“No, just got into Marfa. We’re at the turn.”
“We’ll come back for you.”
“You got room?”
“Yeah. Hold up.” He listened to Kallon asking the pilot where they could land close to Marfa for a pickup. Kallon relayed the area back to him.
“Good. We’ll be there in about ten minutes.”
“See you then.” They ended the call as soon as Skylar opened the door to the Hummer. She handed a water bottle to him and jumped up onto the seat.
“I’m ready. How far now?”
Maxim started the ignition and pulled out onto the road. “An hour if we were driving in, but we’re getting a lift.”
“From who?”
“The helicopter’s coming back for us. It’ll only take us a few minutes.” He smiled at Skylar’s excited expression.
“I’ve never been in a helicopter.”
“Good. You’re first time will be with me. I’ll fly us next time.”
Her eyes widened. “You can fly one?”
“Yep.”
She grinned and stared out the windshield as if the thing was going to land in front of them at any minute. She was beyond cute. Minutes later, he had the Hummer hidden behind a stand of trees three miles off the main road. He picked up their duffels and pulled her out from the tree line when he heard the bird approaching.
“Hang on to my arm and don’t let go. It’s going to get windy.”
“Damn, Maxim. You’re hearing really is superior. I just now noticed it.”
As soon as it landed, he waited until Kallon slid the door wide and then pulled her forward. He grinned at the death grip she had on his bicep. She grasped Kallon’s hand and let him help her into the craft. Throwing the duffels into the back with the other luggage, he climbed in and pushed the door shut. Sotarios’s deep voice drifted through the cabin.
“You’re not getting to fly, so don’t even think about it.”
Maxim snorted. “Not even interested.”
He sat down, buckled up, and grabbed Skylar’s hand. She was staring at the three faces staring back at her. Each one had a wide grin on their puss.
“Skylar, the one with the blond hair is Kallon. Sitting next to him is Ulixes, his mate. The pilot is Sotarios.” He chuckled when they all lifted a hand and gave her a little wave, the wide smiles never leaving their faces. He watched Skylar’s mouth working before her words finally came out.
“Oh, my god, you’re all so beautiful!” She swiveled her head quickly in his direction. “I mean…uh…they’re very handsome. I think you’re gorgeous, baby…shit, I’ll just shut up now.” Her cheeks flushed, and she turned back to the group.
Maxim cracked up, his laughter joining with the others. He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “It’s okay, sweets. I don’t mind that you think they’re handsome. Everyone, this is Skylar, my mate.”
She waved back and finally recovered enough to smile. Sotarios looked over to him and shook his head.
“You lucky bastard.”
Maxim grinned. “Don’t I know it? Now turn around and quit mackin’ on my female.”
Sotarios laughed and swiveled back to the console. They were in the air and flying high within minutes.
Kallon smiled. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Skylar. Maxim tells me that you’re a psychic. I think that’s absolutely fascinating.”
Maxim saw her shoulders relax, and she took a deep breath.
“Thank you. It’s bad for us, though. I’m blocking his ability to mind read. I can only hear him when I’m about thirty yards away.”
Maxim saw Kallon get that “intrigued doctor” look he always got just before he leaned forward, his voice very serious.
“Do you mind if we give it a try? I didn’t want to offend you if you figure out what we’re doing.”
Skylar shrugged. “Sure, no problem. Go ahead.”
Kallon and Ulixes turned toward each other and locked eyes. Seconds later, their brows rose. Ulixes looked back to Skylar.
“We’re blocked. It’s not just Maxim.”
Skylar’s lips pursed and she huffed out a resigned breath. “Well, hell. It doesn’t look like I’m going to get invited to any of your parties.”
Ulixes’s bark of laughter was surprising. He was used to seeing the closed tight, internalizing version of the warrior. Obviously, the mating with Kallon had done miraculous things to his mood. He understood perfectly how that could happen. Finding Skylar had proven that he’d only been projecting that he was content in life, now he truly felt it. Everything had clicked into place. Kallon appeared to be thinking the same about his life as well. The male’s expression showed complete adoration for his vibrant mate before he turned back to Skylar.
“We’ve had stranger things happen, so don’t feel isolated. I’m being surprised every day with unusual things. Your abilities are amazing, so I’m sure everyone will understand the small price.”
Maxim finally noticed that his buddy was holding a small ice cooler on his lap. “Uh, Kallon, you packing your own lunch now? I’m sure they’ll feed you at the festival.”
Kallon chuckled and lifted the cooler. “Ah, one of my many strange occurrences that proves my point to your lovely mate. It’s Rhia’s blood.”
Maxim leaned forward in concern. “Caelius’s female? Is something wrong?”
“No, in fact, it’s rather spectacular. After their joining, Rhia discovered that she’d regressed in age by over two decades. We all believe that it occurred to sync up their life spans.”
“No shit? That’s amazing.”
“Indeed. We found a stored sample of her blood, and Cato had it retrieved from the hospital so I could run comparisons.”
“Well, hell, I wonder if it impacted the emperor. There’s over two hundred years difference there.”
Kallon’s eyes widened. “Shit! I didn’t even think about that. I definitely need to assess that possibility. I’m not sure how this all works. It may only impact the one receiving the Insedi infusion of energy. Maybe Tana is Lucien’s age now. Hell, the emperor looks to be in his thirties, so it’ll be hard to tell by sight on which one of them synced up. I hope he lets me test him. Fascinating!” He immediately looked at Ulixes. “Babe, you feel ten years younger?”
Ulixes reached over and grabbed his hand. “I feel fantastic, but then again, I had more than ten years peeled off of me just sitting out on your deck.” He shared a secret smile with his mate.
Maxim glanced to Skylar, now sitting with her mouth open. “See, baby? My suppressed ability is just another one in the long line of strange occurrences for the Insedi.
She shook her head. “This is just amazing. I feel like I’m dreaming. Wake me up when we get there.” That got another chuckle out of the group.
Sotarios looked over his shoulder and smiled. “Someone pinch Skylar. We’re here.”
Looking out the window to watch their incoming decent, Maxim couldn’t believe what he saw at the base of the mountain.
“Son of a bitch! That’s a shitload of vehicles down there. I didn’t think about what would happen when notice of the festival and our new empress was blasted.”
Sotarios called out from the front. “Yeah, they packed as many warriors into one vehicle as they could, hauled them in on buses, and it still looks like a concert should be starting up any minute. I’ve flown in thirty groups that are leaving rentals five miles away. You don’t realize how many Insedi reside on Earth until you see something like this. Tunnel build starts in two weeks. The Trejani masked this huge influx by filing for drilling permits. The authorities think that the Tarquinius Corporation is on a mission to find oil. We just happen to have a whole lot of workers, that’s all.
Maxim nodded. “Smart. Severus showed me the initial plans. The corporation is building a huge complex on the edge of the property line to house the tunnel entrance. It can’t come fast enough.”
Soon, they were settling on the ground next to the path leading to the vortex. Maxim wai
ted until Ulixes and Kallon were out before he reached for Skylar. He looked over to Sotarios when he didn’t cut the engines.
“You’re not coming with us?”
“I got one more load and then I’m calling it a night. Petrus and Ludo are closing up the club. Makar and Baruch said they’d help.”
“You signing up for the games.”
Sotarios waved over his shoulder. “Definitely. See yuh.”
Settling Skylar on the ground, Maxim grabbed her hand and led her up the path to the vortex. She was very quiet as he watched her head bounce in all directions. It could be intimidating here at night. The canyon walls stood like great monoliths with a wide gap of night sky between them, and filled to capacity with a thick blanket of stars. Tonight, the moon looked like a thumbnail and didn’t offer much light. He flicked his flashlight on. “Don’t worry, baby. We’ll be in and out very quickly. You have any questions for me?”
She took a deep breath and adjusted her purse. “I don’t even know where to start.”
He squeezed her hand. “Okay, let’s go over what to expect. We’re going to walk through a crevice in the wall and then I’ll lead you down a smooth passageway. That might be a little frightening since our flashlights won’t work in there. The vortex seems to suck the juice right out of them. The Insedi have excellent night vision, so just hold on and I’ll take you right to the entrance chamber.”
“What happens to our bodies when we step in? I keep having visions of Star Trek where you stand very still while Scotty obliterates your body.”
Maxim laughed and put his arm around her shoulder. “It’s sort of like that, but you don’t stand still. It’s going to suck your right in. Cassie says it reminds her of the funhouse mirrors at the fair. It’ll seem cold at first, but then you’ll feel like you stepped out of your shell. You can think and feel emotions in there, but your body won’t be corporeal. I’ll stay wrapped around you the entire time. You’ll recognize my essence. We’ve been doing this for centuries and no one’s come out the other end different from when they entered.”
“Okay, that makes me feel better.”
Kyros and Nierius bumped knuckles with him when he approached the crevice. Kyros was shaking his head. “Caelius gets mated, Kallon just tells me he and Ulixes are joined, and now you. We’re starting to feel left out. I think I’m going to put in for a transfer to the club. Our mate certainly isn’t going to just take a stroll up the path one day, that’s for sure.”
Maxim introduced Skylar and then tapped Nierius on the shoulder. “Put in a request. Me and Caelius aren’t going to be dancing any longer, so now’s your chance. Heat Seekers hasn’t had a twin team there before. You’ll be a new toy for the ladies.”
Kyros snorted and rolled his eyes toward his brother. “That only works if you can dance.” He laughed when Nierius popped him on the arm.
“They’ll train us. I’m not worried. You’re going to be one of the instructors, right, Maxim?”
“Yup.”
“See? We’ll be popular like him in no time.”
Maxim looked down when Skylar tugged on his fingers. She was grinning.
“You mean I stole the most sought after dancer in the club? I need to make a visit there one day just so I can puff my chest out to the losers.”
Everyone chuckled and Kyros leaned forward.
“I like the way you think. You have a sister?”
“Nope.”
“Damn.”
Maxim started pulling her toward the entrance when Kallon and Ulixes turned their flashlights over to Nierius. “Put in the request and I’ll be happy to pass the title to you two.”
Kyros clapped him on the back. “As soon as we’re off shift, I’m all over it.”
Soon, he was leading Skylar through the darkness. He heard her gasp as he pulled her around the corner and into the chamber.
“Wow. That is so freaky. I can feel my skin tingling. That thing is powerful. Can you imagine the courage it took for Lucius Tarquinius and his consort to walk into that one in Rome? They had no idea what was on the other side, or if they’d even survive.”
Kallon nodded. “Sometimes desperation can morph right into courage. He obviously loved his mate enough to keep her from what he knew would happen if the hunters had discovered them. Uncertainty looked more appealing than the known.” He glanced over his shoulder and said, “See you in a bit,” as he linked hands with Ulixes and stepped inside.
Skylar tugged him toward the vortex. “Quick, pull me in before I change my mind.”
Maxim scooped her up into his arms and took them over. As soon as the coldness left his body, he felt a powerful presence swirling around their energy. He could sense Kallon and Ulixes ahead of him, and Skylar was stuck like glue to his, so this was something completely alien to the environment. His initial reaction to defend subsided as soon as it grazed along his molecules, leaving a blanket of warmth and peacefulness to settle within his grid. It was Skylar’s entity. There was no other explanation.
He’d been through the vortex thousands of times and never once had this happened. Basking in the most sublime feeling he’d ever experienced, Maxim kept Skylar’s presence close, enjoying her unique energy as the delicate bands vibrated, twisted, and fought to remain connected. Shock ran through his being as he sensed her words filtering through his mind.
“Maxim? Do you feel that? It’s beautiful. I wish you could hear me.”
Before he could respond, heaviness descended and he knew they were nearing the exit. He held her closely as he stepped from the vortex. Settling her on the ground, he kept her against his chest until she got her bearings. He loved that her arms were wrapped tightly around his waist, her cheek resting on his pec.
“You okay, baby?”
She nodded and then glanced up to him. “Damn, if I’d known how nice that would feel, I would’ve knocked Kallon and Ulixes out of the way and dove in head first.”
Kallon’s laughter caught their attention. Maxim shook his head. “I actually heard Skylar’s thoughts, but it left as soon as I stepped out. Did all of you feel that additional presence? It was spectacular.”
Ulixes’s eyes were wide. “Definitely. I’m glad it wasn’t just me. I didn’t know what the hell was going on. I could’ve stayed in there forever. Anyone know what that was?”
Maxim pulled Skylar over to the couch when she grabbed his biceps and wobbled. “What’s wrong, sweetness?”
She sat down and then chuckled. “I just got light headed for a second. My tummy feels sort of weird. Is that normal?”
Kallon knelt beside her, his eyes searching her face. “Yes. The first time is disorienting, but you get used to it eventually.”
Maxim patted his belly. “Mine’s a little unsettled, too. I feel like I ate a steak without chewing. I’m assuming it’s from the presence of our visitor.”
Kallon glanced up to him. “You think that was one of our ancestors coming through?”
“Yup. How else do you explain it? It has great concern about getting the artifact back here. I’m sure it’s attached to Skylar and came over with us.”
Reaching into Skylar’s purse, he pulled the jewel out and handed it to a wide-eyed Kallon. “What do you feel?”
Kallon quickly set it on the couch. “My fingers are tingling. I sensed small electrical charges emanating from it. How odd.”
“Tell me about it.” Maxim slipped it back into her purse and reached for Skylar’s hand. “You feeling okay enough to try walking outside?” She nodded and smiled up to him.
“Sure. I still have a knot in the middle of my gut, but at least I’m not dizzy.”
Kallon and Ulixes pushed through the tent flap, and Skylar’s eyes widened.
“It’s daylight outside?”
Maxim tugged on her hand. “Yes. We’re always the opposite of the hour on Earth. Come on, sweets. It’s time for you to see your other home.”
He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her through the doorway. Her r
eaction was comical as she whirled around and tried to absorb everything at once.
“Holy shit, Maxim! You weren’t joking. The painting didn’t do it justice at all. It’s beautiful.”
Kallon stepped closer, his face a mask of curiosity.
“What painting?”
Chapter 29
Skylar’s eyes widened. “Oh, that’s right. You don’t know about the other artifact I found when the jewel was uncovered.” Excited, she dug in her purse, yanked her phone out, and immediately cursed. “Damn, the battery’s dead.”
Maxim chuckled and took it from her hand. “Watch this.” Kneeling, he touched the phone to the grass for several minutes. He stood and handed it back to her.
“Try it again. The vortex sucks the juice out, but Insedivertus is gracious enough to put it right back. Of course, we can’t call anyone, but at least you have access to your photos.”
“That’s amazing. This whole place is fascinating. The grass, the moons, yellow trees, and especially the iridescent sky are mind-boggling. This planet is so alive, I can actually feel the energy drifting up through my boots and caressing the bottom of my feet. My mother would have loved this planet.”
Kallon tapped Maxim on the shoulder. His brows were raised. “I’m sorry, but it’s driving me crazy. What painting?”
Maxim laughed and retrieved the phone from Skylar’s hand. “You’ll find twelve images in all. This was found hidden in a wall at the dig site next to the Sant’Obomono Church of Rome. She was immediately visited afterward by an entity that asked her to destroy it. As soon as you see this, you’ll understand why.” He punched a few icons on the phone, and held it out to him.
Ulixes took the small cooler from Kallon’s hand. Maxim watched the good doctor’s mouth open as he gazed at the screen, but he didn’t say a word as the doctor scrolled through the photos. Maxim knew what he felt. It was humbling to see for the first time a vivid pictorial of an event handed down for centuries through nothing but words. Ulixes must have sensed the flood of emotions from Kallon. He stepped next to him, lay his palm on his back, and peered over his shoulder. After Kallon had scrolled through each frame three times, he looked up and took a deep breath.
Fueled by Lust: Maxim (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 25
