Rubbing at one shoulder, she spied what looked like a profitable direction to search when she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders. The claws scraped lightly as thick fingers rubbed the aching muscles of her shoulders and neck, before making their way down her back. She groaned.
“By the gods, that feels good.”
Kaede chuckled in her ear and pressed his lips to it.
“You should have let me carry your pack. You wouldn’t be in such pain if you had.”
Frankie snorted and rolled her eyes.
“I’m just as capable as any of the other guys, Kaede. I’ve carried my own supplies for years.”
A disapproving silence followed her statement.
“The other males are not a small human.”
“I am hardly small for a woman. Besides, if you are worried about a fragile human, I don’t see why you aren’t offering to carry Rodriguez’s bag.”
Kaede huffed with distaste, his arms dropping to slip around her as his warm breath fanned against her jaw and neck.
“If he has the energy to run his mouth from sunup until sundown, he doesn’t need any help carrying his pack. Perhaps if he carried two, he would talk less.” Frankie laughed and turned herself in the circle of his arms.
“He’s not all that bad. Besides, even you have to admit he’s entertaining. Kind of like the annoying younger brother you never had.”
Kaede’s lips twitched against her skin as he leaned his face into her neck. Although there was nothing inappropriate about his touch, Frankie felt a shiver run up her spine. His lips caressed the spot just beneath her ear before he pulled back with obvious reluctance.
“You distract me so easily, agishi.”
“Agishi... What does that mean?”
His eyes hooded.
“It is from the old language. It means ‘my one.’”
“Your one? One what?”
He snapped his spines and his lips pinched into a line as he considered her question.
“It is a term of affection for the one being who is foremost in your mind and heart.”
Frankie felt her heart rate kick up. That sounded like a lot more than what they’d agreed upon. Why did it stir excitement in her belly to hear those words? Sure, she had feelings for him—she could admit that much despite how unwise it was—but his words were too much like a declaration for something she wasn’t ready for.
“Kaede...”
One large hand came up and a claw rested over her lips, stilling them.
“It doesn’t mean anything more than you want it to, Frahnkee. Know this: I am determined for it to mean everything, when you are ready.”
“Agishi,” she repeated, letting the word linger on her tongue. “It’s pretty. So, if you are not over here to snuggle, what did you come over here for?”
Emagul’s deep voice broke in.
“Kaede?”
Kaede grimaced and turned to raise a hand to the other male. The Itashvanda nodded and moved away. Kaede looked down at her, his expression stern.
“I am going to explore further upstream with Emagul a short distance. He was up in the tree at some height and swears he saw something down the bend of a smaller river forking off from this one. I won’t be gone long. Stay near the camp within sight of the Terils.”
“If it could be something important, shouldn’t we all go?”
Kaede shook his head.
“We cannot spare anyone else. Night falls quicker in this part of the swamp. It’s best if everyone else continue with preparations. We will not be gone long,” he assured her.
Dropping his head down to caress her lips with his, he gave her a reassuring squeeze with his tail where it looped around her. All too soon, the contact was gone, and her eyes fluttered open in time to watch Kaede lope off to join Emagul by a copse of flowering trees just outside their camp. The males bent their heads together, conferring in low voices, before departing at a fast pace into the brush. It wasn’t more than a scant few minutes before she was no longer able to see them.
Returning her attention to the patch of forest in front of her, she strode into the thick clump of trees, pushing fragrant flowers out of her face, some as large as her head. A giant bush with vivid red blooms as large as she was tall quivered when she accidentally brushed against a petal. Aware that something wasn’t quite right about that, she stepped away just in time. The petals snapped closed. Her heart hammered in her chest with the rush of endorphins flooding her system and she remained crouched at a safe distance from it as she watched the blooms unfurl once more.
Backing away slowly, she turned and pushed through a clump of vines with velvety purple leaves and spotted with small lavender flowers. On the other side was a bush laden with large berries that she began to pick and drop into a small sack pouch hanging from the side of her bag. She followed along the line of fruit-bearing bushes until she broke through into a tiny clearing. There, several sticks lay scattered were branches and vines had broken and dropped into the bushes.
Jackpot.
With a triumphant grin, Frankie bent and gathered the thick sticks. She leaned in a little closer to grab a particularly thick one when the bush rustled in front of her face. Frankie froze, her eyes sliding up to where the leaves quivered. Her hand slid down to her blaster. Vibrant pink flowers jiggled and then suddenly something bright pink flew toward her face.
With a startled shriek, Frankie brought up her blaster and swung it in hope of driving whatever it was away. It didn’t do any good. She felt the impact from a surprisingly slight weight hit her shoulder. Heart trying to climb its way up her throat, Frankie angled her head so that she was looking down at it. A relieved laugh burst from her lips.
The creature was a bright pink fuzzy little thing with splotches of darker fuchsia and large bat-like ears that twitched toward her as it clung to her with six furry paws. Its flat pink nose sniffed at her curiously, and a long fuchsia tail draped around her neck as it leaned forward. No larger than a Pomeranian, its huge purple eyes widened further as it returned her regard. In a word, it was adorable.
“Well, now, you aren’t so scary, are you?”
The little critter chirped and turned to sniff at her pouch.
“I suppose you like berries too, huh? No harm in sharing.”
Dipping her fingers into the bag, she pulled out a fat berry and offered it to the furry alien. It trilled happily, snatched it out of her hand, and proceeded to fill its cheeks with a few quick bites. Frankie chuckled and moved a hand to stroke its fur. It was decadently soft. A tiny, high-pitched purr echoed from its chest as it leaned into her hand.
“You’re like a mogwai on acid. I think that’s what I will call you. I always did want one when I was a kid. As long as you don’t replicate little evil clones, we should be all good.”
Frankie laughed again when it let out a tiny chirp and settled more comfortably on her shoulder. Between its tail and six clawed toes, it seemed pretty adept at hanging on. She gave it one last scritch, before continuing to hunt for wood and berries, all the while keeping Grish’s large frame in sight from where he balanced on a platform that he was lashing to a tree. She probably didn’t acquire quite the gain that she might have otherwise had, since she was giving one out of every four berries that she picked to Mogwai to eat, but she didn’t mind.
By the time she arrived at camp, Emagul and Kaede had returned. Kaede was speaking excitedly to the other males but his words froze when his eyes landed on her... or more accurately, on Mogwai clinging to her shoulder. His hand snapped to his pistol and within seconds he had it trained on her new furry friend. Her arm snapped up to curl protectively around it.
“What the fuck? Put that thing down!” Frankie snapped.
“Step away from the bitia,” Kaede said in a low, dangerous voice.
“You are not shooting Mogwai,” she returned, her brow slanting down in a stubborn scowl. No way was she going to let him hurt the first pet she’d had in years. She’d have to get it vaccinated but sol
diers were permitted to keep small pets in their quarters. Grish had a big reptile that he doted on.
Kaede’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“Hey, Mogwai... I get it! Gremlins,” Rodriguez snickered. “It does bear a resemblance, doesn’t it? Totally awesome creatures from American cinema,” he filled everyone in.
Frankie shot him a grateful look over Kaede’s shoulder. If anything, Kaede looked even more displeased.
“Frahnkee, it is not a pet. They are highly venomous...”
“Like you,” she pointed out blithely.
“It is not the same,” he said, ending on a growl.
Frankie shrugged and petted Mogwai who settled back comfortably against her again. Its eyes were still fastened on Kaede but for all the world it seemed quite content to stay with her, even with a plasma pistol pointed at it.
“This little thing hasn’t done anything aggressive or tried to hurt me in any way.”
“It is a pest,” Kaede objected.
“I like him.” With a dramatic snarl, Kaede dropped his pistol. His tail snapped violently through the air as he paced back and forth for a moment. At last, he pinned her with a hard look.
“Very well, but the moment that thing even looks as if it has it in mind to harm you, I will shoot it.”
“Deal,” she said and cuddled Mogwai close to her.
“Pussy whipped,” Rodriguez commented around a cough. He grinned at her when she leveled a glare threatening death on him.
“Anyway,” she said as she pulled her gaze back to Kaede’s disapproving frown, “what did you find?”
Kaede’s irritation melted away and his lips stretched into a brilliant smile, a look closely echoed by Emagul. “We found it.”
Chapter 21
It was in the early hours of the morning that their group made their way along a small winding river that broke off the main one they’d been following for days. The tributary twisted in an almost serpentine fashion as it led them through a denser forest. The ground sucked at their feet as they walked, but the air itself became richer with the scent of flowers. A steady roar built up, but it wasn’t until the land dipped into a shallow valley, that Frankie saw the very image of paradise.
The valley opened up into a glade full of flowers. Though the giant trees growing from the crest of the valley draped thick branches that obscured the skies as much as they did in every other part of the swamp, the valley itself was lush bushes and soft greenery. Everywhere she looked it was thick with blooms that stirred slightly on errant breezes, washing the world in a hundred different hues. At the center of it all a twenty-foot waterfall thundered into a low basin below them.
As Frankie drank in the sight, she felt Kaede step up behind her, his tail slipping around her hips.
“Is this...?”
“Amwalee,” Kaede murmured. He spoke the word as if it were almost sacred, so reverently he held it to his heart. After nearly two weeks of trekking through the swamp, they’d arrived at the great waterfall Kaede spoke of. The one that might give them a clue as to the location of the tribe.
“It’s beautiful,” Frankie whispered.
“It is,” Kaede agreed. “Finally, I feel as if I am close to something that has always been waiting... A part of me I’ve never been able to discover.”
Mogwai broke the solemn wonder that charged the air as it chittered on her shoulder before leaping into the flowers that dripped in heavy vines from a nearby tree. Frankie laughed at its antics and it warbled as it scurried through the blooms.
“Maybe he will find a female and leave us alone,” Kaede said.
Frankie gave him a dirty look which did little other than encourage him to draw her closer into his embrace. Not in the mood to resist, she snuggled deeper into his arms. From where she was nestled, she gave Mogwai’s departing pink form a skeptical look.
“Mogwai is a he?”
Kaede made a sound of affirmation low in his throat. The growl-click vibrated against her jaw. “Male bitia have bright coloring to attract the females, though it is also useful if they wish to blend into some of the flowers and hide from predators. The females are a dark purple that helps them hide better among the foliage of the plants and in the deeper shadows of the trees where they make their nests.”
“Oh, well, I suppose it might be nice for him to find a mate, but I’d still rather he came back to me.”
Kaede laughed.
“You gladly welcome that furry creature into your heart, and yet you resist and deny me.”
Frankie shrugged, her lips curving despite herself.
“Many human women have a fondness for cute, furry animals. They’re always there to bestow affection upon you and make good companions. They are loyal. Why wouldn’t we?”
“A mate is a far more worthy being to receive such affections,” Kaede countered, his lips skimming her ear.
Frankie managed not to shiver in reaction—just barely.
“A mate is not guaranteed forever. They can break your heart. They can leave.”
The male holding her growled.
“Then he would be the worst kind of fool, not to treasure such a gift from the gods as a mate to walk at his side through the rest of his days.”
Her breath caught at the conviction in his voice.
“That’s what you want?”
“I didn’t think so. I’ve spent the last several cycles avoiding a mating commitment that my mother has attempted to orchestrate. My own mother was an indifferent and uncaring mate toward my father, especially after my birth, and she saw his legacy within my appearance. I haven’t seen much that made me wish for a mate of my own. Not until these past days with you. I confess that I intend to keep you, Frahnkee,” he admitted.
Without saying anything, she turned and, facing him, burrowed into his embrace until his body folded around her, surrounding her with his presence. Resting her cheek against his chest, her awareness focused on the calm, mellow beating of his heart.
Her mind was in a chaos of uncertainty as to what she wanted.
A loud crack drew her attention to the Itashvanda as Emagul snapped his wings open to catch a current of air. His large gray body leaped with ease, with more grace than she’d ever expected such a large species to possess, toward the valley, and with each beat of his wings he kept himself aloft as he circled toward the basin. He made quite a sight, his pale gray skin glowing almost luminously and the dark red feathers at the end of his tail fanning out in his descent.
When he landed, he walked around a bit as if inspecting the area for any sign of another presence. He stilled after a moment and then shouted up to them. They could barely hear his voice over the roar of the water, but his gestures were clear. Emagul wished for them to join him. The Arobi pack were the first to plunge over the side. They made it look almost easy as they flew over the waterlogged ground in their rapid dive.
The Terils chuckled and struck each other’s arms in an overeager display.
“Let’s do this,” Borth rumbled. It was one of his favorite human phrases that he adopted from Rodriguez early in their acquaintance. Slapping his brother on the back with a friendly challenge, Borth charged down the steep slope, his footsteps thunderous despite the cushion of moss and grasses. He half slid in his headlong rush, but he was not alone. Grish followed close behind him, and if anything, seemed to skid down the hill as much as he outright ran. By the time they’d arrived, Mi’yar was close behind, utilizing the natural climbing instincts of his species to drop down the steep slope easily despite the challenges of descending amid the mud and muck that slicked the route. The relaxed half-extension of his spines conveyed his high spirits as he landed among the blooms growing out of the flooded valley.
Rodriguez toed the edge, a grimace pulling at his lips. He subtly crossed himself as he muttered under his breath.
“Terils. Each and every one is a crazy, mother fuckin’ adrenaline junky, I swear. I don’t know how my sister puts up with her mate. All right—here goes nothing. Wish
me luck!” he shouted to Frankie. Flashing the bull’s horns gesture to avert bad luck, he winked at her before turning with determination to the edge.
With a small forward jump, he hurtled forward. He visibly braced himself as he slid down the hill, his hands extended to steer and slow his descent by dragging against the plants surrounding him. It did little to help. Several times he fell down and kept sliding on his ass before he got his feet under him again. About halfway down he lost all control and tumbled in earnest until he landed with a loud groan in a thick cluster of flowers. As other members of the squad called out to him, inquiring if he was okay, he pushed himself up to his feet and stuck one weary arm into the air, flashing a thumbs-up.
Her nerves hit her stomach hard as Frankie pushed herself out of Kaede’s arms and slowly approached the edge. She never did care for heights and flinging herself down the side of the slope looked near suicidal. Granted, Rodriguez survived it, but that didn’t make her any more eager to do it. But she didn’t have much choice She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the inevitable when she felt the iron band of Kaede’s grip around her waist. She wanted to weep for relief, but she didn’t. She managed to school her expression into a cool lift of an eyebrow as she looked back at him.
“Can I help you?”
He grinned down at her and tightened his arms.
“You think I will allow you to throw yourself down the side like those fool males? I think not. Come. I will hold you safe to me while we descend sensibly.”
“What exactly do you consider to be sensible?” she queried.
His grin widened as his tail curved around her.
“Hold tight to me,” he whispered in her ear.
Frankie wrapped her arms around his neck, and when he boosted her up, she curled her legs around his hips too. His tail slid against her, adjusting until he had it wrapped tightly around her at any angle, holding her snug against him and freeing up his arms.
Though her position gave her little to look at other than the underside of his jaw or the forest behind him, Frankie watched him as best she could. He turned his head to the left, and then to the right. She was aware of him extending his arms. With a sharp yank, he broke free a cluster of vines tangled together, allowing the free end to dangle low into the vale. She shifted to look down.
Heart of the Agraak Page 15
