jacket mom made Kyrhen by hand for our last birthday.
I can't tell if the person wearing it is Ky because of the hat they are wearing, but it is definitely a jacket I recognize. Fenix speaks to me then, "I'll fly back to Jakob, wake him and tell him what we saw. Just make sure to let me fly more. I miss having my body and you rarely shift anymore."
She swerved in the air and headed back towards the death mobile. My form took over as I landed on my feet. The sound woke Jake from his rest. "What?" He asked while still half asleep.
"Jakob wake up! I took a flight and saw Kyrhen. He is close. Let's go get him!" I spoke while shaking my husband awake. I wasn't sure it was my twin but hope forced me to move more urgently. Once alert he hopped into the driver's seat and turned over the ancient vehicle's engine. It really was an old thing. How it was still operational was beyond my understanding.
He drove while I pointed out which turns to take to find Ky. From the roof I couldn't tell what this place was but Jakob found the spot I saw Kyrhen and announced that it was a bar. He pulled up into the parking area and turned off the machine.
We stepped out while Onyx lay in the back. Best to avoid panic by walking in with an apex predator. Plus he can keep an eye on our car.
The porch creaked when we stepped on it. Music cascaded out of the building through the cracks of the door that barely sat on its hinges. I never heard this music before. It sounded angry. Screaming and heavy drums beat out from crackling speakers.
Jakob opened the door and inside the dimly lit room I immediately saw topless women moving themselves over a few of the men's laps. One woman lifted a glass filled with amber liquid over her head and poured it down the front of her breasts while the snaggle toothed man licked and suckled it off of her skin. Bile rose up into my throat.
I looked up at Jake quickly. "Is this a brothel?" My heart thudded in my ribs as I became suddenly worried about the atmosphere we just engulfed ourselves in. He took my hand in his. The act reassured me until I felt a stranger's hand slide across my ass cheek and cup my flesh.
I turned sharply and slapped the man across the face. Jakob quickly got between me and the guy. The man rose from his seat and stared down at Jakob. "That your bitch?" He grunted as he spoke while rubbing the red mark I left across his face.
"The ring on her finger should have been good enough proof of that. Touch her again and I'll kill you!" Jake didn't hold back. Behind him I gripped his shirt tightly as he continued to square up against the other man.
"Put your dog on a leash then, before someone else does." His eyes gleamed as he added, "Matter of fact, I've got a chain right out in my car."
Jakob grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt. He leaned in to make sure the fool could hear him clearly. "Come near her and I'll disembowel you and tie you up from a tree with your own intestines." Jake let his eyes shift to the same shape as Onyx's. The eyes of a predator glowed as the man suddenly cowered.
"Fine, I'm done." He put his head down and avoided making eye contact with me after that. Not gonna lie seeing Jakob do that was incredibly sexy. I'm gonna have to ask Onyx for privacy later. I smiled briefly at the thought.
Walking away from that guy the other men seemed to avoid me as well. They turned their attention back to the topless woman dancing to please them for dollars. The women moved their bodies in all kinds of provocative ways. Twisting their hips in ways I've never seen done before. Some even winked at Jakob or tried to place a hand on his shoulder.
Each time he grimaced and removed their hands from his body. As we moved towards the bar to try to get a better view of the crowd a gutsy lady stopped herself in Jakob's path and pressed her naked torso against his chest.
"Baby girl here seems lame," she pointed her painted claws at me, "how about you let a woman of experience teach you what real pleasure is?" She winked at me while speaking and I could feel my blood boil.
"Fuck off bitch!"
I'm not sure when I screamed at her. Words flew out of my mouth as my anger brightened my face. She was about retort when Jakob pushed her back from him so forcefully she stumbled onto her ass. "Your assistance is not required I assure you." The sarcasm dripped from his tongue and insulted the woman.
The move wasn't exactly the wisest but I appreciated him for his actions. Or I did until I saw several men stand up and gather around us. Some cracking their knuckles, getting ready for a fight.
The woman got up. "Jimmy did you see what he just did to me?" The woman all but shrieked.
A man, who I guess was Jimmy stepped forward, wearing my brother's jacket. He was tall. Taller than Jakob. He removed a rag from his head which was shaved bald, and he sported a mustache and a scar over his right eye. He looked intimidating to say the least.
"Get ready to fight Kalysta." Jakob said.