“You said home?” The joy in his voice pinched her insides.
“Yes, home.” Was she a bad person for making him believe she intended to stay here with him? Since that’s what he wanted, of course, he believed her. She wished it were possible.
She pivoted around him and faced him, lacing her legs around his hips. Slowly, she unhooked the front of her bustier. She lowered one strap, then the other, to reveal her firm breasts.
When she peeled away the garment and dropped it to the rushes, she heard his intake of breath. His strong hands gripped her hips. He didn’t stand a chance in this game, but even through the synthleather pants, his touch seared her skin and melted her insides.
“Do you like what you see?” She caressed her breasts and wet her lips lightly with her tongue.
His eyes drilled into hers like hot lava. The scent of cinnamon billowed around them like a cloud. She could barely breathe. She wanted him like no other man before. It made it difficult for her to focus upon the task at hand. A simple look from him reduced her insides to liquid fire.
But she could not let him control the game. She must give him pleasure, not the other way around.
Encircling his torso with her arms, she brought her bare chest against his. The mere contact of his warm skin against her tight nipples made her mind reel. Her hands, roaming his back, felt the slightest tickle of soft feathers. She gasped. Her desire for him rocketed to new heights, as if his sheer contact could give her an orgasm. Could it?
He kissed the nest of her throat. She thought she’d experienced it all before, but this resembled nothing she’d ever known.
She tensed when she felt him inside her. How was it possible? They both wore pants. Was he playing tricks with her mind? She reeled and closed her eyes under the onslaught of new and delightful sensations. Without movement or penetration, he gave her the full experience of love-making.
How did he do that? His strong hands seared her hips. She wanted to move, make contact with his skin, kiss him, but he held her in place.
She must keep her wits, but her mind grew fuzzy. She struggled to focus. “What are you doing to me?”
“Expressing my love inside your body with my mind.” He opened his eyes and smiled. “Do you like it?” His voice caressed her, his breath so sweet.
She swam in his hypnotic trance. Did he say love? By the frozen hells of Laxxar, Fianna couldn’t afford to fall in love. It always complicated things. It clouded judgment... but she melted under the incredible sensations. The unique power of his mind made her moan and sigh like a cat in heat, as if overwhelmed by simultaneous lovers determined to give her unbound pleasure.
“Acielon...”
“Yes, my love.”
Love, again. “I want you to experience my pleasure, too.”
“I could if I joined my mind with yours,” he whispered in her ear.
“You mean getting inside my head and reading my mind?” Triblets, she couldn’t allow him to do that. “I have a better idea.”
After climaxing under the power of his mind, she wanted to enjoy that wonderful man earthling style.
Steeling herself against his mind bending love technique, she pushed him gently down upon the bed and slid one hand under the waistband of his white, baggy pants. He was fully erect and larger than she’d imagined.
His face flushed. His breath shortened. His arm tightened around her waist. Yep, he was a real man. Fianna smiled. She’d regained control of the game.
Acielon’s growing erection in her hand, her need for him and the contact of his warm skin, distracted her from her guilt. He kissed her and the deepening of his kiss, made her forget everything else. She lost herself in the cinnamon scent of his skin, in the turquoise pools of his eyes, in the strength of his hands plying her body to his will.
When he turned on her and she found herself underneath him, she welcomed his weight, his will, his mastery of her body. How could an innocent be so versed in the matters of physical love? He was definitely more than a simple man.
When he pinned her under him and willed her pants away, she could not resist, could not fight back. She didn’t want to control the game anymore. She felt the precise moment when she lost the battle.
He took his time with penetration, teasing her, slowly, then in and out so shallow Fianna couldn’t stand it anymore. “Please, take me fully.”
“Are you sure?”
“I can’t stand the wait anymore.”
He thrust into her so deep, she gasped. He filled her completely, flooding her with delightful sensations. When he moved inside her again, she let go of all restraints, thrashing with insane pleasure, panting and moaning like a lioness under his renewed assaults.
She felt the moment when Acielon lost control. His thrusts grew erratic and soft grunts escaped his lips. His wings unfolded straight up. She reeled under the onslaught. Nothing existed except him, and the incredible pleasure he inflicted upon her.
His powerful lovemaking kept her enthralled. She climaxed several times before he allowed himself release. Then they both collapsed upon each other. Fianna had never felt so happy and so exhausted at the same time. She grinned for no reason.
Acielon rolled to the side and spooned her, then laced his arms around her with infinite tenderness. “I shall keep you here forever.”
Fianna chuckled. “There is no such thing as forever.”
“Yes, there is... on Azura.”
“Is there?” She turned to face him on the pillow and made a sad face. “But I cannot be happy in a cage.”
He kissed her forehead. “I shall ask the Council to release you in my custody... so you can leave this home, and I would be responsible for you remaining on Azura.”
“Great. Thank you.” She kissed his lips lightly, then smiled and scooted closer into his embrace, closing her eyes. She had won.
* * *
Fianna stretched in the afterglow of such a wonderful night. Her body never felt so relaxed. It was still dark. Acielon slept peacefully at her side. She rose on one elbow to watch his naked body entangled in the sheets in sweet abandon. She blew a feather off her face. How she wished for a peaceful life with him. For the first time, she could envision having children and raising them here... but this was only a fantasy.
Now that the glow faded, Fianna could see the ugly reality raising its head. She’d fallen in love despite knowing better. Leaving Acielon now would break his heart... and hers. Yet, she must. She felt rotten about it, but she couldn’t abandon her brother to his sorry fate. If Acielon took responsibility for her, she wondered what would happen to him when she left the planet, which she intended to do.
Through the translucent dome, lightning lashed the clouds with electric silvery threads. Thunder cracked and rumbled deep. As the storm unleashed, a downpour drummed upon the crystal, like so many needles attacking a giant drum.
Sheba! In the aftermath of such a magic night, she’d completely forgotten about everything, her duty, her brother, the cat. She mentally called for the cat but received no response. Cold panic snaked through her body.
“Where is Sheba? She hates the rain.” Fianna groped for her bustier and found it. She then searched for her pants.
“Sheba?” Acielon glanced at her with a lazy smile. “I can find her.”
“In this weather?” Fianna’s heart pounded in her chest as she pulled up her pants. How could she have forgotten the weather? How could Acielon affect her that much?
“Do not worry.” Acielon sat cross-legged on the bed, back straight. When did he don his loin cloth? Did it suddenly appear?
He laid his hands upon his knees, and closed his eyes. His wings deployed, straight up above him like giant sails. A strange blue glow surrounded him, like on some pious images she’d seen around places of worship. An awe-inspiring sight. No wonder people revered such beings.
Fianna also realized why these residential domes had sunken rooms despite such a high ceiling... to allow the deployment of the gigantic wings.
Did she he
ar music? Faint harmonies filled the air around them, droning the storm outside. How would he find Sheba? And what would happen when he did?
Within mere moments, Acielon opened his striking turquoise eyes and smiled. His wings retracted and folded, then vanished into his smooth back. “Sheba is safe.”
“Where is she?”
“Here, inside the fence.”
Fianna ran up the wide steps leading to the ground level and sighed with relief at the sight of Sheba leaping inside the dome.
The cat shook her short fur like a mongrel, sprinkling water all over the smooth floor.
Fianna stepped back to avoid the sprinkles. “Hey!”
The puma huffed. “Sheba not like rain.”
“I know. Especially big storms. They can be scary.” Fianna embraced the big cat and scratched her wet head behind the ears. Then she kissed her nose. “Come.”
Sheba bumped her head on her thigh and followed her down the wide steps. The cat sniffed the space, took note of Acielon, then sat on the lowest wide step, where she actively licked the water from her fur.
Fianna wondered how Sheba had crossed the invisible barrier but wouldn’t ask in front of Acielon. Right now, her angel was unguarded and cooperative, but she might need that information later... just in case.
Chapter Eight
Tarkan cast a rock at the invisible wall fencing the perimeter of their small cluster of clear blue domes. The rock bounced back with no sound and fell to the lawn. He threw another, much higher, and it also bounced, landing in the grass with a soft splat.
He hated captivity. He’d wracked his brain to form an escape plan but came up empty, so far. The fence seemed to extend even underground. Tarkan scratched the stubble on his scarred left cheek. If he didn’t come up with a plan soon, they could be here for a long, long time.
Kong hobbled up to him, left arm in a sling, bandage on his right arm, favoring his injured leg from the fight at the cave. Under the sleeveless red coat, his bare muscled chest revealed kilos of thick, shiny gold chains. He had an unusual, cheerful smile. “Even with my weak arm, I can throw better than that. I once won a hammer throwing contest. Let me try.”
“Knock yourself out.” Tarkan could use the big man’s help. He made up for his lack of brains with remarkable muscles and physical strength.
Kong picked up a rock and examined it carefully. “How high do you think this fence is?”
“Obviously higher than I can throw.” And Tarkan had a good throwing arm from using a sling in childhood... not a weapon that could get you arrested in the slums, but effective in skilled hands.
Kong glanced up at the invisible fence. “At least we know it’s a wall, not a dome. The winged monkeys dropped us inside, as well as the baskets of food that keep us fed.”
“Yet, it’s too high to swing a hooked rope over the edge.”
“For you, maybe.” Kong scratched his black goatee then narrowed his eyes as he aimed and threw high.
The rock stopped but did not bounce. It slowed down, as if it hit a gelatinous mass, then slid straight down to the foot of the wall.
Tarkan realized this wasn’t a solid wall all the way up, but a tapering force field that lost its integrity at the top. “Even if we throw a rope over it, the top will never hold a hook.”
Kong smoothed his black skull. “We could build a ladder.”
“With what? We have no materials and no tools.” Tarkan had thought of that, too. “If the top of the wall is soft, it will not hold a ladder any better than a hook.”
“I see...” But Kong’s brain obviously did not compute.
“All we have is these.” Tarkan gestured toward the yellow blooming vines covering low walls and arched trellises.
Kong scratched his chin. “Enough for a large sling?”
Tarkan shook his head. “Then how do you get down the other side? If you fall from that height...”
“You die.” Kong smiled devilishly. The diamonds in his gold teeth caught the sunlight and sparkled. “Unless you have a parachute.”
Tarkan liked Kong’s simplicity. “A parachute might work.” He sat on one of the stone benches lining the wall, his back to the fence. “Getting out of here may be harder than I imagined.”
“Why do you want to leave, Boss? This is the nicest crib I’ve ever had.” Kong guffawed. “Green spaces, flowers, swimming pools, fountains, plenty of good food, luxurious baths... just the kind of palace we would build with the credits from the crystal.”
“Don’t get used to this. Even though the locals don’t accept credits, I bet you this luxury doesn't come free. It’s going to cost us, and I’m not paying for it.”
Kong flashed a beatific smile. “I don’t even miss the booze or the drugs.”
“Have you lost your mind? What about your freedom?” Tarkan valued his freedom above all else. When he’d killed the former head of the Dragons to take his place, he’d sworn never again to obey orders or accept limitations. He would only live on his own terms.
Kong scratched his neck under the layers of gold chains. “Too bad for you, the winged monkeys never need to open the gate. They don’t even have guards we could trick into letting us out.”
“At least, we know they are not watching us.” Tarkan could use that bit of privacy.
“We do?” Kong frowned in confusion. “That’s good, right?”
Tarkan pitied Kong. He would never be a leader. “According to the archives of the Trade Alliance Kid Hacker provided, they have no technology. Which means no cameras, and no recordings. They control everything with the power of their minds. They must think no one can break out of this place.”
“But you’ll prove them wrong, right boss?” Kong winked.
“Yes, my friend. I intend to.” How, was another matter.
Kong smiled. “Give me a girl or two, and I could be happy here for the rest of my life.”
“No, you wouldn’t.” Tarkan snorted. “You would get restless. Soon you would pick a fight with another Dragon. In no time, we’d all be at each other’s throats.”
“Maybe.” Kong drop sat on the grass and gingerly eased his bandaged leg. “But I’m not spoiling for a fight right now. I’ve never slept so well, and I never felt so calm and content with my life.”
“What’s happening to you? Is the food drugged or something?” Tarkan stared at his friend in disbelief. “We need to find a way out, so we can collect the crystal, then live like kings ruling our own kingdom... not accepting food in an enclosure like chattel.”
Kong lay down in the grass, his right hands under his head, staring at the clear sky. “I wouldn’t mind living like this. No work, no supervision, every meal delivered? It’s like our own private island with winged monkeys as servants... the kind of retirement I always dreamed of.”
“Listen to yourself.” Tarkan barely recognized his friend. “Did you lose the few brain cells you had left? We are too young to give up the thrill of adventure. I’m not ready to retire.”
Kong chewed on a stem of grass. “Well, maybe I am.”
Beyond him the Dragons lounged peacefully, laughing and enjoying the day. They looked so tame... happier than he’d ever seen them.
Tarkan couldn’t stand the change. He felt his control over them slip away. “What happened to our dreams of space yachts, travels, and drinking ourselves silly? What about opening a gambling den, or owning the slums of Byzantium-5, and killing everyone who ever gave us a hard time, just to show them who’s in charge?”
Kong shrugged “If you want to leave so bad, find a way out. You’ve escaped from much worse.”
“I have.” Tarkan glanced back at the invisible fence and shook his head. “Yet, this kind of wall isn’t linked to any electronics. I don’t know what it would take to bring it down.”
Kong chuckled. “Too bad the explosives are back at the cave.”
Tarkan grunted. According to Kid Hacker’s Intel, the locals only used the power of their minds. If that’s how they sustained the fence, explosiv
es would not destroy it... but a violent distraction might disrupt them long enough to weaken their focus, and allow him to slip through.
With all his Dragons so subdued, however, could he generate enough chaos?
* * *
The nine Archons ruling Azura materialized in a soft rustling of feathers, sat on their white marble seats, and folded their wings. Through the blue dome of the Council Chamber, the morning sun shone brightly in a pure turquoise sky. Soft harmonies emanated from the crystal as it vibrated with the Archons’ presence.
Standing on the cold white floor, Acielon doubted the wisdom of his enquiry. He had promised Fianna to intervene for her freedom, and he always kept his promises. But now that he faced the Council of Archons, he wondered about the futility of his request.
Lord Abraxas, the Chief Archon, nodded. “Well? Brother Acielon. This is the second time you convene the Council in two days. I dare hope you have a very good reason.”
Of course, they already knew his reason, since they could read his mind. Curiously enough, Azurans were forbidden to read the Archons’ thoughts, or guess their intentions. At the moment, this rule did not seem fair.
Acielon bowed deeply. “Lord Abraxas, Venerable Ones, I would like to formally request the foreign female enforcer be released. She is no threat to us.”
“Oh?” Lord Abraxas raised his smooth brow. “Why should we allow such a dangerous thing?”
“Fianna is unhappy in captivity... like a bird in a cage.” Acielon hoped the Council would understand the analogy. “If you allow her to go free, I shall make sure she does not leave the planet.”
Lord Abraxas smiled. “I assume you do not want her to leave.”
“No, Venerable One. I wish to keep her here.” For reasons he would rather not express in words. His thoughts returned to Fianna’s lovely naked body and the pleasures of the night. Heat crept up his throat.
The pointed looks from the Archons, and their clenched jaws, told him they did not approve of his personal reasons. The Archons closed their eyes and Acielon felt something pass between them. Something he did not dare read.
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