Ellard bolted upright to stare in the direction Gwen indicated. Two pale waifs stared back, their long, straight hair and faces as white as their garments.
“How long have you been there?” Gwen demanded. “Did you watch us?”
Chapter 10
“We…we didn’t mean to peep. Not peepers. Cold,” the male said.
“Hungry,” the woman added. “So hungry.”
“Who are you?” Gwen asked again, this time consciously lowering her voice since they were both shivering and looked as if a strong wind would blow them over if they didn’t topple under their own steam first. She reached for her trews and her bra and scrambled into her clothes while keeping an eye on the couple.
“Sheera,” the young woman whispered, the glacier-blue of her pupils a mere pinprick.
“Leeam,” the man replied, tucking his arm around the woman’s trembling shoulders.
“You don’t resemble your depictions.” Ellard, as a feline, didn’t mind others seeing him in his naked form.
“We require food to look that way,” Sheera said. “Thank you for gifting us with your sexual energy. We thought we might die. So sorry we peeped. We don’t normally do that. Against the rules.”
“Our faces remain the same, but we change our hair and clothes and accessories as the mood suits.” Leeam gave a shrug but it held little oomph. “It’s fun.”
A flash of heat flooded Gweneth’s cheeks, and she had to restrain herself from rubbing at her embarrassment. This couple, and they didn’t seem very old, had spied on her and Ellard. While she was glad they’d provided food, getting past the voyeur part was proving more difficult. “I can’t believe you spied on us.”
“We followed you from the plants,” Leeam said. “You are our best hope of escape.”
“Why couldn’t you return home?” Ellard asked. “Your uncle is worried. Everyone is searching for you.”
Sheera bit her lip while Leeam hung his head. “We didn’t mean to cause trouble. We wanted to collect some special stones, so we could give them to the dragons to make into a ring for us. We’ve been here before with our families. We come during the hot weather and have a picnic. It’s not difficult to flash from home to here and return.”
“Why couldn’t you do that this time?” Ellard asked.
“There is some kind of force field and we can’t move past it,” Leeam said. “We’ve tried, and it saps our strength.”
“Our ship disintegrated after we hit something. I never saw what happened because I blacked out,” Ellard said. “What else can you tell us about the area?”
“The dragons fear it because the rocks or something under them gives off an attraction that can kill them.”
“You spoke to us earlier, whispering of danger. What have you seen?” Ellard barked the order, stepping into bodyguard mode.
“The plants. They sensed our presence and almost ate Sheera.”
“What about the thing that howls? Have you seen that?”
“No, it sticks to the other side of the Red river,” Liam said. “We’ve heard it before, if we stay late collecting the stones, but we’ve never seen it.”
“Good info. Wait.” Ellard frowned at them. “What about the plants? Have you seen them before?”
“No. The clearing where we first saw you is where we relax and share our energy. The plants are new.”
“What about the birds?” Gweneth asked. They hadn’t seemed dangerous, but they were big. One kick from them and the recipient might not live.
“They were here before. They eat plants and fruits.”
“That’s a relief.” Ellard tapped his chin with his forefinger, a gesture Gweneth was coming to recognize as his thinking monitor. “Why did you warn us not to climb up to the flat hilltop?”
“The force field trapping us here seems to originate from there. We feel the power bleeding from it.” Leeam shuddered. “We have to fight the urge to climb the hill.”
Another howl echoed through the forest, and Gweneth glanced at Ellard. The creature seemed much closer than earlier.
Ellard reached for her hand and squeezed in reassurance. “How did you manage to help me with Gweneth?” he asked Leeam. “Picking her up, I mean.”
“Sheera had the idea. You needed help.”
“But you almost wiped yourselves out helping us.”
Sheera gave a shy smile. “You have already repaid us by gifting us with energy. We’re still not as strong as usual, but at least we won’t die if we stay with you.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about voyeurs, but I’m glad we were able to help,” Gweneth said.
“You are beautiful together,” Leeam said, his tone sincere. “I hope we can find benefactors of your caliber once it comes time to leave our families.”
“What was the special stone for?” Ellard asked.
“Sheera and I love each other. We wanted to prepare a gift for a benefactor, someone who will shower us with sexual energy and help us start our own tribe.”
The more she learned about the Incorporeal people, the more fascinating they became. Living ghosts. She wanted to ask more questions, but decided to save them for the next cycle. “Ellard and I should rest now. Can you rest too?”
“We will blink out to conserve energy,” Leeam said, showing more animation than earlier. “We can still communicate via voice in this form.”
The two popped out of sight.
“Thanks for reminding me you can see everything I do,” Gweneth said.
A tinkle of laugher pulled an unwilling grin to her lips.
“We are very discreet,” Sheera whispered. “We do not gossip or even discuss our benefactors with each other.”
“Good to know,” Gweneth said.
“A snack before we go to rest would be nice,” Leeam said, and Ellard heard the humor in his suggestion.
“A kiss is all you get,” Gweneth said, trying to sound stern. She glanced up and caught the glow of Ellard’s eyes. “What?”
“It’s not often I see you nonplussed.”
“They watched us.”
“But they were discreet and didn’t appear until we had finished.”
“I was still naked.”
“Spectacular,” Ellard corrected. “Come back down here and let me kiss you.”
“At least we found them,” Gweneth grumbled. “That’s something. They’re so young.”
“We are not,” Leeam said, indignation crisp and combative in his reply.
“New rule,” Ellard said. “You need to be visible to take part in our conversations. The sole exception to this rule is while we’re traveling through the trees and trying to find a way out on the morrow. You may speak or advise us in that case. Is that clear?”
“Yes.”
“If Gweneth and I are in our chamber, and this shelter counts as a chamber, you will keep your opinions to yourself,” Ellard continued. “Is that understood?”
“So, if you are outside your chamber and we are visible, we may speak with you?” Sheera queried and she sounded worried and close to tears.
“All we’re asking for is a little privacy or at least the illusion of privacy,” Gweneth said. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, we do,” Leeam said. “Please forgive our bad manners.”
“Yes,” Sheera added in her softer voice. “This experience has placed us off-balance. We are happy to abide by any rules you put in place.” She paused. “But you will continue to feed us?”
The bloom of silence trembled with urgency and fear.
“Of course we will,” Gweneth said. “Good rest to you.”
“Thank you,” Sheera whispered. “Thank you.”
Gweneth cuddled against Ellard and pressed a kiss to his throat. Now that she’d had a chance to consider the matter, having the Incorporeal couple dependent on them gave her and Ellard a good excuse to make love again and often, which worked to her advantage. There was always the chance Ellard might decide to stop with the lovely touchy-feely stuff, but now he’d
think twice about putting a halt to their lovemaking.
She lifted her head and aimed at Ellard’s lips. He responded, a feline growl issuing from him before her mouth sealed off its escape. She sank into the kiss, enjoying the heck out of the physical contact. After all, they couldn’t let Sheera and Leeam die.
Gweneth groaned as she attempted to stand the next cycle. Every muscle screeched like a hell-horse in a tantrum. Finally, upright, she cautiously rubbed her hipbone. “I hurt.”
“Some of the aches will ease with movement.”
“I hope so.” No matter how much her muscles protested, they had to move, had to find a way off the planet surface and away from the rocks that caused the dragon glittery sickness and death. She tried a few steps and bit her lip. What she wouldn’t give for a hot bath to ease her throbbing muscles.
Sheera’s head bobbed in front of her, and Gweneth started, a naughty curse escaping before she could self-censor. “Fuck a duck.”
Sheera giggled.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Ellard popped from their shelter with one leg in his trews and one leg out.
Gweneth pointed at Sheera’s floating head, the youngster’s humor no longer in evidence after witnessing Gweneth’s displeasure. “She gave me a fright. I didn’t mean to squeak, but that is plain creepy.”
“Leeam said we should try to conserve energy.”
“But we shouldn’t frighten them either,” Leeam’s disembodied voice replied.
“Damn straight,” Gweneth said and wagged her finger in her best Amme impression. “Don’t worry,” she said because Sheera looked as if she might cry. “We will become used to each other.”
“Which parts of the area have you explored?” Ellard asked, now fully clothed. “There is no point covering the same ground.”
“We morphed straight into the clearing then, once we freed ourselves from the plants, we decided to climb to the top of the flat hill since it’s the best vantage point.” Leeam paused and his hair and face blinked into view. “The dragons do the best aerial maneuvers when they’re playing. Not that they play near the mountains in this area, but I thought we might find someone to help.”
“And you came up against the force field,” Ellard pushed the conversation in the direction he wanted it to travel.
“Yes,” Sheera said. “Except once we started climbing the urge to get even closer was almost overwhelming. It felt…wrong, and I pulled Leeam back to the base of the hill and into the forest. This used up a lot of our energy.”
“Maybe one of us can climb up to get a good look,” Gweneth said. “I didn’t feel the urges Sheera described. Did you?”
“No.”
“Then that’s the logical next step.”
“No, we need to find water and food first,” Ellard said.
“Oh, that’s easy,” Leeam said.
Without warning, a blue canteen popped into sight and hovered in front of her, its shoulder strap dangling.
“Now that we have a little energy, we can conjure food for you.”
“What about a ship? If we can get past the force field?” Ellard asked.
“Sorry,” Leeam said. “We’re not strong enough for something of that magnitude. Our parents or uncle could do it, but we’re not strong enough right now.”
“It’s all right.” Gweneth grasped the canteen, reassured by the solid feel of it and slung it over one shoulder. “Food and water is a big help, but how does this work. The ship disappeared after we crashed. Will the food actually sustain us?”
“Yes, because we offer if freely and because you need it in order to survive. That’s the basic answer. Maybe Uncle Niran could explain it better, but anything physical we make for you exists until you no longer need it.” Leeam closed his eyes, and an instant later, a dark green tunic popped into existence in front of Ellard. “If you accept this tunic, it will remain visible until you change it for another or if you remove this garment and leave it somewhere.”
“Chocolate,” Gweneth blurted. “Can you conjure chocolate?”
“I don’t understand—ah,” Sheera said and smiled at Leeam. “I’ll do it.” She closed her eyes, and seconds later a bar of chocolate appeared in front of Gweneth. She snatched it up, glanced at the packaging and grinned. “One of my favorite New Zealand chocolates. Kaya will start to drool the sec she hears. She’s eaten the last of her chocolate stock and none of the sweets we’ve managed to make have passed her discerning palate.”
Ellard yanked the tunic over his head. “Let’s head out. No talking. Everyone alert.”
“Aye, aye, Ellard.” Gweneth did a snappy salute then ripped open the wrapping on the chocolate. She handed over several squares to Ellard and shoved two into her mouth. A moan of pleasure escaped as she chewed. Dark chocolate with hints of spicy chili to counteract the sweetness. Delicious.
Ellard glanced at the chocolate with a little more interest and bit some off. He chewed.
“Nice?”
“Different. I’ve heard you all discuss chocolate before but I couldn’t understand the attraction.”
“Ye of little praise,” Gweneth mocked.
“Shush.” He shut off her words with his mouth, his unhurried kiss taking her by surprise. His tongue sought entrance, and the rich taste of chocolate fired her senses. Raw need shot to the fore and she almost dropped the chocolate in her urgency to get closer. Almost. She wound her free hand around Ellard’s neck and rocked against him, the burst of sensation at the physical contact roaring through her in a heated rush. This was so much better now. His kiss. His touch. His willingness.
He nuzzled her neck, his teeth nipping at her earlobe. The dart of pain made her breath catch, then an instant later, the throb sank downward to gather in her pussy. “Ellard.”
He released her and stepped back, his green eyes alight with mischief. “My debt is paid for this cycle. Let’s move out.”
His confident swagger made her grin while his rear view brought a happy sigh. The man’s body consisted of sexy muscles and she enjoyed gawking. His kisses were also great for pain relief. She strode after him, scanning their forest surroundings as they followed a narrow trail between the trees.
As the star climbed higher in the sky, the heat intensified. Perspiration beaded on her forehead and dampened her clothes. Swarms of tiny flying insects, disturbed by their passing, flew in clouds around their heads. Flapping her hand didn’t seem to get rid of them and the insects kept dive bombing her face. Talking wasn’t wise.
Overhead, she heard the odd bird or animal, but the dense treetops meant she never saw what made the sounds. Friendly or dangerous? She had no idea.
Up ahead, Ellard slowed. He flapped his hand over his face. “Can you hear that drone?”
“Yeah.”
“Force field,” Leeam said, his voice coming from over to her right. Both he and Sheera remained invisible to conserve their energy, although their faces had both shone brighter after their kiss. Such an interesting race, and unlike any she’d met before.
“So the force field is above and in front of us,” Ellard said. “This doesn’t look good. I’m willing to bet if we walk in the other direction we’ll come to the force field as well.”
“If we’re in a trap, then how did we get through?” Gweneth asked.
“No idea. My best guess…it’s something to do with the ship. For some reason it could pass through the field, but that doesn’t help us get out.”
“A ship,” Leeam said. “Can you hear it?”
They cocked their heads to listen, the uneven whine of the engines indicating the pilot had the ship hovering above them.
“They’ve found us.”
“Heat-seeking instruments,” Ellard said tersely, his large frame locked in position.
“I can flash up to the top branches,” Leeam said. “Stay here, Sheera.”
“Be careful,” Ellard said. “Until we learn whether it’s friend or foe.”
“I’ll be fine,” Leeam said. “I won’t be visib
le.”
“But I presume you still give off a heat signature?” Ellard scowled his serious bodyguard expression. “Don’t get cocky. This situation feels wrong.”
Ellard continued frowning, his attention on the treetops, and Gweneth picked up his unease. They waited and waited. Leeam didn’t return and without warning, the ship moved off. When they could no longer hear it, she exchanged a glance with Ellard.
“Leeam,” he called. “You can come down now. Leeam?”
Sheera’s face popped into sight in front of them. Tears welled in her eyes. “They’ve taken Leeam. I can’t find him. I can’t sense him any longer.”
Chapter 11
“What do you mean you can’t sense him?” Ellard turned in a circle, his gaze on the tangle of branches and leaves above their heads. He sucked in a breath, identifying the smells—the greenery of the plants, the earthy scent of the ground underfoot and the faint floral perfume from Gweneth. No sign of Leeam, not a hint in their surroundings.
“It’s like he has vanished. I should be able to sense him in the way I could when we were all together,” Sheera said, her voice becoming increasingly higher and frazzled. “I don’t understand. I never heard anything, apart from the ship. Leeam blinked off my inner radar. We have to find him. He could die if he can’t feed. We’re already weaker than normal. If it wasn’t for you and Gweneth, we would have died because we seem to be trapped in here.”
“Steady,” Ellard said. “We need information. We’ll walk in the direction the ship went.”
“If it was a friendly, they would have got Leeam to communicate with us,” Gweneth said.
Yeah, his thinking exactly. No matter which way he looked at it, Leeam’s disappearance didn’t bode well for any of them. “We’ll reconnoiter and gather information then come up with a plan. Sheera, we need you to keep calm and help us. Can you do that?”
During the brief pause, Ellard steeled himself for tears. Tears were tears even if they were the invisible sort.
“Sheera, you need to be strong,” Gweneth said. “We need to work together to learn what has happened to Leeam. I want you to go up to the treetop like Leeam did and tell us if you can see anything.”
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