by R. E. Butler
“I don’t really either, but Sloan said she believes that the prenatal vaccinations caused the sterility as well as the blue hair. The soul-walk serums reversed the blue hair in males, but there was never anything done about the sterility.”
“I can’t have children because of the government? Why would they want to cause sterility? The reason the soul-walks had to look to other planets was because of the sterility.”
“It’s hard for me to fathom why they would do something that irreparably harmed so many, but Warrick thinks it’s because of deenars. The soul-walks are expensive, as are the serums. If they didn’t intend to cause the sterility, they still profited from it by allowing the males to search other planets for fertile mates.”
“That’s wholly depressing.”
He hugged her, pulling her close and enveloping her against his warm body. He was hard with muscles, but he had the nicest hug. She felt entirely safe and comforted whenever he held her.
“I’m sorry that so much of your side of the mountain is harmful.”
“Me, too. But I don’t have to worry about that anymore. Even if they did hurt me because my mother was given vaccines when she was carrying me, it doesn’t change who I am as a person. I can’t have kids, but I can have a good life.”
“A wonderful life with me.”
She kissed his neck with a chuckle. “Did I say thank you for coming for me?”
“It was entirely my pleasure.”
* * *
When they reached the end of the tunnel, Villi pushed aside the rock façade that kept wild beasts from getting inside and wreaking havoc and led Pilar out. She shielded her eyes against the sunlight, giving herself a moment to adjust to it.
“It’s not far to the city,” he said.
She turned and looked up the mountains. “Has anyone ever climbed over the mountains from the other side?”
“Not that I’m aware of. With what your people know of this side, it wouldn’t be worth the trouble to climb. And of course, if the military saw someone climbing, they would be punished. We patrol the mountains as well as around our city to keep everyone safe.”
“If you found someone climbing, you could just inject them with whatever you gave that soldier.”
“Exactly.”
As they walked, he asked her about her family. While they’d been in the cavern, she’d kept him talking about the hidden city, wanting to know everything she could.
“My father died when I was little. He was a soldier and out on patrol when his hover-machen malfunctioned. He died in the resulting crash. The military gave my mother all his benefits, so she never needed to work. I thought she’d find another male to love someday, but she said she only ever loved my father.”
“Did he go on the soul-walk for her?”
“No. He and my mother were childhood sweethearts. He said he didn’t need a drug to tell him who his soul mate was.”
“Sounds like he would’ve fit right in here.”
“I think so too.”
“What happened to your mother?”
“She died a year ago. She got an infection from a cut and by the time the medical officers knew what was wrong with her, it was too late.”
“I’m sorry you lost both your parents. I would’ve liked to have known them.”
“I would’ve liked that, too.”
They walked farther away from the mountains toward a large forest that stretched as far as she could see in either direction and ran parallel to the mountains.
“The same magic that disguises the tunnel on the other side of the mountains protects the city from above, as well.”
“Where did the magic come from?”
“Our forefathers dabbled in it. There were some among them who had special abilities, like knowing the future and being able to wield magic. According to my father, the abilities were fairly rare. They’re all but gone now.”
“Being able to use magic would be neat, but I’m not sure I’d want to know the future.”
“Oh?”
She shrugged. “Every day is an adventure. If you know what’s coming, then what’s the point?”
He chuckled. “I’m enjoying our adventure.”
“Me, too.”
When they arrived in the city, she was so amazed that she couldn’t even speak for several moments. Where Kyvern City had been technologically advanced, the hidden city was the exact opposite. Instead of domed buildings and hover-machens, there were hide tents, fenced pens with beasts milling around, and the scent of roasting meat.
“Villi!” a woman’s voice rang out.
He waved at a female who was walking with a male who looked like an older version of Villi. Pilar and Villi walked toward them, passing by a fenced pasture with large black birds pecking at grain in wooden troughs.
The female hugged Villi and the male smiled at them both. “Mama, Papa, this is my soul mate, Pilar. These are my parents, Yelda and Nelari.”
Yelda hugged her with a happy cheer. “It’s wonderful to meet you!”
Nelari said, “When Dex came back after the mission and said both you and Dero had found your soul mates, we didn’t know what to expect.”
“Did Dero return, or is he still with his mate?” Villi asked.
“He hasn’t returned yet,” Yelda said.
“If Dero is anything like Villi,” Pilar said, “Tarihn’s going to have a hard time saying no.”
Villi laughed. “I’m forever grateful to my younger brother. Without him scenting Tarihn, I wouldn’t have found you.”
“I’ll make a special meal to thank him.”
They followed Yelda and Nelari to their tent, where they sat on a hide couch and got to know each other. Yelda served talsi juice and biscuits topped with hoshi nectar, speaking to Pilar about her life on the other side of the mountain while Villi and his papa talked quietly.
“You enjoy cooking? You’ll make a wonderful addition to the city. We gather once a week for a community meal.”
“I’ve never cooked without technology. The closest I came to cooking without a machine’s help was when I was little and my parents took me camping. My mother had a pie press. It was made of iron, and she would place slices of bread with a filling between and then stick it into the coals so it would cook. She used savory fillings for my father and sweet ones for me.”
“Our other son, Carus, is very good at making tools. I’m certain he could fashion a pie press for you. The other females and I will be happy to help teach you how to cook without technology.”
The flap that closed the tent opened suddenly and Sloan rushed in. She stopped in her tracks and stared at Pilar, looking both worried and happy. A tiny part of Pilar wanted to be mad at Sloan for not telling her the truth of the hidden city, but after spending time with Villi, she understood. If the situations were reversed and Pilar had to keep her new life secret, she wouldn’t have told her friend anything about this place either. It was a precious world that needed to be protected.
She put down her wooden cup and stood, closing the distance between them. Sloan sobbed as they hugged, and Pilar cried, too.
“I’m so happy to see you,” Sloan said. “You must hate me.”
“I don’t, I promise. I understand why you didn’t tell me about your new life.”
“If I had, you’d have met Villi earlier.”
“The timing was perfect, though. We came into each other’s lives when we were supposed to, and I’m not sorry.”
Sloan wiped at the tears under her eyes and gave Pilar a watery smile. “Thank you for not hating me. I’ve missed you terribly.”
“I’ve missed you, too.”
Warrick, who had followed Sloan into the tent, put his hand on his mate’s shoulder and said, “Welcome to the forbidden side of the mountain.”
Villi joined them. “I’m going to take Pilar on a tour of the city. Would you like to join us?”
“As if I’d let you take her away right now,” Sloan said.
They said g
oodbye to Yelda and Nelari and stopped in front of Villi’s tent. He took her bags inside and promised to show her their new home later. They walked down a wide path with tents on either side, and he introduced her to the city’s inhabitants. In front of each tent was a cooking fire, a small hole lined with stone and filled with wood. Each fire had a spit for roasting meat and hanging cooking pots. She knew she’d be able to make stews and soups over the fire, and she could learn how to roast meat and vegetables, too.
“I’d wager you’re the city’s medical officer,” Pilar said to Sloan.
“Yes. They had a healer who passed away before I came here, so they were very happy to have me. Warrick trains the warriors.”
“What do you do for supplies? Do you travel to the other side?”
“We try not to go to the other side unless it’s absolutely necessary. The more we go there, the more likelihood we have of being discovered. It would be devastating to the city if we were found out.”
“I understand,” Pilar said.
“Before we left Kyvern City, Warrick and I bought as many supplies as we could, and I found every paper book on medicine I could. Not having machines and technology has changed how I do things, but I’m learning all I can about natural healing. I have a small garden behind our tent where I plant herbs for medications and poultices.”
“I’ll have to learn how to cook all over again.”
“It’s easier than you think,” Sloan said. “And according to Warrick, food tastes better when it’s cooked over an open flame.”
Pilar chuckled. “What a very male thing to say.”
They stopped at the large tent where they held their weekly city-wide dinners, and then they moved on to the gardens. Males and females were working, tending to the plants. Another tent held tools for woodworking, where males who were talented with tools made furniture and supplies.
They stopped at Warrick and Sloan’s tent, where a small group of males and females were waiting. Pilar didn’t recognize the females, but she did know Sloan’s brother, Eden.
Eden gave Pilar a light hug and said, “I was so pleased to hear that you and Villi are soul mates. This is my soul mate, Ashleigh. She’s from Earth.”
“Oh, there was a ship that just left for Earth,” Pilar said.
Everyone went quiet.
“What?” Warrick asked.
“Last night. Tarihn walked me out of the medical center after we ate a meal together, and we saw the ship leave. She said it was going to Earth.”
“I didn’t think they’d go back again so soon,” Ashleigh said. “Those poor women.”
“What’s wrong?” Pilar asked.
Villi kissed her temple. “We had hoped to stop abduction trips entirely.”
“At least the males who were dosed with the serum were the last ones,” Sloan said. “I’m sorry, Ash.”
She shook her head. “Maybe they’ll be lucky and find their true soul mates the way Kate and I did.”
Pilar was introduced to Kate and Paoli. Kate was also from Earth. Then she met Paoli’s siblings – Hana, Reli, Krea, and Milo – and Warrick’s mother and aunt.
Dex said, “This is my soul mate, Bella.”
“Welcome,” Bella said as she gave Pilar a hug. “I’m from Earth, too.”
“Did you know each other on your planet?” Pilar asked.
“We were all from different areas,” Kate explained. “We’re friends now, though, and we’re all looking forward to getting to know you better.”
“But not tonight,” Paoli said. “I’m sure that Villi would like to spend some time alone with his soul mate.”
“That’s an excellent idea,” Dex said, wiggling his brows at Bella.
Sloan took Pilar’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Will you meet me for morning meal at our tent? I’d love time to catch up.”
Pilar glanced at Villi and he nodded in encouragement.
“Of course,” Pilar said.
They said goodbye and Villi led her back to his tent, holding open the hide closure for her. She stepped inside and he followed, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck. “Whatever you’d like to change in the tent is fine with me. I never cared much about decorating, but I think that’s because I didn’t have anyone special to share my life with.”
She turned in his arms. “I’m glad that we’re together. The most I could have hoped for on the other side of the mountains was for a male to decide he could settle for me.”
“I’m not settling. You’re everything I ever wanted, Pilar.”
“You are, too.”
She rose onto her toes and kissed him, smiling inwardly as he wasted no time in moving them toward the bed. For a female who’d thought she’d be alone forever, she was discovering that dreams really did come true. Even on the forbidden side of the mountains.
Chapter 7
After they made love, Villi left a dozing Pilar on the bed and tugged on a pair of trousers. He took a strip of hide and wrapped it around the third finger on her left hand, making a small mark on the hide where the pieces met. Taking a moment to enjoy the sight of his beautiful female as she slumbered on his bed, he counted himself the luckiest male to have found his soul mate. He slipped from the tent and hurried to Paoli and Kate’s tent to ask him for a favor.
“Hi, Villi,” Kate said as she looked up from where she was drawing on a piece of paper for one of the storybooks she created for the children.
Villi looked at Paoli, who was sitting on the couch stitching a garment. “I need mating jewelry for Pilar.”
Paoli put down the garment and stood with a broad smile. “That’s wonderful! When do you need them?”
“Is tonight too early? I wanted to take her to the lake for evening meal and ask her to be mine.”
Paoli shook his head. “It’s not too early, but I don’t have her ring size.”
Villi handed him the strip of hide and said, “I measured her third finger.”
“Clever male!” Paoli said with a chuckle. “Let me measure your finger and I’ll get started right away.”
Kate stood from where she’d been seated at a table and came over to them as Paoli measured Villi’s third finger on his left hand. “I’m so happy you found your soul mate.”
“I’m very blessed,” Villi said.
“I’ll bring the rings to you as soon as I’m done.”
“Thank you, my friend.”.
After leaving their tent, he hurried to the community tent, where he filled a pack with supplies to prepare a special meal for his soul mate. He left the pack on the couch, climbed back into bed, and settled next to Pilar, excited for what the night would bring.
* * *
“Can I help?” Pilar asked as Villi folded and rolled a blanket, securing it with ties.
“I don’t want you to lift a finger,” he said.
“I’m very intrigued.”
He’d wanted to surprise her, so all he’d told her when they’d woken from their rest was that he had special plans for their evening. He’d never tried to surprise someone before, and he wanted to make sure he made her feel special.
“I promise it’ll be worth the wait.”
She chuckled. “I already know you were worth it.”
He straightened after tying the blanket roll and said, “You definitely were.”
He gathered the pack containing their evening meal and the other items he’d packed, and slipped it over his shoulder along with the blanket roll. Holding his hand out to her, he led her out of the tent. Paoli had already brought over the rings, hiding them in a napkin tucked under a basket of sweet bread that Kate had made for them. Villi had tucked the rings into his pocket without Pilar noticing, and they’d shared the bread while sitting on the couch and talking. She’d led a fascinating life on the other side of the mountains, and he was humbled that she’d chosen to leave with him. She’d left her whole life to come with him, not knowing if what he said was true or not.
“You’re being quiet,�
� she said as they left the city and headed into the forest toward the lake.
“I was just thinking how lucky I am that you were willing to take a chance on me.”
“I think if I’d let you leave, I would have regretted it my whole life. You were a stranger, but you also felt very familiar to me, as if we’d known each other for years.”
“I think that’s the way it is with true soul mates.”
“The couples who are joined by the soul-walk, do you think they feel the same way?”
“Ashleigh and Eden were matched by the soul-walk, and they’re true soul mates. But Kate was originally matched with Dex on the soul-walk, and she wanted nothing to do with him. Bella was matched with another male, too. I think that there are true matches from the soul-walk, but they’re the exception, not the rule.”
“I’m glad that no one ever went on a soul-walk for me.”
“Oh?”
She smiled at him. “If they had, I wouldn’t have known you. I feel like I can be anything I want here because I have you.”
“You can. Whatever you want to do, I’m right beside you.”
“I’d still like to cook, but I’d also like to write down my recipes as I adjust them to real fire cooking. Do you think Kate could teach me how to make the paper and covers she uses for her storybooks?”
“We’re all happy to help each other. Kate is good at making paper, and I’ve been learning some sewing skills from Paoli, so if you don’t mind me learning with you, I could make the covers.”
“I’d love that.”
When they reached the lake, he set down the pack and unrolled the blanket. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow on the water’s surface. Pilar sat down and looked up at the sky.
“I never paid much attention to the sky before,” she said.
“No?”
She shrugged. “When Sloan came back from the abduction trip to Earth with her brother and his soul mate, she told me that it was the first time she’d seen our planet from above. She said the green water looked so mysterious and beautiful, mixed with the silver clouds and purple sky. I used to run everywhere, from my house to the hover-machen to the academy to the parties I catered. After Sloan said how lovely our world was from above, I wanted to spend time outside, enjoying our world. I didn’t really get a chance. My life got very busy after Sloan returned. I always thought about stopping everything and watching the sunset or the moons rise, but I didn’t.”