Angel Mine

by Vijaya Schartz

  “I could.” He sighed. “But no Azuran ever left this planet. The consequences are dire.”

  Fianna found it difficult to imagine such a naive man in her corrupt world. “How exactly would someone who is against any kind of violence help me?”

  “There are gentler ways.” He shrugged. “Why do you think the Dragons will not board the Silver Angel?”

  “Their celebrations are messy. They’ll drink too much, fight among themselves, get sick. Only on the Monalisa, can they make such a mess unhindered.”

  She stepped upon the terrace. The sun was on its afternoon slant. “We are facing west, right? So if I go left, I’ll find the south slope of the hill, and the cave entrance.”

  Acielon’s face had frozen and remained unreadable. “I am coming with you. You need me to open a trail.”

  “Fine!” Fianna motioned to Sheba. “Let’s go, girl.”

  They stepped down from the side of the terrace and started left, through the thick vegetation. Acielon took the lead, charming the plants to open a trail. As they progressed, more explosions rocked the ground beneath their feet. Fianna marveled at how far Acielon had carried her to insure her safety.

  When the vegetation thinned, replaced by dry dirt and rocks, Fianna recognized the landscape. As they negotiated around a large boulder, they came into view of the cave entrance. Tarkan and his Dragons stood outside on the flat rocky space facing the cave, hands on their ears.

  Sheba crouched behind a boulder. So did Fianna.

  Acielon vanished into thin air, and Fianna missed him. Too bad she couldn’t stay on Azura. She might have been happy here with him. She was, briefly, when she thought she had died and this was heaven.

  Another explosion shook the ground. An avalanche of loose dust and gravel rolled down the slopes, and a cloud of dust swallowed the cave entrance.

  On the open space of the overhang, Tarkan and his Dragons cheered and slapped each-other’s backs.

  “That was the last charge!” Tarkan laughed. “Let’s go collect our riches.”

  A blast of trumpets emanating from above, stopped the looters, who glanced up to the clear sky and froze.

  An entire legion of flying angels with majestic white wings, eight in each row in a long cortege, banked and formed a wide circle in the air, hovering high above the group. Fianna’s mouth fell open. Sheba stared in fascination but didn’t seem worried.

  A strong male voice split the air asunder. “You have assaulted Azura unprovoked, using destructive weapons against our planet. By order of the Council of Archons, your freedom is rescinded until further notice.”

  Fianna remembered to breathe. So, there was an entire race of beings like Acielon on this planet. She noticed male and female angels, and the color of their skin varied from white to gold, to blue, to dark, with all the nuances in between, representing most races in the galaxy. They looked perfect in every way, but none as handsome in her eyes as Acielon.

  What would they do to Tarkan and his Dragons?

  “Drop your weapons!” The all-pervading voice left no other choice.

  Fianna rose against her will, revealing herself. “Perfect. And now Tarkan knows I’m alive. I lost the element of surprise.”

  Tarkan and his Dragons seemed in a trance. They slowly fished their many blades and guns out of their holsters and dropped them to the rocky ground. Were they under some kind of spell?

  Fianna felt compelled to do the same, and no amount of resistance could prevent her hands from drawing her blades and dropping them, as if someone else controlled her from inside her brain. What an awesome power! Once disarmed, she couldn’t move, couldn’t run. Triblets! She felt naked without weapons.

  Acielon materialized at her side, smiling. Sheba turned white and bumped his hip with her head.

  Fianna seethed. “Can’t they see I’m not with them? Tell them to let me go!”

  Acielon shook his head. “All Azurans share their thoughts. We have no secrets. They already know everything I know about you.”

  “Everything?” Fianna's cheeks burned as she wished for more boundaries between Acielon and his friends. “So, why are they treating me like the enemy?”

  Acielon shrugged. “You all came together from the same place. You all know each other and might plot together to escape. All of you represent a danger to us and to this planet.”

  “But you know I’m not a criminal.” Fianna hated the pleading in her voice. She hated feeling helpless even more. “I only enforce the law of my people.”

  Acielon grinned. “Your laws do not apply on Azura.”

  Why did he look so happy? She wanted to erase the grin off his handsome face.

  Fianna couldn’t believe he would not speak on her behalf. “I only seek justice.”

  He chuckled. “You also want revenge for your brother. Revenge is not acceptable in Azuran society.”

  “Did you tell them to do this? To keep me from leaving?” It would be kind of romantic in a twisted way.

  He shook his head. “I did nothing of the sort. This is just Azura protecting itself.”

  Fianna felt her feet lifting off the rocky ground, as if caught in an invisible net. Acielon and Sheba remained on the overhang, watching her ascend. She struggled to free herself but failed.

  Soon she was airborne over the jungle. Tarkan and his Dragons flew in a separate group. In a separate net? The legion of angels above them flapped their wings in perfect rhythm, like a flock of beautiful birds.

  Soon, they hovered above a cluster of clear blue domes, some as large as a market place, others as small as a shuttle, surrounded by geometric lawns, red and yellow flower beds, and long, rectangular pools of shiny blue water. Like a poster for an Elysian vacation planet in a space port tourist office.

  She saw no streets, no roads, and no vehicles. Did everyone on this planet fly?

  Fianna had never asked Acielon where he lived. She’d assumed the stone dome in the jungle was his personal abode. But this city looked much more sophisticated and refined. She also realized these seamless clear domes were fashioned of the same blue crystal as her pendant. Triblets! How did they manage such feats of architecture without technology?

  She hung in mid air, above a lawn surrounding one of the smallest domes. Like the other abodes it had a pool, beds of bright flowers, and fruit trees. She felt the release of the invisible net holding her. Her feet touched the ground, and she stumbled but quickly regained her balance.

  “This is your temporary home,” a strong voice announced above her. “You cannot leave until the Council decides to release you.”

  The angels flew away with Tarkan and his Dragons. At least, they would not be detained in the same place. Fianna wouldn’t have to fight them to the death with bare hands.

  Still, she was a prisoner. She scanned her surroundings. Even with her implants, she saw no fences, yet she suspected there must be some kind of boundary. She ventured to the outer edge of the lawn. As she stepped into the surrounding jungle, she slammed her foot into an invisible wall. Yep. A prison.

  Scanning the jungle beyond the invisible wall, she could see slithering life forms and all sorts of stalking predators. She shuddered. How would she find her way out of such a place?

  Even if she climbed or crossed the wall, she couldn’t escape on foot through the inextricable jungle. Without a machete she couldn’t hack a path through the thick vegetation, or defend herself against the predators. Besides, she could get turned around and may never find her way.

  She would need Acielon’s help, but he seemed perfectly content to keep her on his planet. Damn the gorgeous man and these inconvenient feelings he awoke inside her. Her brother needed help, and soon.

  Chapter Seven

  As Acielon flew, he enjoyed watching his shadow glide over the jungle. The sunset caressed his wings with golden warmth. Birds trilled, celebrating the end of the day. A good day for him, too. It seemed Fianna would remain on Azura, and he would do anything to insure her happiness here.

&nbs
p; He flew straight to the blue crystal dome assigned to Fianna. His private residence. Holding the woven basket containing ripe fruit he had gleaned on the way, he swooped down above the manicured lawn and the turquoise swimming pool.

  The flower beds seemed brighter and more fragrant, as if they rejoiced in the presence of their special guest. He banked around the fruit trees, then alighted on the terrace and folded his wings. Joy welled in his chest at the prospect of seeing her, and he calmed his breath as he walked under the vines forming a bower around the arched entrance.

  This clear blue dome, unlike the primitive stone dome where he had healed Fianna, allowed daylight through. As the sun sank, a few light clouds rolled in. Responding to the low light, the luminous crystal glowed a soft blue. A sunken circular section revealed waist-high counters, for food preparation and display. He set the basket of fruit on the counter, selected two juicy yellow ones, then looked around for Fianna.

  The smooth crystal floor presented sunken areas of varied shapes and sizes, adorned with plush rugs in blue geometric patterns. Purple and orange pillows, strewn on the wide steps leading to the recessed levels, provided comfortable spaces on which to sit or lounge.

  In the kidney-shaped recreation den, game boards he’d favored as a child sat on low stools. Worn, antique books, salvaged from the wreckage of many ships, lined the shelves curving along the low walls. He’d read them all.

  To one side, frosted crystal walls surrounded the bathing area, where crystalline water gurgled as it ran through semi-spherical tubs.

  Acielon spotted Fianna on the round bed in the circular sleeping area. His body warmed at the sight of her. She sat on the shiny turquoise blanket, legs crossed, shoulders sagging. She held her head in her hands.

  Guilt wrenched his gut. He felt responsible for her captivity. But he did not want her to leave, and he knew no other way to keep her close. In time, she would become Azuran, and she would be happy... he hoped.

  He stepped down silently. His bare feet caressed the rushes by the bed as he handed Fianna the ripest fruit, the sweetest. “I thought you might be hungry.”

  She glanced up. “Don’t you people ever knock? You are not much for privacy, are you?”

  Alarmed by her sad expression, he stepped closer. “Are you all right?”

  She craned her neck and looked around him. “Where is Sheba?”

  Acielon chuckled. “Hunting what she calls rabbits.”

  A small smile flashed on Fianna’s lovely face. “She likes rabbits.”

  Acielon wished he could alleviate Fianna’s unhappiness at being detained.

  Her back straightened. She shook her head, refusing his fruit. “What have you done with my weapons?”

  This did not go as well as he hoped. “Azurans have no use for weapons. The Avenging Angels probably discarded them with the metal. We have no need for metal.”

  “Discarded?” Fianna shook her head. “Unbelievable. How long do I have to stay here?”

  He gestured to the luminescent crystal dome above them. “You do not like this place? It is comfortable. It could be your new home.”

  “That’s not a home, it’s a villa. I’ve never had so much living space in my entire life.” She stepped off the bed and faced him squarely. “Did you come to get me out? When can I leave?”

  The question jabbed him in the chest. “Why would you want to leave? Just this morning, you thought you were in what you called heaven, and you loved it. You are still on the same beautiful planet. Is Azura not your heaven anymore?”

  “Are you kidding me?” She glowered at him. Her eyes had lost their temporary turquoise hue and resumed their striking shade of green. The energy he’d given her for the healing had left her. “I am a prisoner! There are invisible walls all around!”

  “The fence is for our protection.” Acielon knew how she felt. He had similar feelings sometimes, wishing he could leave Azura’s safe haven and explore the galaxy.

  “Protection against what?”

  “When the sun goes down, the jungle crawls with large snakes, and four-legged predators who stalk their prey at twilight. Then the night crawlers hunt. This is just a standard Azuran residence. We all need protection when we sleep. You do not want to be outside the fence right now, believe me.”

  “If I had my weapons, I could take care of myself.”

  “But you are safer here. Why would you want to leave?”

  “Unlike you, I can’t fly over the fence anytime I choose.” Fianna shrugged. “I guess, even paradise can become a prison. I feel like a cat in a cage.”

  Acielon took both of her shoulders and stared into her mesmerizing gaze. “You are safe here with me. Why would you ever want to leave this planet? The universe beyond Azura is dangerous and cruel.”

  “Yet, that’s where I belong, where my brother is, and he’s counting on me.” She wrenched her arms free and stepped out of his grasp. “It’s where my duty lies, where I find satisfaction in bringing the wicked to justice.”

  He flinched at her rejection. He wanted her to like Azura. “What about happiness? We could be happy here... together.”

  She turned back toward him and her face softened. “Maybe. If I were free to leave and return at will.” She smiled. “In my world, there is a saying. If you love a bird, set it free. If it doesn’t come back, it was never yours in the first place. But if it returns to you, it will stay with you for life.”

  “I see...” Acielon could understand such a bird. “What happens if the bird can never leave?”

  “Birds are meant to fly free. They can’t be happy in a cage, no matter how safe or luxurious.” Fianna stepped closer to him and trailed one light finger on his bare chest. “They will hate their life and resent their jailers.”

  Acielon shivered under the light caress. He understood her only too well. Memories of their kiss in the other dome burned his lips. He desperately wanted Fianna to like him. Yet, he could not let her go.

  She raised her face to his. “You must fly me out of here.”

  He relished her close proximity. She smelled wonderful. Such an act of disobedience, however, was inconceivable. “I cannot.”

  “Of course, you can.” She linked her arms around his neck and kissed a blazing trail along his jaw. “It’s simple.” She nibbled his ear. “Just carry me over that wall. Sheba will find me, and I’ll be fine. It’s easy.”

  Heat flushed his entire body. Acielon could not endure the sweet torture of her full body contact. Parts of his anatomy responded. “What you ask is impossible.” His breath caught. “No Azuran can disobey the Council.”

  “Are you certain?” She caressed his lips with one light finger. “Did you ever try?”

  “I did... at the cave, before you were hurt.” Why did he feel so hot? He could barely breathe. “The same way you could not resist your arrest, I cannot break the rules.”

  She took his hand, pulled him toward the bed, and sat on the blue blanket. “You never question authority, do you? What if the Council is wrong?”

  “Wrong?” He frowned and sat next to her. “Such a thought would never occur to me.”

  “But...” She reclined languidly on the bed and slowly unzipped the front of her vest. “There is always a possibility your Council could be wrong.”

  Confusion clouded Acielon’s thoughts. He found it difficult to focus on the conversation while gazing at her lovely figure. “It is not my place to evaluate the Council.”

  “Whose place is it, then?” She stared straight into his eyes.

  “I...” Acielon could say no more. Azura wouldn’t let him.

  Doubting the Council, however, could jeopardize the balance of good and evil in the entire universe. No one ever went against the Council. He wondered what the punishment might be. He imagined it would be something terrible, but nothing compared to the nasty consequences to the universe itself.

  She pulled him down to her and closed his lips with a kiss.

  Acielon lost himself in the delicious sweetness of he
r mouth, abandoning all restraint to enjoy the experience. In the back of his mind, however, he remembered that the Archons saw and heard everything at all times. They monitored his most intimate thoughts and feelings.

  * * *

  Fianna came up for air, more affected by the kiss than she expected. Triblets! She must keep her wits about her.

  She smiled. “How about that fruit you offered earlier?”

  “So, you are hungry after all.” He seemed shaken by the kiss, but unaware of the devastating effect he had on her.

  She relaxed on the pillows and offered a coy smile. “You have no idea how hungry I am.”

  He turned away to reach for one large yellow fruit. A strong whiff of cinnamon teased her nostrils.

  Without her regular weapons, Fianna must resort to a survival technique she’d learned long ago in the slums... the seduction game. But this time, she would thoroughly enjoy it. Never had she seduced such a handsome man, oozing raw sensuality and unaware of it.

  Despite his lack of experience, he seemed at ease and in control of his body. She relished the prospect of breaking his tenuous defenses. She’d bet after one night with her, he’d do whatever she asked of him... forbidden or not.

  When he offered fruit, Fianna bit into the soft, sweet flesh, not unlike ripe mangoes. Juice dribbled down the corner of her lips. She caught the drops with a roll of her tongue, as he stared at her in utter fascination. They took turns biting into the fruit and finished it. Then he smiled, and his eyes darkened with open desire.

  This was too easy. Fianna couldn’t help the twinge of guilt in her gut.

  As he returned the pit to the side table, she sat on the bed behind him and molded her body to his back. His bare skin felt warm and smooth, and his back muscles delightfully firm against her.

  She encircled his waist and leaned her head against his bare back. “Azura isn’t such a bad place. It could become home.”