A Swing and a Miss

“Whoa!” Mike splashed water everywhere in his haste to get out of the tub. This time, Naia didn’t fight him as he scrambled out into the bathroom, covering up with a towel. She pouted as he slid across the floor, looking for his pants. Seeing that she hadn’t moved from her spot in the tub, Mike felt his heart rate level out, the burst of adrenaline gone.

“Who…what are you?” He asked, trying to keep his eyes off of her breasts. Other than the strange markings on her ribs, her skin was flawless.

“I am Naia.” She smirked. “Though I suspect we are past names at this point, Mike. I am full of your cum, after all.”

“So it wasn’t a dream.” Mike slid his pants on, the fabric catching on his wet skin. “That still doesn’t tell me anything else. For instance, how you got here.” He had been alone in the tub, and she had appeared from beneath the water.

“I’ve been here for quite some time.” She swished the water with her hand. “If you don’t mind-“ she waved her hand and the spigot came on, warm water filling the tub. It filled even faster this time, until another wave of her hand turned it off. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a hot soak.”

“What do you mean, quite some time?” Mike crossed his arms. “You’re lucky I don’t just call the cops.”

“You won’t do that.” She pulled a handful of water over her breasts, letting it run free. “You and I are linked now. You are struggling with what you saw, but accept that it happened and want to know more. You are also afraid that you are suffering a psychotic break which will only be confirmed when the cops arrive and find nothing but a tub full of water.”

Mike stared at her, mouth open. “You can read my mind?”

Naia laughed, a beautiful sound that echoed off the tiles. “Not quite. Just general stuff. I would far rather have this conversation here in the water, by the way.”

“You practically raped me,” Mike told her. “If I get back in there, I assume you are going to try again.”

“I hardly raped you.” Naia looked angry. “You were the one jacking off in my tub. I did what I did out of self-preservation, by the way, and I happen to know that you enjoyed it.”

Mike sighed. Being angry was getting him nowhere. “Okay, give me a second to calm down. If you can read my mind, you should be feeling that this is a little much for me right now.” He walked toward the tub, staring warily at its edge. “If I sit, do you promise not to pull me in or anything?”

“Yes.” She moved away from the edge, allowing him a better look at her body through the water. God, she was gorgeous.

“Let’s back things up a bit. Fill in the gaps for me. Let’s start with who and what you are.”

“I’m Naia.” She ran her hands across her body. “This is what I am. I am a nymph.”

“A nymph?” The gears in his brain spun. He had only heard the word used in nymphomaniac. “Can you elaborate?”

“I am a water spirit.” She stirred the water with one finger, summoning a floating sphere. “My spring was dammed up a century ago. Luckily, the water was diverted through the fountain in the yard, and eventually pipes were installed to allow spring water to come up through the pipes to this tub so that I could come inside.”

“For what purpose?”

“I think you know.” Naia winked at him. “Nymphs are sexual by nature. The person who built this house did it to protect me, and he and I had quite the life here together. It was too cold in the winter to fuck outside, so this was a pretty good compromise.”

“What do you need protecting from?”

“My spring was going to be destroyed. If it ever stops flowing, either it forms somewhere else or I die. Which I was quite close to doing, I might add.”

“Really?”

Naia nodded. “When Emily died, the house went unused for a really long time. The fountain became clogged, and the fixtures in the house never flowed. There’s a slight trickle in the fountain, but minerals are backing it up. When you turned on the bath, it gave me just enough energy to manifest.”

“Wow.” Mike was watching the tiny sphere of water float above the tub. It occasionally touched down on the water’s surface, bouncing once more into the air.

“Yes. But I needed more. Nymphs can channel sexual energy into magic, but we try not to because it causes links between us. That’s why some of us drown our sexual partners.”

“There are more of you?”

Naia nodded. “There used to be. Modern civilization has not been very kind to my race.”

“Tell me more about our link.”

Naia blushed. “The first spell was to help unclog the fountain. It was minor, but if you were to die, I could make it through another winter.”

“If I were to die?”

“While I was taking in your essence, I looked into your soul. If I hadn’t liked what I saw, I would have drowned you. Don’t take it personally.”

Holy shit. “If you got what you wanted, then why the second spell?”

“When I looked inside of you, I found a man who grew up without a home, one who needed a family who could love him for who he is. The second spell was selfish on my part, but we will both see benefit.”

“What does it do?” He asked.

“I swapped a small part of your soul with mine,” she admitted, biting at her lower lip. “That way, you and I would be forever linked, and you would be more likely to stay here.”

“PART OF MY WHAT?” Mike stood, balling his fists. “You took part of my soul?!?”

“Swapped. No taking, an even exchange.” She stood up, water trailing from her body. “It’s like a gift, but magic always needs an equivalent exchange. By taking part of your soul, you and I are forever connected. By taking part of my soul, you have been given certain gifts.”

“You can’t just take-“ the watery orb now had a twin, and tiny lights sparkled within, relaxing him. “So, what, I go to Hell now or something?”

“Silly man.” Naia splashed the water at him playfully. “This isn’t some demonic pact or anything. When you die, your soul goes with you and the piece I gave you comes back to me. So relax. As long as I don’t terminate the spell early, our continued existence benefits each other.”

Mike sighed, rubbing his head. This was too much. “Okay, so tell me about these benefits.”

“Traditionally, precognition, mind reading, things like that. However, those have fallen out of vogue, as the last thing we want is for you to call attention to yourself, or this house. Instead, you will find yourself far more charming than usual, a natural beauty of sorts. Heightened sensitivity of your senses and just enough of those earlier abilities to keep you out of danger. Oh, and a gift more for me.” She leaned forward, pressing her breasts together. Mike’s crotch twitched in his pants. “You no longer have much of a refractory period. I figured that’s a fair trade for not being able to win the lottery.”

“So a magic boner and a spidey-sense. Fucking fantastic,” Mike muttered to himself.

“Well, and a permanent psychic link to me.” Naia pouted. “You’re being rude.”

“I’m sorry Naia, this is just a lot to take in.” He was staring at her breasts, the way they pushed together, her tiny nipples rigid just above the water’s surface.

“Get in the bath with me,” she purred. “I can help you relax.”

“You still haven’t told me what you get from the link.”

“Your protection.” She leaned back, her breasts bobbing on the surface. “This home needs a guardian, a human who won’t expose our secret to the world, one who will care for us until his dying day. When I read your spirit, I knew that you could be the one who protect us.”

“Us?” He peeked out into the bedroom. “There are others nymphs?”

Naia shook her head. “I’m referring to the house itself. Emily was the last guardian of this place, and it holds many secrets.  If this house should fall into the wrong hands…” Naia shivered, though the water was warm. “I’m afraid I can’t be of much help in discovering them, as I am unable to leave this room. That, and I can’t actually tell you.”

“Why not?”

“It’s the house.” She frowned. “Powerful magic, a Geas. When Emily died, the house’s protective magic kicked in. It’s like being unable to remember someone’s name, even though you are looking right at them. There is something important that I want to tell you, but it floats away from me when I try to focus on it. I’m afraid it will be that way until you can figure out for yourself the real purpose of this house.”

“Secrets, huh?” Mike thought back to his college days, low-key hacking into servers just to see what was there. “Sounds like a challenge.”

“I wish I could help, I really do.” Naia frowned. “I have huge gaps in my memory, but the main thing I remember is Emily.”

“You knew my Great Aunt well?”

“She was a good friend. I know you picture her in your mind as some old woman traipsing through the house, but she never looked a day over twenty seven. Not until the day she died, anyway. The magic preserves beauty, but doesn’t prolong death.”

“Interesting.” Mike stroked his chin. “So, I’m going to be young forever.”

“On the outside.” Naia smiled. “And I think I can make your stay worth it.”

“I’m going to be honest. I’m not really good with women.” Mike stared at her naked body, his cock twitching once more. His body and brain were disconnected, his body suddenly ready but his mind hesitant. His mother’s voice was distant, but it was still there.

“I saw that.”  Naia trailed a finger down between her breasts. “A lot of pain in your past, something holding you back. You’ll find that our new bond will alleviate that somewhat.”

“What, are you my therapist now?”

“Even better.” Mike hadn’t realized how close he had come to the water. Naia slid her finger into the waistband of his pants, pulling him close. “My magic has created a special bond between us, one that enhances trust, allowing you to momentarily forget.” Tugging the band of his pants down, his cock sprung free, pointing directly at her mouth. “I can teach you to overcome your pain, if you will let me.” She stroked his cock lovingly, her fingers magically warm and wet. She gazed up into his eyes, adoration on her face. “Please let me do this, Mike. Please.”

“I…” Mike stared at the woman in his tub, the one who radiated warmth and safety. For the first time he could remember, he had become lost in the moment, the slight heat of her breath teasing the head of his swollen dick. Gone were any thoughts of his childhood, the house, or what had happened earlier. Her eyes were shimmering pools, glowing with an inner light of their own.

“C’mon Mike. Let’s do it right this time.” She continued stroking. “With your permission.”

Mike was breathing hard, his fingers stroking lightly at her hair. She broke eye contact, staring hungrily at his cock. She was panting now, and his cock tingled with every stroke.

“Please,” Mike begged her. “Please.” He couldn’t put the feeling into words, but he needed her.

She leaned forward, sucking him in gently, her teeth just barely sliding across his foreskin. He shivered as she took him all the way to the root, one hand stroking his balls while the other slid around his hips. She sucked on him for several seconds, and he moaned softly, unsure what to do. She broke away, a trail of spit connecting her mouth to his dick.

“Get in.” Her voice was husky, her hands pulling down his pants. He helped, pushing them to the floor as she caressed his balls, rolling them gently between her fingers. He stepped into the bath, her mouth finding his dick again. She grabbed him by the hips, moaning quietly as he thrust into her mouth. Already, his body felt light, his muscles relaxing as the magic took hold of him. He popped free from her full lips, and she reached up for him as he knelt down, their lips finding each other. He ran fingers through her blue hair, tracing the line of her jaw. She clutched his shoulders, breaking free of his kiss to suck at his collarbone.

“Everything feels like electricity,” he told her, meaning every word. His skin was practically tingling, her touch igniting tiny sparks between them in the warm of the bath.

“Part of that is my magic,” she whispered in his ear, her breath hot. “The rest of it is me.”

His hand moved down her belly, parting the thick folds of her pussy. She was impossibly tight. He worked her cunt this way for a few minutes, rubbing at her clit with his thumb. After a minute of this, he realized that something felt odd. Pushing back from her, he stared down.

“Is that a piercing?” He asked. In between her labia was a shiny sphere.

“That’s my clit,” she giggled. She stood, sitting on the edge of the tub and spreading her legs. Pulling back her folds, he saw that her clit strongly resembled a pink pearl. He ran his finger across the top of it, causing her to gasp. It was smooth, yet hard.

“Is it always like this?”

“Only when I’m this turned on.” She said, smiling. “It’s called a Nymph’s Pearl.”

“God damn.” He moved closer, taking in her scent. The aroma made his head swim. “May I?”

“You’re such a gentleman.” Grabbing the back of his head, she pulled him in. He opened his mouth, gently sucking in her Nymph’s Pearl, moving it around with his tongue as he slid two fingers in her pussy. Naia gasped, digging her fingers into the back of his head as he rolled her Pearl around in circles. Moaning, she wrapped her legs around his head, squeezing him tight.

From his position between her legs, her scream of delight sounded like distant thunder. He switched from two fingers to three, her eager pussy gobbling up the extra digit with no effort. He pulled his fingers free, lapping at her inner folds with his tongue, marveling at the salty-sweet taste of a nymph’s vagina. Hands clutched at his neck, her legs trembling uncontrollably as he drove her to the edge.

Sucking the Pearl back into his mouth, he slid his fingers back into her, curling them upward.

She screamed again, soaking his face with her cum. Three rapid bursts of fluid coated him completely. Startled, he pulled away, wiping his eyes clear. It had the same taste that she did, with just a hint of spice. Naia, reclined on the edge of the tub, was gasping for air, her body suddenly limp.

“I’ve… I’ve never seen that before,” Mike told her. His cock was absolutely throbbing.

Naia’s eyes glowed from within, the water in the bath suddenly becoming steam. Rolling over, she lifted her ass into the air, clutching the rim of the tub.

“Fuck me, Mike,” she hissed, the water’s surface becoming choppy. He wrapped his hands around her hips, staring down at the juicy curves of her ass. Oddly, her prominent pussy was missing its neighbor, the long curve of her labia stretching farther back to where her asshole should have been.

Sensing his pause, Naia looked over her shoulder. “Nymph’s don’t need assholes. Now hurry up and fuck what’s in front of- Oh God!” Mike, wasting no pretense, shoved himself inside her awaiting hole. Her body lurched forward as he pounded her from behind, giving no thought to her pleasure at all. Somehow, this didn’t seem to matter to Naia. She panted like a dog, her raspy breath echoing off the tiles of the bathroom.

“Holy shit,” Mike shouted, desperately shoving his dick inside. His newfound sensitivity was driving him wild, and he clawed at Naia’s ass cheeks, his excitement building. The water around them bubbled with energy, tiny water spheres taking flight and hovering in the air.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!” When Mike came, his vision turned black around the edges, the world briefly losing focus, his back arching as he filled Naia with hot sperm. She let out her own shriek, pushing back against him as her back spasmed, ripples traveling down her spine and legs as she shook uncontrollably.

“Oh Mike,” Naia moaned, going limp beneath his hands. She sank into the water, and Mike joined her, the two of them easily floating side by side.

“Naia.” Mike was officially spent. He ran his fingers through her hair, sighing to himself as her fingers traced circles on his chest. “That was absolutely magical.”

“I’m glad you liked it.” Naia kissed him on the neck. “Consider it a down payment.”

“For what?” He asked.

“For taking care of me. This place.” Naia’s face was suddenly serious. “If you choose to stay, you will find out that there’s a lot more to do than just live out our days fucking. There are some really bad people out there, people willing to do anything to get their hands on this place.”

“Because of you?” He asked.

“The man who built this house didn’t just do it for me. He was a collector of magical items. These objects have tremendous power, and he hid them well. My job is to guard the house-because of the spring, I can never leave, so I was the best choice to be its guardian. Every time the house is passed to a new caretaker, I either make the pact like I have with you, or the new owner suffers an accident. Also…” Her face went blank for a second. “Damn. It’s that thing I want to tell you again. I just can’t remember, it’s so frustrating. Anyway, I can’t leave this room, or the fountain, once it’s repaired for that matter.” Naia stroked Mike’s stomach lovingly. “Please fix my fountain. I miss being outside.”

Mike stared at the canned lights in the ceiling. Magical artifacts? This night had taken a strange, impossible turn. “It shouldn’t be too hard to figure out where these magic artifacts are kept. The house is big, but it’s not that big.”

Naia smirked, kissing Mike on the lips. “You keep telling yourself that.” Yawning, Naia stretched. “I’m exhausted. You get some of that muck pulled from the fountain, and you and I can stay up all night if you like.”

“Consider it done.” He stayed with her for a while, but the water grew cold. Bidding her a good night, he watched as she vanished beneath the water’s surface, the cool liquid flowing down the bath drain. Drying himself off, he stretched out on the giant bed. Within moments, he was asleep.

-

The bed was probably a hundred years old. God alone knew how old the mattress was. Somehow, Mike awoke from easily the best night’s sleep in years. His body was in the same position it had been when he fell asleep. Yawning, he stepped down on the hard wood floors, his left ankle popping. Rubbing the back of his head, he strolled naked to the toilet to pee. He flushed the toilet, stepping out into the main bathroom. The tub was still there, glistening in the light of the morning sun.

“Naia?” his voice quivered, slightly. The events of last night were fresh in his mind, and he wondered how much he would crack if he discovered that it had all been a dream.

“I’m still here.” Her voice echoed from inside the tub. “I’m always here. Now go get some work done. You and I can play later.”

Mike laughed, leaving the room behind. Breakfast was last night’s pizza, quickly reheated, and some soda. Mike quickly threw together a grocery list, food he would need for the week ahead. He stepped out the back door, staring at the poorly kept yard. The house itself was built near the top of the hill, and Mike realized that the back yard’s high stone walls ensured privacy. A wrought iron gate at the back of the yard led out into the woods behind the home, but someone had strung a chain across the bars, a giant padlock holding it in place.

The fountain was in sad shape. No water could be seen in its giant basin, which was now full of silt and dead leaves. Mike sat on the side of the fountain, looking at his laptop. A quick Google search yielded several ways he could begin to restore it, but he was either going to have to look for tools or buy them.

“Fuck it,” he muttered, adding the tools to his shopping cart. He didn’t feel like spending hours looking through the house trying to find what he needed, and the local home improvement store had a service counter pickup option, which would get him home and back that much faster. Closing his laptop, he stood up to go back inside.

“Jesus fuck!” He nearly dropped his laptop. A stone figure tucked away in an alcove by the back door had startled him. Moving in for a closer look, he saw that it appeared to be a statue of a woman, but other than an ample bust, few details could actually be seen. Covered in creeper vines, he pushed a few of them aside to try and see it better. Failing, he made a mental note to pick up some garden sheers. Kneeling down by her feet, he expected to see a plaque on the pedestal she stood on, but it was blank.

“Damn near gave me a heart attack,” he muttered, walking in through the back door. He set his laptop on the kitchen table, listening to the sounds of the house around him. Nothing but silence. The others were still in hiding, but where would he find them?

His rental car, a green Kia, was still on the curb where he had left it. Leaves had tumbled down from the trees along the street, creating a blanket for it. Pulling away, they spun in circles behind him, creating little leaf tornados in his rear view mirror.

Pickup at Mel’s, the home improvement store, was super quick. Mike grabbed an extra pair of work gloves and some garden shears on the way out. Stopping at the grocery store, he picked up some basics, including coffee and a new coffee maker. He had seen one in the kitchen, but didn’t trust it to actually work.

He arrived back at the house, gathering up all of his bags in an attempt to make only one trip. Walking precariously between the stone lions, he made it to the front door, setting the bags down to get his key out of his pocket. The deadbolt clicked open, and he pocketed the key, kneeling down to grab his bags.

The porch swing creaked. Mike stared, the gears of his mind turning. He thought he had disconnected the swing last night. Yet there it was, swaying in a non-existent breeze. He walked over, unhooking the swing and lowering it to the porch.

Shaking his head, he walked inside, putting it from his mind.  He stacked his groceries up on the counter and tossed the bag of supplies on the kitchen table. Stocking the fridge, he began organizing the tools from the store. A few scrub brushes, a trowel, and a drain snake were pulled from the bucket he had purchased, as well as a screwdriver.

A knock at the door was followed by the sound of the bell. Mike walked back down the long hall, a shadowy figure visible through the frosted glass of the front door. He opened the door to reveal Beth, his Great Aunt’s estate representative, standing on the other side. She was holding a stack of files, but that wasn’t what Mike noticed. Her dark hair still in a bun, she was wearing a bright red blouse, the top buttons straining to hold it shut, with a knee length white skirt.

“Mr. Radley,” she greeted him, a warm smile on her face. “I thought I would drop by and bring you some paperwork. There are several things the firm needs you to look over before we can finalize a transfer of assets. May I come in?”

“Um, yeah. Certainly.” He stepped back, and she stepped past him, the smell of soap and lavender following her in. He shuddered internally, this human woman somehow ten times more daunting than the mystical creature upstairs. “Here, this way.” He led her to the kitchen, where she set down the pile of documents.

“It looks like you’re getting ready to tackle a project,” Beth said, picking up the trowel. “Hopefully nothing the Historical Society would disapprove of.”

“Just cleaning some gunk out of the fountain,” he told her. “Hoping to see it running soon.”

“Those don’t sound like the words of a man who is still debating keeping the place.”

“You’re correct. I’ve decided to stay.”

“In that case,” Beth slid one of the folders out, checking its contents. “This was an offer from that group of women I told you about. They call the firm almost every day, they’re absolutely in love with this place.”

“I hate to disappoint them, but the place is growing on me already.” Mike smiled, thinking of Naia. “Not sure why, but I feel like this is where I was meant to be.”

“I’m very happy for you Mike.” Her smile was genuine, crinkling the skin next to her eyes. “I know what you mean. I’ve been over here several times to make sure the place is being cared for properly by our interim team, and admit I’m a little sad that I won’t get to see it much longer.”

“Nonsense.” Mike waved a hand dismissively. “You’re welcome over here anytime. Besides, you’re the only person I even know in this town. My job doesn’t offer many opportunities to meet new people, so I’m afraid you are my entire social group.”

“I may just take you up on that.” Beth sat at the table. “I’ve been a bit obsessed with this place since I was a little girl. I was convinced a fairy queen lived here, probably until I was thirteen. I used to ride my bike past every day, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Turns out that it must have been someone who worked for your great aunt, a young woman who I sometimes caught working in the garden. She had this brilliant radiance around her, almost like she was stuck in an old Disney movie. I half expected birds to circle around her as she broke into song or something. I won’t lie, I tried to figure out who she was once your aunt passed, but there weren’t any records.” She chuckled, stroking the files with a finger. This action pressed her breasts together, causing a tiny gap to form between the buttons of her blouse. Mike stared into that dark space, wondering what color her bra was. “It’s silly, I know, but I can’t help but love this place just a little.”

“I’ve only been here one night. Trust me, I know what you’re talking about.” Snapping his eyes away from her chest, Mike leaned forward, opening the top file. “Ugh. This looks like a bunch of legalese.”

“In triplicate. These are some additional assets, plus some agreements I need you to sign since you are taking ownership of the home. Per the will, there are a few protective clauses, primarily stating that you can never bulldoze the home and start from scratch. This was per your Great Aunt’s wishes, but I’m guessing that isn’t a problem.”

“You would be correct.” Mike slid open a drawer looking for a pen, but Beth had one ready.

“You can have an attorney read these over first. I prefer that you would, actually. There isn’t any hurry-now that we have an heir, the clock sort of resets for a bit.” She set the pen on the table. “However, I am just on delivery duty today. I need to get in to the office to begin processing some additional documents. Today is Tuesday. I would be happy to drop by on Friday to pick these up, if you have them done. Otherwise, I can just drop by to make certain you are getting settled. That is part of the provisions as well.”

“Um, yeah. Sure. Thank you.” Mike followed her outside. He walked behind her, watching the gentle sway of her ass until they arrived at her car, a cute little convertible he didn’t recognize. Beth gave him a wave and a smile before driving away. He walked back up the walk, stopping to pat one of the lion’s paws for luck. In his mind, he was planning to take the bucket straight out back and see what he could do about that pesky fountain.

He was up the stairs, his hand on the door when he heard the swing next to him squeak. Turning his head, he saw her sitting there, kicking her legs gently as she stared across the front yard, her eyes distant.

“Hey.” Mike said, moving to get a better view of her. Her skin was unnaturally pale, her hair white. She was wearing a simple white dress with a thick, black belt around her waist. The skirt stopped just above her knees, white stockings visible above a black pair of shoes. The swing creaked as she swayed, coming close to the siding of the house. She ignored him.

“Hello? Hey?” He stood in front of her, waving his hand in front of her face. Her slightly milky eyes stared forward. Maybe she’s blind, Mike thought, staring at her now. Her skin was paper white, but her facial features made Mike think of a mixed European heritage. Small breasts pushed against the front of her dress, filling out the top as if it had been custom made for her. Her eyes didn’t budge, her dark eyed gaze settled on eternity.

“Now look…” Mike grabbed the chain of the swing, halting its forward motion.

The change was immediate. She was suddenly standing, her whole body lurching forward as if a movie had skipped several frames. A blast of cold air assailed Mike as her wild face was suddenly inches from his own, her feet hovering inches above the ground. She let out a blistering screech, her hair fanning out wildly behind her as she raised her hands, fingers curled into claws. Mike, panicking, stumbled backwards, the railing hitting him in his lower back. The icy blast of air pushed him over the edge, where he fell into the scratchy bushes below. Wide eyed, he stared into the sky as the specter leaned over the rail, floating upward.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he muttered struggling to fight his way free of the bushes. She let out another shriek, her suddenly darkened features stretched until her face was a nightmarish mask.

“Stop unhooking my swing, fucker!” She cried, poofing out of existence. Mike scrambled to his feet, rolling free of the bushes covered in bloody scratches. Standing in the warm light of day, his heart pounding a mile a minute, Mike stared up at the porch where he had fallen from. The railing was cracked, and behind it, the porch swing swayed gently in the breeze.

Mike ran up the stairs, his eyes on the empty swing. He shoved the door open, slamming it shut behind him. “Naia!” He hollered, running up the stairs. “Naia, what the fuck was that?” He shouted, running into the bathroom.

The tub’s faucet opened up, pouring a thin layer of water on the bottom. Her head and shoulders emerged as if she was in a lake rather than an inch of water.

“What happened?” She asked.

“Some woman on the porch. On the swing. Screamed at me. I fell into the bushes.” Mike gasped for air, inspecting the cuts on his arm.

“Oh. Oh!” Naia’s eyes flashed. “I remember! That’s Cecilia!”

“Who is Cecilia?” Mike sat on the side of the tub, rubbing his eyes.

“She’s a banshee. She lives on the porch. She really likes the swing.” Naia sunk even lower, her lips just above the surface of the water. “I’m sorry Mike. I wish I could have told you.”

“Is that the important thing? The one you wanted to say but couldn’t?”

Naia shook her head, her face moving even lower. Just her eyes were visible above the water.

“Naia, what aren’t you telling me?” Mike crossed his arms. The nymph blushed, her words muffled by the water. “What did you say?”

Naia rose up out of the water until her lips were visible. “I said that there are others.”

“Others? Others like who?”

Naia shook her head. “I can’t remember. I’m sorry Mike, but I really can’t. Now that you’ve met Cecilia, I can remember her very well, or at least what Emily told me about her. She almost never came inside. But there are others.”

“If you can’t remember then, than how do you know there are others?”

“It’s the important thing, the one I couldn’t remember.” Naia slumped. “I think you’re going to be mad.”

“I’ll do my best. What is it?”

“Remember earlier, when I told you that the man who built this house collected magical artifacts?”

“Yes?”

“It’s part of the Geas. It’s a fail-safe, a half-truth. He did collect artifacts, yes. But he came across most of those on accident.”

“How do you accidentally come across artifacts?”

Naia put on her best, fake smile. “You see a lot of them when you decide to start your own monster collection.”