by S. E. Smith
She’d had other lovers, but they were never serious. Tonight was different. Tonight, she had felt an emotional connection that terrified her on one level while making her feel invincible on another. This was the connection that the melding essences of their colors signified – soulmates. She had always doubted the possibility and was even skeptical when she saw her essence swirling around him, but their joining tonight had been – special.
She looked out across the lake in the direction of the palace. She wished that she could talk to her mother. There were so many things that she wanted to ask her.
If all goes well, perhaps tomorrow I will be able to, she thought with longing.
She turned when she heard Ross mumble a curse. He had dropped one of his boots. She grinned when he juggled the items of clothing in his hands as he walked barefooted across the uneven ground and stood next to her. She reached over and grabbed her boots off of the pile before she carefully rearranged several items that were teetering.
She kept her hand on top of the clothes and looked up at him. Staring into his warm brown eyes, she lost herself in the memories of their lovemaking. She wanted to kiss him, to feel his hands and lips on her body bringing her to intense pleasure again and again. She blinked several times to clear her vision when she heard his low chuckle. It was obvious that he knew what she was thinking. Her face flushed with pleasure.
“Thank you,” he murmured.
“You’re welcome,” she replied.
“You know, I really like the way you fill out my sweater,” he commented.
She laughed. “I believe you have mentioned that before,” she remarked with a sassy grin.
They both looked out across the lake when a low rumble of thunder rolled across the sky. The clouds were getting darker, and they would soon see more lightning flashes on the horizon. A cool breeze was beginning to pick up.
“Looks like we washed and dried the clothes a bit too soon,” Ross reflected with a rueful grimace.
“We will be fine,” she reassured him.
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Don’t tell me – you have a bungalow stashed somewhere around here,” he dryly remarked.
She laughed again and shook her head. “No, but something almost as nice,” she promised.
She walked over to the tree she had picked out for their shelter a few minutes earlier, and shot Ross a quick smile before she laid her hand against the trunk. Beneath her palm she could feel the life of the tree. She murmured her request and felt the magic pass through her to the hearty fir. Several long vines lowered from the canopy above. Behind her, she could hear Ross’s low whistle of appreciation.
“I can’t tell you how cool it is to watch you do things like this,” he commented.
Gem looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. “You make me realize that the things I take for granted are to be appreciated.” She glanced at the horizon again. “Especially when there is a storm coming. We better hurry. It will be here in the next few minutes.”
“What about the others?” he asked, stepping forward.
She chuckled. “They have their own skills for staying dry,” she replied.
“Whoa, this is – strange,” he muttered.
The vines wrapped around Ross’s body since he didn’t have any hands free to hold on and they began lifting him to the upper canopy. Gem gripped a thick vine with one hand and stepped into the loop it made. As she was lifted up, she slowly rotated around until she was facing out toward the lake. Through a break in the clouds, the moonlight revealed the silhouette of the palace towers in the distance.
Longing, mixed with apprehension, fear, and doubt, swept through her, making her catch her breath. She exhaled and relaxed her grip on the vine when Ross gripped her waist and pulled her onto a broad limb. She released the vine with a wave of her hand, and the vines began to weave together, forming a shelter for them.
She and Ross quickly moved inside the makeshift shelter as the first drops of rain began to fall. The branch was covered with a thick, spongy moss. She placed her boots next to Ross’s.
“Perfect timing,” he said as he sat down and leaned back against the tree trunk.
“Yes, it is,” Gem murmured with a faint smile.
The sound of thunder rumbled through the sky, and the rain began to fall harder. She smiled her thanks when Ross shrugged out of his jacket and held it out to her. She took it while he pulled his T-shirt on.
She knew she should probably pull her leggings on, but she didn’t feel like it. Crawling over to him, she twisted around, leaned back against his warm body, and used his jacket as a blanket.
He wrapped his arms around her when she shivered. She could feel him rubbing his chin against the top of her head. They sat like that for a long time, staring out at the falling rain.
“We should reach the palace tomorrow,” she murmured.
“What’s the plan?” he asked.
“We have to get across the lake first,” she answered.
“So, we’ll need a boat, unless we are going to try to swim it,” he observed.
She nodded. “We can search the shore for a fisherman’s boat. If we can’t find one, we’ll have to build a raft. We used to do that when I was a child,” she replied with a deep sigh. “Every year there was a Spring Festival. Families would get together and build rafts out of anything they could find. It was such a fun time. Once my father and I built a raft out of an old tub and used mother’s finest silk cloth as a sail.”
“Did you win?” he asked.
She laughed and shook her head. “No. We forgot to put the plug in the tub. Mother was not amused when we returned the ruined cloth. To this day, father is still forbidden to go near Mother’s private stash of material,” she murmured. Leaning her head back against him, she released another deep sigh. “I miss them, Ross. What if we fail? What if they are gone for good? I’m so afraid that I will never see them or my people again.”
Ross tightened his arms around Gem when he heard the longing in her voice. He could tell she was exhausted. Her vulnerability pulled at his heart, and he rested his cheek against her hair.
“You are the most powerful woman I have ever met. Hell, the first time I saw you, I could feel you were – amazing. If anyone can achieve this, it is you, Gem. You are an extraordinary woman,” he said in a low, tender voice.
“Thank you, Ross. You are an extraordinary man,” she murmured.
Ross continued to cradle her in his arms, and she finally fell into an exhausted sleep. He knew that using her powers must drain her, but she never complained. He pressed a kiss against her hair.
The last couple of days, he had done things he’d never thought he could, and it felt – good. Before this, there had always been an emotional distance between him and everything and everyone in his life, even with his mom. He’d realized that when his mom was dying. It had been a form of protection for both of them – caused by his father – but ‘protecting’ himself sure hadn’t done him any favors.
Mostly his life had felt empty, and he had felt like a terrible, defective person. Here there was nothing to protect him, no barriers of his own making, not from the life-threatening dangers or from Gem. The first time he’d kissed her he’d felt like all his defenses were gone and he was really alive. His life here had been terrifying, but damn it felt good.
It doesn’t matter what I face as long as I do it with the woman I love. He froze.
I’m falling in love with her, he thought in stunned disbelief. He closed his eyes as the truth of it swept through him. For the first time in his life, he felt an emotion that he had always avoided. I am so totally screwed!
Opening his eyes, he released the breath he had sucked in when the truth hit him. He gently rubbed Gem’s arm. She murmured in her sleep and snuggled closer against him.
He gently lowered Gem onto the moss and settled down beside her, pulling his jacket securely over her legs. He moved her folded leggings under her head to use as a pillow. Wrapping his arm around her,
he pulled her close, and stared out at the rain until the gentle rhythm lured him into a light sleep.
I need to get to the palace, then I need to get out of here, he thought drowsily. That is what I need to do. Free her parents and run like hell. That’s the best and noblest thing I can do for her. A princess has no business being with a man like me.
22
Ross woke up when Gem moved in his arms. He pulled her closer and kissed her shoulder before he opened his eyes. She rolled onto her back and gave him a crooked smile.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“For what?” he asked.
“For everything – for being you,” she said.
Ross’s stomach knotted at her response. “Yeah,” he muttered.
She gave him a strange look. He knew she was about to ask him what was wrong, but thankfully, he was spared having to make up a lie – or worse, tell her that he wasn’t what she thought – when a dragon’s head suddenly appeared in the opening of their small shelter. The dragon grinned at them before shifting into human form. Ross muttered a curse and pulled his jacket firmly over Gem’s legs.
“Do you mind?” he snapped.
Drago lifted an eyebrow. “Not at all. Ashure found a boat. Unless you want to swim, I suggest you get ready,” he replied with a smirk.
“We will once you leave,” Ross said, glaring at Drago.
Drago frowned and looked at Gem. “Does he always wake up this grouchy?” he asked.
Gem snorted and grinned. “I don’t know,” she honestly confessed.
“Drago, are they in there?” Ashure called from below.
Drago pulled his head out of the opening and looked down. “Yes. Ross is not a morning person,” he answered.
“I wouldn’t be either if I saw your ugly face first thing in the morning,” Ashure replied.
“The last I heard, Ashure, pirates weren’t fireproof. Would you like to call me ugly to my face?” Drago retorted.
Drago rose from where he was kneeling outside the opening to their shelter and jumped out of the tree. Ross was surprised that the ground didn’t shake when the man landed – and that he didn’t hear bones crunching and Ashure’s loud scream of agony. Instead, there was the faint sound of laughter. He flopped back down and stared up at the woven ceiling.
“Those two would fit right in at my local bar back home,” he marveled.
Gem twisted around and looked down at him with an amused expression. “The men in your world act like this too?” she inquired.
He chuckled. “Oh yeah – way more than we should,” he admitted.
They both shook their heads when they heard Nali’s shout a moment before there was a loud splash. Ross sat up when Gem giggled. He lifted his hand and caressed her cheek.
“I think Nali is having a difficult morning as well,” she murmured.
“That tends to happen when you have a bunch of guys together,” he said.
“Ross – about last night…,” her voice dipped lower with emotion.
He shook his head. “Let’s keep the memories where they belong. For now, we need to concentrate on getting across the lake and finding your parents,” he said.
“You’re right,” she replied.
They dressed in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Ross looked up when Gem waved her hands. The vines that had sheltered them last night unraveled, then wrapped around him. He gripped the vines to steady himself when they lifted him up off the branch and lowered him to the ground. Gem followed, but instead of using the vines, she turned into a mist and materialized next to him.
“Here,” she said, holding out a small flower.
Ross took the small white flower from her and looked at it with a frown. “What am I supposed to do with this?” he asked.
“If you place it in your mouth, it will dissolve and clean your teeth,” she explained, popping another small bloom into her mouth.
Ross held the bloom up and studied it before he popped it into his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise when he felt a slight fizz that tasted minty. It reminded him of the Fizzy/Pop Rocks candy he used to get when he was a kid. In fact, that was the first thing he had ever shoplifted.
Licking his lips, he ran his tongue over his front teeth. It felt like he had just been to the dentist for a cleaning. Once again, he was reminded that this world was far different from his own.
“You know, if you could package this stuff, you’d make a fortune back on my world,” he said.
She laughed. “The blooms don’t last long after they are picked so that might be a slight disadvantage,” she remarked.
“Damn, there goes another brilliant idea,” he joked.
A shout from the direction of the lake pulled them back to the reality of their situation. The thought of tooth-cleaning blooms faded with the gravity of what they were about to face. Ross looked out across the glassy surface of the lake and shivered.
“We’d better go,” she said.
“Yeah, we better go,” he absently replied, his eyes narrowing when he thought he saw something briefly break the surface.
“Are you sure this is big enough for all of us?” Nali asked with a skeptical expression.
“Of course. If it gets too cramped, we can throw Drago out,” Ashure answered with a wave of his hand.
“Remember, no magic from here. Wayman – if he is still alive – will be able to sense the disturbance,” Gem cautioned.
“We should be fine, Nali,” Ross reassured. “I would say the boat is about eighteen feet. I haven’t done much sailing, but I do know boats.”
Nali sighed. “I am used to slightly larger vessels,” she explained.
“Well, it is time to go,” Drago said as he picked Nali up and placed her in the boat.
“Gem—” Ashure said with a smile.
“I’ll help her,” Ross muttered, slipping his arms around Gem and lifting her in his arms.
“Ah, a jealous suitor – more intrigue,” Ashure said with a wicked grin.
“Ashure, you and Ross get in the boat. Drago and I will push it off,” Orion instructed.
Ross nodded and climbed on board. He moved to the bow while Gem and Nali sat in the center on either side of the small mast. Ashure sat in the stern and gripped the ropes for the single sail. Ross gripped the gunwale to steady himself when the boat slid loose from the shore and rocked a bit. Drago jumped in on the starboard side while Orion entered on the opposite side to keep the boat from tipping over.
“Orion, you may want to take the bow. It never hurts to have another pair of eyes seeing where we are going. Drago, you can sit in the stern near me in case we need some hot air for the sails,” Ashure said.
Ross chuckled when Drago muttered a dire threat to Ashure’s health under his breath. Turning his back to the others, Ross looked out over the surface of the lake. He had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Could you sense if there was something strange under the water?” he quietly asked Orion.
“Yes, I fear our trip across will not be all smooth sailing,” Orion quietly answered.
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Ross replied.
He turned slightly to look back at Gem. She was talking to Nali. He studied her flushed face and delicate pink lips. Her hair blew away from her face as they picked up speed. She was still wearing his beige sweater. Her left hand was resting on her lap, and her fingers absently played with the hem.
He was aroused when he remembered how her fingers had caressed his skin last night, the way she had responded to his touch, the way she had felt wrapped around him. Making love to her under the stars had been – incredible. His mind skidded to an abrupt halt, and his warming flesh quickly cooled as a shiver ran through him. Last night – last night – he had….
Shit! he thought as a cold sweat broke out over him.
Ross looked up at Gem’s face, then down to her stomach. He gripped the boat’s gunwale tighter, tore his shocked eyes away from her, and stared blindly out at the lake.
Last night had been one of the most intense moments in his life. So intense, in fact, that he hadn’t thought about anything but Gem, completely forgetting about using any type of protection.
The realization of what they had done – what he had done – hit him in the stomach like an Olympic boxer’s fist. He had always been extremely careful. He was so paranoid about an accidental pregnancy that he had never let any woman even handle the condoms that he used. Luckily for him, most of the women he had dated felt the same way about kids. They were nice – when they belonged to someone else.
“Are you feeling unwell? You are not getting seasick, are you?” Orion asked.
Ross shook his head, unable to look the other man in the eye. “No, I – I’m good. I was just – thinking of some of the things that happened over the last few days, that’s all,” he muttered.
Orion nodded. “I remember well Jenny’s feelings and her adjustment,” he replied.
Ross looked at Orion with a surprised expression. “That’s right, you and Jenny Ackerly got together. I forgot about that. How is she?” Ross asked.
“Beautiful, stubborn, perfect – I could go on and on,” Orion chuckled.
Ross uttered a short, sharp laugh. “Yeah, that sounds like Jenny. After Carly disappeared, she was like a Bulldog searching for a bone. I’m glad things turned out well for her and Carly – and Mike. It would be interesting to see what people back home say when they realize that I’m missing now. I’m sure they will be thrilled,” he said bitterly.
Orion was about to reply when Ross saw movement in his peripheral vision. He reacted instinctively, reaching out, grabbing the other man’s arm, and yanking him back. They both stumbled backward as long, black tentacles emerged out of the water.
Ross lifted the sword Ashure had given him and swung at a tentacle. A three-foot section fell at his feet, dissolving into a black mist.
“It’s a creation from the alien creature,” Gem hissed with alarm.
“I don’t think it matters now if your cousin knows we are coming,” Orion grimly stated.