Track

Track, the lover of Paden, has assumed human form after the pair meets in the book Paden (Book 14, Phantom Lover series). Track tells Paden they can be together, but their love exacts a price…one that Paden is soon to learn can be dangerous and potentially deadly. On the day of a tsunami warning in Honolulu, Paden wakens to find Track is with him after several weeks of absence. They are needed, Track tells him and soon they‘re traversing a rainbow to unravel the mystery of a young man who has committed a kapu. He has broken a sacred taboo and the gods of old Hawaii are angry. The young man begs for help. Paden is surprised when Kimo‘s toddler daughter, Pele, named for Hawaii’s powerful volcano goddess, arrives, having followed Paden into the spirit realm. She intervenes and the repercussions Paden soon learns, are cataclysmic.

The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author‘s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Track Copyright © 2010 AJ Llewellyn ISBN: 978-1-55487-627-3 Cover art by Angela Waters All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Published by eXtasy Books Look for us online at: www.eXtasybooks.com

Track Children of the Rainbow Series Book 1

By AJ Llewellyn

Dedication To the memory of Luka Hewitt, a Rainbow Child now sleeping with the angels: ―Warmest love, not forgotten.‖

Chapter One

T

he first siren woke me. The blast of noise was so shocking, it jarred me, disorienting me for a moment. Then I remembered where I was; Honolulu, on a beautiful mountaintop home staying with my son, Lopaka, and his husband Kimo. I must have dreamed it. The sun streamed in, settling on my face. I‘d stumbled into bed very late in the night, forgetting to close the blinds. My thoughts flew to Track. I wished he would be here. Even for a moment. Just one brief kiss. Then…‖Paden.‖ I stirred, not believing for a moment he was really there. ―Paden.‖ ―Track?‖ My tongue tasted thick and furry. Man, I felt bad. I was hallucinating. Track wasn‘t here. He hadn‘t materialized for weeks. It was the heat, that was all. Barely touching eight o‘clock in the morning, the day was already hot. So damned hot. 1

A.J. Llewellyn And then I heard my family‘s voices outside the bedroom door. I heard the word, tsunami. My eyes opened as the siren wailed again. The children were frightened, I could tell, by the rising pitch of their voices. Heart racing, I swung my legs over the bed. ―Paden.‖ I wanted to turn around…I wanted to see him. No, I needed to see him, but Track was never there. For long weeks, he‘d made me wait. Not that he‘d promised to be here at any specific time, but I didn‘t think I could go on this way. In limbo. ―Turn around. Please.‖ ―I‘m afraid.‖ Man, I have got to stop drinking. ―No, you are very brave.‖ No, I was not. I was the cowardly lion. I was hung over. The last few nights I‘d spent drinking, hoping he would come. I‘d wondered…no, I‘d feared I was no longer open to him, that we‘d lost the connection. Maybe if I loosened up, he would come. He was the only one who had this effect on me, apart from my children and grandchildren. In spirit, Track had guided me through a terrible trial by fire. In body, we became lovers. He was so beautiful, that when Track told me loving him came with a price, I forgot to ask how much. I just knew I wanted him. Track became my lover one 2

Track hot summer night long after the trial, long after my children and grandchildren were safe. I had been blessed, some may say cursed, by the gift of immortality, but love was something I could not live without. The first time, he came to me in repose. He didn‘t always come to me in sleep. Sometimes, after that first night, he came during the day. My beloved Track could assume many forms and I loved him in all his guises, but once, just once I wished he would just be a man. ―Turn around.‖ I sensed him then. A part of me was thrilled he was here. Another part was furious that he would choose to arrive as Honolulu prepared for a tsunami. Track came and stood in front of me. ―Don‘t. Don‘t be upset. I‘m here. I am always close.‖ I looked up at his beautiful face. He was stunning. He had a magnificent Asian face, with large dark eyes that always seemed to be smiling. His long black hair gleamed in the morning light. The heat grew intense. I turned and looked out the window at the bright, blue sky, the hint of menace in storm clouds gathering. When I turned around again, Track had completely materialized in my favorite form. Hot, naked, horny guy. ―You are so beautiful,‖ he said. 3

A.J. Llewellyn ―So are you.‖ His breathtaking handsomeness never failed to take me by surprise. He grew lovelier each time I saw him. His angelic face and huge, sensitive eyes seemed to take in everything. His face was always in motion. I pressed my face to his belly as my son Lopaka, who is my spitting image, battered at my door. ―Dad, dad!‖ The tsunami sirens increased, their incessant wailing piercing all the senses. I could hear my frantic grandchildren calling, ―Papa!‖ but I was too far gone. Track had come back and I was in his arms. I had already foreseen the tsunami would pass. I was too intoxicated by his physical presence, being able to touch his head, his arms, and kiss his feet. There wasn‘t a single inch of him I didn‘t love. He let me bring him down, beside me on the bed. ―You believe again?‖ Oh, yes, I believed in our connection. I took my mouth off his beautiful chest and gazed into his perfect, almond-shaped eyes. He had warned me our path would not be smooth. I assumed he meant the separations. I never knew from one visit to the next when I would be near him again. And I would ache. 4

Track I loved him more than I had ever loved another human being. I felt his colors, his prisms of light as my tongue once again touched his skin. ―Dad! Tsunami!‖ Lopaka bashed the door again, trying the handle. Locked. My hunger for Track needed to be slaked. His beautiful cock rose against my breath. ―It‘s okay, baby,‖ I heard Kimo saying. ―He‘s with Track. There will be no tsunami.‖ ―But—‖ I kissed Track‘s cock. It wasn‘t the first one I had loved but I wanted it to be the last one I would have, my only cock. Track‘s hand fell on my head, stroking it gently as Kimo and Lopaka walked away. And then, a tiny voice. ―Papa?‖ My breath caught, my head jerked up. It was my precious granddaughter, Pele, my bright, brilliant baby girl named for the volcano goddess. She was my pride and joy. She must be protected at all costs. I heard her faint sobbing just outside the door. ―Papa…‖ She was crying now. Something was wrong. Very wrong. How could she have known it? Track gasped and I turned to him. His eyes had turned glassy. ―Track, what is it?‖ 5

A.J. Llewellyn ―It‘s time.‖ ―What do you mean, time?‖ ―I told you, there would be a price.‖ Pulling up to my knees, I released his cock and knelt beside him, staring into his face. His whole body went rigid. ―Track!‖ He couldn‘t speak. I took a deep breath. His body turned cold. Only his right hand was still warm. With what seemed to be a great effort, his hand lifted. I stared at him a moment, gulping over my fears. He wanted me to go with him. I‘d made disastrous mistakes in the past. I‘d once given my heart, my life, to a Samoan cannibal king who tried to kill me, and my children. I wanted to love Track. But I wanted to be in our warm, sunny room, making love, making fun of the tsunami warning. And then I turned and looked outside the window. The big, beautiful, multi-colored rainbow. I had no choice. I took his hand and took a deep breath as we plunged into the abyss. We fell into the path of the cold blue beam, where indigo and violet merged. Track pulled me along with him. I coaxed myself to absorb the shock of the freezing temperatures. I had to stop thinking like a human. I had to think of myself as a spirit body having a human experience, not the 6

Track other way around. Track steered me to the next band of color. We were green. Green! A flash of fire whispered at my feet as we touched the ground. We were in a forest. We‘d just entered primordial splendor. Oh, my senses were all awakened. Such lushness, such sounds…I heard the cry of voices. ―Hurry,‖ Track said. ―We‘ll be late!‖ Late for what? He was much better at this than I, since I was a novice and he was a child of the rainbow. My feet still felt the urge to touch the ground. I tried to relax, tried to float as he did, and then we picked up speed. ―Perfect!‖ he shouted. ―Paden, trust me!‖ We arrived at a clearing and rain pounded down. We touched the earth, gigantic green leaves sticking to our feet. I was surprised to see I was wearing a tiny red malo, a loin cloth. So was Track. In the center of the clearing was a young man. On his knees, he raised his beautiful face to a group of men…giants, I recognized as Night Marchers. These ancient warriors, some of them seven feet tall and more, had once walked the Hawaiian Islands in human form. Now they were the guardians of the old ways, deciders of kapu, of what was forbidden. I knew even before I became immortal that for any human to see a Night Marcher crossing his path meant instant death. 7

A.J. Llewellyn Now that we were here, the rain abated. Rain always indicated a giant kapu had been committed. The man on his knees wept, lifting his hands away from his face. ―Please…please don‘t kill me. I never meant to break the kapu. My baby died. My wife…she asked me to bury our little girl in our ancestral cave. Please…if you kill me too, she‘ll have nothing to live for. I don‘t want her to die.‖ He was a brave human, to speak to a Night Marcher that way. He was also an unusual human to be able to see them at all. Why were Track and I here? I saw the man‘s necklace then. It was a petroglyph of the fire goddess, Pele. Damn. He was a devotee of the queen of the burning stones. Had the man somehow picked the wrong cave? ―Papa?‖ I froze. Even the Night Marchers, bent on death, turned at the sound of her voice. Pele, my baby Pele, had found us. ―Papa?‖ At the age of two, she was already profound. She might have appeared to be an innocent and adorable island girl in her little red bikini, but I knew better. I saw the flash of fire, like embers in her eyes, followed by her childish glee at finding me. She was too young for this. There would be 8

Track time enough soon for her to be dealing with matters of love and hate. I picked her up and held her to me. Lord, she was hot. She wriggled away from me, out of my arms and to the ground. Little Pele walked straight over to the sobbing man. He stared at her. Pele radiated sheer love and mystical heat. For the first time, I saw the copper glints in her black hair. She was a child of fire, all right. She held out her arms. Track‘s head fell. I heard him crying. The man on his knees looked hunted…his anguish tore at me. ―Are you…are you…?‖ Pele nodded. He gulped, holding the bag slung across his body closer to his thigh. ―Baby,‖ she said, her arms still extended to him. ―Can you save my baby?‖ She astonished me, this little girl. He opened his bag and took out a wrapped, cloth bundle, handing it to her. ―Please save her. Please give her to my wife. I am sorry. So sorry.‖ Pele took the bundle. I heard the squall. ―You‘re willing to sacrifice your life for the baby?‖ one of the Night Marchers asked. Pele held the bundle to her heart and the baby wrapped inside it screamed. The sobbing man 9

A.J. Llewellyn laughed and cried all at the same time. ―She‘s alive? Can I touch her? One last time?‖ The Night Marchers stepped in closer. ―No!‖ Their voices cracked like thunder. Pele glanced at me, her eyes ablaze. I stepped forward. Before I could speak, a second voice piped up. ―Papa?‖ Oh, God. I turned around. It was my grandson, Little Kimo, baby Pele’s brother. ―What trick is this?‖ one of the Night Marchers asked. ―No trick. ―This is Pele, daughter of Pele and her brother Kimo.‖ ―They‘re not of this house.‖ ―Yes, they are,‖ I said quickly. Track spoke over me. ―They are children of the rainbow.‖ ―We have to go,‖ I said, already glimpsing the sobbing man‘s horrible demise. Little Kimo took hold of the baby. I took Pele back in my arms. She radiated a heat so strong it was like a fever. She held onto me, but I was worried. She was exhausted and confused by her own power. I had to get her back to her father. ―Kimo, baby, give me your hand.‖ My four-year old grandson reached up. I gripped his trusting hand and steered him back to safety as the baby began to cry in his free arm. 10

Track ―What is this place?‖ Little Kimo asked as we followed the blue light back. Pele’s head lolled against my shoulder. She was spent. ―It looks like heaven, but people don‘t cry in heaven, do they, Papa?‖ I didn‘t answer. How could I tell him that sometimes in paradise, a man experiences hell? I wanted him to believe in beautiful places. I wanted him to believe in heaven. We fell back into the rainbow as the sobbing man screamed, his voice echoing the tsunami sirens back on earth. Kimo and Pele’s parents waited for us at the edge of their own private forest. How they knew where we‘d emerge was a mystery to me, but like I said, all this spirit stuff was new to me. They were not pleased. Worry was etched on their faces. I saw their relief when we appeared, but Lopaka was still furious. Kimo, a gifted kahuna, seethed with frustration that he hadn‘t been able to follow his children into the rainbow. ―Where the hell did you take them?‖ he asked me through gritted teeth. His gaze flew down to Little Kimo who held up the screaming baby. ―Pele saved her, Daddy! She was awesome!‖ Big Kimo, torn between checking on the baby and his own daughter, still listless in my arms, 11

A.J. Llewellyn took hold of Pele. ―She‘s hot,‖ Lopaka said. ―Dad, what did you do to my baby?‖ Kimo‘s gaze never left my face. ―Lopaka, I need you to get her some ‘awa.‖ My son hesitated. ―Please, Lopaka. And get Sammy. I want him to check the baby.‖ As soon as Lopaka left, Little Kimo cuddled the baby, his gaze on his father. ―Baby is alive, Daddy.‖ ―I know, sweetheart. I‘m very proud of you. Both of you. I want you to hold her for just a few seconds longer. You feeling all right, Kimo?‖ Little Kimo nodded. ―Baby‘s cold, Daddy.‖ Big Kimo began to hum, tuning into Pele’s vibration. His right hand reached under her foot and she sighed. Kimo‘s magic worked from the ground up. He would infuse his healing energy through the sole of her foot. In a few minutes, she would be running around laughing and playing again. She was a gorgeous little girl. Her fearlessness was astonishing. I studied them for a moment. Kimo was a big man. Around six-feet-four-inches, he was muscular, but lean with long black hair and black tribal tattoos covering the entire right side of his body from head to toe. He was fearsome looking 12

Track but a loving man. Kimo fretted now. ―Where is Lopaka?‖ In all the time I‘d known my son-in-law, he‘d never shown fear like this. Lopaka hurried back with a coconut shell with the muddy brown liquid that restored the soul. Our people have used it for centuries. In our household, we kept tons of the stuff in the fridge. Kimo handed Pele to Lopaka. ―Here, feed our little girl. I want to check on the baby. Kimo, are you sure you‘re okay?‖ Little Kimo nodded. ―Yeah! Daddy, guess what! I walked the rainbow. It was so-o-o cool!‖ ―You…walked the rainbow?‖ Lopaka turned pale. Sammy, who was married to Lopaka’s grandma, joined our little group. He took hold of the baby. ―She looks okay, except, why‘s her umbilical cord still attached? Why is she covered in blood and dirt?‖ ―Sammy…she is back from the dead,‖ I told him. He started. Kimo picked up his son who knew the drill and held his foot out to his father. They were mirror images except Little Kimo had soft blond hair and he laughed a lot more than his father did. ―Who revived her?‖ Sammy looked at Kimo who shook his head. Sammy glanced at Little 13

A.J. Llewellyn Kimo who also shook his head, pointing at his sister who gulped down ‘awa in Lopaka’s arms. ―She did?‖ Sammy looked pink with pride. ―I‘ll take the baby inside. I have my medicine bag with me.‖ A talented kahuna in his own right, his specialty was midwifery. The baby could not have been in better hands. He took off for the house. Little Pele finished a whole bowl of ‗awa and smacked her lips. She looked herself again. ―Can I play now, mama?‖ she asked Lopaka who was so shocked at her sudden transformation that he said yes. He stroked her sweet little cheek. ―No more rainbows! You stay on this property, young lady!‖ he shouted as she kissed Lopaka’s face, jumping down to the ground. Little Kimo jumped free of his father, took her hand and they ran off to play. ―Did I hear right, that my children walked the rainbow?‖ Lopaka asked me, hands on hips. ―My babies…died?‖ ―No…they didn‘t die. They straddled our two worlds. Really Lopaka, they were remarkable. She was fearless. She stood up to the Night Marchers and—‖ ―Night Marchers?‖ he screamed. Even Kimo looked stunned. ―She talked to Night Marchers?‖ ―Don‘t look so excited, Kimo Wilder.‖ 14

Track ―I‘m not excited, darling.‖ But he was, I could tell. He glanced at me. ―What happened?‖ ―Well, I didn‘t know they were going to be there.‖ I quickly told them the whole story. ―Who was the father?‖ Kimo asked. ―I have no idea. We had to get out of there. I foresaw his death. I timed it just right. His death scream sounded like the tsunami siren. I didn‘t want the children to see him die. We have to find the child‘s mother and return her. He gave his life for his baby.‖ ―As any father would,‖ Kimo said. From inside the house, the baby squalled. ―I‘ll go check on her,‖ Lopaka said, running off. As soon as he was gone, Kimo grinned at me. ―So the kids did great, huh?‖ ―You would have been so proud, Kimo. She was a handful for those fearsome warriors. I actually pity her poor husband.‖ ―Husband?‖ He spat the word out like it was something dirty. ―Any man who tries to touch my little girl will be turned into a cabbage.‖ Oh, boy. ―I‘m already proud of her, Paden, but she doesn‘t understand her power yet.‖ He was right. He asked me how Pele seemed during the encounter. I told him about her heat, the crackle of 15

A.J. Llewellyn fire in her eyes, all of which she inherited from him. Kimo was a remarkable healer, the best I had ever met. His abilities were supernatural. In special circumstances he could walk into the world beyond, but I knew it must have rankled that he couldn‘t protect or stop his beloved children from the rainbow trail. ―How did Little Kimo find us?‖ I asked. Kimo glanced over his shoulder. ―He was the first one to realize she was gone. I got hot. My whole body was on fire. I never felt like that before. When…when I first met Lopaka, I experienced the fire branch down my left side. I still do. With Pele, it was my whole body. Little Kimo felt it, too. He said he had to go after her. I almost went crazy, but I knew I had to let him go. I thought I would pass out from the pain.‖ His gaze dropped to the ground. ―I knew they were powerful, but…but…I‘d really hoped their call to service would come much later than this.‖ ―Kimo, the battle between good and evil is raging…it‘s getting worse. We‘ve known this.‖ ―True. But they‘re babies, Paden.‖ ―Superior babies.‖ He smiled then. He had been born into sacred duty himself. With his husband‘s help, he gave their three children a tremendous life. They were the happiest, most well-adjusted short people I 16

Track knew. Kimo leaned into me, his voice low. ―I‘m so excited that our children are so blessed, but officially, you understand, I‘m pissed as hell that this happened. Just in case Lopaka asks.‖ I smiled at him. ―I do understand. They were wonderful, Kimo. You have raised them well.‖ He put his arm around my shoulder and we walked back to the house. ―So what was it like?‖ he asked. And I told him every detail of the green rainbow‘s end that I could remember. It was only then that I realized Track wasn‘t there. I knew he‘d said he was always near. Yeah. So near…and yet, so far.

17

A.J. Llewellyn

Chapter Two

K

imo and Lopaka had a glorious property on top of a mountain at the end of a private road. Kimo and Sammy had placed many protections on the road, which became invisible and impenetrable to strangers. Since I had come to live with them, they were starting to take over the entire street. As each home owner sold up, Kimo and Lopaka bought the properties. Their closest neighbors were their friends Aloha and Johnny who loved the family and their magic—our magic. Across the road, Kimo‘s parents now lived in one house and Sammy and his wife, whom everyone called Tutu, had their own home, but they rarely used it. They were very connected to the Wilder children. The Wilders ran a small, private school on their property and their new plan was to move it across the road to Sammy and Tutu’s home. We were all involved with the school in our own ways. I taught history and botany. I‘d finally found a 18

Track worthy use for my college education, since the history of the islands had led me here in the first place. With local parents clamoring to enroll their kids in the Hawaiian language and arts immersion program, the school got bigger each year. The Wilders wanted their privacy and Sammy and Tutu loved being right here with all their children and grandchildren. On the same piece of land, Lopaka’s twin sister Maluhia and her husband lived in their own house, a gift from Kimo and Lopaka, with their six-yearold twin sons, Kamaha and Keli’i who played and ate with their cousins. They, and the Wilder kids were being raised the old Hawaiian way. We believed it took a village and our family was a tight, wacky village. And now we had a new baby girl in the house. All the children wanted to take turns holding her. ―All these children and no formula in the house,‖ Maluhia said, fretting when Kimo and I walked into the kitchen. Sammy had made a special mix of milk and ‗awa that would hold the infant for a little while, but she would soon need formula. Maluhia and Tutu prepared to make a grocery store dash as Lopaka prepared breakfast for the other kids. ―You might want to buy a TV, too,‖ Kimo said. ―A TV?‖ Lopaka gaped at him. 19

A.J. Llewellyn ―TV?‖ all the kids echoed. Adorable little Kamaha stared at him. ―You want to watch TV, Daddy Nui?‖ Big Daddy. That was Kimo to his nephews. He shrugged. ―Not really, but we don‘t have one and we need to watch the news to see if we can find out who the baby‘s parents are. The father‘s missing, her mother must be frantic.‖ ―A TV?‖ Tutu mused. ―Maluhia, you have plenty of TVs. Can we borrow one?‖ ―No!‖ she snapped. ―I can‘t live without TV.‖ ―Can‘t we spare one?‖ Maluhia’s husband, Raul, asked. She glared at him. Raul flicked a glance over to Tutu. ―Mebbe you should buy one.‖ I felt sorry for Raul. I loved my daughter, but she was so much like her mom, and my ex-wife and I, well…our personalities didn‘t mesh so well. Maluhia was one tough cookie. Her personality was borderline paint stripper, in complete contrast with Lopaka who was sweet and loving. ―We‘ll buy one,‖ Tutu said. ―That means we gotta go to Sears.‖ She checked the time. ―Anything else we need?‖ ―Yeah!‖ Kimo said, looking happy. ―You can bring us some cherry napples from Napoleon bakery, right next door to Sears.‖ Tutu’s eyes narrowed at him. ―Something 20

Track wrong with my cooking?‖ ―No, Tutu. But you‘re going to have your hands full.‖ ―Hmm.‖ Her lips thinned. I didn‘t trust the old lady not to spit in Kimo‘s pastries. The kids took up his cry for napples. ―Okay, okay,‖ she said, throwing her hands up. ―This house…first they want a TV and now they want store-bought pastry.‖ ―My turn to hold the baby,‖ Kamaha announced. ―No. My turn,‖ a little voice piped up. I gazed down at Pele’s twin brother, Kamapua’a, known as Kamapu in the family. I couldn‘t believe he was out of bed. The kid‘s special subject would one day be sleeping in. ―Papa.‖ He threw his arms around my legs and I bent down to pick him up. My senses reeled when I looked at all our twins. Lopaka might have been my son, but my immortality gave me eternal youth. I‘m vain enough to like that I don‘t look a day older than my son. My ego, I‘ll admit, also likes when strangers ask if I have a painting in the attic. I felt a whisper of breath against my skin. Track. So, he was here. Why was he in hiding? ―Is that your man?‖ Kimo asked, his tone harsh. He‘d protected his family well and could sense any intrusion, physical or spiritual. If Track meant 21

A.J. Llewellyn harm, he wouldn‘t be here. ―Yes,‖ I said, feeling pleased. Track didn‘t materialize and I didn‘t get the feeling he wanted alone time. Unfortunately. Kamapu tightened his little arms around my neck. ―I love you, Papa.‖ Kissing his dark little head, I said, ―I love you, too, angel.‖ For the first moment all morning, Lopaka smiled.

Breakfast at our house was always a raucous affair. We ate pancakes, eggs and fruit at the large rectory table outside on the lanai as soon as Maluhia and Tutu returned. Maluhia bottle-fed the baby who guzzled down the liquid. Kimo wolfed his food down, stroked the baby‘s foot until she was sleeping peacefully. He disappeared into the house. I followed him, helping him set up the TV in the living room. He played with the remote control, showing child-like joy at being able to change channels with it. ―Don‘t you love it?‖ he asked. ―You‘re such a Neanderthal,‖ I said. ―There‘s no picture. It‘s all snow.‖ ―How do I fix that?‖ 22

Track ―You subscribe to cable,‖ I said. ―Like everybody else in Hawaii.‖ He stared at me, as if I was imparting some deep, earthly wisdom. ―Can‘t I just do this?‖ He put his hand on the TV and hummed. A picture sprang to life on the screen. ―Look! It‘s SpongeBob Squarepants!” Keli’i was agog. He squeezed his way between us. ―How did you do that?‖ ―Easy,‖ Kimo said airily. ―I subscribed to cable. Like everybody else in Hawaii.‖ The kids all ran inside and clustered around the set. ―Don‘t get used to it,‖ Kimo insisted. ―This is temporary, until we figure out who the baby is.‖ ―Okay, Daddy,‖ Pele said, staring at the screen, wide-eyed. For all his words, Kimo couldn‘t keep away from the TV, either. He joined the kids, but within an hour, they had been coaxed into outdoor activities and Kimo and I were left channel surfing. No reports of a missing man anywhere. Lopaka kept checking online news reports and even the Honolulu Police Department‘s daily bulletin. We held an adult family conference as the kids splashed in their favorite pond, right outside the door. 23

A.J. Llewellyn ―This is a spiritual matter and we can‘t turn the baby over to the authorities,‖ Kimo said. ―We have an obligation to her father who sacrificed himself for her…and to Pele, who saved the baby‘s life.‖ Everyone agreed. ―We have no idea exactly what we‘re dealing with,‖ Sammy said. ―It‘s a curse, according to what Paden told us. The father committed kapu, but has the kapu been lifted?‖ It was an excellent question, to which none of us had the answer. ―Maybe the incident happened on one of the other islands?‖ Kimo suggested. He was right. It could have happened anywhere. I tried hard to remember the exact details of the experience I‘d had. ―It was definitely Hawaii, I mean…I‘m sure it was. I saw a cave. The man was just outside it.‖ I felt wretched. It had all happened so fast and it had taken me by surprise. Pele had turned up so quickly she had been my main concern. ―You mentioned that the Night Marchers said that Pele and Kimo were not of their house,‖ Kimo reminded me. ―Right, that‘s true. I said she was and then Track said she and Kimo were children of the rainbow.‖ ―What did they mean by that?‖ Tutu wanted to 24

Track know. She looked indignant. ―We are of the house of Pele. She is our aumakua. Our family guardian.‖ She shook her fist in the air. ―Nobody loves Pele more than this family. Lopaka stood at the door, watching the children playing in their pond. I could hear them laughing, my favorite sound in the world. There was a time when I didn‘t know any of them. I lived for each day I could make it up to them. ―I don‘t think the cave was one of hers. I think the man made a mistake,‖ I said. Kimo was silent. I could see him wrestling with possibilities. ―Maybe the baby‘s mother doesn‘t realize he‘s missing yet,‖ Lopaka suggested. ―It‘s only been a few hours.‖ Kimo nodded, crossing over to his husband. ―You might be right, darling, but I have a bad feeling. I‘d be worried if you were gone this long.‖ Lopaka put his arms around Kimo. ―That‘s because we can‘t be away from each other more than five minutes without burning up.‖ Kimo kissed him. ―True.‖ He glanced over at me. ―Look what our children‘s little adventure did to us.‖ They opened their mouths and my stomach dropped. They both had giant fever blisters on their tongues. 25

A.J. Llewellyn ―Do they hurt?‖ I asked. ―Like you wouldn‘t believe,‖ Lopaka said. The baby began to cry. Tutu and Lopaka ran to her. ―I have a bad feeling about this baby, Paden,‖ Kimo said. His instincts were always sound. ―Something feels…off. I would like to meditate on it, but I feel this wall of blackness when I try to tune into it.‖ ―How about if we try together?‖ I asked. ―If we both work on it, you can jump into my mind and relive what I saw.‖ ―That might work. Sammy,‖ Kimo said. ―Can you watch the children? I don‘t want them following me.‖ Sammy nodded. ―You could have asked me,‖ Maluhia said. ―I love these children, too.‖ ―Sammy‘s a kahuna,‖ I reminded her. ―Yeah…but I‘m a mother,‖ she said, stomping out the door. I watched her husband run after her. If I were him, I‘d be afraid to upset that girl. She‘d be the type to bite his wang off in his sleep, just to prove a point. Kimo and I sat on the floor, cross-legged, facing each other. He drew a circle around us with his finger. I heard a crackle of fire. We held hands and he began a sacred chant, one of protection. I 26

Track could tell by some of the words he used. A sense of warmth flooded me, I felt the flames as my soul rose upward, Kimo rising with me…and then, nothing. We hit the earth with a thud. I kept seeing a black door. It was so frustrating. ―I see it too,‖ Kimo muttered. It scared me how easily he could read my thoughts. We tried again. The floor was on fire. Pele was with us, but dammit, she would not let Kimo follow my path, even in his mind. ―It is the strangest thing,‖ Kimo said, finally. ―Pele, Goddess Pele, I mean is resistant to my involvement.‖ ―If this cave belongs to another deity…or has a strict taboo on it, she is protecting you. If you like, I‘ll see if I can go back. I‘ve never tried before.‖ He stared at me. ―You think you can?‖ I lifted my shoulders. ―I have no idea, but I‘m willing to try.‖ ―In the meantime, I‘ll keep my eye on the kids. I don‘t think we can handle another one of their little voyages today.‖ ―Good,‖ I said. ―I‘m a child of the rainbow, too. I can do this.‖ I hope. ―And let‘s hope this room cools down. I don‘t want anyone getting a hot foot,‖ Kimo said. I glanced down and to my surprise, I saw that 27

A.J. Llewellyn the hardwood floors glowed as if lit, charcoal bricks flamed underneath them. It was hard lying on my bed willing myself back to the rainbow. I lay on my back, focusing on breathing, keeping myself relaxed. Track appeared. ―You know I have a hard time staying away from you.‖ My hand went straight to his cock. ―Hard is exactly the way I enjoy you most.‖ ―You are so bad,‖ he said. ―Not as bad as I‘m gonna be.‖ I kissed him, loving the way his mouth responded to mine. His cock strained toward my hand. We‘d been so rudely interrupted before and I planned to make it all up to Track and the sweetest cock I‘d ever tasted. I moved my mouth over his slender body. His muscles were defined beneath his taut skin, but his was not the kind of body made in a gym. His body seemed molded by work, hard spiritual work. The kind of body that had wandered in the wilderness until we found each other. I wanted all his senses heightened. I kissed and licked my way over his contours, liking how unglued he became when I clamped my mouth over first one nipple, then the other. My hand strayed between his thighs. He was still shy about hand to ass contact. As much as he liked it when I touched him there, he always hesitated. 28

Track Now I forced his legs open and he gulped. My fingertips brushed at his opening. His chest rose and fell with his heavy breathing. One more kiss on his wide, open mouth and then I moved between his legs. I licked his ass. He jolted at first, but he didn‘t move away. On the contrary, he fucked my mouth with his increasingly wet ass. I couldn‘t believe how good he tasted. Oh, I couldn‘t keep my mouth off him and yet I needed to lick his balls and move on to the main course, his cock. Track went berserk when I left his ass, his cock poking me in the eye in his haste to get it inside my mouth. ―Oh, yeah….oh, Paden.‖ He hardened with each mouth-stroke. The sound of sucking intensified. He began to wrestle away from me. As shy as he was about my hand or tongue near his ass, he was not shy about licking mine. He wanted to fuck. I knew he wanted me badly. He moved down and sucked my cock as I stayed on my knees. I held my cock down for him and he licked it, lapping up and down, finally taking his tongue upward until he reached my ass hole again. His hand gripped my cock, jerking on it between my thighs. ―Please…I need to come inside you,‖ he said. ―Then fuck me, Track.‖ He let out a cry, poking at my ass with his long, 29

A.J. Llewellyn hard cock. He entered me slowly, reverently, his hands at my hips, gently holding me as he took his time putting himself inside me. Fuck the slow shit, man. I wanted him. I reached around, grabbing his ass, pulling him close. The precise moment of impact when I had every inch of him deep inside me, I saw a blinding swirl of blue light in my mind…no, indigo. Blood and love. I loved him. The colors didn‘t leave my brain. I wanted him to come inside me. I wanted him to come hard and deep. He began to fuck me, his hands stroking my sides. ―My man, beautiful love,‖ he said. His hard cock touched me deep inside, right against my prostate and I went nuts. My ass muscles took him in all the way, tightening up on him. ―Oh, Paden!‖ he shrieked coming hot and fast inside me. We came together, his hand reaching down to feel my own cock exploding all over the sheets. When we both stopped spasming, his voice was filled with wonder. ―I do that to you?‖ he asked, his fingers cupping my balls. ―I make you come so hard?‖ ―Yes. I love you, Track.‖ ―Thank God.‖ He kissed the back of my neck, draping his body over mine. His cock came out of 30

Track me. We fell to the side, kissing one another. Track suddenly stiffened, and not in a good way. ―We have to go back,‖ he said. I grinned. I wanted to go back. ―Be definite,‖ he said, his voice urgent. ―You need to tell them exactly what you want.‖ ―Take me back to the father,‖ I whispered, as Track‘s hand reach for mine, tugging me back into the spirit world with him. I felt the same sensation of cold, only this time we hurtled straight along the green band of color. My whole body started burning up, as if someone played with matches against my feet. I was flying over Kilauea, the active volcano on the Big Island. I saw snatches of the labyrinth of massive lava ridgelines. And then, we fell. The ground was warm. The lava looked fresh, but wasn‘t moving. It took me a moment to realize we weren‘t on the Big Island anymore. I still saw the forest, but I saw something else…birds. Lots and lots of birds. They were on the ground, pecking around my feet. I stared at them. They were fearless, utterly fearless. Some of them even climbed over my feet, as if I was in the way. I had never seen birds like them. Gray in color with black-tipped wings, their heads were brown. They were flightless, I was certain of that. I saw some of them flapping their wings as they ran over the 31

A.J. Llewellyn rocky ground. I was amused to see two birds in front of me standing still, facing each other. The first one chirped. The second one chirped. The first one chirped twice. The second one responded. They began to ruffle up their feathers and I wondered if they were about to mate or fight to the death. The chirping turned to harsh trills, like an alarm clock. Captivated by this feathered, primal dance, I tried to move beyond them, but there were so many birds swarming the ground, I was afraid of stepping on them. ―Track?‖ He was gone. Lord, I hated when he did this. I tried to focus. I glanced around, searching for the baby‘s father. Searching for the cave. I heard no human voices. Only lots and lots of birdsong. The view from where I stood was unfamiliar. What I saw was beauty, but also, isolation. This wild and beautiful place felt sacred. Dammit. Kapu. I could feel it now. ―Papa?‖ I turned. Little Pele wasn‘t with me, but she was searching for me. Track re-emerged. ―We must leave.‖ ―I can‘t find him.‖ ―You did, you just don‘t know it yet,‖ he said, taking my hand, leading me away again. I was torn. The island I‘d been on was so 32

Track beautiful, the birds, so lovely, fragile…and yet, strong. I wanted to be with them. As soon as we arrived back on the Wilders‘ property, Kimo and Pele were waiting for us. This time, Track stayed with me. Baby Pele opened her arms up to him. He lifted her easily, holding her tight. ―What happened?‖ Kimo asked as Track led my little girl away from us. ―I saw an island. I don‘t think it‘s Oahu. I thought it was the Big Island, because I saw the volcano…but I think it was someplace else.‖ ―What did you see?‖ he asked, sounding frustrated. ―Birds.‖ ―Birds?‖ ―Lots and lots of birds.‖ ―What kind of birds?‖ I described them to Kimo who listened avidly. ―They were grounded birds?‖ ―Yes. Kimo…the children would love them.‖ ―You‘ve never seen them before?‖ I shook my head. ―Even here?‖ Again, I shook my head. Kimo and Lopaka had created a magical sanctuary for many endangered birds and insects on their property. Kimo, being the Keeper of Secrets for the Kahuna Council, had many special magical gifts, but his marriage to 33

A.J. Llewellyn Lopaka had brought out his nesting instincts. He‘d not only fathered and was raising three children, but he had attracted dozens of God‘s creatures seeking sanctuary in their private gardens. Still, I had never seen these birds before. ―Come inside,‖ he said. He made me repeat everything to Tutu and Lopaka. ―The chirping,‖ Kimo said, when I finished my tale. ―The chirping seems familiar.‖ He pulled out a book, producing colored pictures, showing them to me one by one. ―That‘s it!‖ I cried, when I spotted one he held up a few minutes later. ―It‘s a Laysan Rail. They‘ve been extinct for decades.‖ Kimo said. ―Really?‖ ―But you know…maybe they still exist. Maybe you were meant to see them…this man committed a kapu—‖ ―Oh, yes, he did. I could feel it. There was menace on the air.‖ ―How…creepy,‖ Lopaka said. ―Where is Sammy?‖ I asked. ―He‘s gone to the hospital. He helps with a lot of maternity patients. We took a footprint of the baby and he figured he might get a match in their records.‖ ―That‘s good thinking,‖ I said. 34

Track Kimo worked on his laptop computer. ―The father tried to bury the baby in a sacred place. Do you know anything about the island of Laysan?‖ ―No, I never even knew there was an island called Laysan.‖ ―It‘s very close to Oahu…one of the northwestern islands. It‘s uninhabited, but it‘s been declared a bird sanctuary.‖ He tapped into his laptop and turned the screen around for me to see. ―It‘s possible he went there, thinking the baby would never be disturbed because there is no human life there, but several things bother me about this.‖ ―How did he know about Laysan being one of them,‖ I said. ―That‘s one issue. The other one is why did he try and bury his child in a cave? I mean, I love my children, but even as a devotee of a great deity, I wouldn‘t bury one in secret.‖ We all sat with the thought for a moment. ―He was young,‖ I said. ―I think he was grief stricken. Maybe the baby died in childbirth… maybe he thought they had displeased Pele…‖ Kimo‘s head turned to the door. ―Oh… Sammy‘s coming home.‖ ―He is?‖ Tutu’s face lit up and she made a run for the door. I wondered where Track was, but the expression on Kimo‘s face was strange. ―What is 35

A.J. Llewellyn it?‖ He shook his head. ―I have a bad feeling about this baby,‖ he said. He‘d mentioned that before. Sammy and Tutu joined us in the living room. The expression on Sammy‘s face could only be described as bizarre. ―You found out who she is, didn‘t you?‖ Kimo asked. He pulled on a strand of his hair, something he often did when he was distracted…or distressed. ―I almost called you from the hospital, but I couldn‘t speak!‖ Sammy looked apoplectic. ―Who is she?‖ Lopaka asked, ―I don‘t have her name yet…I had a hard enough time explaining her footprint.‖ Sammy took a deep breath. ―I don‘t know how much you know about babies and the history of their footprints, but in Hawaii, they didn‘t start doing them until 1960. They also only printed white babies.‖ There was a murmur of disbelief, but Sammy held up his hand. ―Now of course, they print everybody. In fact, we‘re one of the states that still do. Part of the reason they stopped was that most medical room staff take lousy prints and the majority are unusable for identification purposes.‖ ―Sammy, breathe, ipo,‖ Tutu said. ―Your face is all red. You‘re scaring me.‖ 36

Track ―I scared myself,‖ he said, thrusting the page out to us all. ―We got a hit. This baby was born in Hawaii.‖ He stopped and mopped his sweating brow. ―Why is it so hot in this house?‖ Tutu handed him a glass of water. ―Drink.‖ He drank deeply and I realized he truly was distressed. ―This baby was born and inked on July twentysecond.‖ ―July twenty-second? But that was last week,‖ Kimo said. ―This baby is tiny…a newborn—‖ Sammy held up his hand. ―July twenty-second, 1962.‖

37

A.J. Llewellyn

Chapter Three

I

t didn‘t surprise me that Pele came running into the house at that very moment to tell us that Track had gone away again. It also didn‘t surprise me that he disappeared. He was a slippery customer. He came and went, made sure messages got delivered…and went off wherever he went again. What I could not believe was that our new houseguest had been born in 1962. 1962? How was that possible? ―Pele rescued her from the dark side,‖ Kimo said, as Lopaka steered their little girl outside again. ―Mama, I wanna play with Track,‖ I heard her saying. She wasn‘t the only one. ―But if this baby died in 1962, why now?‖ I asked. ―Why were we called to help her now?‖ Kimo smiled at me. ―Somebody who is alive now misses that little girl. Whoever it is, they 38

Track asked for kau’o.‖ ―Kau’o?” Sammy‘s face scrunched up in thought. ―It has a dual meaning. It means egg, as in the creation of life. It also means a special blessing?‖ ―Exactly. Sammy, Laysan Island is considered sacred to our people. Our people who know about it anyway. It‘s Hawaiian name is Kau’o. I believe that somewhere, between the land and sky, somebody who loves this child and pines for her still…somebody has prayed to Goddess Pele for a favor. A special blessing.‖ I gasped. ―And Pele turned to us for physical help.‖ We all grinned at each other. ―Now, all we have to do is wait and find out her name,‖ Sammy said. ―How amazing…we‘re in the middle of a delicious, psychic mystery.‖ Kimo held up his hand. ―It‘s a lot more than that, Sammy. We have a significant problem. How the hell do we explain a newborn child to this person?‖ ―I hadn‘t thought about that.‖ Sammy chewed his lip. ―They asked for a special blessing…meaning, they wanted to know. The greatest suffering a parent can ever know is the loss of a child…but never knowing what happened to him or her…I don‘t know how any parent lives with that.‖ 39

A.J. Llewellyn ―Not the wife?‖ I asked. ―You don‘t think it was the baby‘s mother who made the prayer?‖ ―Of course it was,‖ Kimo said. ―But you just said something important without even realizing it.‖ ―I did?‖ ―You said, not the wife? I don‘t believe the wife made this prayer for a miracle. Not the wife of the man you saw in the forest. You also told me that Track said you had to be clear in your desire when he took you back through the rainbow.‖ ―Right, he did do that.‖ ―Your exact words to me were that you said you wanted to be taken to the father.‖ ―Right.‖ ―Except, you didn‘t see him.‖ ―No, I didn‘t.‖ ―You know why?‖ It dawned on me only then. ―Because he wasn‘t the father!‖ Kimo nodded. ―Exactly.‖ ―Oh, my God, do you think they…stole that baby and she died?‖ Sammy asked. ―It‘s possible.‖ Kimo glanced at him. ―When do we find out who she is?‖ ―I‘m waiting for the office manager at Queen‘s Hospital to call me. I pulled a lot of favors, Kimo. We‘ll be owing them for the rest of our lives.‖ ―This baby is worth it,‖ Kimo responded. 40

Track 1962. I could not get over it. Forty-eight years. Somebody had pined and mourned and made a final, last-ditch plea to Goddess Pele to learn what had happened to her child. I was certain that Kimo‘s instincts on this were right. God bless Track, who had started this Odyssey for us in the first place. ―You know, in 1961, Laysan Island was declared a sanctuary and the state of Hawaii sent men over there to supervise the bird colonies. Each one did a month-long stint, according to this report,‖ Kimo said, looking up from the laptop. ―It wasn‘t a well-publicized thing. Laysan‘s history thanks to humankind was catastrophic. ―Max Schlemmer, one of the earliest inhabitants there had no idea how fragile the ecosystem was and he introduced rabbits there, thinking they could be good for hunting. Instead, the rabbits multiplied, destroyed the birds, the plants…the whole life force. ―Schlemmer was forcibly removed from the island when people realized he was allowing European hunters to decimate the birds. It took decades, but the island is now back on its feet…even if numerous endemic species are not.‖ ―You think the Laysan Rail is back?‖ I asked. Kimo smiled at me. ―We could check and see.‖ ―You mean, we can go there?‖ ―Maybe.‖ 41

A.J. Llewellyn Kimo‘s face darkened. ―I have a bad feeling we‘ll find the man you saw…we‘ll find his skeleton. Maybe we shouldn‘t go.‖ Lopaka returned, Pele in his arms. He let her down and she ran to me. I picked her up and held her. I put my nose in her hair. She smelled like the sun. I knew I could never cope if anything happened to her, or any of the children in my life now. I felt terrible for the woman who had missed her little girl for forty-eight years. Pele jumped down from my arms and ran to Kimo. She hugged us all, then skipped out the door again. ―Do you get the feeling she‘s reminding us that we‘re about perform a miracle?‖ I asked. ―Yes,‖ all the adults around me said. ―What‘s going on?‖ Lopaka asked. ―What did I miss?‖ Kimo quickly filled him in as I went back over my first encounter with the young man in the forest. It had never occurred to me that he might not have been the baby‘s father. I kept thinking about the necklace he wore, the Pele petroglyph. There was something about it that niggled at me. I wished I‘d gotten a closer look at it. A few hours later, we still had no news and 42

Track Sammy‘s friend in the hospital‘s office had gone home for the day. Restless and tense, we packed up the kids, threw some picnic foods into hampers and drove to our favorite beach, Hanauma Bay. It was a sheltered bay, not that these children feared ocean creatures, but it gave them a chance to snorkel and enjoy the tamer sea life in the ocean. All the kids had been taught to pair up with a snorkel buddy. Mine was Kamapu and the little clown kept doing handstands in the water, getting his goggles filled with sand and water. Lopaka sat next to me, laughing, as I sat against the shore break and emptied them out for the tenth time that afternoon. ―You‘re so good with him, Dad.‖ ―I got good practice with you. You were exactly the same.‖ He looked surprised. ―I was?‖ Kamapu paddled into the water in front of us, head down, snorkeling properly. I kept my eye on him. ―You know, I can‘t say I‘m not disappointed that we don‘t know who she is yet,‖ Lopaka said. ―I want to help her parents…her real parents, I mean.‖ Behind us, I heard the baby‘s brief squall. Maluhia had taken a wonderful interest in the child. I knew she longed for another baby but for some reason she and Raul hadn‘t conceived yet. 43

A.J. Llewellyn ―Dad…did you see her when you walked the rainbow?‖ I was mystified at first. Then I realized he meant his mother. When he was three, my ex-wife, Luka, had split up the children, leaving Lopaka with Tutu and vanishing with Maluhia, who had then been known as Lokelani. By accident, my children had become reacquainted and loved each other dearly. They had both married wonderful people. They were both incredible, loving parents…but Lopaka had rejected any information about Luka. He rarely asked me about her, but I knew he must have wondered. After all, we were dealing with a motherless baby right now. ―No,‖ I said. ―She wasn‘t there. I saw no ancestors. It was strange…like none of my experiences before. When I took part in the Huna trial, she was there, as you know. She came to the cave, Pele’s vagina cave. She loves you. I knew that. There are some women, Lopaka, who can‘t handle motherhood, and there are some women who desperately want it.‖ ―Enough to steal another woman‘s baby,‖ he said. Kamapu came out of the water with filled-up goggles and threw himself into my lap. We gathered the children together and took them for a walk on the beach. Kimo lay flat on his 44

Track back, asleep on the sand, sandwiched between the two cackling women in our family, Tutu and Maluhia. I wondered how he slept through the cacophony. When our women got going their shared laughter was deafening. Then I noticed he wore earplugs. Smart guy. Sammy was bottle-feeding the baby under a huge umbrella. He waved to us. The kids waved back, running along the foamy shoreline. We let them pick up shells with strict instructions to replace them all once they‘d thoroughly examined them. I watched Kamaha and Keli’i act like mini guardians with the three younger children. ―No, Kamapu. That shell was facedown. Like this.‖ Lopaka and I traded grins. ―You‘re not happy, Dad,‖ he suddenly said. ―Why?‖ I was startled by his words. I wasn‘t unhappy, exactly. But I didn‘t have what he and Kimo had. ―Is it Track?‖ he asked. I shrugged and blew out a breath. ―It‘s hard being with a man with one foot in the spirit world and one outside of it.‖ I thought about it a moment. ―Maybe he‘s three-quarters in the spirit world.‖ He grinned. ―Yeah, tell me about it.‖ ―You had that problem with Kimo?‖ 45

A.J. Llewellyn ―Sure I did.‖ That surprised me. For all his other-worldly powers, Kimo seemed to be to be very grounded and present. His relationship with Lopaka seemed to be intense and very sexual, as well as loving. Lopaka put his hand on my shoulder. ―Dad, when I met Kimo, he was married to a woman.‖ I‘d known that Kimo had been married before, and to a woman, but I‘d never realized he‘d still been married when he‘d met my son. ―It wasn‘t a happy marriage and I…I took full advantage of it. I seduced him.‖ I laughed. ―You are a chip off the old block.‖ ―I loved him. Kimo was a lonely man when I met him. I think he‘d fully accepted that he would stay with Mim, who had a lover by the way, and he give his life to service. Whether it meant hula dancing or medicine…or the Huna Council work, he was all about his spirit work. I think until he met me, he didn‘t really think about sex and love…and everything that entailed.‖ I‘d been aware that Kimo‘s homosexuality had become an issue with the Council, to the point that once he discovered I was the head of it, he and Lopaka sailed to Samoa to find me. I‘d resisted their efforts until I realized the Council meant to remove all three children from the couple. I‘d fought for them, with them…and we‘d won. 46

Track Of course, the real reason the Council wanted the children was that they knew they were powerful. They wanted to harness that power for themselves. I was proud that my family chose to harness the children‘s talents for selfless reasons. I think it was one of the things I loved about them the most. ―My point is this,‖ my son said. ―I was a surprise to Kimo. I changed all his ideas about life and love. And…Dad…I had to be willing to accept everything that goes along with being his husband. I have a fantastic life. It‘s not a normal life, but it‘s better than anything I could ever have dreamed.‖ ―But Track comes and goes. I swear he‘s scared of me.‖ Lopaka laughed. ―Of course he‘s scared of you. You‘ve changed all his ideas about life and love, too. Track had a life in spirit. He fell in love with you. Everything comes with a price, you know.‖ ―You‘re starting to sound like him.‖ ―Be patient. You‘ll see. You‘ll find he comes more and more into the earthly realm. I‘ve seen it with the children. They already love him and he loves them.‖ ―Yes,‖ I said. ―I know. Sometimes I get very jealous.‖ Lopaka grinned. ―You‘re in love!‖ ―Of course I am.‖ I looked at him. ―You are 47

A.J. Llewellyn probably the only person in the world who understands what I‘m going through.‖ He shook his head. ―Oh, no. Tutu, Sammy and Kimo…they know. You have four of us. A whole tribe. Tutu and Sammy were with us when Kimo and I were separated. I hope you and Track never have to go through anything like we did.‖ ―How are your fever blisters?‖ He stuck out his tongue. I was pleased to see they were gone. ―So, Dad…‖ Lopaka gave me a questioning look. ―My mother…is she in a good place? Is she all right?‖ I put my arms around him and held him. I pulled back and looked right into his eyes. ―Luka is in a very good place. I promise you that.‖ Kimo ambled along the sand toward us, a big smile on his face. He wore his usual outfit, Hawaiian-print board shorts and his wedding rings. Right beside him, Track was walking, also in board shorts. He looked like a hot, AsianHawaiian surfer. But of course, I knew different. He was a spiritwalker. His shy smile lifted my spirits. He was a sexy man. Maybe not as big and imposing as Kimo, but I loved him. ―Be afraid and still do it,‖ Lopaka whispered. ―That was Tutu’s advice to me. And it worked.‖ ―What are you two whispering about?‖ Kimo asked as he neared us. 48

Track Lopaka stepped into his arms. ―I was just saying how much I love you.‖ ―Say that again,‖ Kimo said, and kissed him. Track moved beside me. ―I‘m sorry,‖ he said, lacing his fingers with mine. The kids pounced on him. He dropped down, hugging them all. I caught Lopaka’s sly wink. ―I want to be alone with you,‖ Track whispered to me the second we were alone. He took the words right out of my mouth. I wanted so much to be near him. But every time we got close, something happened to pull us apart. ―Come on kids, the ice cream man is here,‖ Kimo shouted. ―Who wants ice cream?‖ ―Me!‖ they all shouted and ran with him along the sand to the silver truck parked at the top of the sandy ridge. ―There‘s a wonderful cove over here,‖ Track said, pulling me along with him. I would have gone anywhere he wanted. We walked past signs warning of danger. I was past the point of caring about danger. We climbed over rocks. I studied my man‘s fine, physical form. It was odd, but I got the feeling more and more that his body seemed more real, more…solid. Each time I saw him, he was more defined. ―You‘re so beautiful,‖ I told him. He lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed it. ―I‘m glad you think so.‖ 49

A.J. Llewellyn ―Track.‖ He glanced at me. I took a deep breath, I had to know. ―Did you…when did you first know that you loved me?‖ He smiled. ―A long time ago.‖ That surprised me. ―Before we met? Before the trial by fire.‖ His eyes glistened with unshed tears. ―Of course.‖ ―But when?‖ He hung his head for a moment and stopped walking. ―A long, long time ago.‖ ―Well, that‘s enigmatic.‖ ―It‘s the truth.‖ I wanted more, much more, but I felt him turning in on himself and I didn‘t push him. One day, he would tell me. I hoped. We clambered over rocks toward an area very unromantically known as Toilet Bowl. It was officially closed to the public since somebody got washed out to see several years ago. We were adults who could take responsibility for our own actions. Besides, the attraction for us was the isolation. No people. I heard children‘s laughter and felt Track‘s pleasure that I hesitated. ―Let‘s go back,‖ he said. He dropped my hand and put his arms around me, kissing me. His kiss held the warmth of the sun in. I saw rainbows and 50

Track sparkles as his tongue slipped into my mouth. The man had the most magnetic kiss in the universe. His cock hardened against mine. I wanted to rub up against him, but the children were on us now. Little Kimo held up a cone to me, the colors of the ice cream like a rainbow. Green ice cream had dripped down his hand and his face was a colorful mess. ―Oh, Kimo,‖ I said, enchanted by his sweetness. He handed me the ice cream. Pele, who seemed to have a real soft spot for Track handed him a cone, too. She‘d gripped it so tightly the cone was crushed a little, but he didn‘t care. ―What‘s this flavor?‖ I asked Little Kimo, taking a lick of my cone. ―Hawaiian Rainbow,‖ he said, shrieking with laughter. I bent down and kissed his sticky cheek. He ran off laughing, straight into Lopaka who cleaned up his face. Pele, however, clambered into Track‘s arms. I was willing to share him, especially if it meant he‘d stick around for a while. As we packed the kids up to leave, I asked Lopaka if Kimo had some spell, some enchantment that would induce Track to stay longer than a few minutes. He looked amused. ―Dad, he‘s crazy about you. I saw that kiss. It curled my toes, let me tell you.‖ ―Mine too.‖ I grinned. 51

A.J. Llewellyn ―I don‘t think you need any help. He‘s kinda head over heels, but I‘ll have a word with Kimo if you really want me to.‖ ―Head over heels, huh?‖ Lopaka laughed. ―I believe those were the exact words he used when he discussed you with Kimo.‖ Dang, I was head over heels myself. Getting home was fun with Track beside me in Kimo‘s SUV, his hand on my thigh. With so many of us, we were packed into two vehicles and I loved the magical way the private road opened up as we raced to the top of the mountain, the trees and plants closing in on us as we made our way up. As soon as we could, we drifted off to one of the ponds at the far end of the property. I didn‘t get to maul my man at the beach, but the pond would be lovely and tame and we‘d get to watch the sunset. I loved this man without knowing much about him. I knew he‘d been in the spirit world a long time. I understood he‘d made a decision to be with me in the physical realm. I had spent enough time in spirit to know how alluring it could be…how you could lose track of time. I wanted his life with me to be so amazing that he wanted to spend more and more time in the physical. I knew I was being selfish. I understood 52

Track he had a calling and apparently, so did I. I didn‘t understand all the ramifications of that yet. But I was willing to learn as much as I could. If we could alternate our lives in spirit and in the physical world, then, like Lopaka, my life would be better than I had ever dreamed it could be. ―This is beautiful.‖ Track stopped by one of the newest ponds Kimo and Lopaka had excavated on their property. Once submerged beneath wild mangroves, they had painstakingly cut it back to reveal passion fruit vines, wild strawberries and night-blooming jasmine. Even by day the smell was intense, filled with promise. ―It‘s my favorite,‖ I said. From overhead, I heard a bird cry out. A honeycreeper. There were many of them in this part of the forest. ―I love you,‖ Track said. ―I love you, too.‖ He took my face in his hands and kissed me. I instantly relaxed. It was as though I‘d been holding my breath since he‘d last kissed me. I thought about my mother, then. Not a sexy thing, I know, but I hadn‘t thought about her in weeks and I felt bad because I knew she was all alone. At some point, I‘d have to go visit her. She‘d returned to her native Scotland, to her home in Diùra, right after the trial by fire. I think she needed a rest after all the drama, but I sensed her loneliness and dammit, I missed the old gal. 53

A.J. Llewellyn ―We‘ll go visit her together,‖ Track said. He read my thoughts constantly. I wanted to read his, too. When I kissed him, I got images, usually of colors. I‘d have to work on reading his thoughts. ―I have only one thought right now,‖ he said. ―Being inside you.‖ My fingers reached for his waist band. ―How funny that our thoughts are always so in sync.‖ He laughed, watching me release his cock from his shorts. ―I dream of you sucking my cock,‖ he said as I moved my mouth to the beautiful head just begging for my attention. ―Paden…‖ I knew he liked saying my name the way I loved saying his. I pulled his shorts down, enjoying the feel of his naked body in my care as I knelt between his legs and sucked him off. As usual, he was eager to come inside me. I wanted to take our time so I dropped my own shorts, taking him by the hand. We dipped into the pond, our feet slipping on the short muddy step inside it. We plunged into the water. We went all the way down. I glimpsed his beautiful cock underwater and made a play for it. We came to the surface and I still held onto him. He grinned at me. ―Are you going to do something with that?‖ ―You are,‖ I said, releasing my hold on him. I floated on my back. My own hard cock bobbed on 54

Track the surface and a carnal look came over his face when I glanced at him. He moved to my cock, my legs falling over his shoulders. He began to suck me and I looked up at the canopy of leaves and bright blue sky. I lifted my head, watching the possessive way he sucked me. Track moved back and put his hands at my waist now. His cock was at my ass. I used my hands to tread water and my feet landed on his shoulders as his cock tore into me. I was filled with a rush of heat and cool, cool water all at the same time. In the water he was able to lick my cock head as he fucked me and the sensation was wild. Soon though, I just wanted him to fuck the hell out of me. We must have been of a like mind, because he took hold of my hips harder now, burying his cock into me, giving it to me with hard, short strokes. When he pulled out of me and slammed back in me I almost came, the pleasure was so intense. He did it again and again and it was only when I realized I was begging him for it, screaming at him to fuck me that I started to come. He held me to his body, my cock coming all over his face as he came too, deep inside my body. I went limp. I wondered if anyone had heard us…then I no longer cared. It was devastating when he took his cock from me, but he held me in 55

A.J. Llewellyn his arms and kissed me. From somewhere far away in the house, I heard old Hawaiian music. It made us sway in one another‘s arms. We stayed that way as the sun set. We watched the sky showing off and Track kissed me, telling me over and over again how much he loved me. I felt his love. I could taste it. It tasted like Hawaiian Rainbow ice cream. Track and I walked through the forest, long after the sun had set and the night started to grow cold as it did way up here in the mountain wilderness. ―Do you have any idea of the name of the man we saw at the rainbow?‖ I asked. He shook his head. ―No. I wish I did. It troubles me. I see so many things…and I can‘t help. In the spirit realm I can…but not here.‖ His fingers gripped mine. ―Don‘t you see? We are becoming a team. We are turning into an extension of one another. I help on the other side of the rainbow, you help on this one.‖ A team. I loved that idea. ―Do you remember much about your life here? Before you crossed over?‖ He told me he had little memory of his human life before entering the spirit realm. Sometimes, he said, he remembered being happy, he 56

Track remembered having a family. ―How did you die?‖ ―I was sick. Very sick…I remember I had a fever. I can‘t remember what kind I had. It was so long ago now. Wait. I remember smoke.‖ He was silent for a moment, I was aware of the hard pressure of his fingers. I didn‘t say anything, lest the trail of memories stop. ―When you get a chance to choose between crossing over and coming back and you choose to cross over, you no longer feel the pain. You‘re no longer alone. You forget all the battles…the fever. I do remember a war. I lost my father in it.‖ He was silent for a moment. ―You‘re dead when you walk the rainbow and choose to remain…and yet, you‘re alive. Does that make sense?‖ ―From what I experienced of the spirit realm, absolutely.‖ ―They showed me what my life would be like and I…I love being part of the rainbow.‖ ―You got to see your father again?‖ He smiled. ―He was the reason I wanted to cross over. My life on earth was so unhappy. I got to be with him again. He was waiting for me.‖ My heart broke for him. I couldn‘t bear the idea of his life being so bad that he chose death over living in the physical realm. ―I want to make you happy, Track.‖ 57

A.J. Llewellyn ―You do make me happy. This is the happiest time on earth that I have ever known. I didn‘t have you then. Please remember that.‖ He paused. ―The more time I spend here, the more I remember and it isn‘t always pleasant. ―When I disappear it‘s because I have to. I am with my father…and I have to work. Now we can share both. I want you to meet him.‖ ―Track, I want to meet him, too. What about your mother?‖ His expression registered such pain it tore me apart. He touched my face with gentle fingers. ―She was an abuser. That‘s all I will say, for now. On the other side of the rainbow, they showed me images of you. They said I would be rewarded with the gift of love. I fell in love with your face.‖ ―I fell in love with you, too. I…I‘ve never felt this way before, even though I once thought I was in love…well, twice.‖ He nodded. ―I know.‖ ―Why did you cry when we crossed the rainbow into the green band?‖ He looked at me, puzzled. ―The man on his knees was sobbing. You started to cry.‖ ―I saw his death. I couldn‘t help him. He made great mistakes for love.‖ ―I did, too.‖ He smiled at me then. ―I‘ve waited so long for 58

Track you, Paden.‖ ―How long?‖ I asked. He hesitated. It sensed it was a huge sacrifice on his part to tell me the truth. ―I really want to know,‖ I said, and kissed him. When I released his beautiful mouth, his eyes cleared. I knew he felt my love as much as I felt his. He took a deep breath and looked into my eyes. ―A little over a hundred years,‖ he said.

59

A.J. Llewellyn

Chapter Four

T

rack woke me with kisses. He peppered my whole face with them until I was laughing. It was so good not to wake up with a hangover. I could get used to waking up with this man. I wanted to get used to it. There was a knock at our door. No time for morning fun…it had been a long and difficult night. The baby woke constantly, crying and needing food. Poor Kimo and Lopaka were up with her each time I heard her squall. Sammy poked his head around the door. ―Just got a call. We know who the baby is.‖ Track and I threw on clothes as soon as he closed the door. We walked into the kitchen. Tutu had taken over looking after the baby, allowing the men to sleep. Sammy told us he‘d received the call from his friend at the hospital. ―Olina Halligan,‖ he said, repeating the name to us. 60

Track ―Does it mean anything to you?‖ I asked him. He shook his head. ―Olina is a Hawaiian name. Halligan is not. She said the baby‘s parents were Edwina and George Halligan.‖ He chewed his lip. ―I want the boys to sleep, but mebbe we should tell ‗um. We know who she is. Now we gotta find the parents.‖ ―Let them sleep a little longer,‖ Tutu said. ―That wee little thing got a mighty set of lungs on her. Up all night.‖ ―Yeah,‖ I said, ―we heard.‖ I glanced over at Track. He was gone. I sighed. Last night had been our longest time together. It had been blissful, beautiful and I could still feel his kisses on my face. ―Coffee?‖ Tutu asked, handing me a cup. I took it gratefully. ―Maybe I can Google the parents‘ names and see if I find anything.‖ ―Go for it,‖ Tutu said. ―I already checked my horoscope.‖ ―Good news or bad news?‖ She smiled. ―You need more sleep or else you‘re likely to be grumpy.‖ I laughed. She was growing on me, she really was. The baby must have decided she‘d been ignored long enough. She opened up her lungs and went nuts, screaming and yelling. Poor Tutu. She did her best, but the baby 61

A.J. Llewellyn wouldn‘t let up. Kimo walked into the kitchen, Lopaka right behind him. ―All this noise…we couldn‘t sleep. So her name is Olina, huh?‖ He took the baby out of Tutu’s arms, found the kid‘s foot, gave it a few strokes and she went right to sleep again. Tutu looked pissed. ―I hate how you can do that.‖ He grinned. ―We got any coffee?‖ He saw me on the computer. ―Any luck finding her parents?‖ ―I was reading my horoscope,‖ I said. Kimo laughed. He took over, typing away on the laptop. For a moment, he gazed up at Lopaka who had taken hold of the baby. ―I wish we could keep her,‖ he said, his gaze full of love. ―I wish you could, too.‖ After a few minutes, his search proved futile. There was no listing in the Honolulu telephone directory for the name, either. I felt helpless. I was supposed to be helping. I was Track‘s earth-bound partner but I had no idea where to start. Microfiche. The word popped into my brain. I said it aloud. ―That‘s a good idea,‖ Kimo said, studying me for a moment. ―We can go back to newspapers of the time and see if there‘s anything there. This is 62

Track one of those times when the Internet is not the information highway.‖ There were four daily newspapers back then, only one of which was still active. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin was still active and had in the last month just merged with its rival, The Honolulu Advertiser. It was now known as The Honolulu Star Advertiser, to which the entire island was still becoming accustomed. Kimo had a friend working on the paper. A quick call to the offices got him straight through to Dave Embers, who said the merger had not affected the newspaper‘s archives. They were still in the same building, on Ala Moana in what was known as Restaurant Row. Kimo made an appointment to meet with Dave to go through the microfiche. ―I can do it,‖ I said. ―I can check. You have your hands full here.‖ Kimo nodded. He handed me a cell phone. ―Stay in touch.‖ I showered and changed, borrowing his SUV to drive down to Waikiki. I gripped the wheel, hoping I‘d learn something. I had to. For Track as well as for the baby. I got down to the center of town pretty fast. It felt good to be in the middle of all the noise and bedlam, knowing my time here would be brief. I never had been a big city guy. I‘d moved from Scotland to Hawaii as a college 63

A.J. Llewellyn student, got married and Luka and I became parents very fast. One baby is tough on a new and shaky marriage. Two was lethal. We fought nonstop. As much as I loved the kids, I couldn‘t take the fighting. Luka and I were just not made for each other. And then I fell in love with a man. Parking in the Ala Moana mall, I walked to the newspaper offices and on the second floor, found Dave waiting for me. ―Oh, hi Lopaka,‖ he said. ―I thought Kimo was coming.‖ We shook hands. ―I‘m Paden, and I‘m Lopaka’s father.‖ He gaped at me. ―His father? Really? What‘s in the water where you people live?‖ He walked me to the archives and I was pleased to find that there were actual leather-bound volumes containing newspapers for the month of July, 1962. ―I hope you don‘t mind, but I gotta run. There‘s a big catastrophe going on in Honolulu. Big story.‖ ―Not another tsunami warning, is it?‖ He shook his head. ―Bank of America made some errors and a whole bunch of homeowners who are all current with the mortgages have had their properties foreclosed and sold right under their feet at an auction this week.‖ ―Oh, my God, that‘s awful.‖ ―Tell me about it.‖ He took off after introducing me to the office 64

Track librarian who brought me an enormous green book at one of the desks in the room. I opened the newspaper file for The Honolulu Star-Bulletin and turned the pages. Even the paper felt different back then. Smooth and thick. I came to the twentysecond of July. Nothing. On July twenty-third was an article on page three about a missing baby. And then, nothing. I came back to the original article, which was a scant three paragraphs. The baby girl, Olina Halligan had been abducted from the maternity ward. The second paragraph was confusing. I realized after reading it a second time that the baby had been scheduled for adoption by the Halligans and had been given her name by her new parents, but somebody else had taken her. How odd. I sat with my thoughts a moment. Who could have taken her? If only I knew the name of the man I‘d seen in the rainbow. I put a call through to Kimo and Lopaka. My son answered on the second ring. ―Dad? Do you have any news?‖ I told him what I knew. ―Maybe the other newspaper has a report too,‖ he said. ―What‘s odd to me is that there was no further news. You‘d think that a child abduction from a hospital all those years ago would have been big news,‖ I said. Lopaka agreed. ―Maybe it was because she was 65

A.J. Llewellyn supposed to be adopted. Maybe they suspected the parents who were giving her up.‖ ―Or maybe,‖ I said, ―she wasn‘t considered important because she was being abducted.‖ ―Nobody‘s child?‖ Lopaka’s voice came out raspy. ―Let‘s hope not. I‘ll see what I can find out. Maybe I can dig a little deeper. You need anything before I come home?‖ He gave me a list of things and I made a note. I sat with my thoughts a moment and finally went up to the librarian. ―Do you have archives for the Advertiser’s papers going back to 1962?‖ ―We do, but unfortunately those are all on microfiche and those records are still being transferred.‖ Bummer. ―I‘m sorry,‖ she said. As a consolation prize, she handed me a copy of the current Star-Advertiser. I took it, thanking her for her time. Heading back down to the street, I leafed through it. The obituaries took up almost two pages. Feeling restless, I thought I‘d try the local library. Maybe they had old newspaper archives. They didn‘t, but what they did have was Honolulu telephone directories going back decades. Under the watchful eye of the circulation director, I went through the phone book for 1962. Bingo. G.W. Halligan. I copied down the address 66

Track and telephone number. Running back to the car, I called Lopaka who was encouraging about my find. ―It may be a long shot, but lots of Hawaiian families hang on to their homes for decades,‖ he said. The address was not far from our house, so I stopped at Foodland, loaded up on groceries and followed the onboard navigation system‘s instructions to Lunalilo Home Road in Hawaii Kai. It was a quiet, well-spaced street off the main highway. I drove, looking for the street number and found a pleasant, suburban-looking home shaded by a massive Princess gum tree out front. I went to the gate and rang the bell. A woman opened the front door and peered out at me. ―Can I help you?‖ ―I‘m sorry to bother you,‖ I said, ―but I‘m looking for Mr. George Halligan. It‘s been a long time. I‘m not sure if this is still his address.‖ She squinted at me. ―And who are you?‖ ―My name is Paden. Paden Campbell.‖ ―And how did you know my father?‖ Father! I tried to keep my excitement contained. I started to speak, but a helicopter flew overhead drowning out my words. The woman shook her head and walked out to me. She looked to be around sixty and she wore a nightgown and floral robe, wrapped around her 67

A.J. Llewellyn thin body. ―I‘m sorry to tell you, my father died yesterday. Quite unexpectedly.‖ ―Oh, my. I‘m sorry to hear that.‖ ―Thank you.‖ She huddled her arms around her. She seemed to be shivering. ―I‘m very sorry to hear of his passing. When… um…when will the, ah…services be held?‖ She shrugged, a pained look crossing her face. ―He died so unexpectedly they‘re talking about an autopsy. Can you believe it? He was an old man! I know his doctor had just given him a clean bill of health, but it‘s weird. I…how did you say you know my father?‖ ―From the university.‖ She gave me an odd look. I took a gamble. ―Did he ever tell you about Laysan?‖ She looked surprised. ―Laysan Island?‖ I nodded. ―Well…I haven‘t thought about that for years.‖ She squinted at me. ―And how about your mother…Edwina?‖ The woman gaped at me. ―You knew my mother, too?‖ ―Not very well, I have to admit.‖ ―She‘s gone,‖ the woman said. ―Five years now. I came back from the mainland to nurse her. Breast cancer, you know.‖ 68

Track ―I‘m terribly sorry to hear that.‖ ―Thanks again.‖ ―And what is your name?‖ ―Anna.‖ I gave her the cell phone number and the house landline on a piece of paper torn from my paper shopping bag. I urged her to let me know when the services would be held. ―Thank you for stopping by,‖ she said. ―I‘ll keep in touch.‖ As I drove off, I wondered what to make of it all. ―Easy,‖ Kimo said when I got back home. ―For some reason, George Halliwell tried to bury Olina on Laysan Island. He wasn‘t her father. He was supposed to adopt her and the child was abducted. There‘s something weird about this whole thing. How come the story wasn‘t better reported?‖ He sat with his thoughts a moment as Lopaka bustled around with heaping plates of food. Sammy dropped his fork. ―I know somebody who‘d know about this case.‖ ―Who?‖ Kimo and I asked in unison. ―Bob Krauss.‖ Kimo sighed. ―Yeah, he was the man. Worked for the Advertiser for fifty five years.‖ ―But he‘s dead, isn‘t he?‖ Tutu asked, putting 69

A.J. Llewellyn pieces of freshly seared ahi steaks in front of us all. ―Yes, but he left his archives. Thousands and thousands of articles. He was a chronicler of these islands. He even researched stories going back to the 1800s from the old Polynesian newspaper,‖ Kimo said, dipping his fingers into the poi bowl. In all my time in Hawaii, I‘d never developed a taste for the stuff, but everybody else in the family loved it. ―We have access to all his archives. He gave them to us when we opened the school, just before he passed,‖ Kimo told me. ―We can get on the computer this afternoon and start searching.‖ ―Can‘t you just meditate on it and get the answer?‖ I asked. ―Nope. I still get blocked energy.‖ Little Kamapu climbed into his father‘s lap, wanting some attention. He was a beautiful boy. He grinned at me as Kimo fed him poi. I wished I could go to Laysan Island. I was sure the answers were there. ―That‘s a good idea,‖ Kimo suddenly said. Boy, did I hate the way he could read my mind so easily. ―Maybe if we go, we‘ll get some ideas, some feelings,‖ I said. ―What do you mean we?‖ Kimo asked, but he was smiling as he said it. Everybody got excited about seeing the sacred 70

Track island. We gobbled down lunch extra fast and soon, we were preparing to head to the island. The kids were well versed with putting on life vests and were very comfortable in the ocean. I was always impressed with how well behaved those five little monkeys were. I think they all had an innate appreciation for the natural beauty around them and their parents‘ participation in all their activities that they didn‘t feel the need to seek extra attention by acting out. When they wanted a hug or some private time with a parent, they got it. Lopaka and I checked their vests, smearing sun block on their arms and faces. Maluhia and Raul chose to stay home with the baby, leaving Kimo, Lopaka, Tutu, Sammy and me to go with the kids. Each child wore reef walkers which protected their feet and also caused no damage to coral and underwater reef beds. I found a pair of Kimo‘s old reef walkers and slipped my feet into them. Soon, we were running down the gigantic staircase built into the side of the mountain all the way down to the beach where the Wilders‘ boat was docked. The excitement of going to an island none of us had seen before caught up with the adults as well as the kids, who kept pointing out dolphin pods, whales and even a sleeping monk seal as we neared the island of Laysan half an hour later. The 71

A.J. Llewellyn wind was choppy but Kimo turned off the motor, steering to a shallow spot on the white, sandy side of the island. We dropped anchor, the kids jumping into the water like pros. Their life vests kept them afloat, but like I said, they had no fear of the ocean. I saw a shark circling. ―Aloha, mano,‖ Kimo shouted, acknowledging his favorite spirit animal. The shark seemed to be making sure we were okay and soon sped away. Tutu and Sammy stayed on the boat. ―See you in a while,‖ Tutu said. I got the feeling Sammy wanted to join us, but didn‘t want to leave his wife alone. Kimo instructed the children to hold each other‘s hands. The boys all grabbed one another, leaving Pele, who ran to me. She was adorable in her tiny, red bikini. She had many swimsuits, but this was the one she always insisted on wearing. She held my hand, focused on getting to the island. The kids grew silent as the bird chatter grew insistent. I wondered where the Laysan Rail were and remembered those poor birds were extinct. Pele suddenly ran from me and blew past us all. We went after her. Kimo was hot on her tail as we came into a clearing. It was the one from the rainbow, only I didn‘t see a cave like I had the day before. 72

Track ―Maybe it‘s close by,‖ Kimo said, when I mentioned it. He turned to his son. ―Kimo, do you remember seeing a cave when you and Pele came yesterday?‖ Little Kimo put his head to the side, thinking. ―No, Daddy.‖ Pele, whose father had a strong grip on her now, began jumping up and down. ―Daddy, Daddy!‖ she kept pointing. Her twin, Kamapu, the quietest kid in history suddenly ran forward. ―This way!‖ I rarely heard the kid speak except when he wanted food or he wanted to go to the bathroom. I kept my gaze on his shiny little head and soon we were following him up a long incline. Pele pulled away from her father but he was right behind her. Little Kimo flew past us. ―Man, they‘re moving at the speed of light,‖ Lopaka huffed beside me. We turned left so suddenly, I smacked into little Keli’i. He fell over, looking so stunned he just stared up at me, then he began to cry. I picked him up and cuddled him, apologizing for not seeing him. ―It‘s okay, Papa,‖ he said, settling in my arms. I tried to soothe him, but the others had moved so quickly I was afraid I‘d lose them. ―Papa!‖ Kamaha stood on a rock, waving to me. I could hear ducks and bird chirps and the 73

A.J. Llewellyn excited squeal of children. Keli’i forgot to be upset and I put him on the ground so he could join the others, as I straightened, I saw the cave‘s entrance. My whole body turned cold. This was it. I could feel it. ―Kimo,‖ I shouted. He soon returned, the family right behind him. I looked again. He just had Lopaka and the two older twins. ―Have you seen the children?‖ he asked me, looking pale. ―I can feel them,‖ he said, but that damned black door keeps blocking me. I pointed to the right. ―That‘s the cave.‖ He frowned. We looked around us. ―Does all this seem familiar?‖ he asked. ―Maybe.‖ I sensed the fear in Kamaha and Keli’i who clung to Kimo‘s legs. ―Let me go in,‖ I said. And then Track appeared. ―Paden.‖ He beckoned me. I saw the bleak look on Kimo‘s face. ―Come with me,‖ I said. He hesitated. ―Lopaka, will you be okay?‖ ―Go. We‘ll be fine.‖ He took hold of the boys‘ hands. My oldest grandchildren looked stricken. ―You‘re going to bring them back, right, Papa?‖ 74

Track ―Of course I am.‖ I walked to the cave‘s entrance. It was so overgrown I had to lie down on my belly and slither inside. Kimo didn‘t follow me. As soon as I entered, the entrance slammed shut. Now, that was novel. Kimo shouted my name, but I kept moving. I heard the children somewhere calling for me. ―Papa!‖ And then, nothing. ―I‘m here,‖ Track said, his voice right beside me. ―Am I doing this right?‖ I asked. ―You‘re doing very well, Paden. It‘s a water cave. That‘s why Kimo was shut out. He‘s of the fire faith.‖ The cave was dark and cold. I paused to inhale the scent. Wet earth. I tried to calm myself. Hadn‘t the children been afraid of the dark? I felt the cool energy then. It radiated blue colors in my brain. Not so scary. I sensed another presence. ―Kimo?‖ I asked aloud. He whispered, ―I‘m in your head.‖ It was a relief knowing he was with me. Moving forward, I felt a hand on my ass. ―Track, is that you?‖ ―Well, it‘s not me,‖ Kimo said, his tone indignant. 75

A.J. Llewellyn ―It‘s me,‖ Track said. ―Just making sure you were right next to me.‖ ―No, you weren‘t, you were feeling me up.‖ ―Just trying to get you relaxed.‖ A moment later, ―Did it work?‖ ―Part of me is relaxed, another part of me…not so much.‖ Oh, brother, Kimo said inside my head. I heard water and the rush of cold air against my face. Hands. Lots and lots of cold hands. I paused at the lip of a waterfall. Opposite it, I saw a long shelf etched out of the cave wall. My beloved grandchildren sat against the wall. They looked bewildered. I gulped. In front of them, I could see bars, as if they were imprisoned. I head a strange clumping sound and saw a tail slither into view right in from of them. I was looking into the eyes of a big, green sea-monster.

76

Track

Chapter Five

T

he legend of Mu, a soul-catcher who snatched sacrificial victims for the altar of Mo’o, a fearsome, giant lizard, or dragon, was a wellknown one in Hawaiian mythology. I saw now that the first creature was a gate keeper for the bigger one that surrounded the entire cave. I realized now I‘d been shimmying down the huge, slimy creature‘s spine. It moved now as I stared at it. Its head popped down into view. I was surprised how pretty she was. I remembered now, Mo’o, was a woman. ―Speak for me,‖ Kimo said. ―Repeat exactly what I tell you.‖ ―Okay,‖ I said, staring at the children. ―Sacred Mo’o, mother of our islands,‖ Kimo began. I repeated his words, verbatim. As I acknowledged the dragon‘s maternal status, her head dipped briefly. Everywhere I looked, there were gigantic claws, teeth and eyes. She had a hundred heads. 77

A.J. Llewellyn ―She is trying to scare you,‖ Kimo said. I saw Little Kimo‘s lips quiver and I had a flash that the Mo’o had assumed a far less threatening guise when she lured our children into her lair. ―I apologize for our children‘s presence.‖ ―My children now,‖ the dragon said, her voice cold, sending chills down my spine. ―They are not your children,‖ Kimo said. I repeated his words. ―Mine!‖ the Mo’o shrieked. ―You took my baby away and left me with a shriveled old man. Now I have three babies. Beautiful, living babies.‖ ―May I approach you with a gift?‖ Kimo asked. Again I repeated his words. ―What kind of gift?‖ the Mo’o asked. ―I must show you,‖ Kimo and I said. The waterfall stopped flowing and a water staircase emerged. I repeated to her everything Kimo said as I stepped down. ―In exchange for the life of my children and the child you have lost, I will give you another.‖ ―I keep the girl,‖ the dragon hissed, ―replacing the one stolen from me. She‘s the one who took my baby from me.‖ ―The baby was dead.‖ I felt Kimo‘s anguish in my head. His words came out in a rush. ―I have an offering from the Goddess Pele, in exchange for my children.‖ ―An offering…from her?‖ the dragon suddenly 78

Track looked excited. Something pressed into my hand. I looked to my right. Track. He was barely there, a shimmer of light and color. A rainbow. I held out my hand and the dragon‘s eyes widened. ―What is that?‖ My heart pounded. I tried not to think of her holding on to our babies…hoarding them. ―An egg.‖ I glanced from my hand to her face. The egg filled the entire palm of my hand. It felt warm…alive. ―What…kind of creature is it?‖ she asked, her rough, icy voice suddenly filled with wonder. Kimo whispered his instructions and I said, ―Whatever you choose it to be. You return the children to me now and the egg is yours. You will tell the moon before midnight and by Goddess Hina, daughter of the rainbow, the egg will be the child of your choosing.‖ The dragon‘s nose swerved down and hovered an inch from my hand. She sniffed. ―Any creature?‖ ―Yes,‖ I said. ―Any creature.‖ I heard a clanging of gates and the almost invisible bars separating the children from the magical world and ours, lifted. ―Come to me, children,‖ I said, ―wiki wiki.‖ Little Kimo led the way, his brother and sister gripping his hands. 79

A.J. Llewellyn ―The egg! The egg!‖ Mo’o’s eyes rolled around frantically. She was beginning to panic. ―It is yours to keep.‖ I kept my tone cool, confident. Lord, I longed to smash the egg in her face. I urged the children to hurry and the second they were behind me, I handed the egg to Mo’o’s servant, Mu. The two creatures seemed entranced by the find. ―Thank you, Sacred Mother,‖ I said. She ignored me. Water rushed down in front of me, an inch from my nose. I turned and ran, the water fall closing in on me as I clambered up the dragon‘s scaly back. It moved as I reached the cave‘s entrance. Track and Lopaka pulled me out. Ahead of me, Kimo stood, applauding. The cave closed with a clap of thunder. I turned and looked. It was gone. ―Well done,‖ Kimo said. ―Where are the babies?‖ ―Papa!‖ the kids all rushed to me and I dropped to my knees, hugging them hard. I hugged the three men, my heart beating fast as the kids all climbed onto me again. Little Pele. Mo’o had wanted our sacred, special little girl. Not in my lifetime. Not on my watch. We ran back to the boat. I was excited we had rectified things with the ancient, mystical world. 80

Track We still had to rectify things with the human one. ―Track,‖ I said, reaching for his hand as we walked back to shore, ―did you and Kimo plan all this?‖ He nodded. ―They‘re my kids too, Paden.‖ All the way home, the kids were very chatty and excited about their cave experience. Poor Keli’i and Kamaha seemed subdued. They‘d been spared the experience of meeting Mu and the Mo’o and I wished the other three would change the subject. ―How about some TV?‖ I suggested as soon as we arrived home. ―Who wants to watch cartoons?‖ ―Me-ee!‖ the kids shouted. I longed for time alone with Track but a little hand was tugging my shorts. I looked down to find Kamaha’s solemn little face staring up at me. ―What‘s wrong, darling?‖ I asked, hunkering down next to him. ―I want to meet the Mo’o.‖ his eyes filled with tears. ―No, you don‘t, she wasn‘t very nice, but that‘s just between you and me.‖ He swatted at a fat tear streaking down his cheek. ―You know what?‖ I said. ―We‘re going to have so many adventures. Tomorrow, how would you 81

A.J. Llewellyn and Keli’i like to come for a special day at the beach with me and Track?‖ ―Really?‖ ―Really.‖ He looked so happy it tore my heart. ―I love you, Papa!‖ He threw his arms around my neck, almost choking me to death. He ran off at the mention of the word ice cream and then Track‘s hands were at my ass again. I grinned at him. ―You‘re a persistent fellow, aren‘t you?‖ ―You have a problem with that?‖ ―No problem at all.‖ I leaned in for a kiss. ―Dad,‖ my daughter said, interrupting us, ―that woman called, Anna Halligan. She left her number. She wants you to call her back.‖ That woman…Maluhia was going to have a hard time giving up that baby when the time came. I watched her now, holding the baby over her shoulder, soothing her back. My heart started racing again. I returned her call, Kimo and Track hovering. Anna sounded pleased to hear from me. ―I just found out that the coroner is releasing my father‘s body. He‘s declining an autopsy. I am so relieved.‖ ―That‘s good news, Anna. Thanks for letting me know.‖ 82

Track ―I want to have a small, private service for my father. I…um…I‘ve asked around. Somebody told me you are a kahuna. Is that correct?‖ ―Not exactly,‖ I said. ―My son-in-law, Kimo Wilder is a very famous kahuna.‖ I glanced at Kimo, who nodded. ―Oh…well…I don‘t know if it‘s appropriate to ask, but my father…he loved these islands and he loved the ancient religion. I was wondering if…‖ her voice faltered. Kimo‘s voice popped right into my head. ―Would you like for your father to receive a kahuna blessing?‖ I asked. She seemed to inhale sharply. ―Oh…oh, yes. That would be wonderful. Is that okay…I mean…is it possible?‖ ―Absolutely,‖ I said. ―The coroner is releasing his body tomorrow and I‘m having my father sent to the Morgan funeral home here in Hawaii Kai.‖ ―As soon as he is ready to receive visitors, please let me know and we‘ll come right down.‖ Kimo hammered another message into my brain. ―Please make sure when Kimo arrives, that your father‘s favorite flowers are available in his coffin.‖ ―Yes,‖ she said. ―Of course.‖ I ended the call and Kimo gave me a big smile. 83

A.J. Llewellyn ―We‘re getting ready to close this case,‖ he said. ―Do you know what happened?‖ I asked. ―Yes…I think I do. The veil has been lifted. Now that the Mo’o is appeased and Goddess Pele and I have made amends, the balance of power has shifted. Did you know that the Mo’o actually governs this entire island? Until she was banished to her underground cave, she inhabited this entire island. You‘ll see. They‘re excavating more and more of her ancient heiau every day. The archaeologists haven‘t figured out exactly who all these ancient temples belonged to, but they‘ll soon find out.‖ He smiled again. ―What kind of creature do you think she‘ll ask for her egg to hatch?‖ I asked. Track answered. ―Her mirror image.‖ Kimo laughed. ―You are so right. I‘ve never met a vainer creature, have you?‖ ―No, not recently.‖ I longed to ask what the story of our little Olina was but I knew that there was still a delicate issue of power and balance…and love. Olina might be finding her rightful home soon, but Maluhia, who already loved her to distraction would feel her loss severely. Track spent a little more time together, watching Lopaka’s attempts at bribing his little girl to wear something other than the red swimsuit. 84

Track ―No, Mama,‖ was her response to everything. She reminded me so much of Maluhia at that age. ―Your sister once slept in her roller skates,‖ I recalled. Lopaka glanced at me. ―Don‘t put ideas in her head, Dad.‖ I laughed and went to find my daughter. She was bathing the baby, her eyes full of love as she held the tiny girl in the bathroom sink, sponging silky bubbles of pikake baby soap onto her little belly. ―I want to keep her,‖ Maluhia said, before I could say a word. ―I made so many mistakes with my boys. I want to start again.‖ ―But they still need you,‖ I said. ―It‘s not too late to…try being tender.‖ She blinked. ―I am too hard, I know. Sometimes I catch myself. Dad…do you really think I‘ll have to give her up?‖ ―I think so,‖ I said. Maluhia bent her head and wept. In bed that night, Track tried to distract me from my misery. ―She‘ll be all right.‖ He kept assuring me that Maluhia would grow from this. ―I wonder if she hasn‘t been able to conceive again because she‘s meant to love her boys more…maybe this baby girl unlocked her soft 85

A.J. Llewellyn heart,‖ I said. ―Could be. Paden, we can‘t fix everybody. Maybe what seems like a catastrophe to her now, won‘t be.‖ ―I think you‘re right. That‘s the thing about the human existence. We all want everything now.‖ I gripped his cock. ―Like this. I want this right now.‖ ―Well, I think that might be arranged.‖ He laughed as I dived under the covers and captured his sweet cock in my mouth. ―I love how impatient you get,‖ he said to me. ―I‘ve never had sex like this. I‘ve never had anything in the earthly realm that is so close to heaven except when I‘m with you.‖ It was a wonderful thing to hear and I strove to make it an extra special experience for him. I was always so anxious to fuck when I was with Track that I never got to complete a blowjob. He always got so excited when I sucked his cock that he immediately wanted to be inside me, to share the blissful moment. He knew how hard I came when he was in me, but this time I pushed him back. Taking my mouth off him for a moment, I said, ―Just wait.‖ His cock was gorgeous. He tasted like all good things, fruit, flowers…he rocked underneath me, twisting back and forth. ―I want to fuck you,‖ he murmured. ―Please.‖ 86

Track Ignoring him, I let my thumb roam his ball sac and I heard the pleasure sigh escape his lips. My hope was to spend an entire day in bed pleasuring him over and over again. His cock bucked in my mouth. I increased the pressure of my fingers against his balls, pushing against them, feeling them in my hand. He fucked my mouth like it was a new experience for him. When I glanced up at him, he was watching me through half-closed eyes. Most of the joy in getting head is in the watching. Nothing beats seeing a hot guy go crazy on your cock. I sucked him in deeper and he let out a little cry. I squeezed his balls gently, saw his whole face collapse, his guard down as he came in my mouth. I sucked his cock like it was the last one in the world. My lover‘s ass arched off the bed and he came, hard and swift, filling my throat. I sucked and swallowed and still wouldn‘t release him. I felt his lovely cock head expand against my tongue and only when his shaft quit pulsing did I let him go. His body stopped quivering and the smile on his face was huge. ―That was better than…heaven,‖ he said. And he would know. It was hours later that I awoke. Track had just flown the coop. The bed was still warm and I could still feel his body against mine. I sighed. I 87

A.J. Llewellyn checked the time and it was a little after four a.m. I hadn‘t heard the baby all night and realized Maluhia and Raul must have kept her in their house for the night, giving Kimo and Lopaka a break. I slipped into some shorts and a T-shirt and walked into the living room. The house was quiet. It always amazed me that with five children constantly running around, that it was always clean and neat. Outside the unadorned windows, I could see clear across the valley below to the city lights of Honolulu. Sometimes I pinched myself, hardly able to believe I was here. I‘d lived an interesting life in Samoa, but not a particularly happy one. My relationship with my husband, Teimoni, had started out sensually and…all-encompassing but his many secrets and streak of cruelty became overwhelming. Track was a world away. In so many ways, he was the antithesis of the evil I discovered Teimoni to be. I made coffee, hoping not to wake anybody. I saw that the laptop was plugged in on top of the kitchen counter and I checked the system for the Bob Krauss files. I found them quickly enough. The smell of coffee got my taste buds going and I quickly hunted through the fridge for food. Track and I had skipped dinner in favor of other…delights. I found cold chicken and potato salad, which in 88

Track my opinion need to be their own private food group. Paired with coffee, they were sensational. I prepared a little feast for myself and got busy on the computer. Bob Krauss‘ archives were very well organized. I even admired the graphics, which looked like an old-fashioned index card system, the kind you used to see at libraries before computers took over. He had sectioned everything off in decades. I immediately opened the files for the 1960s and scanned down. Nothing. How weird. Then, I realized it was categorized by stories. I scanned each one and was stunned to find his in-depth coverage of so many island events from the 1950s on. I had no idea he‘d accompanied the crew of the outrigger canoe, the Hokule’a, recreating the ancient Polynesians‘ voyage of discovery from Tahiti to Raiatea. His coverage of so many historic events long before he was even born, spoke of his passion for the islands of Hawaii and their people. His photographic collection was extensive as well as fascinating. Some of the pictures I‘d seen in books, some I‘d never seen before. His photographic essay on the catastrophic decision of the Honolulu city council to set fires in the city of Chinatown in 1900 to counteract the bubonic plague highlighted the deadly decision they made. The oldest 89

A.J. Llewellyn neighborhood in Honolulu was wiped out in minutes and 4,000 residents were left homeless. I studied the images of naked men gathered in the center of the street and hosed down by the fire brigade, supposedly to counteract the disease‘s deadly spread. My gaze fastened on the image of a young, skinny man huddled, as plumes of smoke swirled above his head. His face turned to the camera, his expression terrified. There was no mistaking it. It was Track. Kimo wasn‘t surprised when I showed him the photo a few hours later. ―A spiritwalker who has experienced human suffering of the worst kind…you can‘t beat that,‖ he said. ―Track is a being of such pure light and love…you two are a dangerous combination, you know. The bad guys don‘t stand a chance.‖ ―Good,‖ I said. The house was quiet. All the kids had gone over to Maluhia’s house to visit the baby. Tutu made me a fresh cup of coffee and gave me some sliced papaya in a bowl. Seconds later, Maluhia came running in, the baby screaming in her arms. ―I take back what I said. She kept me up all night. I must have been crazy.‖ Kimo grinned, taking the baby from her. 90

Track Maluhia stomped out of the house, muttering. A few seconds later, all the children were back. ―Where‘s the TV?‖ Kamaha wanted to know. ―I threw it away,‖ Kimo said. Kamaha looked shocked. ―You threw it away? Why?‖ ―We didn‘t need it anymore.‖ ―Yes we did. I loved that TV,‖ Kamaha said. ―You can watch SpongeBob Smearpants at your place, can‘t you?‖ Kimo asked. Kamaha ran his hand down his face. ―It‘s Squarepants and no, I can‘t.‖ ―Why not?‖ Kimo stroked the baby‘s foot and she soon, she was fast asleep. ―I like it better here.‖ Kamaha’s voice dropped. ―It‘s so much nicer without the crazy lady.‖ Kimo and I bit our tongues. Kamaha went off with the others. I glanced at Kimo. ―Did you really throw it out?‖ ―Of course not.‖ He glanced around. ―Lopaka and I wanted to watch a little gay porn in our bedroom.‖ I laughed so hard I almost choked on my coffee. Pele romped back into the room, demanding a hug from her father. She wore her little red bikini bottoms, a fact which did not go unnoticed by Kimo. He hugged and kissed his little girl who jumped down and raced off in search of the boys. ―Lopaka,‖ he said, ―How come she‘s wearing the 91

A.J. Llewellyn red bikini again?‖ ―Because she won‘t wear anything else. They‘re clean. I washed them last night.‖ Kimo grinned at me. ―Not that she‘s the boss of us, or anything like that.‖ ―And if either of you see the halter top that goes with it, please give it to me. She only likes the bottom part.‖ The phone rang and Tutu handed me the receiver. I don‘t know why I was nervous, but I was, when Anna told me her father was at the funeral home. ―We need to dress in traditional kahuna attire,‖ Kimo said to me. It embarrassed me that I was the head of the Huna Council and yet I owned no traditional attire. ―You‘re such a Neanderthal.‖ He shook his head. I had to laugh. He had me there. Nothing like having your own words flung back at you. Kimo lent me a special pireau that Lopaka wound around my waist several times and up and over my shoulder. Something about the fabric sobered me. I felt a heightened sense of reality, a feeling of aligning with spirit. ―You‘ve got some strong mojo,‖ I told my sonin-law. ―It even permeates your clothing.‖ He grinned. ―That is the pireau I got married in. 92

Track It‘s my favorite.‖ ―And you‘re lending it to me?‖ ―Of course. This is a big day for you…for all of us. You‘re about to wrap the first case and it‘s a celebration. Good things are happening today.‖ Lopaka and Tutu put haiku, or head lei of fragrant maile and ti leaves on our heads. Sammy, Kimo and I also wore open-ended lei around our necks. Lopaka wore a kukui nut lei. ―These lei are amazing, they smell wonderful,‖ I said. ―And they are thick and lush, real oldschool.‖ ―He was up half the night making them. Is my husband sexy or what?‖ Kimo asked me. ―That‘s my son you‘re talking about,‖ I reminded him. Kimo grinned. ―Yeah, and he‘s mine. All mine.‖ After saying a prayer together, Kimo, Sammy, Lopaka and I left for the funeral home. ―I hate leaving you,‖ Kimo fretted to the kids who all whined about being left behind. I hugged them all, reminding Kamaha and Keli’i that we had a beach play date as soon as I returned. ―Okay, Papa,‖ they said, hugging me. We left them in very capable hands. Tutu was amazing with them. Maluhia was too, in her own snappy way. Kimo took the wheel and we headed down the mountain. 93

A.J. Llewellyn ―I‘m going to miss the baby,‖ Lopaka said. ―You still have me.‖ Kimo slid his hand across the seat to Lopaka’s thigh. In the backseat beside me, Sammy snored. ―He doesn‘t get much sleep. Tutu keeps him busy most nights,‖ Lopaka said, turning around to grin at me. I grinned. ―Good for her.‖ ―And for me,‖ Kimo quipped. ―The naughtiness runs in the family.‖ We all laughed and Sammy woke from his sleep. ―Are we there yet?‖ he whined sounding like one of the kids. At the Morgan funeral home, Anna was waiting for us. She looked very nervous. She wore a black skirt and matching jacket. I zeroed in on the necklace she wore. It was very similar to the one I‘d seen her father wearing. I mentioned this to Kimo and he nodded. ―Good.‖ She looked at all of us. ―Four people? For my father?‖ A look of surprise and something near pride crossed her face. A few of the workers in the funeral home came out to meet us. ―We have two other people here…perhaps you could also give them a blessing before your 94

Track leave?‖ the director asked Kimo. Kimo said we would do that. He was a commanding, forceful presence. I felt the intense heat emanating from him. He chanted very softly as we entered the room where the body lay in state. Rows of chairs faced the redwood coffin, which stood at the end, lid open. Lopaka stared intently at Kimo as we approached the body. He seemed to be reading his mind. ―Are these your father‘s favorite flowers?‖ Lopaka asked, indicating the gardenias in the body‘s right hand. ―Yes,‖ she said, fingering the Pele symbol at her throat. I studied the old man‘s face. He looked like he was asleep, but it was not a peaceful one. He looked somewhat like the man I‘d seen at the rainbow, but he‘d aged tremendously. ―Is that his necklace?‖ Lopaka asked, pointing to Anna‘s throat. Her eyes widened. ―No…but…‖ she swallowed hard. I thought she was going to faint. One of the funeral directors stood at the door. I turned and asked him to bring her a glass of water. Kimo led Anna to a chair near the coffin. When Anna received the water, Lopaka turned to the director. 95

A.J. Llewellyn ―Could you please leave us alone for a few minutes?‖ He hesitated, but left the room, closing the door behind him. ―Anna, for the good of your father‘s soul, you must tell me what happened yesterday,‖ Kimo said. ―Nothing happened yesterday.‖ ―Yes. This necklace…it was missing for a long time, wasn‘t it?‖ She nodded, her expression bleak. ―How did you know?‖ she finally asked. ―Tell me about the day your father died. What happened?‖ She sagged against the chair. ―We had a fight.‖ ―About the baby?‖ ―Oh…please…God.‖ She hid her face in her hands. ―I knew this was a bad idea. I knew it would come out.‖ ―Please, tell me about it,‖ he said. She began to sob. Great, wrenching heartache poured from her. ―I got pregnant when I was fifteen. My parents were so ashamed of me, but I loved my boyfriend and I wanted to marry him. They said I was too young. My boyfriend‘s parents….they were furious and took him away from me to the mainland. I wanted my baby. I wanted to raise her, but they wanted me to get rid 96

Track of her.‖ She took some tissues from the box on the chair beside her and pressed them to her face. ―My parents didn‘t want me to keep her. I always knew she was going to be a little girl. I begged them and begged them and then…a miracle happened. My mom said we could keep her and they would adopt her as their own. That way we could keep her and there would be no shame in the family.‖ ―And then somebody stole her. Who was it?‖ ―You…you are amazing.‖ She blinked, holding the tissues to her streaming nose. ―My boyfriend‘s father. He came to the hospital. It was horrible. My father heard he was back on the island and tracked him down. She was so young…so…fragile. He intended to take her back to the mainland but somehow…she suffocated in her blankets. He and my father had a fight. It was…awful. We were so scared when she disappeared and then…we found her, but it was too late.‖ ―How did it all get swept under the carpet?‖ Sammy asked. He looked furious. ―My father was a police officer. He called in lots of favors.‖ Her head drooped. ―He had read that when a baby died in old Hawaii that it was because of a family curse. He was a good man…but a bit…fanatical. My mother…she was so upset because she wanted a proper burial. My father 97

A.J. Llewellyn wouldn‘t tell us where he took Olina…and over the years I‘ve asked him many times. A couple of days ago, he told me he took her to a cave on some remote island and I got angry. Oh, I was so angry, thinking of my little girl alone in a cave all these years. He said she was making up for the family curse, but I tell you, ever since that day when my baby died, our lives have been terrible.‖ She blew her nose. ―My mom got sick. She was never the same. I never found a love like the first one.‖ Her expression turned bitter. ―I never got married. I never had children. I…I have a cousin whose children are like my own. His youngest daughter, she looks like how I think Olina would look if she‘d had a chance to live.‖ She cried a little more. ―I see her sometimes in my dreams. I see her and she‘s so beautiful. I never wanted my life without her once I knew I was pregnant. ―You see, my father thinks he knows about the old legends, but I always thought he had things a little skewed. When he told me what he did with our baby I felt that he had cursed us. My niece is so anxious for a baby and she can‘t conceive. I feel the curse is on all the women in my family.‖ She stopped, staring at us. ―Do you think I‘m crazy?‖ Kimo shook his head. ―Far from it.‖ He glanced at each of us, then reached over for her hand. 98

Track ―What if I were to tell you Olina is alive, saved by the grace of Goddess Pele and that the curse is lifted? She‘s alive, Anna.‖ Anna‘s mouth fell open, fresh tears pouring down her face. ―How…? How is she? Is she okay? Where is she?‖ ―She‘s at our house.‖ Kimo pointed to me. ―Paden brought her back to you.‖ ―How can…?‖ she looked bewildered. ―How?‖ ―I can tell you that through divine intervention Paden went back in time…your heartfelt prayers sent him to Olina at the moment your father was burying her. He was surrounded by angry Night Marchers. They didn‘t want him there.‖ ―Night Marchers. My God. He wasn‘t lying then?‖ ―No,‖ I said, stepping forward now. ―And he was wearing that necklace.‖ ―It‘s mine,‖ she said. ―I wanted Olina to have it. Yesterday, I found it again…I couldn‘t believe it.‖ She stopped. ―I saw a rainbow in the sky and I went out to photograph it. And it was out there, lying in the grass.‖ Anna got up and walked to the coffin, stared into it. ―I thought maybe the curse was lifted because he was dead.‖ She touched him. ―Tell him you forgive him,‖ Kimo said, rising and standing beside her. ―Tell him you forgive him and that you understand. Your father made 99

A.J. Llewellyn terrible mistakes and paid for them, but what he did…was for love.‖ ―So he said.‖ Her voice was a whisper. She went through the ritual with Kimo and Sammy. We removed our maile lei and draped them over the body. In the corpse‘s hand, the gardenia seemed to bloom larger. The smell was sweet and strong. ―Look at that,‖ Lopaka said, excited. ―Your father is letting you know he can hear you. His soul is now at peace.‖

100

Track

Chapter Six

A

nna came to our house with her niece, Alicia and Alicia‘s husband, Peter. The younger couple had no idea of Olina’s story until they heard it from Anna and from us. There were a lot of tears. Happy tears. Anna spent a long time holding Olina, so thrilled to have her in her arms at last. ―Nobody would ever believe this story,‖ she said. ―I thank God I will always have you people to remind me that it‘s true.‖ The look of wonderment on her face was such a reward for me. It was a magical moment. ―She‘s a miracle,‖ Anna kept saying. I think all of us shed more tears when Kimo and Sammy gave blessings to the baby. ―Any time you need help, you call us,‖ Kimo insisted. Before she left, Anna showed us the only photo she had of Olina, taken at the hospital on the morning of her birth. 101

A.J. Llewellyn It was her, all right. She thanked us for everything, hugging us over and over again. Kimo and Sammy said they would help with the legalities of a baby showing up in their lives. Private adoption seemed the best solution. ―I am too old to raise her on my own, but I want to be there every step of the way,‖ Anna said, as Alicia cuddled the infant. ―We want you to move in with us, away from that sad house. Olina needs you. We need you,‖ Alicia said. ―This is such a priceless gift. I have no words. I never ever thought I would be holding a baby in my arms.‖ The kids all came to say goodbye to baby Olina. Little Pele looked up into Anna‘s face and said, ―Baby happy now.‖ She skipped off in her little red swim suit. In Pele’s mind, the case was closed. Track appeared as Tutu and I packed a picnic lunch for me and the twins. ―Is that enough food for seven people?‖ he asked. ―Seven?‖ ―You really think the other kids will let you get away with only taking the older twins?‖ ―He‘s right. Another picnic basket coming up,‖ Tutu said. 102

Track Track and I hauled everything out to the driveway. All five kids stood, waiting by the big SUV in their swim suits, beach towels flung over their shoulders. Little Kamapu was already wearing his goggles. ―I thought this was just for Keli’i and Kamaha,‖ I said. ―No,‖ Little Kimo replied. ―Me, too.‖ ―Me, too.‖ Pele echoed. ―Me, too.‖ Kamapu’s voice sounded thick from behind his goggles. I turned to Kamaha, the group leader. ―Are you okay with this?‖ He looked up at me. ―Well, I might be okay with it, if ice cream is involved.‖ His hopeful expression was adorable. ―I think we can manage that.‖ ―Yay!‖ the kids screamed, climbing into their car seats. ―Not that they‘re in charge or anything,‖ Kimo said as he walked toward us. I turned and glanced at him. ―I bet I know what you‘ll be getting up to while we‘re gone.‖ He grinned. ―My husband is fond of a certain pirate king and his slave boy game.‖ His voice dropped. ―By the way, anything happens to our children, I will turn you into a toad, whether you are immortal or not.‖ 103

A.J. Llewellyn Kimo stuck his head into the SUV. ―Have fun, kids!‖ Boy, did he sure know how to put a damper on things. I sat on the beach at Haunauma Bay watching the others snorkel and swim. The kids were all buddied up, Pele partnered with Track. We might have been the most spiritual family in the world, but a lot of Honolulu was not and beach areas that attracted families were notorious targets for thieves. Track and I took turns watching the picnic baskets and the bag of beach toys which contained my wallet and cell phone. Digging my toes in the sand, I felt something soft. I reached in and pulled out Pele’s little halter top. So, that‘s where it went. She came running to the sand, Track following her. When she saw the halter top, she dug a hole and buried it, dragging a bucket and spade from the toy bag. Castle-making time. As soon as her back was turned, I dug the top out again, shook it out and stuck it in with the toys. ―I missed you,‖ Track said, sitting beside me, leaning in and kissing my cheek. ―Oh, baby, I missed you, too.‖ I paused. ―I…read…‖ ―Paden, I know what you read.‖ ―You do?‖ 104

Track ―Yeah. Mea, mea, mea.‖ ―Mea, mea, mea?” ―That‘s Hawaiian for blah, blah, blah.‖ ―I know what it means, but—‖ ―What I am trying to say is…so what? Everyone has a story, everyone has an un-pretty past. I have today, with you. Today, my life is beautiful and I choose to live in the moment.‖ He always managed to say the most amazing things. ―I still grieve for what happened to you. I hate what they did to you.‖ He gave me a sad, sweet smile. ―Because you love me. Now…how about that ice cream you‘ve been promising me?‖ The ice cream truck‘s music whirred at the tip of the ridge. Every child on the beach raised their heads from the water. ―Ice cream!‖ I grabbed the toy bag and followed our group to the truck. Kamaha had somehow managed to get in line first. ―You want the rainbow ice cream?‖ the man asked him. ―No, sir. I‘m a strawberry guy, but everyone else in my family likes the rainbow.‖ Yeah, we sure did. At home in bed later, Track and I touched each other. Being naked with him was my favorite 105

A.J. Llewellyn thing in the whole world. I‘d had time to absorb everything we‘d experienced over the past few, action-packed days. ―You told me in the cave that Kimo couldn‘t come into the water goddess‘ domain because he is of the fire faith. Does that mean I am of the water faith?‖ ―No.‖ He smiled at me, his fingers touching my nipples, making my breath quicken. ―You are immortal. You walk all the elements. Pretty cool, huh?‖ ―Yeah.‖ I was still getting used to my new life. ―So…can I suck your cock now or you have more questions?‖ ―No, no,‖ I said. ―I want you to suck me.‖ His mouth moved over mine, his tongue moving across my lips, down my chin and to my throat. My breath caught as he put long kisses down to my collarbone. Oh, he knew how to drive me crazy. My fingers moved to his ass. I stroked his sweet cheeks, my fingers running down the crack as he raised his head. ―You‘re driving me crazy.‖ He moved to my cock, sucking me. I made him turn sideways so I could stroke his ass, cock and balls. He did as I asked and I was thrilled to see his hard cock jutting toward me. He sucked me with abandon, his fingers moving to my ass. 106

Track ―Oh, yeah…stick two of them in me,‖ I begged, and he did. His mouth moved up and down, working hard and tight on me. He sucked on me as I fingered his ass, anxious to suck him, too. But I couldn‘t move. I was coming before I knew it, rainbows of color, light and stars exploding in my brain. My mouth opened, I heard the sound of ecstasy snapping in my mind. ―Paden,‖ he suddenly said, ―we‘re going to be late.‖ ―Oh, my God,‖ I said. ―You just gave me the orgasm of the century and you say those words?‖ He looked at me…that glazed expression worried me. ―You‘re kidding me, right, Track?‖ He shook his head slowly, rolling to the side. His body went rigid. Man…I hated when it did that. His right hand came off the bed toward me. ―You in?‖ he asked me. It felt like it took all his efforts to even speak. I glanced out the window. I saw the rainbow high and bright in the dark night sky and sighed. ―I‘m in,‖ I said. ―Always.‖ He smiled, his breath a tender sigh. He tugged me away from the earth. I couldn‘t meet a normal guy. Nope, I just had to go find me a rainbow straddling, evil-defeating, hot and sexy guy.

107

A.J. Llewellyn

Look for Book 2 in the Children of the Rainbow series Coming Soon to www.eXtasybooks.com

108

Track

Hawaiian Glossary A Word about the Hawaiian Language: There are 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet: the five vowels: a, e, i, o, u and the following consonants: k, l, m, n, p, v and w. Until western missionaries arrived in the islands, there was no written Hawaiian language. The early missionaries worked at creating a written language. Though many Hawaiian words are long, they are actually pronounced as written – but here is a rule of thumb: A is pronounced like a in ‗father‘ E is pronounced like e in obey or fete I is pronounced like i in marine or pique O is pronounced like o in rose or vote U is pronounced like u in rule Ukulele for example is pronounced Ooo-ku-lay-lee W in the middle of a word is often pronounced like a V Vowel combinations: Ai together are pronounced like aye Ae together are pronounced ah-ay Au and Ao sound the same: ow Ou together are pronounced oo Words * 109

A.J. Llewellyn

A’a (ah-ah): a lava stone Ala’e (Aha-la-ay): Mud hen Ali’i (ah-lee-ee): Royalty Aloha (Ah-low-ha): Love, a greeting, hello, good bye Aloha Aina (Ah-low-ha eye-na): Love for the land Aumakua (Ow-mah-koo-wa): Family guardian spirits Awa (Ah-wah): Piper methysticum, also known as kava. A non-addictive drink used by the kahuna ceremoniously, it induces a euphoric state Da kine (Dah-kyne): A local island expression word frequently used for good, also, means ‗like, you know‘ Ha (Hah): breath Hale (Hah-lay): House Hana (Hah-na): A town in Maui, also means work Hanai (Hun-aye): Adoption, literally and figuratively Haole (How-lay): Foreigner Hau ‘oli la hanau (How oh-lee lah-hun-ow): Happy birthday Heiau (Hay-yow): Temple of the Hawaiian islands Honu (Ho-noo): Turtle Ho’oponopono (Ho-oh-pon-no-pon-no): To make things right, family process for resolving problems 110

Track Hui (Hoo-ee): group Hula: dance, a sacred dance Huna: secret, to conceal I’ao (Yow): Sacred mountain in Maui Ike (Eee-kay): Spiritual knowledge, power Iki (Ee-kee): Little Ipo (Ee-po): Sweetheart Ipu (Ee-poo) gourd Ka: Exclamation of surprise: Ka! Kahu (Kah-hoo) Guardian, caretaker Kahuna (Kah-hoo-na): Kai (ky): sea water Kalakaua (Kah-la-kow-wa): Last Hawaiian King, also the major thoroughfare in Honolulu Kamapua’a (Kah-ma-poo-ah-ah): Revered Pig God, lover of Goddess Pele Kamehameha (Kah-may-ha-may-ha): Dynasty of Hawaiian kings Kamohoali’i (Kah-mo-ho-ah-lee-ee): Shark God, brother of Pele Kanaka (Kah-nah-ka): Local, islander Kane (Kah-nay): Man Kapu (Kah-poo): sacred, forbidden, taboo Koa (Ko-wah): Native hardwood, also means brave Kokua (Ko-koo-wa): Help Kukui (Koo-koo-ee): candlenut tree, also means 111

A.J. Llewellyn light Kumu (Koo-moo): Teacher, source Kupua (Koo-poo-ah): Spirit being Kupuna (Koo-poo-nah): ancestors Lahaina (Lah-high-na): Capital city of Maui, old whaling town Lanai (Lah-ny): Hawaiian island, also verandah Lani (Lah-nee): Sky, heavenly Lehua (Lay-hoo-wa): Flower of the Ohi‘a tree, sacred to Goddess Pele Lei (Lay): garland Lili’uokalani (Lily-oo-oh-kah-lah-nee): Last Queen of the Hawaiian Islands Lolo (low-low): Crazy Lomilomi (Low-me low-me): Massage Lono (Lon-oh): Hawaiian deity Lua: (Loo-wah) Ancient form of dark arts, sorcery Luau (Loo-wow): Feast Mahalo (Mah-ha-low): Thank you Mahalo Nui (Mah-ha-low-noo-ee): Many thanks, big thanks Maika’i (My-ky-ee): Good, fine. Also, a Maika‘i Card is a widely used discount card for Foodland supermarkets Maile (My-lay): A fragrant vine used for ceremonial leis Makai (Mah-ky): Toward the sea – a typical way 112

Track to give directions in Hawaii Makani (Mah-ka-nee): Wind Makua (Mah-koo-wa): Parent Mala’ma (Mah-lah-ma): Take care Maluhia (Mah-loo-hee-yah): Peace Mauka (Mow-ka): Toward the mountain – a typical way to give directions in Hawaii Mana (Mah-na): Spiritual power, vital life force Mele (May-lay): Song, chant Menehune (Men-ay-hoo-nay): Hawaiian fairy folk, also an early race of people living in the Hawaiian Islands Moi (Moh-ee): majesty, king or queen Molokai (Moh-low-ky-ee): Hawaiian island, former leper colony Ni’ihau (Nee-ee-how): The Forbidden Island, accessible only by invitation Noa (No-wah): Freedom Noho (No-ho): seat, possession by a spirit or god Oahu (Oh-wah-hoo): Island Ohana (Oh-hah-na): Family Ola (Oh-la): Life, health Olelo (Oh-lay-low): Language Ono (Ohn-oh): Delicious, tasty, good Pahu (Pah-hoo): Drum Pakalolo (Pah-ka-low-low): 113

Marijuana.

Each

A.J. Llewellyn region has its own colloquial variation such as Puna Butter, Kona Gold Paniolo (Pan-ee-oh-lo): Cowboy (from the Portuguese language) Pau (Pow): Finished Pele (Pay-lay): Hawaiian Goddess of the volcanoes Pilikia (Pee-lee-kee-a): Trouble Pohaku (Po-ha-koo): Stone Poi (Poy): A paste made of ground taro root Pomaika’i (Poh-my-ka-ee): Blessed, fortunate Pomaika’i au (Poh-my-ka-ee ow): Blessed am I Pono (Po-no): Right, order Pu’a’a (Poo-ah-ah): Pig Pue’o (Poo-ay-oh) Hawaiian owl Pule (Poo-lay): Prayer Tapa (Tah-pa): bark cloth made from the mulberry tree Taro (Ta-row): The most important food source for the Hawaiian people. This root crop is the basis for poi. Ti (Tee): A plant of the lily family. Its leaves are used in ritual Uhane (Oo-hay-nay): Spirit Unihipili (Oo-nee-ee-pee-lee): Spirit deceased, often residing in the bones

114

of

the

Track Wa’a (Wah-ah): Canoe Wahine (Wah-hee-nay): Woman Wai (Wy): Fresh water Waikiki (Wy-kee-kee): Capital city of Oahu Wehiwehi (Vay-hee-vay-hee): Fish goddess *Please note; all of these words appear in A.J. Llewellyn’s books, though not in every story.

115

About the Author A.J. Llewellyn lives in California, but dreams of living in Hawaii. Frequent trips to all the islands, bags of Kona coffee in his fridge and a healthy collection of Hawaiian records keep this writer refueled. A.J. loves male/male erotica, has a passion for all animals—especially the dog, the cat and the turtle. A.J. believes that love is a song best sung out loud. A.J.‘s website: http://www.ajllewellyn.com A.J.‘s email: [email protected] A.J.‘s MySpace page: www.MySpace.com/ajllewellyn