by Bevan Greer
He leaned up suddenly and caught one full breast in his mouth, sucking with such intensity that Naria felt her womb clench in pleasure. And as he sat up, her body fell precariously open to his invasion. But Jace didn’t do more than caress her taut nipple with his mouth.
Naria felt his muscles straining for release, could feel the raw power he used to keep himself in check while his body screamed for fulfillment. He rubbed himself against her, her large erection pressing intimately against her wet curls.
“I need you,” he murmured against her other breast, giving it the same loving attention as the other. “You don’t know how much,” he said raggedly as he again suckled her hungrily.
His teeth pulled, his tongue soothed and his lips lavished her with erotic promises as he sent her image after image of what he would soon be doing to her. Her need began to overtake her control and soon Jace lost his as well.
Naria gasped in ecstasy as Jace shifted and thrust his entire length into her moist core. He stilled for a moment, his breathing uneven, his body close to climax. And then he began moving and his mouth returned to hers. Naria could only cry out in love and desire as he thrust into her, his body urging her to tighten around him. He captured her tongue and stroked it delicately until Naria felt sure she could take no more.
And as he heard her mind’s cry, he thrust heavily into her, causing her world to explode in wondrous colors of desire and love. Jace quickly followed her, his body shuddering as she milked him of his seed. And as their minds continued to surge together in loving communion, something opened up their hearts all the way.
Naria gasped as the heat that had consumed her from passion was replaced by a greater burning. She could barely see as her vision grew brighter and brighter until she felt as one with Jace. And then it exploded all around her and she heard Jace gasp as he too was sucked into blissful unawareness.
When next she woke, Naria found herself still entwined with Jace, his body buried deeply inside of her, hot, throbbing and strong. She could feel something different about her now, something that made her more than what she had been.
She watched as Jace’s eyes opened and he stared into her.
“I can see your soul,” he said softly, his eyes wondrous as he smiled at her. “And it’s more beautiful than I ever could have imagined,” he said.
He kissed her and began moving in her again, but gently, tenderly.
“I love you, Naria Arel,” he said, and Naria felt herself bound to him forever. She didn’t know how she knew it, but she had just been pledged to Jace for the rest of their lives, for however long they might last.
“And I you, Jace Arel,” Naria said softly. In that explosion of light that had encompassed her, Naria had seen all of Jace’s past and his present. She had seen his hopes for the future as well, astonished to have seen many blond and black haired babes surrounding them.
“And though the timing couldn’t be worse,” he said and grimaced, “I refuse to wait when I can share this love I have with you now.”
He moved slowly and then Naria felt his muscles tighten as he pushed himself deeper into her. With his mind he touched her in ways no human or demon ever could. She clenched him to him in wordless surrender as they shared a rapture more powerful because it had been created in love.
After some time, they disentangled themselves and lay together, both wondering about the future. No longer needing words, they shared their thoughts and fears in their joined mind.
Jace, you know that this can only strengthen us against our enemy, Naria thought.
I hope so.
It will. The Cazeth don’t understand love. They fear it and with good reason.
I don’t care right now. Naria heard her mate sigh. I feel too good to fear the future. But know this Naria. Nothing is more important to me than your safety. Nothing, he emphasized. And Naria could clearly see that he would rather die than live without her.
She hugged him tight and reassured him with a band of love. Don’t worry, Jace. I’m not ready to give you up just yet. We have too many babies to make.
She watched him blush and laughed.
“You saw that, did you?” he asked aloud. “I couldn’t help it, Naria. Thoughts of creating a child with you make me feel warm and happy. You are my future, Naria, no matter what happens tomorrow,” he said and kissed her lovingly.
“So no more pestering your crew then,” Naria asked mockingly.
“No more,” he said with a sigh. Then he grinned, his eyes again mischievous. “Well, maybe a little, just to aggravate Castor. He needs it,” Jace defended himself as Naria laughed.
Just then Mikhel walked through the door and froze upon seeing both Jace and Naria naked and in one another’s arms. He didn’t, however, turn away from his curious study of Naria’s body.
Jace cursed him and covered Naria quickly.
“Sorry,” Mikhel said smiling, still staring at the sultry woman looking more than pleased at Jace’s side.
“Mikhel,” Jace said warningly.
“You should have locked the door,” Mikhel said. “I just wanted to let you know that we sent word to Lord Demise that we would be on the planet by tomorrow. Oh, and we picked up another ship on our radar. But it was moving too fast to track and it disappeared before we could get a read on it.”
Jace nodded and Mikhel turned to leave, but not before shooting Naria a quick wink and a broad smile. He left the captain’s room thinking how fate worked so mysteriously. Had they not been forced to land on Dark World, Jace might never have met Naria. And then not only would he have been unable to defeat the Cazeth, but he would have lost the love of his life.
Mikhel grinned. He knew in his heart that this campaign would be successful. And no matter what Jace or the others said, he planned to make sure they all lived to tell tales about it. No matter what the cost to himself.
-19-
Jace tried to contain his excitement at finally stepping foot on his planet after ten years. Mikhel stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.
“Why don’t we use a shuttle?” the large Fenturi asked, eyeing the transformitter uneasily.
“Because Orsan will be sure to spot us entering into Mystique’s atmosphere. Don’t worry Mikhel. Koneru has increased our trans range with these badges. They are the safest way to the planet,” Jace said softly, trying to reassure his companion.
“But there’s nothing out there,” Mikhel said shaking his head. The SpaceStalker hovered outside of planet Pith. To the east of Pith sat noting but dark space. The ship’s readings saw nothing, nor did the crew staring out of the portals into space.
“There is,” Naria said nodding. She joined Jace and reached for his hand, openly giving him the support he needed. “If you open your senses, Mikhel, you’ll see it.”
But Mikhel shook his head. “I trust Jace. I don’t need to see it until we’re there.”
“Fine,” Jace said. “Let’s go then. Castor, you have your orders.” Jace looked to his Second and satisfied with what he saw, he turned to the others. “Mikhel and I should be gone no more than twelve hours. We need to get a layout of the grounds around the kingdom palace, to see how the people there fare. If you don’t hear from us then, call in the Dark Worlders,” Jace said.
Then he turned to Naria and his expression softened. She looked so calm and yet worried about him, he thought. Her beautiful violet eyes looked like dark pools that he could easily drown in. He cupped her cheek and bent to kiss her softly.
“Please be careful, Jace,” Naria said as she stared at him. “Remember, you’re only going to look around. We’re going to help you win the battle.”
Jace turned to see his crew nodding their heads and he smiled. He leaned down for another kiss and before the familiar heat could draw him in, he broke it and moved away.
“We’ll be back soon, trust me,” Jace said grinning. Then he nodded to Koneru and in a blink of an eye Jace and Mikhel vanished from the SpaceStalker.
Jace couldn’t see for a mome
nt, his senses inundated with greetings and longing from Mystique, the living planet of the Psi. He distantly heard Mikhel curse aloud in wonder but said nothing as he felt the living world around him.
Jace’s vision returned to him and he blinked at the bright glare of vibrant colors around them. Recalling a hidden spot where he’d liked to play as a young boy, Jace had programmed those coordinates into the transformitter. Now he and Mikhel stood in a lush grotto filled with lush blue foliage and a purple stream filled with water dwelling plants and animals.
“By Fentra, look at that,” Mikhel said reverently as he stared at the large trees towering over them.
“Yes, they’re very old,” Jace said smiling, his eyes glowing as he felt welcomed home.
“Truly,” Mikhel said as he tenderly stroked the dark brown bark of one of the massive trees. His eyes glowed a bright blue as he felt the awesome lifeforce of the ancient tree.
Jace looked up at the sky, content to see the broad band of pink, lavender and blue that had always beckoned his sister to paint. Feeling a tug at his heartstrings over her unknown fate, Jace tried to release his emotional attachments and look at Mystique as a stranger would.
A feeling of life and energy consumed the planet, abundant not only in the vegetation and wildlife surrounding them, but in the very air that one breathed. Even now Jace could sense Mystique touching at Mikhel, wondering about this strange new creature a Psi had invited to the planet.
Jace watched as Mikhel closed his eyes and breathed deeply, inhaling the wonders of Jace’s world with ease.
Jace smiled and forced himself to concentrate on his mission. He tapped into Mystique’s special senses and asked about the Psi and the dark ones residing here. The planet shied from thoughts of the Cazeth but happily shared its feelings about the Psi.
“They live here, still,” Jace said softly, his mind drifting with the consciousness he still thought with.
“Who, your people?” Mikhel asked.
“Yes. Follow me and stay very silent,” Jace answered. The two men moved on feathered feet through a dense jungle of tropical plants and flowers, climbing over the thick roots of trees in what felt like hours.
Jace moved swiftly, knowing that Mikhel stood close to his back. They continued to walk until Jace found the break he for which he searched. A small passage between two large rocks led into a black corridor. Jace somehow managed to squeeze himself through and only through sheer body manipulation did Mikhel do the same.
“By the Goddess,” Mikhel swore softly as he ducked his head. “Is there no better way in?”
“No. This leads to a secret tunnel into the inner kingdom,” Jace said quietly. The two men walked over soft sand wet in patches due to the dripping of water overhead. The passage widened considerably the more they walked and Jace heard Mikhel sigh with relief.
Curbing a grin, Jace moved quickly towards the first exit he came to. He popped his head out quickly and seeing no one around, jumped out. He waited until Mikhel joined him and using his sense, Jace felt for a near unoccupied dwelling. Seeing a small cottage ahead of him, he motioned Mikhel forwards and the two men stole into the small house.
Looking around, Jace quickly grabbed two robes. He tossed one to Mikhel and donned the other himself. He pulled the hood up and ordered Mikhel to do the same.
“What type of material is this?” Mikhel asked curiously.
“It’s native to Mystique. We have a steady crop of tropical plant that makes unusually soft strands of material our weavers sew to make our clothing. I haven’t felt Mystique fabric in a very long time,” Jace said quietly, fingering the smooth material over his hands. He sighed and sat for a moment.
“Mikhel, we are now on the outskirts of the palace grounds. The royal house of Zescha stands in the center of this kingdom, a mighty stone fortress where Orsan and his minions no doubt are quartered. I will say it’s odd that we haven’t encountered anyone yet, but let’s hope our luck holds.”
Mikhel nodded, listening closely.
“Good. You’re a decent height for a Psi, somewhat tall but then so am I. Just say nothing and clear your mind of any thoughts but what I showed you yesterday. And don’t forget to twitch that kernel of darkness Naria gave you.”
Mikhel nodded. “Jace,” he paused. “The Cazeth, what are they really like?”
“They look like men but the minute you near them you know they are anything but. They have a darkness that pervades their very being. Trust me, they look like nothing you’ve ever seen before, to include your time on Dark World.”
Mikhel frowned but said nothing, merely waited for Jace to continue.
“I need to find some of my people. If we could only find one to tell us of all that has past, we might get lucky. That is, if we can find anyone in this village,” Jace said with confusion.
He reached out with his senses, careful to use a minimum of his power so as not to attract the Cazeth. Memories of what they had done to him years ago before he had escaped rose to the surface of his mind and he had to forcefully shove aside the memories.
As Jace searched with his mind, he felt no one around him of any sentience. He shook his head and motioned for Mikhel to follow him. They moved quietly through the empty streets, curious to find no one lingering during this period of day.
“There should be hundreds of Psi walking and doing their normal routine of life here,” Jace said harshly. “I can’t feel where they’ve gone.”
“Perhaps in there?” Mikhel jerked a hand towards the large gates of the keep that loomed over head.
“Let’s keep moving and hope that we find someone,” Jace said.
Jace and Mikhel wandered around the town for another hour. They passed cottages that used to be filled with families, saw carts empty of villager wares and trading goods.
And all the cottages they studied seemed as if they’d only been recently vacated. Puzzled, Jace shook his head. “Let’s move to the keep,” he said softly.
He and Mikhel slowly approached the entrance of the keep up wide steps. Jace felt something niggling at the back of his neck and stopped.
“Mikhel, I need you to wait for me in the miller’s vacant cottage. Something about this doesn’t feel right.”
“The miller?”
“Yes. He’s got a back door to his cottage that leads directly out into the trees, should something wrong come to pass.”
Mikhel nodded. “I’ll wait there. And I agree, my instincts are shouting that something foul awaits us there,” he said, pointing towards the keep’s entranceway.
Mikhel turned but caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Before he could take another step a large man with wings hovered above Jace and him. It studied them curiously, not able to see more than the disguising hoods and cloaks they wore. Jace felt pressure on his mind and could only hope that neither he nor Mikhel gave anything away.
The creature prodded at them with a large rod and Mikhel turned to follow Jace into the keep. As he walked, Jace wondered that the winged creature didn’t look as horrific as he’d remembered. Perhaps in his youth and in the traumatic seizure of his kingdom, he had overdramatized the Cazeth in his mind.
The winged creature chortled and made a series of clicks and whistles to draw the attention of others. Several more winged men approached and Jace thought uneasily that none of them actually resembled the nightmares from his dreams.
Oh, he could see a semblance of the Cazeth in the wings and dark eyes of the creatures, but the winged men had various shades of skin and hair color. And their wings were of a purple color, vice the dark red Jace remembered.
Suddenly the winged mass parted to reveal another figure, one that made Jace’s hair stand on end. Jace heard Mikhel gasp and knew that this creature was indeed a Cazeth.
“What are they doing here?” the creature’s voice echoed in many tongues around the stone of the hallway where Jace and Mikhel now stood. Whistles and clicks answered the creature and he stared in distaste at the hovering males flyin
g around him.
Suddenly the mass of flying men fell as one in a cube of ice, their faces and bodies frozen and shattered beneath the Cazeth.
“Pretty.” The Cazeth chortled and turned its empty gaze on Jace. “And how pretty are you?” it asked.
Jace felt his insides begin to burn as he realized the Cazeth meant to kill him. Without thought, Jace fired a mental blast into the creature’s mind, wounding it with the surprise and force of his attack.
“Go, Mikhel,” Jace said quietly and felt Mikhel move like a blur of light. Suddenly the Cazeth fell under Mikhel’s large blade and Jace finished the creature by obliterating its mind.
“That wasn’t so bad,” Mikhel said as he wiped the dark sludge of death off of his blade.
“Now they know,” Jace said worriedly. He felt a thousand shrieks pierce his skull, could see that Mikhel felt it too as the large man clenched his teeth and held his hands over his ears. “We have to move.”
Jace quickly leapt over the fallen bodies before him and ran towards a narrow corridor leading to the twin towers. He continued to move quickly, mentally dodging spells as they were cast at him in rapid succession. He used his mind to shield both he and Mikhel and felt the bombardment of energy seething against him.
But Jace had been training for years for such an event and he continued to deflect the evil thrust at them. He and Mikhel climbed the towers with ease and closed themselves in a main room at the top of the stairs.
“This was my room,” Jace said, breathing heavily. His mind continued to stand strong against the tentative blasts aimed his way. Jace knew the barrage had been intended to weaken and not harm him, testing to see just how strong an adversary he would prove to be. The Cazeth were noting if not able tacticians.
Jace looked around at the stone walls now devoid of any reminder of the royal house of Zescha. Instead the room lay empty, dust and emptiness surrounding them. Jace shook his head against his memories. But he could hear his mother and father calling for him, could recall his rambunctious sister pestering him to help her with some sick animal or another.