Bringing Heat

by Viola Grace

  “Can I? I also want to see Lal again.”

  “She has been transferred here as your companion.”

  She beamed. “Good. I hope to eventually make some kind of friend here.”

  “I can order people to be nice to you.”

  Idalia laughed. “Yeah, that could never go wrong.”

  He shrugged. “Anyone who insults you in my hearing dies, so there is that.”

  She snorted. “Let people have their opinions. I am here to stay. Well, not here, precisely, but on Los.”

  “I want you exactly where you are. Now, what shall we name the child?

  “I am not even sure I am pregnant yet.”

  “Check using Los’s senses. You will see.”

  She grimaced and pressed a hand to her belly, her eyes widening as she felt a bright spark of life under her hand.

  “Whoa. That’s... There’s...” She looked at him with consternation in her eyes.

  He grinned. “I know. It is far sooner than I had hoped, but I will welcome any child of your body at any time.”

  “I am not going to spontaneously shoot them out.”

  He laughed. “Interesting image, but I am just stating that I have waited a long time to see offspring with my blood. Los has waited longer.”

  “So, the child will be Drai in body and have Los’s energy?”

  “Yes, and have the Los heat resistance. So, if they breed into the population, a new Drai mutation will begin.”

  She nodded. “Huh. I don’t know if I am up for being the mother to a new species.”

  “You will adapt. I can think of no one better.” The genuine admiration in his expressions struck her heart. The slow motion of him inside her made her laugh.

  “You are incorrigible.”

  He grinned. “It has been a lonely existence. I am delighted that it is over now and the new phase of hope and planning can begin.”

  She slowly started rocking on him, and he gripped her hips. “I am going to have to leave your bed eventually.”

  He leaned up to kiss her, “But not today.”

  Chapter Ten

  Walking with Lal through the orchards was a sobering experience. “So, every fruit is ready at the same time?”

  “Yes, Mistress.”

  “And every baby is born the same week?”

  “Yes, Mistress.”

  “That must be hell on the midwives.”

  “The what?”

  Idalia looked at her. “How does the birth occur?”

  “We feel the start of it, we get our partner, and then, we wait for the child to be born.”

  “All offspring survive?”

  “Oh. No. There is a five-percent fatality rate. Mother and child often die together.”

  “Are there women who have had children but who aren’t breeding anymore who could help?”

  “Um, we don’t do that. Birthing is intensely personal.”

  “Right. Sure. What about retired medical personnel? Are they acceptable?”

  “If the woman was in distress, she would have to make that decision.”

  “Fair enough. As long as they are available.”

  They walked through the orchard, and Idalia looked at the fruit. “Do you have any contact with your original species?”

  “No. There is no communication between us. We don’t even have any of the original ships anymore. They have all been torn down to provide vital materials.”

  Idalia touched a tree and smiled as the fruit swelled. She pulled her hand back and chuckled. “So, how can you tell when they are done?”

  “Um, those are ripe.”

  “Is it one per couple or one per person?”

  “Per couple.”

  “Do you have a lover?” Idalia looked at her.

  “I... I do.”

  “Do you want to try for a child?”

  “Yes, Mistress.”

  Idalia grabbed the fruit nearest her and snapped it free. It looked like a purple coconut. She passed it to Lal. “There you go. My baby needs playmates.”

  The guardians of the trees rushed toward her, and she grinned. “What? If I bring the trees to ripeness throughout the year, it will stop the stacked population and make allowances for the loss of pregnancy. It will stop the locked seasons.”

  The guardians looked at her, and one said, “Mistress, this is the way things have been done.”

  “Sure, sure. That being said, if things were still done that way, I wouldn’t be here. There would be another priestess or consort, and you might have one active thermally livable area on the whole planet.”

  They looked at each other in confusion. “Los is in favour with what I just did, or I wouldn’t have been able to ripen a tree with a touch. I would be selecting families to give the remaining twenty fruits to, if I were you.”

  The guardians blinked. “Twenty? There were five.”

  She chuckled. “If I was going to do one thing, I may as well do the other. Now, my child won’t be in school on it’s own.”

  They looked at her, appalled. “You are doing this for your child?”

  She smiled slightly and looked at them. “What wouldn’t you do for your child? This is also the firstborn of Los. It needs friends or, at least, schoolmates.”

  They looked at her like they wanted to argue it, but Keydo-Los landed in the orchard.

  “Hey, sweetie. Look, I made fruit.” She grinned.

  “Yes, my rose, but that tree is now going to struggle.”

  She wriggled her fingers. “Fix it then.”

  He snorted. Turning to the guardians, he said, “I will harvest if you will distribute.”

  “Yes, Master Los.”

  He looked down at her, and she looked up. “You said the people are my concern, so I am working to make more people.”

  She smiled brightly.

  He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. “You are making a point, I imagine.”

  She nodded. “Don’t give me power and no instructions. I will just do something efficient to finish the task.”

  “My rose, you are making a point.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “Yes, I am. Now, can you contact another world? We need a few more amenities around here. Supplemental population with a compatible species. That kind of thing.”

  Keydo blinked. “Really?”

  “Yeah. I just need a terminal to start doing research.”

  He chuckled. “I just happen to know where one is.”

  She sidled up to him and stroked his arms. “Not just handsome but smart enough to give me what I want.”

  His eyes flared white hot. “If you don’t want me taking you up against that tree, I would back away, mate.”

  She sighed sadly and stepped back. “Perhaps later. I need to see the rest of the orchard, and Lal has to go jump her mate.”

  Lal blinked. “I can go?”

  “Go ahead.” Idalia smiled. “Let me know how things turned out. This is the first forced fruit, after all.”

  “Yes, Mistress.” Lal bolted out of the orchard and headed to the town.

  “Now, I am all on my own. Oh, dear.” She continued into the orchard and looked at the trees, gauging that about a third of the population would be able to breed this year. That was pretty good.

  The city was slightly above Earth tech level, and there was plenty of room for more citizens. She just had to look up the original species and see if she could find a home world.

  “I can tell you where they come from. A sister world of mine sent them here. I asked for them three thousand years ago.”

  She paused. She wasn’t used to Los being in her thoughts. “Right, so, can you ask for more?”

  “No, my sister was dying. This was an attempt to save her children.”

  “Fine. Where did the others go? There had to have been other escapes onto other worlds.”

  Los chuckled. “Dearest one, I shall ask about and get bac
k to you. If they are in need of a home, I will offer one.”

  “Thank you. Keep me informed, please, honoured Los.”

  There was a deep chuckle, and she sighed, turning around to see Keydo-Los.

  “He likes talking with you. He enjoys the plans you have for our world.”

  “I know that not everyone will.”

  “As long as you know that. We can always make our residence elsewhere and let the ice take the dissenters.”

  “Um, no. Not going to do that. They can have an opinion, even if it’s wrong, but if they try to hurt me or mine, I will burn them in place. Good enough?” She smiled brightly.

  “If they touch you or our child, leave them to me. We will see if they can fly.”

  Idalia walked up to him and snuggled against his chest. “Well, now we know we are both bloodthirsty when feeling protective. These are good things to know. We will have to get this under control before our kid goes to school. No sense lighting the PTA on fire.”

  He caught her reference from her mind and snickered.

  She was two months along and pretty sure that it was going to stick. She wrapped her arms around him and sighed. She wondered if it would have wings.

  “They start as wing buds and grow as the child matures. I hope they will have your rounded little ears. Every one of them.”

  She paused. “Uh, how many kids do you want to have?”

  He smiled. “Over the next century... perhaps twenty if Los can help with childcare.”

  “Wow. That’s... a lot. Holidays will be fun.” She said the last weakly.

  “Our family will mix with the Losians, and they will become stronger because of it.”

  “Or else?”

  “Ah, my rose, you know my mind.” He tilted her head up and kissed her.

  “And about those roses. They really don’t need to happen.”

  He stroked her thigh, over the mark he had made months earlier. “Oh, yes, I do. It will be an excellent practice to crafting botanicals. It will be the greatest healer that Los can offer, based on your very delicate flesh.”

  “You are not going to make fields of vag flowers.” She put her foot down in a strangely unsatisfying stamp.

  “You are correct. They are a forest blossom.” His gaze was amused, and the fire flickering there said that Los wanted to put something of hers across the globe.

  She gritted her teeth and joined the crazy. “Have the ones from different regions have different medicinal effects.”

  He grinned and kissed her. “I like it when you give in to the inevitable.”

  “You are usually in motion before I know something is happening. Intimately or otherwise.”

  “Part of my charm.” He was smug.

  She sighed. “You are very charming.”

  The song that never left her mind soared high and twisted through her thoughts. She relaxed in his embrace, and he lifted her high, taking off and flying above the city.

  “Keydo, you have to stop doing that.”

  He chuckled. “You still don’t like flying. It keeps you from panicking.”

  She snorted. “Fine. Where are we going?”

  “I have a surprise.”

  His mind was alight with nervous anticipation. Idalia was uneasy. He was never nervous.

  He flew along and over a ridge where he hovered in the air. “You have stated you like my dragon, I know you hear my song, but this is the home I have built for you. What do you think?”

  She stared at the building made of faceted onyx, studded with rubies the size of her head, and the fairy tale structure suitable for a princess.

  She asked, “Do Drai always make structures like this for their mates?”

  He was still radiating nerves. “Yes. Each Drai has to provide his mate with a suitable home to raise their young. It is a sign of respect. Do you like it?”

  She blinked. “Oh, honey. Yes. It is magnificent. Can we go inside?”

  Relief poured through their link, and he flew to the castle that was even bigger than it first appeared in the distance.

  He carried her as he walked through the building until he reached their bedroom. The bedding was all made of the same flame-retardant cloth as her outfits. He carried her to the bed and carefully set her down.

  He knelt and said, “Idalia, will you be my mate?”

  She licked her lips. “I thought it was a done deal.”

  “It is, and it isn’t. It is done for Los, but my dragon still needs closure.”

  Idalia looked at him and stroked his cheek. “Convince me that it’s a good idea.”

  He smiled slowly. “I intend to be persuasive.”

  “I don’t know. I am not as naïve as I used to be when I first got here. You are going to have to try very, very hard.”

  “Oh, I am very, very hard.”

  She giggled and scooted away from him. He grabbed her ankle and hauled her toward him. Her sex collided gently with his hips as he tucked her thighs to either side. His fingers unlatched her top and the belt at her hips.

  He brought his mouth to her skin, and he left silver trails where he touched. She stroked her fingertips over the marks, and she said, “Keydo, sweetie, why isn’t the silver coming off?”

  He chuckled and didn’t answer.

  Los provided her with an image of her body progressively more silver until her skin glowed like statuary. She had just gotten used to being pewter.

  “You are not seriously going to dye me silver with your mouth.” She threaded her fingers through his hair.

  He chuckled against her skin. “I am trying not to go over the same territory twice. I know how you hate it when I repeat myself.”

  She yanked on his hair until he looked up at him. “I am not very impressed with that. Can I retract my approval of your dragon?”

  He grinned. “No. You think I’m pretty.”

  She snorted, and he resumed his slow attentions to her breasts until she twisted under him and her grip on his hair gentled into an encouraging grip.

  He licked, swirled his tongue, sucked, and did it again. She squirmed and tried to stop herself from moving against him, but her body had a guarantee from him, and it was looking forward to what happened next.

  Life was rough as a reset. It was a good thing her mate was convincing.

  Chapter Eleven

  Idalia rotated in her chair. “Yes, I know that the Drai don’t leave their world, but I have an ancient Drai as a mate, and he misses the sight of his own kind.”

  The administrator scowled. “Which ancient Drai?”

  “Keydo.”

  The stunned expression was gratifying. “What does the dragon look like?”

  “White fire.”

  The administrator frantically typed away. “Does he look like this?”

  “His eyes have been changed. He’s the avatar for Los now. But if there are any members of your population that want to come by for a visit, they are welcome, but call first.”

  “Um, can I contact you when I speak with the council?”

  “Sure. If I don’t answer right away, I am probably in labour.”

  “You are pregnant?” The administrator was pale and excited.

  “Yeah. Almost ready to be a mom. Baby has the wing buds and everything.” She patted her belly. “I just thought that if you had any colonies or anybody wanted a change of location, we have plenty of unoccupied space for mate homes to be built.”

  “Our people don’t do that much anymore.”

  She shrugged. “Well, if they want to bring it back, they can. I am sure that Los will help boost the strength of the Drai where he can.”

  “Wait. You have a planet willing to increase the ancient genetics?”

  “Sure. My baby needs playmates.”

  The administrator snorted. “We don’t have enough females.”

  “Contact the Terran avatar, Minerva-Gaia. She can probably find someone.” She smiled. Minerva had three
Terrans lined up for a reset to Los, they just needed Drai to match to.

  She spun again and looked at the administrator. “So, you will pass the message to the council?”

  They nodded.

  She smiled. “And tell them that the request comes from the other avatar of Los.” She let her eyes flare in the com.

  “So, you are...”

  “Idalia-Los. Mate of Keydo-Los. Soon to be mother of Yikari.”

  The administrator went, “That is a girl’s name.”

  “Correct.”

  “But you said wing buds.”

  “Correct.”

  “That means...”

  “A baby girl with wings, so she’s gonna need playmates, and I don’t want to have to mail her to Drai to find a mate. It would be a good idea to set up commerce and personnel exchange between our worlds. Just a suggestion. I can find other Drai if I have to. Have a nice day.”

  She disconnected the call and turned to Keydo in the doorway. “So, that’s another world that freaked out at your name? What did you do in that other life?”

  He chuckled. “I was a bit of a pirate. A bit of a rogue. I learned to wait for my silver goddess.”

  She snorted and looked at her hands. “Yeah, you got me good.”

  “Los told me that if I waited with him, he would get me a mate, my perfect princess.”

  “Wow. You are flattering today. I must be huge.”

  He walked to her and knelt next to her, his head on her belly. “You are glorious.”

  “Right. So, monstrously huge.”

  He looked up at her with his eyes dancing with fire. “My full blooming rose.”

  She snorted and kissed his forehead and then his lips. “I swear if you make another obscene flower and start shipping them off world, I will shave your head in your sleep.”

  He chuckled. “How was I to know that there were Terran resets on those worlds? There were none of them in this sector the last time I checked.”

  “You send them vagina flowers with a clitoris on it. They knew exactly what it was. They were laughing their asses off when they called.”

  His eyes were full of laughter. He was laughing a lot nowadays. The baby kicked at him, and she grunted.

  “Aw, little one, be nice to your mother, or she won’t offer you brothers or sisters, and I will be sad.” He kissed her belly.