“Really?” She glanced at him with doubt on her face. “But with conviction and practice, anyone can heal with their hands.” She sighed. “Of course, without deep compassion, you cannot heal anyone.”
Did she think his people had no compassion? “Most likely your healing abilities were a gift from the Star People, like mind-talk.”
“No.” She brought her knees up to her chin and encircled them with her arms. “My clan could heal long before the Star People first came. Anyone can heal.”
Kahuel didn't want to contradict her but it seemed rather unlikely. He gazed upon the encampment below to the right, aglow with the wavering flames of the fires.
Talina pointed toward the camp with her chin. “I've never seen so many fires. Your people seem fascinated by it.”
“Fire warms us when it's cold. It purifies everything. It kills diseases, softens the food, makes it taste better, and safer to eat... It smelts the metal to make blades. In the wild, fire also keeps predators at bay.”
“You are afraid of animals because you can't speak to them?” She nodded gravely. “But why burn the dead?”
“To avoid the spread of plagues.” Kahuel enjoyed the way she now listened and absorbed everything he said.
“Plagues?” She frowned as if the word had no meaning for her.
“Epidemics, diseases that spread to a whole town and kill many.” Kahuel didn't mention that throughout history most of these plagues were engineered as weapons and unleashed on the population by malevolent galactic races.
Talina's eyes grew wide. “Malevolent? More than one race of Star People?”
Blast! Of course, she'd read his mind. Kahuel would never get used to this kind of violation.
“Violation?” She paused, her turquoise eyes staring out of a still face. Then she lowered her gaze. “I apologize if I broke the rules of your tribe. I will not do it again.”
“Thank you.” Kahuel hoped she would keep that promise. “We like our thoughts to remain private.”
“My people keep their minds open at all times. Hiding thoughts is an act of rebellion, and strictly forbidden by the Star People.”
“Why do you trust these Star People? Why let them rule your lives?” But Kahuel knew the natives had no defenses against a high-technology race.
“They chose us and have been kind to us.” Talina sounded defensive. Did she resent him for asking the questions? Or did she suspect something wrong with the Star People? “They couldn't possibly have bad intentions.”
“Why not?” Kahuel raised his brow at such naivety. “Galactic races are no better than Humans. They've intervened many times in the affairs of my continent, and always for their own benefit. Of course, they always claimed to act in our best interest.”
“Really? Star People can lie?” Talina looked so candid, so open and earnest.
He wanted to kiss her but refrained. Such eagerness might scare her. “Tell me more about your Star People. What are they like? Do you know what they want?”
“They say they want our happiness. They say we should live in harmony with nature, love one another, love all the animals, reject any kind of tools or weapons.”
Kahuel snorted. “Yet they order Vanaru to launch a vicious attack on my camp.”
“I don't understand it either.” Talina's shoulders dropped. “It doesn't make any sense.”
Kahuel couldn't tire of looking at her. Everything about her charmed him. “Have you any idea why they came here in the first place?”
“Why?” Talina stared at him blankly. Obviously, she'd never asked herself that question. “I really don't know why.”
How could the Star People be in contact with the natives while undetectable by the planet's defenses? Kahuel remembered discussing with Princess Esperana the device generating the dampening field. It had to be on the island. “Did the Star People leave something with you for safe keeping? Something precious, something valuable? Something dangerous to be revered or feared?”
Talina's clear eyes narrowed. “They gave us the seven sacred relics, and the Guardians to protect them.”
“Guardians?” To Kahuel, the word sounded ominous.
“The Guardians are large white venomous snakes with ruby eyes.”
Kahuel bristled at the exploitation of a simple, trusting people. The dampening field isolated them, so the Star People could control them without interference. “Where do you keep these relics?”
“In the sacred cave with the Guardians. Whoever touches the relics dies instantly. A few made that mistake in the past. The relics protect us from the evils of this world. We are the Chosen. And as long as the relics protect us, nothing bad can touch us.”
Of course, that was one way to explain a dampening field. Kahuel felt guilty about not telling her the truth, but even if he explained it, she might not understand. To her, technology must sound like magic. “And where is this sacred cave?”
Talina gazed up at the large rising moon. “Well hidden, deep in the forest, camouflaged by tall trees and by the black cliff itself. It's impossible to find if you don't know where to look.”
If Kahuel could destroy the devices, it would disable the dampening field and he could use his crystal transmitter to contact the main continent. “I would very much like to see these relics.”
Talina shook her head violently. “That would be dangerous. Vanaru lives in that cave, and it is said the Star People can see everything through the eyes of the Guardian snakes.”
That confirmed Kahuel's suspicions about an ulterior motive. Why did the Star People need spying snakes among peaceful natives? “Can you talk to these Guardians?”
“No.” Talina glanced at him sideways. “It would be disrespectful. The Guardians only talk to the Star People.”
“I still want to go there, see the relics for myself.” Kahuel clenched his jaw, containing his anger at Talina's brother for the unwarranted attack. “And I want to speak to Vanaru face to face.”
“I don't know if I can face him.” Talina stared down. “He banished me, and I am not welcome there anymore.”
“I'll be right there with you.” Kahuel caressed her cheek. Guilt assailed him about using her against her own people. “Do your clansmen carry any weapons at all?”
“None.” She stiffened, obviously offended. “We do not believe in fighting.”
“Then we should be safe enough with only a few warriors.” Kahuel wondered how far she would go against her own people. “You can keep the wild animals at bay, can't you?”
Talina swallowed hard. “Vanaru is very powerful.”
“We are not afraid to fight animals or men. I have to do this. For myself, for my people.” Yet, he was taking advantage of her. “We really mean no harm to your clan. There is no reason for us to be enemies.”
“I agree... I wish my brother saw the truth in this.” She offered a wisp of a smile. “If you really want to meet Vanaru, I'll take you there tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow seems so far away...” Kahuel admired Talina. Not just her lovely face, curved hips and perfect small breasts, but her courage in defying her brother, her willingness to heal his warriors. And he couldn't help the burning desire smoldering at his core. “Talina.”
Her wide turquoise eyes glistened in the moonlight when he said her name. She leaned back on her elbows and smiled with the most endearing dimples. How could he possibly resist the call of her soft lips?
* * *
Talina's smile froze, but she couldn't let panic invade her senses. Black Jaguar's face was so close, she could feel his breath on her lips. She didn't need mind-talk to read him. She knew what he wanted, and it scared her.
A cold shiver coursed through her body. She couldn't break the most sacred rules of her clan by allowing him so close. “A princess of the Chosen, who has vowed chastity, should never...”
“I understand.” He drew back slightly, leaving a void between them. “But your brother banished you. Are you still a princess of the Chosen?”
The
reminder of Vanaru's cruel banishment made Talina flinch. Her chest clenched at the finality of her predicament. “I realize I can never return to my clan. Still... I cannot stop being a princess.”
“You certainly look like one.” He caressed her cheek, eliciting shivers. “But the rules of the Chosen don't apply to you anymore.”
She nodded and sighed heavily. “I am dead to them. I have no home.”
Her throat contracted. Black Jaguar wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb and she leaned her head into his hand.
“Don't be so sad.” He held her chin up. “After what you did for my people, they love you.” He pointed toward the cove where campfires still burned. “You earned a home with us. You are one of us now.”
It filled Talina with warmth to know his people would adopt her. Her banishment might not be a death sentence after all, although she might still die from the lack of mind contact with her clan. “I am very grateful.”
“It's the least we can do.” Black Jaguar laid a hand on her knee through the light fabric of her dress.
Talina shuddered under his gentle touch. How she wanted to discover the pleasures she had renounced so young. But it couldn't be. “The Star People dictate the rule. They can still punish me.”
Black Jaguar smiled. “Would the Star people care about a single individual? Do they even know you have left the Chosen?”
“They certainly care about a princess who can summon them. And they know.” A cold finger of dread crept along Talina's nape. “Vanaru banished me in front of the Guardians.”
Black Jaguar's emerald gaze swept over her and rested on her face. “Why are you so afraid of them? Have they punished your people before?”
“No.” Away from her people's influence, Talina realized Black Jaguar made a lot of sense. “You teach me new ways of thinking... forbidden ways.”
“Forbidden by the Star People to serve their own purpose, whatever that is.” He shifted closer to her, his gaze never leaving her face.
“My people would consider such words disrespectful.” But Talina didn't need to pry into his mind to understand. Somehow, in Black Jaguar's company, she didn't miss the comfort of mind reading. “I enjoy simply conversing with you in words.”
“Me, too.” Black Jaguar smiled, and his head drew closer to kiss her forehead.
Talina closed her eyes to enjoy the soft contact. Why was everything so easy in Black Jaguar's company? But a princess couldn't let herself go. She took a deep breath and moved away from him. She leaned back against the incline of the rock, hands under her head, and gazed up at the large moon reflecting into the dark ocean. She knew what Black Jaguar wanted, and she felt the same kind of attraction, but he was forbidden. “You said lots of people live in the sky?”
Black Jaguar propped himself on one elbow, the moonlight accentuating the regular planes of his dark, noble face. He glanced up. “I've been up there, in my mother's craft.”
“Your mother has a flying machine? Like Rakham of the legend?” Talina had not considered the possibility. “Does everyone have flying machines in your land?”
“Not everyone, only royalty. My mother was raised on another planet. She came from the stars in her craft.” He grinned, his white teeth bright in the moonlight. “When she bonded with my father and became queen of Yalta, she kept the spacecraft for a while, until the Mutants requisitioned it for their security patrols.”
“Your mother is a queen?” Talina's heart skipped a beat. She knew Black Jaguar was special, but she'd never suspected royal blood. Her instinct had not betrayed her. Destiny had sent him for her... the perfect consort. She couldn't stop smiling. “Will you take me to the stars sometime?”
“I'd love to.” He gazed into her eyes and caressed her hair so tenderly. “The view is breathtaking.”
“I feel safe close to you.” She laid a hand on his strong shoulder and tasted the salty skin of his throat.
“And I will do anything to keep you safe.” He kissed her hair and held her against his open tunic.
Talina reveled in his masculine scent, a mix of rough cotton, gritty sand and sea breeze. “Can you protect me from the Star People?”
“Don't worry,” he whispered in her ear, eliciting shivers of delight. “When Princess Esperana returns, together we'll find a way to help.”
“The Lost Daughter?” A pang of uneasiness tugged at Talina's chest. Was there something between Black Jaguar and the Lost Daughter? She pulled away from him. She couldn't take any chances. She had to make sure. A princess could only bond with a chaste, unattached prince. “She is beautiful, don't you think?”
Black Jaguar shrugged. “In a tall lanky, Mutant kind of way, I guess she is handsome. But she doesn't have your charming smile, your innocence, or your spontaneity.”
“Really?” She searched his gaze hoping to read the truth on his face without having to read his thoughts. He was a foreigner... he could be lying. Still, she resisted the temptation to touch his mind. Could she trust him? He had never lied to her before.
Satisfied that he told the truth, Talina closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation coursing from her scalp to her toes. Then his hand rested on her upper arm and she sensed his shadow blocking the moonlight.
Talina opened her eyes. “Black Jaguar, I want you, but...”
“I know. Of course, you are a virgin.” His intense emerald stare burned through her.
She marveled at the feel of his muscled arms through the sandy tunic. “I was never meant to be bonded, so I was never told...”
He grinned. “Don't worry, I'll show you how. I know enough for two.”
“How do you…” He sealed her lips and she relaxed into his arms, savoring the sweet nectar of his mouth. He tasted like the fruit they ate.
Of course, he must have had coupling directions, like the young men of her clan. Talina had seen animals join in the wild. She had accidentally touched on clanswomen's thoughts and heard conversations about life mates. All these memories flooded her mind as she responded to the strong contact of this man. He reminded Talina of a splendid cat, dark, with mesmerizing eyes, limber, powerful, like the wild jaguar, who could kill in one leap. But he didn't leap.
She welcomed the insistence of his tongue and let him explore her mouth. Then she ventured small licks beyond his surprisingly smooth teeth. His body tensed and his arms enclosed her. How strong he was, how hard and virile. His manhood swelled against her thigh under the strength of his need.
The insistent pressure of his hands generated heat on her skin, and she shivered in the night breeze. As they lay on the rock, away from everyone, she stole a glance toward the cove. A cloud shadowed the moon, hiding them from the camp. Destiny...
She trembled under his gentle touch as he slipped his hand under her dress and caressed her leg. Slowly, tantalizingly, he drew circles on her skin, moving higher, eliciting delicious shivers. He lingered on the inside of her thigh, his hand wandering slowly but inexorably toward the place burning for his touch. Yet he remained clear of it.
He took his time, and Talina admired his control, because she could feel his furious heartbeat and could tell without reading his mind that he paced his raging passion. Her body arched of its own volition toward his roaming fingers. Black Jaguar seized the back of her thighs with unexpected strength and squeezed her buttocks, pressing her against him.
Talina felt the hardness of his swollen erection against her thigh, so big... How could it ever fit inside her? She gasped when his hand touched her secret place. Just as she had second thoughts, his fingers penetrated her and she found herself welcoming the contact, rubbing against his hand to feel the full brunt of the strange sensations taking hold of her body. She grew light, and hot, and she yearned for more.
She rode his fingers with unexpected wantonness, eager to satisfy the need he'd created. “I want you inside me, Black Jaguar.”
“You are not ready.” He nibbled her bottom lip.
Her entire lower body relaxed and flooded with warmth. She ki
ssed his face, his neck, grazing his skin with her teeth. “I want you.”
“Not yet.” He eased his grip on her to lift the hem of her dress, then he slid down her body. When he applied his lips to her belly, then below, and kissed the junction of her thighs, she writhed under the unbearably delicious sensation.
But he held her so tight, she couldn't escape even if she tried. Not that she wanted to. Years of abstinence converged into one moment of total abandon and trust. Strangled sounds escaped her throat. She never knew the act of love could be so intoxicating, yet this was not a proper joining. She heard a moan and realized it came from deep inside her.
“Now you are ready,” he whispered against her flesh.
“Yes, Black Jaguar... please.” How she loved to say his name.
The breadth of his erection pushed against her, eliciting a mix of pleasure, pain and desire. Something inside her resisted. He claimed her mouth and her mind whirled with so many arousing touches.
Then a mighty thrust broke her free and hot pleasure flooded her, erasing any discomfort or doubt she might have had. This was right, the way it was supposed to be. She was now bonded to Black Jaguar for life, and nothing could ever tear them apart.
Chapter Nine
Kahuel had never felt so happy and so light in his life. As the twin suns emerged from the ocean at dawn, he raced Talina to the scintillating waves. When he slowed down to shed his tunic, baldric and sword, she passed him, leaving tracks in the wet sand. He hopped on one foot and pulled off one boot, dropped it, then pulled the other.
Joining the game, Diablo, with his fluid lope, reached Talina at the water's edge and dove into the waves. When Kahuel rushed into the cool surf, Talina splashed him with iridescent drops and peals of laughter. Kahuel splashed back then immersed himself, enjoying the cleansing ritual. After rubbing his teeth with a callused finger, he rinsed his mouth with seawater to clear the taste of sleep. Not that they'd slept much.
Talina watched him intently, wonder in her turquoise eyes, then she imitated his morning ablutions. She looked so delicate, so slim and willowy in the soft light of the pink dawn, waist deep in the gentle surf. Her hair bounced as she jumped up then dropped underwater.
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