"Toy shop? Well, there's a Toys "R" Us six blocks from here. Is she looking for something for her kids?"
"No, that's not exactly the kind of toy she was wondering about."
"Well, that's the only toy shop near..." Scamper gave Mari a strange look and then blushed. "You mean 'toy' shop, don't you?"
Mari smiled and nodded.
"In that case, there's one just up the street."
"Thanks, Scamper."
"And Ms. Lysanne. If she's shopping, tell her to check out the Jack Rabbit series. I think she'll enjoy it, and so will you."
"Uh huh." Amused, Mari headed back to the room, making a mental note to leave a message for Yemaya to send the young clerk some tickets to her next performance.
T
HE WATER WAS COOL, but not cold enough to chill the heated bodies of the two women floating tiredly on its surface. Apparently even the spirit world couldn't provide an infinite amount of energy to replace what they were burning during their stay in Mari's realm. Yemaya and Dakota weren't sure how much time had passed since their ancestors' departure, since time wasn't relevant. The one thing they were sure of, however, was they couldn't last much longer if they continued on their present path.
"I'm not saying I'm tired of this place," Dakota said, "but I don't think I've ever felt this exhausted."
Yemaya gave her a lazy smile. "I know what you mean. I've lost count of how many times we've made love. If we add in the times we just practiced a little foreplay..." She let the sentence drop knowing Dakota would understand.
"Oh yeah. There's more things to sex than sex sometimes. You’d think while we are here, our energy would be limitless."
"Maybe being human limits us. It would make sense. This is not our world."
"I suppose. Speaking of which, I wonder what's happening in the real world."
"I've done my best to avoid thinking about it. Not that Mari or Maopa would do anything to harm our bodies. They're more responsible than we would be if the circumstances were reversed."
"Yeah, and as spirits, they at least have an advantage we wouldn't."
"Especially since your grandmother is human, or was at one time."
Dakota snickered. "Knowing Granny, I wouldn't count on that being an advantage. I think she was a wild one in her time, and besides, she doesn't know much about our time."
"Would you please not destroy the security blanket I've created?" Yemaya reached over to pull Dakota closer to her. "You know, no matter how much I've tried, I can't seem to sink on this lake. I can dive fine, but the moment I want to surface, I'm there."
"So I've noticed. I suppose it's a built-in safety thing."
"It would make sense. Mari does control the oceans and waters. Besides, it really wouldn't make sense to think a spirit could drown. I wonder..."
Before she could finish the sentence, the Illusionist felt a presence nearby. Looking around, she couldn't find anything out of place. Puzzled, she stood up and walked toward the shore.
"Hey, what's up?" Dakota quickly followed her.
"I'm not sure. I get the feeling we're being watched."
"Here? No one can come here without Mari's permission."
"Normally I would agree. However, since she's not around, someone might be able to gain entrance."
Dakota glanced around. "Do you think it's Intunecat? He'd be one to barge in uninvited, I think."
"No. Actually, he's the one spirit that wouldn't come uninvited or unannounced, at least not here. He seems to have a great respect for Mari, even if he is a little unpredictable."
"That's putting it mildly." Dakota smirked. "Maybe it's just our overactive imaginations. After all, I can't remember
fucking like bunnies."
Wiggling her eyebrows, Dakota pretended to leer at her lover.
"Fucking like bunnies? Where in the world did that come from?" Yemaya laughed and slapped Dakota on the arm. "I do not
fuck
, sweetie. I wine and dine." Lowering her voice to a low, sultry level, she leaned close to Dakota's ear and whispered, "I caress and stroke. And when you start moaning, I make sure your body comes alive under my hands, my tongue... my touch."
Dakota shivered. Her stomach clenched, causing her to press her hand against it. Whenever Yemaya used that soft, deep, seductive tone, she knew she was going to lose the battle, not that she cared. After all, the Illusionist was a master at making both the world and time disappear, to be replaced by the magical revelation of what true love really felt like.
"Okay. Okay. You win!" she gasped. "I was only teasing."
Yemaya gave her a smug smile and ruffled her hair. "But I wasn't." Her gaze promised more pleasures to come.
She spun around suddenly and looked at an empty spot near them. "Whoever you are, show yourself!"
Dakota squinted, trying to see something she couldn't see. "Ummm..."
"Shhhhh. Watch."
Moments later the air shimmered, reminding Dakota of a heat wave. Within seconds, a ghostly figure appeared and solidified.
"I'm beginning to think I've lost my touch." The ghost gave the two humans a sheepish grin. "I was hoping not to intrude on your pleasures."
"Then why did you?"
"To answer a question, nothing more."
"What question?"
"One I need no longer ask. I now have the answer."
"Then as a courtesy, how about telling us what it is."
Dakota listened to the exchange but decided not to join the conversation. Apparently a battle of wills was taking place between her lover and the ghost. She had confidence that Yemaya could hold her own against anyone.
"The question or the answer?"
Yemaya's eyes narrowed menacingly. She had never been one to play word games. Saira decided to relent.
"I'm not able to as it would give you the answer and you're not ready for it now."
"And I'm supposed to just accept that?"
"You don't have much choice, do you?"
Yemaya didn't answer. There was something familiar about this entity.
"I know you," she said, her mind racing to remember where they had met.
"No one knows me. A few know of me, though. You are now one of those few."
"You talk in riddles, probably because it gives you an advantage over those who sense your presence, or at least you think it does. Unfortunately for you, I know I'm right. We've met before."
The apparition gave a slight nod. "Yes, and you will figure it out without my help, Illusionist."
Yemaya gave a start. Suddenly images of her minutes in the sarcophagus flooded her mind. "It was you," she said.
Not understanding what was happening, Dakota stepped closer to Yemaya and put her hand on her lover's arm.
"What is it?" she whispered. Yemaya gave her a quick glance but immediately turned her attention back to the ghost.
"You now have the answer to your question," the apparition said, starting to fade.
"Wait!" Yemaya called. "Who are you? At least answer that."
"The answer wouldn't give you what you seek but only create more questions. Believe me when I tell you that all will be revealed in time."
Seeing Yemaya's frustration, Dakota stepped forward. "Listen, I don't know what this is about but I know Yemaya. Unless you give her an answer, she's going to dwell on this for the rest of our vacation and I frankly don't think it's very nice of you to barge in and ruin things like this. I don't know who the hell you are, but I would rethink things if I were you. We have connections in high places." Dakota glared at the ghost.
Saira wanted to laugh but knew it would hurt the human's feelings and anger her lover. She decided to partially answer the Illusionist's questions.
"Apparently, you have a champion and fierce defender in this one," she said to Yemaya, motioning toward Dakota. "I would hate to have her hounding me through time, so I'll answer some of your questions, but only those I can answer without jeopardizing what is to be."
"You interrupted my escape during my performance," Yemaya said.
"Unfortunately, that's true, and it cost you your life."
Dakota stiffened and was about to comment. Yemaya wrapped her arm around her lover and squeezed gently, a signal not to interfere.
"I remember losing consciousness."
"You didn't have time to regain your concentration before you ran out of air. Your lungs ran out of air, and your heart stopped. I had no choice but to move you forward in time."
"Move me forward? You're a time traveler?"
"That's the simplest way to describe me. I move in whatever direction I'm pulled. Had I not disturbed your concentration, you would have accomplished your trick without a problem. Since I was the cause of your death, I corrected my mistake and positioned you where you were supposed to be. You weren't supposed to feel me, but apparently you've inherited some of Mari's traits."
"You know my ancestor?"
The more the apparition talked, the more questions Yemaya had.
"I have said all that I can say. If you think this will ruin your time in this world, I can position you just prior to my arrival. It will not affect me, but you won't remember that I was here."
"No!" Yemaya almost yelled and then repeated the command more softly. "No. Please. At least I know what happened now. It would have bothered me for a long time if you hadn't told me. Thank you."
"You're welcome. I'm truly sorry you had to suffer. I hope you can find comfort in what you know and enjoy the rest of your time here."
"I seriously doubt that's going to happen, now," Dakota grumbled, suspecting Yemaya was going to dwell on this for the rest of their stay. "So much for the dream vacation."
"I think it will be all that you wish. What happens here is totally up to you. If you wish it to be what you dream, dream well."
The apparition vanished, leaving them alone.
"That was frustrating enough," Dakota said. Her brows furrowed at the thought of Yemaya almost dying. It wasn't something she wanted to think about. As if sensing her thoughts, Yemaya grasped Dakota's chin and turned her face up, making eye contact.
"Yes, but she's right. We can either waste the remainder of our time here discussing her or thinking about what might have been, or we can enjoy the rest of our time doing what we like to do best."
"And what's that?" Dakota asked, looking very coy. Yemaya was right. Now wasn't the time to dwell on something that had already happened. They would talk later.
"Fucking like bunnies." The Illusionist grinned, scooped Dakota up, and walked toward their favorite grove.
"Oh yeah. Works for me."
T
HIS WAS THE STRANGEST voyage Saira had ever taken. The thread was thin and knotted like old twine that had been balled up and then pulled in all directions. Although time wasn't a concern for her, this trip was taking longer than normal. Milliseconds were an eternity in her travels.
Following this particular thread was both time-consuming and confusing. Perhaps it was because she had freely chosen to take this journey instead of following a compulsion. Normally, she would feel a tug in one direction or another and be compelled to find the reason for the pull. In addition, she had to be consumed by curiosity in order to accurately follow the tangled web of the individual's personal timeline to its destination. Otherwise, she could become sidetracked and end up lost in time. At least that was her fear. Since it had never happened, it was only a theory, but one she didn't wish to test. Once at her destination, the answer to her question was usually waiting for her. Her return trip was simply a matter of picking the correct thread that pointed forward and following it to the present.