Close Remembrance

by Anna Zaires

  Mia frowned. “What do you mean, what you know about Korum?”

  Delia looked at her, as though weighing whether to proceed further. “Your cheren is a very powerful, very ambitious man,” she finally said. “Many on the Council think he has the ear of the Elders. He’s also known to be quite autocratic and ruthless with his opponents. That’s why I was initially worried about you – because I didn’t think Korum would be a particularly caring cheren. But I think I was wrong. From what I could tell, you seemed happy with him before. The last time we met, at Maria’s birthday, you were practically glowing. And even now, when most women would be feeling lost and intimidated, it looks like you’re doing well – and Korum has to be the one responsible for that.”

  Mia studied the other girl, wondering if there was something else Delia was not telling her. “You don’t like my cheren, do you?”

  “I don’t know him personally,” Delia said carefully. “I just know that Arus and he have clashed in the past over a number of different issues. But I’m glad he’s good to you. When I first saw you, you seemed so young and vulnerable . . . and I couldn’t help but worry about you. Now I see that you’re stronger than I originally thought. You might even be a good influence on Korum. Arus thinks your cheren truly loves you – which is something we would’ve never expected from him.”

  “I see.” Mia drew in a deep breath and looked away, trying to process what she’d just learned. Perhaps her silly thought about Korum as a villain wasn’t as far-fetched as it seemed. Not for the first time, she wished she could remember the past couple of months, so she could better understand this complex relationship she was in. What exactly was Korum to her? What did it mean to be his charl? And which was the real Korum? The tender lover of last night, or the ruthless Councilor Delia had described?

  Perhaps he was both. Mia considered that for a minute. Yes, she could definitely see how that could be the case. After all, Korum himself had told her about how he had used her in the past to crush the Resistance. Yet he seemed to truly love her now – and Mia couldn’t help the warm feeling that spread through her at the thought.

  Turning back toward the Greek girl, Mia looked at her. “Delia,” she said quietly, bringing up a topic that had been worrying her since yesterday, “do you know what happens in an Arena fight?”

  “Yes.” Delia gave her a sympathetic look. “You know about Loris’s challenge?”

  “Korum told me about it yesterday,” Mia said. “Have you ever seen one of these fights? Are they common?”

  “They’re not as common as they used to be a long time ago, but they still happen with some regularity. There are usually a couple of fights a year, sometimes more.”

  “And how dangerous are they?”

  Delia hesitated for a second. “Arena fighting is the number one cause of death for the Krinar,” she finally said. “Followed by various accidents.”

  Mia felt like she’d been punched in the stomach. “Does someone always die during a fight?”

  “No, not always. Sometimes the winner can control himself enough to stop in time. Generally, though, Krinar men don’t have the best control over their instincts during the heat of battle.” The Greek charl didn’t seem particularly bothered by that.

  Mia swallowed. “I see.”

  “But to answer your earlier question, I do think Krinar attitudes toward humans are changing,” Delia said, coming back to their previous discussion. “Two thousand years ago, the idea of a human working in a Krinar lab would’ve been unthinkable. They’ve come a long way since then, and I see things improving more and more every day. The fact that they’re living here on Earth, among us, is a game changer in many ways. They see now that we truly are their sister species, that we have the potential to achieve as much as they did.”

  “They no longer think we’re just smart monkeys?” Mia said, only half-jokingly.

  Delia smiled. “Some still do, I’m sure. But it’s no longer the consensus view. And the more relationships like yours and mine there are, the more accepted humans will become in the Krinar society.” She paused for a second. “So you see, Mia, you don’t have to be fighting the Krinar to help your people. You just have to get one of them to fall in love with you.”

  * * *

  Five thousand miles away, Saret got up and smiled at the human girl lying curled in a little naked ball in his bed. She was petite, no more than five feet tall, and her dark brown hair fell in soft waves around her narrow face. Other than her brown eyes, she looked very much like Mia. He’d found her in Paris yesterday.

  She stared at him, and he could see the fear and hatred on her small face. It was unfortunate that she’d been engaged when he met her, with her wedding planned for next month. She had been understandably resistant to his attentions, and he didn’t have the time to seduce her properly.

  It had been wrong to take her, of course. Saret knew that. At this point, however, it didn’t matter. Everyone already thought him a monster, and stealing one human was a harmless prank in the grand scheme of things. He had bitten her during sex, so he knew she’d found pleasure with him too. She wasn’t Mia, but he had still enjoyed fucking her, pretending that the slim body in his arms was the one he truly wanted.

  Saret knew he had no hope of eluding the guardians for much longer; it was only a matter of time before he would be captured. Now that he had gotten a chance to think, he realized how Korum had known what to expect. It was very simple, really. His enemy must’ve been monitoring his charl even more thoroughly than he had admitted to Saret. In hindsight, Saret should’ve expected something like that; it was his own fault he’d underestimated Korum’s obsession with Mia.

  No, Saret knew he wouldn’t be able to hide for much longer. He’d been utilizing various disguises, but he could sense the guardians getting closer. Yesterday, he had taken a risk and connected to the Krinar network. He’d tried to hide his identity, but he was sure Korum would eventually find his traces in cyberspace. Still, Saret had needed to know what was happening in Lenkarda and whether the Council had found out about his plan.

  What he’d learned had made him both angry and excited at the same time. Angry – because his carefully planted nano dispersion devices had already been discovered and neutralized. And excited – because he finally knew how to get rid of Korum once and for all.

  His enemy’s upcoming fight would be his last.

  Saret would make sure of that.

  Chapter 13

  The first thing Korum saw when he entered the house was Mia, curled up on the long float and absorbed in whatever she was reading on her tablet.

  At his entry, she looked up and smiled, her face bright with excitement. “Hi,” she said. “How was your day?”

  Korum felt a surge of tenderness, even as his body reacted predictably to her nearness. “Hello, my sweet,” he said, stepping toward her and bending down to give her a brief kiss. He had been thinking about her all day today, reliving every moment of the previous night in his mind. He couldn’t wait to re-introduce her to the pleasures of lovemaking, to taste her delicious body over and over again.

  He wanted to take it slow again, but the second his lips touched hers, her slender arms came up, looping around his neck, and all his good intentions evaporated in an instant. Her mouth was soft and sweet as he deepened the kiss, her scent warm and feminine. He could hear her breathing speeding up, smell her desire, feel her body arching up toward him . . . and his blood almost boiled in his veins.

  Without a conscious thought, his hands went to her dress, and the fragile fabric ripped underneath his fingers, exposing the delicate flesh underneath. She gasped, and he could feel her nails digging into the back of his neck as he sucked at the tender spot near her shoulder. Her heart rate spiked, and she moaned as his hand went to her thighs, pushing between them to get to her tight opening.

  She was hot and slick around his fingers, and Korum used the last vestiges of his self-control to bring her to orgasm by rhythmically pressing his thumb ag
ainst her clit. As soon as she convulsed with a soft cry, he knew he could not hold out any longer. Tearing off his own clothes, he grabbed her legs and pulled her toward him until only her upper body was lying on the float. Then he pushed inside her in one powerful thrust.

  She cried out, her body tensing, and Korum groaned as her inner muscles squeezed his shaft, preventing him from going deeper. Her eyes snapped open, focusing on him, and Korum held her gaze, knowing that she could see the dark craving written on his face. His cock throbbed inside her snug channel, and it wasn’t enough. The animal inside him needed to possess her on a level that went beyond the sexual, to imprint himself on her mind as well as body.

  “You’re all mine,” he whispered harshly, hardly realizing what he was saying. “Do you understand me?”

  She just stared at him, her face flushed and her lips slightly parted, and Korum could feel his temperature rising. A wave of pure possessiveness swept through his body. His buttocks tightened as he pushed deeper into her, holding her thighs wide open to aid in his penetration. She gasped, her face contorting with a mix of pain and pleasure, and he could hear her breath catching in her throat.

  Leaning forward, he let go of her legs and slid one arm under her upper back, bringing her closer. His other hand found its way to her hair, holding her head partially arched back, her slender neck exposed. “Say it, Mia,” he commanded, driven by a primitive need to claim her. “Say you’re mine.”

  “I’m . . .” She seemed to have trouble saying the words, her blue eyes clouded with some unknown emotion, and the urge to dominate her grew stronger. Bending his head, he took her mouth in a savage kiss, his hand slipping down to her folds and his thumb pressing hard on her clitoris. Her inner walls tightened around his cock like a fist, and she moaned into his mouth.

  “You’re mine,” he repeated, drawing back for a second, and she nodded, staring up at him, her lips swollen and shiny.

  “Say it.”

  “I’m yours.” Her whisper was barely audible, but it satisfied his craving for now.

  Leaning down, he kissed her again, more gently this time, even as he began thrusting with a smooth, steady tempo. His balls drew up against his body as pure, unadulterated pleasure coursed through his veins, all courtesy of the small girl in his arms. Closing his eyes, Korum let the sensations wash over him, reveling in her taste, in the feel of her soft skin under his fingers . . . in the tight clasp of her body around his cock.

  And just when the pleasure became too intense, he felt her convulse around him with a soft cry, sending him over the edge.

  * * *

  A few hours later, Korum woke up to the familiar feel of Mia lying pressed against his side. Her breathing was quiet and even, and he knew she was deeply asleep, worn out by his sexual demands. He’d managed to abstain from drinking her blood this time, since he’d indulged fairly recently, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself from taking her a couple more times throughout the night.

  Sometimes he wondered if it was normal, the way he craved her all the time. He’d always had a strong sexual drive, but he’d never felt the urge to have one woman over and over again. With Mia, he simply couldn’t get enough, and he wasn’t sure he liked being so dependent on one tiny human girl.

  In general, his obsession with her bothered him on multiple levels. As happy as she made him, the depth of his feelings for her was unsettling. If he ever lost her . . . Korum couldn’t bear to even think of that possibility, his chest squeezing in agony at the idea.

  Slowly disengaging from her, Korum got up, trying to be as quiet as possible to avoid waking her up. She needed far more sleep than a Krinar, and he always made sure she got enough rest. Even with the nanocytes in her body, she was still far too fragile and vulnerable for his peace of mind. If he had his way, she would never go anywhere alone, always staying safely by his side.

  But Korum knew she would hate it if he restricted her independence too much. As it was, she resented the few safety measures he’d implemented. She viewed the tracking devices as a way to control her, as an invasion of her privacy, not understanding how important her safety and well-being were to him.

  It was already five in the morning – a late start to the day for Korum. Normally, he would already be working at this time, but he hadn’t gone to sleep until three hours ago, staying up late to satisfy his hunger for Mia. He needed her even more than usual, feeling edgy and restless in anticipation of the upcoming fight.

  He wasn’t afraid. In fact, the prospect of danger excited him. It had always been this way; in his youth, he’d even provoked a couple of fights just to feel that rush of adrenaline. As he got older, however, he’d learned to suppress that part of his nature, to use sports as an outlet for excess energy. As a result, he hadn’t been in a real fight – with the exception of Saur’s attack in Florida – for a solid eighty years.

  He did worry about having Mia at the Arena, though. The venue would be crowded, with almost every Krinar on Earth attending the event in person. Those on Krina would watch virtually. The idea of having her out in public after everything that happened made him uneasy, even though he knew there was little real danger. The fight was to be in Lenkarda, while Saret was somewhere out in the human world.

  Still, Korum would’ve kept her away if it weren’t for the fact that doing so would be the equivalent of insulting her in public. Arena fights were considered to be one of the most important and interesting parts of Krinar life, and everyone – charl included – was expected to be there. Deliberately excluding Mia would make it seem like Korum was punishing her for something – which couldn’t be further from the truth.

  Thinking about it further, Korum decided to have two guardians watching Mia at all times. He would also arrange to have her sitting next to Delia, just in case his charl needed reassurance from an older, more experienced friend. That way, he wouldn’t have to worry about her during the fight – and thus be able to fully concentrate on his opponent. Even a moment of inattention in the Arena could be deadly.

  In the meantime, he had a few hours before the main event. The best thing to do at this point was to catch up with his designers and make sure that they were working on the prototype of the shielding technology he’d recently developed. Voret and the rest of the Council were understandably worried about utilizing the old shields now, so that project had to take priority.

  Casting one last look at his sleeping charl, Korum left the house.

  Chapter 14

  Mia waited for Delia to pick her up, her foot tapping nervously on the floor. She was almost sick with anxiety in anticipation of the fight, and she was glad the other charl was going to be with her during the event.

  To distract herself, Mia took a deep breath and looked down at the gleaming material of her white dress. Korum had left it for her this morning, and she’d figured she was supposed to wear it to the event. Unlike the usual light and flowing Krinar clothing, her outfit today was made of some stiff, relatively thick cloth and fit her body closely. It had a subtle shine to it, as did her sandals today. Korum had also given her a beautiful necklace to put around her neck. If Mia didn’t know better, she would’ve thought she was getting dressed up for her own wedding.

  She hadn’t seen Korum this morning, although he’d called and promised to meet her in the Arena before the fight officially began. When they’d spoken, she could hear a note of barely suppressed excitement in his voice, and she knew he was looking forward to this barbaric ritual.

  It still struck her as odd that she felt so attuned to him after just a couple of days. She could sense his moods, discern his emotions. She could even predict some of his reactions. When he’d come home last night, she’d known exactly what would happen when she wrapped her arms around his neck and transformed an innocent kiss into something more. As much as she had enjoyed their first night together, it had been obvious to her that Korum was holding himself back, that he was trying to make allowances for her ‘inexperience.’ And, while she had appreciat
ed his restraint, it somehow wasn’t enough. Last night, she hadn’t wanted sweet and gentle; she’d wanted him wild and out-of-control, his true nature fully revealed.

  His possessiveness both scared and thrilled her. If she didn’t want him so much, she would’ve been frightened by his passion, by his insistence on her giving him every part of herself. It made her wonder what would happen if she ever tried to leave him. Would he let her go, or would he stop her from going home? Could he stop her? If Delia were to be believed, humans had very few rights inside Krinar settlements – an idea that bothered Mia quite a bit.

  Of course, none of that mattered right now, in light of the upcoming fight. Looking impatiently at her wristwatch-bracelet device, Mia saw that it was already twenty minutes before noon. Where was Delia? The wait was heightening Mia’s anxiety.

  Two minutes later, she finally saw a small transport pod landing outside, next to the house. Delia came out of the aircraft and waved to her. Relieved, Mia smiled, glad to see the other girl. Arus’s charl was wearing a dress that was similar to Mia’s, and she looked stunning, her dark hair smooth and threaded with some strange-looking jewelry.

  Quickly exiting the house, Mia approached the Greek girl. “Thanks for picking me up,” she said as she got closer.

  “Of course,” Delia said. “I would’ve done it even if Korum hadn’t asked. You must be so frightened right now.”

  “I’m beyond frightened,” Mia admitted. “I feel like I could puke when I think about it.”

  Delia smiled. “I can see that. Here, come inside, and we’ll head over there.”

  “Has Arus ever been in one of these fights?” Mia asked, following her into the aircraft and taking a seat on one of the floating chairs inside.

  “A few times,” Delia replied, giving her an understanding look. “And every time I thought I’d have a heart attack. Believe me, I know exactly what you’re going through.”