Eli swallowed. What a presumptuous rat. “Again, I thank you for the thoughtful gift, but—”
“My cousin, Saleem-Canute, has already prepared for your participation. With Jade’s entry into the games, it perfectly sets the competition numbers. He’s counting on you, my Omari, to keep this commitment.”
Looking into the hushed crowd, Elydian’s gaze first met Ageit’s, then Me-Ma’s. Neither of them could offer help. He was on his own against his formidable, or at least influential, opponent. Elydian’s mind raced to think of an excuse, one that would hold the powerful Canute family at bay. Unable to come up with a satisfying reason that wouldn’t seem contrived, and sure he’d put the entirety of Omari Amun on Saleem’s list of camps to squash if he refused Lothar, he nodded once in acquiescence. Or was it surrender?
When Elydian finally gained the courage, he looked over at Jade. Her eyes seemed double in size. He pushed himself from the chair and announced to the camp, “Well, I guess we are off to Anuk-dye.” Elydian went to Jade, held out his hand and felt her cold fingers come to rest in his palm.
* * * *
In the litter, a small room-sized box sat slung between four tall, yoked beasts—likely distant cousins of the camel. They swayed as they made their way across the desert. A slight breeze blew the gossamer curtains in and out of the round windows fore and aft. They’d traveled the rest of the night and now lay across fluffy satin-covered pillows. The heat of the new day was unbearable enough to chase away even a wink of sleep which might have crept in. Not even the gentle roll of the litter could induce the slightest nap. Eli wore his signature short breech cloth, and Jade, a simple ivory-colored sheath dress, courtesy of Tar-Quinia—whom, she was relieved to know, didn’t hold any of this against Jade. She’d even lit incense for Jade in a blessing ritual in which Jade sat in awe at the kindness shown to her by complete strangers. The people of Omari Amun were indeed special.
“Bloody Hell, it’s hot.” Jade murmured.
“We should arrive into Anuk-dye just after sunset.” Eli assured her.
“If I don’t die first.”
A pained look passed over Eli’s face. He sobered and leaned up on an elbow. “Take off your clothes.”
Jade huffed out a laugh and peered at Eli. “Taking off my clothes is what got me into this mess in the first place.”
Eli grinned crookedly at her. She felt glad all the way down to her toes that their different origins weren’t going to be a factor between them. At least for now. “Come on. I can cool you off.” He reached over and held up some sort of corked animal skin bloated with water.
She grinned. “I’m in.”
When she slipped out of her dress, lust flared in his eyes, and she resisted the urge to squirm under his knowing gaze. It had been a day and a half since they’d made love—the longest they’d gone without intimate touch since they’d known each other. “You behave yourself, now. There are people all around, walking the litter, riding other…desert beasts.”
“Mm-hm,” he murmured and uncorked the skin.
“That wasn’t a commitment,” she said, undertones of skepticism lacing her voice.
He poured some water onto a cloth. “Lay across the large cushion behind you.”
Jade did as she was told. Her breasts swayed atop her arched body. She felt wanton—displayed for his pleasure like some naughty burlesque dancer. She closed her eyes and heard Eli swear. He did love her curves.
She sighed as the wet cloth swept over her chest and belly, arms and legs, cooling her skin and exciting her at the same time.
“Your little noises aren’t helping me want to behave.”
She smiled but didn’t open her eyes. “Hey, this was your idea, bub, not mine.”
When he chuckled Jade raised her hands and tucked them beneath the pillow behind her. His hissing breath indicated his approval. Water trickled over her torso, her rolling breasts, the sensitive spot at the apex of her thighs. Despite the heat of the day, her nipples pebbled and goose bumps crawled over her skin. Eli dragged the dripping fabric back and forth across her skin, all the while murmuring praise of her body.
Jade’s breathing turned ragged. Nearly in a frenzy, she was about to call an end to his playtime when Eli began rubbing the wet cloth between her legs.
She groaned in earnest, focusing on the strength of his hand. At once, a stream of liquid poured over her. When Eli began sipping the water from her body, Jade almost came off the pillow.
“You are—” He laved and sucked on her drenched clitoris. “My sustenance—” Her breath caught in her throat. “My heart.” His lips and tongue held her entranced. He discarded the empty bag. “My life.” And his blessed trumpeter’s tongue vibrated against her, buzzing her entire mound, drawing her into a string of shattering orgasms.
Her body lay limp in the aftermath of pleasure. Eli entered her so slowly, she felt every thick inch of him until she was filled.
“Tight. So tight,” he murmured and pulled out, taking his sweet time. “My beautiful Jade. I’m never going to get enough of you,” he whispered and retraced the path leading to her womb.
She clenched her muscles around his cock. “Stay in,” she whispered. “Let the litter move us.”
Eli pressed into her, growling his exhale.
“So amazing,” she purred. “I feel like… Oh, like…I…I…”
Jade’s eyes snapped open when Eli shouted, his face toward the window. “I think we should go faster. I’d like to arrive at Anuk-dye before sunset.”
At once the litter began rocking harder and at a rapid pace that pushed Jade over the edge. Eli lowered his head and captured her nipple between his lips. They came together, their bodies convulsing in ecstasy’s perfection.
* * * *
The sun hung low in the sky when Jade woke up with Eli sprawled next to her. She peeked at him to see if he was still sleeping. His eyes seemed half-open, so she spoke. “You call that behaving?”
Eli chuckled but didn’t move from his position.
Jade rolled over to lay her head upon his chest. “I have a few questions for you, if you don’t mind.”
His hand threaded through her hair. “Of course I don’t mind.”
“I need to know more about these games I’m about to be tossed into. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I have a feeling you’ve kept something from me. Back there at camp, people said good-bye to me as if I was about to be bumped off.”
He took a breath as if in preparation of some dire news. The unspoken gesture didn’t set her at ease. “The winners of each game choose if they want to continue on to the next round.”
“You mean, they can actually decide not to finish to the end?”
“I’ve heard of that happening, yes.”
“But why would someone want to forfeit?”
He cleared his throat. “They do not wish to die.”
For a moment, she was too stunned to react. Regaining her wits, she gave him a look that would melt bricks. “That’s not very reassuring, mister.” When he didn’t comment, she sobered and continued. “What kind of games are there?”
He dragged a pillow over and added it to the one already under his head. “There are a number of different challenges. Some physical—”
“Such as wrestling or something where a massive amount of strength is required?”
“There is that. Foot races, stone and pole tosses—”
“Eli, I can’t compete—the dames on this planet are huge. Even Me-Ma is taller than I am, and she’s an old lady.”
Sighing, he answered her. “I know. That’s the reason I tried so hard to deny Lothar of granting us his horrid little gift.”
“What am I going to do?”
“Well, there are other types of games—intellectual for instance.”
“Really? I might be able to swing that.”
“History, geography, botany—”
“If the history, geography and botany are about my planet, everything’ll be swell.”
<
br /> Eli’s arms encircled her. “We’ll find something—I don’t want you to worry yourself over this insignificant competition.”
“Insignificant? Ageit mentioned the event to me at the Feast of Moons. He said it was very important to the hierarchy of the Omari. If it’s so insignificant to all them ‘big cheeses’ then what was all that jazz about?”
“Well, the winning Omari receives a promotion of sorts. It’s really not as momentous as he made it out to be.”
Jade knew he was trying to cushion things for her. “I’ll do my very best. I’d hate myself if I shamed you in front of everyone.”
“You could never ever embarrass me, Zsa-ninah.” He squeezed her tightly.
* * * *
The arena was full to capacity. Not a single empty seat was to be found outside of the box set aside for the Omaris. Elydian chose “The Secret in the Jar” challenge for Jade, the game least likely to end her life. He hadn’t fully informed her of the fierceness of the competitors. He just couldn’t. She was frightened enough without him adding to her anxiety.
The competitions had gone on overnight and well into the next sunrise. Finally, they listed the competitor’s names from Amun and Nafa and the game’s in which they were to participate in. He hadn’t seen Jade all day. They kept the entrants separate from their Omaris—and from each other, on the day of their game. The women were given leave to eat, drink, and rest until it was time for them to enter the arena.
Over the past day and night, no competitor had died. There had been a fair amount of blood loss, and, in the game before Jade’s was called, one of the women had lost a finger. The knife fight had turned brutal instead of remaining a harmless touch per point match.
Elydian was nearly out of his mind with apprehension when they introduced Jade.
“The Omari-Nah Champion Competition has chosen for its final game in the first round, ‘The Secret in the Jar’. For this, I present to you the participant from Omari-Amun, Jade.” She crossed the field, a guard on each side. Elydian’s heart swelled. She walked with her head held high and with such dignity that he almost leapt over the barrier wall and swept her away from the arena—and out of Anuk-dye all together. She’d done nothing to deserve this punishment.
They placed her before a table. Two jars covered with a thick white cloth sat upon risers, innocent and unassuming. The contents of the jars were well concealed. The announcer drew Elydian’s attention from the jars.
“…And the challenger, another late entrant, Havliah-Nafa.”
Elydian came to his feet. Well aware of the animosity Havliah held for Jade, he didn’t trust her, let alone allow her challenge Jade in a game. His gaze flew to Jade, but Jade’s eyes were busy scanning the crowd. His hands fisted at this sides. They hadn’t even told her where he would be sitting. She must be frightened witless. Powerless, he sank back down to his seat.
Havliah came to a stop next to Jade and glanced at the covered jars. At once, she heaved Jade out of the way and stood in her place.
The arena erupted with cheers. Elydian lept to his feet and started toward the arena, intending to strangle Havliah, when two substantially-sized guards placed themselves between him and the barrier wall. His gaze swung to Jade. She picked herself up off the ground, dusted the sand from her dress and stood before the jar recently rejected by Havliah.
Without even waiting for the announcer, Havliah tossed the cover from her jar. A scorpion, big enough to fill the palm of Elydian’s hand, sat as still as a stone at the bottom. He watched helplessly as Havliah tossed Jade a smug grin.
Havliah reached into the jar, lifted the scorpion and held it up for all to see. She pirouetted in a slow circle, displaying her bravery and then set the insect back into the jar. The crowd cheered. Havliah would win if the noise alone would have been the deciding factor.
Whatever awaited in Jade’s jar wouldn’t live beyond a handful of heartbeats if Elydian had anything to do with it. He made to step forward, but the guards each set a stern hand upon Elydian’s shoulders. His gaze snapped back to Jade, and he drew in a breath to let lose a shout to abandon this madness.
Jade slowly pulled the cover from her jar. There, at the bottom of the jar sat a huge, blue poison blossom.
Elydian’s breath left him and nearly toppled over with relief. As if in a daze, he watched Jade pluck the blossom from the jar. Lifting it to her nose, she inhaled its scent, cuddling it as if it were a small furry animal. She nuzzled the petals against her cheek and then tilted her head back, holding the flower over her mouth.
The ravenous crowd went insane.
Jade pinched the bottom of the flower so that the blue nectar dripped into her mouth. The entire stadium rose to their feet when Jade bit down on the flower’s base. She made a great show of chewing and swallowing. She licked her lips, turned to Havliah and smiled sweetly.
Elydian pressed his lips together, repressing laughter due to her theatrical antics.
She tossed what was left of the blossom back into the jar and swept off her hands as if it had been dusty and her dirty job was complete.
From where he stood, Elydian could see how white Havliah’s face had gone. Without hesitation, she reached into her jar, once again extracting the scorpion.
The crowd held its collective breath.
In the same manner Jade had lifted the poison blossom over her mouth, Havliah did the same with the scorpion. Suddenly, there came a screech from the arena floor. Havliah’s scorpion had stung her. She dropped the insect and fell to the ground.
In almost that same instant, Jade collapsed as well.
Chapter Eleven
Elydian hit the floor of the arena before Jade’s head came to rest upon the sand. The shouts of his former guards faded in the roar of the crowd behind him. He reached Jade, but before he could speak to her, the head physician ordered everyone back, while another physician attended Havliah. Elydian complied; the man could assist Jade much more quickly than he could. After a few dozen pounding heartbeats passed, the physician summoned a group of men to his side. Sooner than Elydian could inquire about Jade, they carted her off and into an examination area.
“You cannot enter the tent, Omari, until the physician sees her first.”
Falk. The guards were back.
“That’s a citizen of my camp in there.”
“We are well aware of that, but the rules state that no one, not even an Omari, is allowed inside.”
Clenching his damp fists at his sides, Elydian stalked away from the guards before he did them harm. He threw himself onto a bench, close enough to hear them call for him when Jade could be seen.
Was the flower they chose to put in the jar truly a poisoned one and the blossoms in his oasis where not of the same variety? Each moment eked painfully by like a festering sun blister upon his heart. Two of the physician’s assistants flew from tent and went in opposite directions.
Elydian bowed his head, his face pressed the palms of his hands. If Jade died, he’d kill Lothar-Canute the second he returned to camp—and damn the consequences. The rat had done this on purpose. Lothar had been jealous of him since he’d earned the position of Omari—and it had only gotten worse when Lothar was denied Jade’s body for his pleasure.
Falk the very air that man breathes!
He slammed his hands down onto the bench on either side of his thighs. If they’d only give him some sort of sign that Jade had not perished, he wouldn’t be so agitated. Elydian peered at the entrance to the tent, but all he witnessed was an eerie stillness.
His stomach knotted. How much more could he take of this waiting?
Just then, the physician exited the tent.
Elydian jumped up and came to a halt in front of him. “How is she?”
The look in his eyes made Elydian’s heart stop. “I can’t really say at this time. I need to look in on the other victim.”
Victim? For a learned man, he sure didn’t know how to choose his words wisely. He stepped around Elydian and continued on.
His attention turned to the guards, fully intending to beat them senseless if they tried to deter him from seeing Jade. However this time, they didn’t stand in his way.
Elydian didn’t waste a second. He quickly slipped into the tent.
The announcer babbled on about something or other to the crowd outside, while Elydian’s eyes adjusted to the low light. When he could finally see, he found his beautiful Jade across the room lying deathly still upon a long table.
His breath hitched and his heart, he was sure, had stopped beating. In two steps, he arrived at her side. Her breathing appeared to be even, but terribly shallow.
“Zsa-ninah,” he whispered. Tears formed in his eyes—but he didn’t try to stem the flow. He stared down at her in blurry pain.
For a moment, it looked as though one of her eyes opened half-way, but the dim light and the moisture about to drip from his lashes made it difficult to tell. When the other eye opened, Elydian sucked in a breath.
“Are we alone?” Jade asked as quiet as a breeze.
“Yes,” Elydian choked. “Are you well? Are you in any pain?”
She lifted her head and sat up. “Of course not, silly.”
A sob escaped from deep within his chest. “What? How?”
“You didn’t think I could give away the fact that the dreaded poison blossom law was a sham, did you?”
Pride burst within his chest. Relieved and heartbreakingly thankful at the same time, Elydian had no idea how to respond.
“Why, I couldn’t live with myself if I were responsible for a population explosion.”
Elydian gathered her in his arms. “I love you so much.”
She giggled. “Oh, you doll. I love you, too,” she murmured and snuggled closer. “Am I finished here? Can we beat it now? You owe me a one way trip to that oasis of pleasure, bub.”
They burst out of the tent together—Elydian carrying his beautiful Jade in his arms. He gazed down at her while she waved to the spectators, pretending to be weak as if the poison still affected her.
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