Taboo

by Leslie Dicken

  Peace reigned.

  Ariana scooped up the water, filling the jug to the top. She turned to lift off when the wooden boat caught her gaze.

  A boat.

  She had never seen one before yesterday. Though she had heard the stories of The Landing and how the large ship carried the crew and astro-archeologists from the spaceship dock to this island. There were even old drawings of that sea-faring vessel.

  But since that time no one had built a boat. It was against the law.

  Could there be more to it than just conservation of resources? Were they truly, all these years later, still trying to hide their mistakes?

  Ariana took a step toward it. Still partially hidden beneath the brush, Andreus’s boat looked small and almost useless.

  But as she swept the branches and leaves off with her free hand, she saw its amazing size and depth. He must have been working on it for months, years maybe. It could seat about twenty people, plus room for gear and supplies.

  His craftsmanship was truly amazing. What tools did he use? Did he have any help? One thing was for certain, he would never be able to move this boat to the ocean by himself.

  Ariana quickly covered it up again as best she could and flew back to the hut.

  Setting down the jug of water, she noticed that Andreus was just as she left him. Asleep. His entire body, from the firm shape of his chest to the sinews of his legs, was covered in a sheen of sweat.

  Ariana swallowed a few nuts and berries, then stripped out of her clothing. The air swirled over her skin, raising goose bumps.

  A sour taste filled her mouth as fear threatened to impede her efforts again. She forced one foot in front of the other, her feet rolling in the damp sand. She did not stop at the water’s edge, but compelled herself to continue on, just as Andreus had done.

  The cold water snapped at her toes, but Ariana moved forward. She would not look down. To see the shadowed movements would only paralyze her. Instead, she focused on the cropping of rocks Andreus had indicated.

  A chill spread through her bloodstream, but she clenched her teeth, willing herself onward. At last, as the water touched her belly button, Ariana reached the large clumps of seaweed.

  She could see it under the water, down at her knees. Her stomach clenched as she realized she’d have to sink down to grab a hold of it. Or worse, go under completely to get it by the root.

  A splash snared her attention. Pulse thundering, she looked behind her. A silver tail flipped the water again then disappeared out of sight.

  Terror seized her heart.

  Immobile, Ariana waited for the creature to reappear but nothing happened. The sun had now risen high enough to burn the mist away. Its brilliant orange reflection shimmered across the smooth ocean surface.

  Quickly, she squatted and yanked at the seaweed. The water rushed up to her chin, splashed on her nose and ears. The taste of salt invaded her mouth, trickled into her stomach.

  Ariana pulled until she could hold no more. Arms full, she hurried from the water and stopped only when she heard the splash again.

  This time the creature leaped out of the water completely then dove down again, flipping its tail as it went under. Relief broke across her lips, forming a grin. She had seen these animals before as she flew overhead. They often leapt out of the water in pairs, seemingly playing with one another. She would have to ask Andreus what they were called.

  Andreus. She rushed over to the hut and dropped her bundle at the entrance. Wet, she did not want to sit in the sand and have it cling to her body. So, she stood at his feet and stripped the leaves from the pods, creating two piles.

  She had gone into the water and emerged unharmed. But triumph eluded her. Instead, her throat sparked with pain. Hopefully, it was not too late to save him.

  A noise startled him. Andreus forced the weight of his eyelids up. He blinked at the morning light but could not focus. A blurry outline of the hut told him he still rested out on the beach, not back in his rooms at the Dwelling.

  The pain in his ankle throbbed, yet it felt different. Pressure around it oozed some type of salve. He could feel the swelling lessen.

  Andreus swallowed against his tight, parched throat.

  Blinking again, a hazy figure came into view. The figure stood up from his feet and crushed something in her hands. Her skin glowed like the most brilliant of pearls. He saw only shadows, elements of light and dark.

  Light, sun-kissed hair swept down across the woman’s shoulders, stopping at her small breasts. Two nipples, like two circular pieces of coral, told him she stood bare. A glance farther down her stomach confirmed his amazement. Indeed, this mirage stood at his feet with nothing covering her silken body.

  Despite the illness churning through his blood, his cock jerked to attention. He’d not have the energy to sink himself inside her flesh, but in dreams anything was possible.

  The figure moved closer holding a small pitcher. She lowered to her knees before his head. “Here, drink this.” Her voice was angelic, threaded with gold.

  Andreus lifted his chin and swallowed the liquid. Bitterness seized his tongue, scorched down his throat. After a few mouthfuls, he pulled away.

  She set the pitcher down and smiled. “That should be enough for now.”

  He reached out to touch her face. This goddess, she must be real. If not, he was having one hell of a fever-inspired dream.

  He traced a line down her chin, over her plump lips, to the long column of her neck. Her pulse beat madly against his fingertips but she made no move to stop him.

  The sun burned the sand outside the hut, creating a blinding golden hue beyond the hut opening. Andreus licked his lips, continued his exploration, feeling the weight of her breast in his hand. He flicked his thumb over the coral nipple, eliciting a hushed gasp from her lips.

  She slid off her knees and laid across him, giving him easier access to her bounty. And what a bounty it was. Even though his vision was blurry his mouth hungered for those ripe peaks, his palm itched to caress that fine curve of hip.

  Andreus explored his vision, tracing a warm trail from her shoulder to her delicate knees. No poultice, no medicine could make him feel any better than the velvety softness of a woman’s skin.

  She closed her eyes as he cupped her bottom. His cock twitched, greedy for her touch. But he’d not go there. No, he would feast on this lovely angel with his hands. If he had the energy, he’d give her some of his tongue, too.

  Her hips thrust forward. “Oh, Andreus…”

  The naked goddess rested her head on his chest, her feathery hair tickling his skin then rolled over to her back, spreading her legs apart slightly.

  Andreus clenched his teeth. If only he were well enough to slide his cock in there. But he knew his ankle would never allow it, not to mention the energy-sapping fever.

  But he could thrill her.

  Andreus kneaded her nipples again, tweaking them until she cried out. Then he slid his hand down her flat stomach to the puff of hair between her legs. Her legs opened wider.

  He found her gold nugget swollen, hot. His angel writhed beneath his nimble fingers. Her face flushed, lips parted.

  “Andreus, please…”

  Two fingers plunged deep inside her core. Her shout, like a bird’s call, rang against the trees. But he did not release her. Instead, he thrust his fingers into her, rubbed her nub with his thumb and forced her to ride the powerful cresting wave. She jerked her hips, taking him in deeper.

  His arousal burned, ravenous to be the one in her heat. Soon, he promised it, very soon.

  A strong wind blew across their bodies, cooling his skin, enriching him with strength. He drove into her slick sheath vigorously, faster and faster, until she clenched her thighs and threw her head back. This time, she produced only an exhausted whimper.

  As Andreus slid his fingers out, she lifted his hand to her heart. He felt the rapid beat, the heightened breaths within her chest. She was real. This was not a dream. This was his lovely Ariana
who’d come back to him.

  She tugged on his hand again, bringing it to her mouth. His erection shuddered as she slipped his fingers inside her mouth. Her tongue swirled around them, tasting her cream, reminding him of her mouth on his cock.

  He closed his eyes, squeezed them tight. Her mouth sucked at his thick skin, searing him to the very bones. She drove him mad. Mad with desire, mad with need. He’d never be whole again if she wasn’t by his side.

  “Ariana.” Her name stuck in his throat, as pleasure obliterated all other thought.

  She tortured him relentlessly until he could no longer control his actions. With his free hand, he reached down and grabbed his flesh. It took only one hard tug to bring fierce, blissful relief.

  Andreus wrapped his arms about her back, holding her close to his heart. Ariana was made for him, brought to him by something called Fate or God or the mysteriousness of the universe.

  He’d never let her go again.

  Chapter Six

  Once again, she could not sleep. Ariana waited for the first signs of light then lifted up into the trees. Brilliant stars still twinkled overhead, offering her peace when she felt nothing but turmoil.

  Down below, Andreus slept still. His breathing had become more even, his swelling had gone down considerably. He’d turned the corner to wellness. She may be able to leave tomorrow as she planned.

  Ariana lay across a thick branch on her stomach, watching the waves crash on the shore below. She could never think of the sea again without being reminded of Andreus.

  He belonged to it, commanded it.

  And though she entered the water and returned unscathed, her soul did not flourish in those depths. It was the clouds, the air, which renewed her strength.

  She belonged with an Aerotaun, a man who could frolic with her in the treetops. Andreus was amazing, compelling, unrestrained and spirited.

  But he was not her future.

  Ariana forced the invading tenderness from her throat and rose to the air again. She had to gather more food for the remainder of the day and then prepare for her journey home.

  Andreus was awake and drinking water when she returned. His eyes were no longer glassy, his face no longer shining. The several treatments of the seaweed had brought his health back.

  “I was worried you’d gone for good.”

  She forced a smile on her face. She must leave him tomorrow. How could he possibly expect her to stay? “I-I’ve brought some new food for you to try.”

  He raised an eyebrow and sat up straight. “More fruit and nuts?”

  Ariana winked. “Just wait a bit and you’ll see.”

  He laughed and leaned back on his elbows, watching her with hooded eyes. A quick glance at his legs showed a stiff rise under his cloth. It seemed that nothing could keep this man, or his arousal, down.

  She mixed the buttery shoots she’d collected along with two different kinds of tree sap. A few sprinkles of berries and her delicacy was complete.

  “Here.” She handed him a small bowl of it.

  Andreus latched onto her wrist, his green stare dangerous. “I’d rather eat you.”

  A flush crept up her cheeks. Despite the intimacy they shared, he still had the power to make her blush. “Try this. It’s good. We call it Tree Sap Pudding.”

  He took a hearty bite without hesitation. It was as if nothing could scare the man. Unlike her trepidation at new things, he relished them with a thrill. “Delicious. Is there more?”

  Ariana spooned more into his bowl then watched him eat. Unlike the sickly man from yesterday, Andreus had returned in full color. The pain must linger in his ankle, but the swelling had shrunken considerably. His muscles and tendon flinched and bulged as he moved. Even his tongue licked energetically.

  A dizzying crackle raced through her, tickling her nipples and curling her toes.

  She clenched her thighs, but the sizzle between her legs did not dim. Hard to believe she’d only lost her virginity a few days ago.

  Gulping, she turned away and gathered the dishes. “I need to rinse these out.”

  “And I need to rinse myself.” His warm chuckle echoed in the hut.

  Ariana stood. “Go ahead in the ocean, I’ll clean these at the lagoon and return shortly.”

  She snapped her wings on and carried the dishes over to the sparkling fresh water.

  The serenity washed over her immediately. All tension and concern slipped away like the water trickling over the rocks. Flowered blooms invigorated her with their sweet succulence. Tree limbs brushed along the water’s surface with the slight twist of the breeze. And darting between the bowls she washed, colorful fish played “catch me”.

  “I come here often.”

  Ariana gasped. She had not heard Andreus come up behind her. She set the rinsed bowls on a stone. “Does anyone else know of this place?”

  He leaned on his staff and grinned. “Just you and me.”

  “So,” she glanced toward the line of trees, “you created that boat all by yourself?”

  Andreus nodded. “Found pictures in a few ancient books. Then I carved several hand-held models until I got the hang of what I was doing.”

  “But-but it’s so large, how could you possibly do that on your own?”

  He grinned and hobbled over to the water’s edge. “There is a saying among my people—where there is a will, there is a way.”

  She sank back on her heels as he lowered himself to his knees. He splashed the cool water on his face several times then slicked back his brown hair.

  “Ah, much better.” He offered a wicked grin. “Care to join me for a full bath?”

  Despite the daunting thought of immersing herself fully in the water again, her blood hummed, begging for the chance at his touch again. Yet, his temptations made her return to the Dwelling that much harder.

  Andreus shrugged a shoulder and settled down into a vibrant patch of grass. “It can wait. Tell me instead of your home life. What’s it like living at the top of the Dwelling?

  Ariana unlatched her wings and slid them off. Crossing her legs, she trailed her fingers along cool softness of the water. “I don’t imagine it is much different than yours. Each family is restricted to a certain number of rooms and only one child.”

  “We are too, although the medicine we use for birth restriction must not be as effective as yours for I have one brother and one sister.”

  That would explain why there seemed to be so many more Marimar than Aerotaun.

  She watched a red butterfly flutter past them. “We search for food from the trees. Birds, eggs, nuts, fruit, sap, seeds—they all contribute to our diets.”

  Sun shimmered on his hair, creating a golden halo. He reminded of pictures she’d once seen in a book. A Roman god, the caption read. Licking her lips, Ariana felt a sinful urge to leap from her spot and land herself on top of him. But she did not move.

  “We make our own clothing. Work each day, yet play as well.”

  Andreus grinned. “What do you play?”

  Ariana swirled her hand in the water, where the tiny fish darted between her fingers. “When we are first fitted for wings and taught to fly, we play a game called ‘catch me’.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “It’s simple. We chase one another until someone is tagged. Then that person becomes the chaser. It teaches us skills we’ll need in flying without becoming a boring lesson.”

  His chuckle echoed against the trees. “We do something similar in the water. Although most children learn to swim by the time they are learning to walk.”

  Her brain tickled with questions. What must it be like to live in the darkness of the forests and depths of the sea? How did he go about finding a bride?

  Before she could ask, he leveled a stare at her. “I want to know what you learned of our ancestors. The stories you heard of The Landing.”

  Ariana drew her knees in tight as her heart shuddered. She’d never been told not to mention the disaster that had ruined their chances of le
aving here. But, then again, no one ever expected her to talk to a Marimar either.

  She brushed her hair from her shoulders and rested her chin on her knees. Just beyond Andreus, a flock of brilliantly colored birds took flight. She coveted their graceful lifts, their smooth glides. She envied their simplicity in life. Suddenly, being an Aerotaun did not seem so freeing.

  “We all arrived here as one large group, nearly five hundred strong, I believe.”

  Andreus stared at her without a response. He questioned out of more than mere curiosity or lack of conversation. She could easily see that he searched for an answer of some sort.

  Ariana twirled the blades of grass at her feet, marveling at the sharp edges. “The space craft landed elsewhere on the planet, the only place without trees. Then a large ship carried them across the sea.”

  “Who were the people on board?”

  “Scientist of all sorts. Archeologists, chemists, botanists, engineers.”

  “Is that all?” Sharpness sliced through the words.

  She’d insulted him. And his people. “No, of course not. There were the space shuttle staff and crew to man the ship.”

  They were the group that settled at the bottom of the Dwelling after the ship burned. They became the Marimar, a robust stock of hard working people.

  “What else?”

  “The space shuttle became inoperable, even when the crew tried to fix it. And once everyone had finally given up and left the landing pad for the Dwelling, the ship caught fire. We were stranded over here.” She tried to sound as unemotional as possible, but the guilt prickled in her gut.

  She picked up a small pebble and tossed it into the water. Small ripples waved outward. “You know the rest. Your people took up residence at the bottom of the Dwelling and mine moved to the top.”

  Andreus stared at her, waiting. For what, she didn’t know. If he wanted more details, he would not get them from her. What had happened in the past was done. This was their life now. She’d not be the one to disrupt the peace.

  “Have I captured everything? Are you satisfied?”