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“That’s good. It means we can send you back shortly,” Vladimir said.
“Where am I?” Willow asked as she sat upright. She was gratified to feel no pull this time. And, strangely enough, despite him being a stranger, Willow didn’t sense he was a threat to her.
“You are in my home. But it is more than that. This is a safe haven for people disliked because of what they are and what they do. Persecuted individuals seek safety here, hence why Maeve and Jase couldn’t disclose your whereabouts. Doing so would expose us to potential killers. Do you understand, Willow? They don’t merely wish to harm. They would torture and then murder us in horrible ways,” Vladimir said.
Willow’s eyes narrowed at the tone of his voice. There was a deep grief there, and guilt and shame swept over her. This was a shelter of sorts, and she’d been brought here to heal, possibly endangering those who lived here and hid from the mean people who wanted them dead. And she had been here making demands.
“Jase is someone who protects those here,” Willow guessed, and Vladimir nodded.
“Yeah, Jase is a warrior,” he agreed.
“Could my being here endanger everyone?” Willow sought.
“Well, Willow, admitting your presence here could be dangerous. There are those out there who would think nothing of torturing you for the slightest piece of information leading to our whereabouts,” Vladimir confirmed.
“Your name is Russian. Are you talking about the Russian mob?” Willow asked, and Vladimir smiled.
“That I cannot comment on,” he replied.
And that answered her question. Vladimir, at least, was hiding from the Bratva. Who else was seeking refuge from serious criminals? But one thing bothered her.
“I’ve seen Poseidon in both his forms. Merman and monster. There was also a mummy riding a whale when they rescued me,” I stated.
Vladimir smiled kindly.
“You were shot; who knows what you saw. It could have been a hallucination from the shock of your injury. Your brain may have witnessed many sea creatures and superimposed images over them. Or your head couldn’t cope with the trauma, and you sank into a fantasy to explain what was happening. But nobody sailed in to rescue you on the back of a whale, I can assure you of that,” Vladimir said kindly but firmly.
“In other words, keep my mouth shut,” Willow muttered.
“Not at all. But if you start spouting stuff like Mummies riding whales, the men with white jackets may come for you,” Vladimir warned.
Willow shuddered. That was the truth, and Vladimir had boxed her into a corner. It wasn’t a nice sensation. But he was correct. If she told everyone what she had witnessed, she’d be carted away and locked up in a psychiatric hospital. But she knew what she’d seen, and nobody could convince her she’d imagined it.
Vladimir held her eyes, and she understood he was aware of the creatures she’d seen. He couldn’t quite hide it. But he was asking something of her. What was her life worth? Being healthy and alive, or knowing the truth about Poseidon? If she pushed, then she was devaluing her own life.
“Just tell me I’m not mad,” Willow whispered.
“You’re not crazy, Willow, but neither are you ready for the secrets that reality withholds from you,” Vladimir said, rising to his feet. “Tonight, someone will escort you home. We won’t speak again, Willow, so know I wish you well. When you sleep next, you’ll awaken back on your boat.”
Vladimir paused by the door. He looked at her with an unfathomable glance.
“Should we meet in the future, there will be no returning to your current lifestyle. Actions would be taken. Please bear that in mind. I will not compromise the safety of anyone here for someone who’d spit on our generosity or courtesy. Healing was both of those for you,” Vladimir stated and slipped out.
Holy Hell. Vladimir had put in her place, Willow thought. They’d now protect him against her, and she meant him no harm.
Somehow, she knew deep down that Jase was another aspect of Poseidon. She was completely puzzled. Were they aliens or monsters? Maybe even mutants. There’d been a lot of nuclear damage in recent years.
Willow tried to smother a laugh. She was living in a science fiction novel, surely. Mutants and aliens! But then, what was the explanation? Because Willow didn’t care who told her what, she knew what she’d seen and filmed. But she would keep their secret because she understood persecution. Despite only just waking up, she felt tired, and her eyes slowly closed.
???
Willow woke in her bed on The Swallow’s Nest and wondered how the hell she had got there. She was dressed in what she’d been wearing earlier, shorts and a tee. Gingerly climbing out of the bed, she noted the gentle rocking of the waves and knew she was near land. Disorientated and bewildered at what had happened, Willow walked unsteadily to the wheelhouse. As she got on deck, she blinked and realised she was moored in a cove.
There was no sign of the castle she assumed she’d been in, and she wondered how the hell they had moved her around. Had she been drugged and flown here? Willow reached the wheelhouse and stared at an envelope propped up against the wheel. Reaching out, she tore it open and pulled a letter out.
Dear Willow,
In total, you have been missing three weeks. Your cover story is you were attacked. We left the bullet holes on The Swallow’s Nest alone. In desperation, you headed into a storm, lost communications, and then your navigation. You believe your attackers went down in the storm.
