Flower Queen

by Lilliana Rose

“It would explain this,” said Rangit. He narrowed his eye at Braklen. “You mightn’t remember.”

  “You must be great teachers,” said Braklen.

  “I don’t believe you. You found your own way to the Energy Field and destroyed a Queen. It’s amazing since we gave you no such training.” Rangit rubbed his chin. “On the positive side, it has sped up your lessons.”

  “I managed to kill a Queen. That’s gotta count for something,” said Braklen.

  “One down. Eleven Queens to go,” said Rangit. “They’re going to be hot on your tail now, more so than before.”

  Not necessarily, thought the rabbit.

  “How so?” asked Rangit.

  It seems like Braklen has absorbed her energy.

  Rangit raised his eyebrow. “Is that so?”

  “How would I know?”

  You can hear this? Triena stroked his hair gently.

  “Are you saying something you don’t want me to hear?” Braklen looked annoyed.

  Well, now this is interesting. The rabbit twitched his nose. Looks like he might be able to hear us through the Energy after all.

  This is a good sign, thought Triena.

  “I don’t like the noise you guys are making,” said Braklen. “We’ve got to hurry and get to Earth. Stop standing around here doing nothing.”

  “I might be able to power up the engines a little. At least we might surprise them if we arrive earlier.”

  “Good idea,” said Braklen.

  Triena shifted, ready to move off the bed.

  “Stay, please,” said Braklen.

  She hesitated.

  There are things that need to be done, thought the rabbit.

  Glad to hear that you are volunteering for a change, thought Triena. I want you to go into the Energy Field and patch up any prints that Braklen or Arkina left behind.

  I wasn’t . . .

  I’ll stay here and keep an eye on Braklen. Triena was firm. She didn’t want to leave Braklen alone right now, not when he was so weak, and not when his aura was trying to rebalance after absorbing Arkina’s essence. She knew how difficult that was.

  Yeah right, I know the real reason why you two want to be alone. You can’t keep your hands off each other.

  Go, and make sure you put in some distractions in the Energy for whoever might be after us. Triena glared at the rabbit.

  What’s gotten into you? The rabbit’s nose twitched. Triena’s not this bossy.

  Am now. Get on with it. She shooed him from the bed.

  All right, all right. The rabbit hopped down and then out of the room. A bit of respect would be nice.

  Triena ignored him and turned her attention to Braklen. “How are you feeling?”

  “How am I meant to feel?” He reached for her hand.

  “Like shit.” Triena knew what it was like to absorb someone else’s energy. At least she had some training and could help ease the process.

  “Great. Hope it doesn’t last long.”

  “I can help,” said Triena. “Just relax.”

  “Easy, I’m in your arms.”

  Triena’s face flushed. “Now, none of that, we’ve been warned.”

  “Spoil-sport.”

  “Just relax. All will be okay now.” She felt the energy of Queen Arkina vibrating around him. Triena wanted to reach in and see the patterns and hopefully gain some insight to what the Queens had in store for her. For us. But, she was attending to Braklen. And right now, he was her priority, until he was sleeping.

  He sighed. Triena had felt out of balance when she had absorbed the essence of others. He must be feeling sicker than he is letting on. Without training, he had no skill to control the new integration.

  She felt his exhaustion ripple around her. “Relax.”

  “Yes, sir.” His words slurred.

  “See you when you wake up,” she whispered.

  His breath deepened as he slept.

  Triena made herself comfortable sitting cross-legged next to him on the bed. She allowed her body to relax and released her mind as she connected first with Braklen’s energy. He seemed startled that she was there with him, but his surprise dissipated as he fell into a deeper sleep, leaving her to connect with Queen Arkina’s energy.

  A hunger inside of her surfaced. A hunger she didn’t know had been there. She wanted to feel what it was like to rule, to have all the skill on how to use the Energy at her fingertips. Triena wanted to know the skills that had been denied to her. The coldness of Arkina’s energy vibrated in ice-blue swirls in the darkness that surrounded Triena. The sweeping curves of the blue illuminated against the black in a mesmerising motion.

  Triena watched the fractural pattern forming around her. Arkina’s essence was holding together strongly. The coldness of the Queen’s energy caused her own energy to lose heat. She forced herself to stay. I have to find out what they’ve planned.

  The pattern morphed into different shades of blue, and extended outwards, searching for Braklen’s energy to anchor itself in. Triena found the edge of the tendrils, the ones that were just beginning to join with his energy, then she worked backwards, allowing herself to enter the regular formation of the blue hues. It was cold, but also beautiful.

  Blue color surrounded her, snagged on her energy. She tried to flatten herself, so she was like a slippery surface, but without success. Triena flinched as another blue hook caught her. She pulled away. Determined to find out information, she went back into the pattern.

  She saw Queen Arkina sitting in the catacombs in the castle, meditating in the Energy, looking for her. Her energy shivered as Triena found the tendril of dark blue color that led to where the Queen searched. She had nearly found them when Braklen had stumbled on her. Flames burst over the Queen consuming her.

  This wasn’t new knowledge for Triena. She retraced the tendril of color and took another strand. It was becoming more difficult to stay here. It was freezing.

  Blue thorns grew around her and transformed into buds. Their cold scent, sweet and floral, an aroma of fecundity swirled around her, intoxicating her, distracting her. She was drawn to the buds, captivated by the smallness, the softness in colour, and their delicate shape of potential. Small icicles crystallized over the buds, stopping them from opening. Triena breathed on the buds, her energy warmed them, making them tremble and melt the ice.

  Gradually the color deepened on the buds, the petals peeled outwards, in a rush of life, blossoming into a full rose. Then the cycle continued. The petals darkened in colour, their sweet scent diluted, until something pulled off the outer petals releasing them to tumble in the Energy Field, dying, they began to crisp to black.

  More petals fell. Fluttering over Triena, their edges tickled her before melting in with the blackness of the Field until they were absorbed.

  She watched the process unfold, until there were no more petals. Only empty stalks surrounded her. She tried to make sense of what she had seen. The blue hues around her became darker and thorns on the stems stabbed into her energy. Energy flowed into Braklen. Triena knew she had to leave now, before she was sucked into the current and trapped.

  But she wanted to find out more, and followed another path of blue, one that was so light it was almost white. She moved toward the thread. The vortex pulled her back. She fought keeping her focus on the thread. A blue colored ship in the distance, one traveling between the stars, was coming straight for her. It wasn’t going to stop as it, too, was pulled towards Braklen’s essence.

  Triena shielded her hands. Something caught her. Pushed her backwards into her body.

  She lay on the floor, looking up at the off-white ceiling. Braklen snored. Her left elbow ached from hitting the floor. Her head pounded, but she forced herself to recall what had just happened.

  The
blue roses. It was a message. But what? She remembered them unfurling, birthing into life, then quickly dying, crisping in the Energy Field. The process had a familiarity to it. Like how she felt during a reading, but she was on the receiving end.

  She rubbed her elbow, thinking. A flower reading. That’s what the Queens wanted to do to her. Pull off her petals and read her. She knew that there was more at the edges. But what?

  Triena’s gut twisted from the warning. She got up, her body aching. Time for some rest. She went to get into bed, but Braklen was now lying on her side. That’s probably how I was jolted back into my body, him pushing me out of the bed. She went around the other side and eased herself into bed.

  The ship lunged forward. The momentum pushed her onto the bed. A strong wave of space sickness caused her head to spin. Her stomach twisted, with the new faster movement. I’ll do more after a quick sleep.

  She had spent too much time in the Energy Field. The softness of the mattress eased the tension from her body and lulled her away from what she’d just experienced and the space sickness. I’ll just sleep for a little while.

  She tumbled into sleep. A ghost image of a ship passed her by. She missed the last of the message she had been so desperate to find.

  Chapter 8

  As she went to check on Braklen, Triena played with the green pendant she’d taken from Queen Pernally. It felt good when she wore it, helped her to feel calmer although Triena didn’t know why.

  She stepped into the room and abruptly stopped. Oh. She blushed, but didn’t avert her eyes. Braklen stood there naked, water dripping off his toned body. He didn’t even cup himself.

  “Got a towel?”

  “You don’t need one.” Heat rose within her. She put down the cups and walked up to Braklen. “I like you just like this.”

  She kissed him, hard, taking pleasure in feeling his surprise at her forwardness. His tongue warm and soft helped to melt away the tension building in her body. She pushed herself into him, felt him harden against her thigh.

  He ran his hands down her back. His touch fueled the desire within her. “You’re wearing too much.”

  “Doesn’t matter for this.” She traced the tips of her fingers slowly down his back, then around his hips, towards his groin. Then she held him, moving back and forth, feeling him harden. He groaned encouragingly.

  When she knelt down and took him in her mouth, he moaned louder. “Triena. Is this . . .”

  She felt him relax as she worked her tongue over his hardness. He eased his hips back and forth against her movements increasing his pleasure. He groaned as his desires heightened. His hands gripped her hair.

  He pulsed inside of her mouth and she knew he was close to coming. Triena kept her pressure, increasing the tension and speed, until he tipped over the edge with an orgasm. He breathed heavily as she slowly withdrew, sucking playfully to cause him to pulse as he came back down.

  “That . . . that was unexpected,” he said as she stood up. He slid his hands around her. “And quick.”

  “Oh . . . well . . .”

  He kissed the words from her mouth. “I don’t mind,” he said softly.

  “I didn’t think you would,” answered Triena between slow kisses. She could feel he wasn’t done with her. His hands lifted her dress, looking for her sweet spot, glided over her mound, down into her juicy folds.

  “You feel ready for me.”

  Triena kissed him, dancing her tongue over his. “Always.”

  He fumbled with the lace of her corset, and she helped him remove her clothes. They embraced, hot skin on hot skin as they kissed, and ran their hands over each other.

  He picked her up, and she hooked her legs around his waist as he carried her over to the bed. He gently placed her on the mattress. Pushing her legs apart with her hands, he kissed her lower abdomen.

  Triena groaned. Her thighs clenched.

  “Steady on.” Braklen teased her some more, kissing around her mound, until he couldn’t hold back anymore.

  He eased his tongue into her fleshy folds, running it back and forth. He found the bud of nerve endings near the top of her slit, played there for a while, then went down and tasted her juices.

  Triena moaned. Her body responded so easily from his touch and opened to receive him. Her energy climbed higher, vibrating faster and hotter as he sucked on her. He circled his tongue through her folds before finding her spot. He kept the pressure steady and slowly began to increase the speed.

  She gasped as she lost control and was completely at his mercy. She moved her hips with the rhythm he set. His hot breath added to the pleasure. It caught her by surprise as she burst open. Her body arched backwards. Her hips thrust forward. She reached down and gripped his hair as the orgasm rippled through her.

  Braklen kissed his way up her body, staying between her legs. Triena was still gasping as he thrust into her. Her abdomen muscles contracted around him. He moved his hips forward, sliding in and out, building a different sort of pleasure. She wrapped her legs tight around his waist, held onto his hands, as they urged each other back towards the peak of another orgasm.

  Triena felt his energy merge, as they worked at becoming one. Her muscles gripped him hard, his movement added to the friction between them until they reached the peak perfectly balanced as one. They shuddered together in a long ripple of bliss.

  Braklen untangled himself from Triena, resting his body next to hers. He kissed her on the lips softly and slowly. She found herself melding back with him. The magic of sex had been spent, and now the real world flooded back into her mind.

  She didn’t move, kissing him back, running her hands over his shoulders. “We have to get up.”

  “No, we don’t.”

  “We could . . .”

  “Yes, we could.” He leaned on her and kissed her hard. “But, I thought we had to get up.”

  “Changed my mind,” she answered as she straddled him. She felt him harden again, and despite the satisfying pleasure she had just experienced, she wanted him again.

  He reached up and kissed her breasts, flicking her nipples with his tongue. She groaned as her body began to climb towards another orgasm. She allowed herself to relax as he pulled her down.

  Then it happened.

  A memory surfaced before she could push it away. A ship. A blue ship sailing towards her. She gasped and pulled away.

  Braklen looked at her surprised. “You all right?”

  “Yes. No.” She got up before she changed her mind. The Queens were close and they didn’t have much time. She finally understood the rabbit’s urgency. “They are close. We have to train again.” She dressed quickly.

  “That didn’t stop you just then.” He crawled to the edge of the bed and tried to pull her back.

  A part of her wanted to give into him, but she pushed him away. “I mean it.”

  His face hardened.

  “Sorry,” she said. “I want to . . . but we have to deal with them otherwise we can never fully be together. And to be together, we need to deal with them.” She slipped the dress back over her head.

  “I need a beer. You’re talking too much.” Braklen eased himself off the bed.

  She tried not to look at him, but of course she did. His toned chest muscles, nice crop of hair framed his . . . She blushed. It was hardening again. She looked up at him.

  He grinned at her. “We can go again.”

  Triena sighed. Her body and heart screamed, Yes, take me, take me! But her mind had already seen the ship. “I want to. I will. First, we deal with the Queens once and for all. Then, we can be left in peace.”

  “We better be left in peace because I have things I plan to do to you.” He pulled on his trousers. “Right. Let’s get these Queens whipped into shape, so I can start with you.”

 
Triena’s face reddened. If she could trust herself stopping at just one kiss she would’ve stepped over and done that. But she didn’t want to stop at one kiss. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  Chapter 9

  Where have you two been? asked the rabbit. Oh. Well that could’ve waited, you know.

  Like hell. Triena walked into the reading room suppressing a blush.

  “Going at it like rabbits.” Rangit leaned back in the chair, boots on the table, chewing on a toothpick. “Glad you’ve got your priorities sorted.”

  “Get your feet off the table,” said Triena. “It’s a good way to refresh our energy and release tension.”

  “I need to keep my boots away from the rabbit,” said Rangit. “He has a bladder problem.”

  Triena pushed his feet off the table. He nearly toppled from the chair.

  “Trust that you two will have enough energy for this session,” said Rangit.

  “Of course.” Triena started preparing the tea. She’d never felt more alive than she did right now.

  Braklen sat down on the chair opposite Rangit. His tall body folded awkwardly on the small, wrought-iron chair. “We really have to do this?”

  “Course not,” said Rangit sarcastically. “Why don’t you two go back to fucking? I’ll turn the ship around and drop you back at Oberon, then head off into the sunset on my merry way.”

  Braklen glared at Rangit. “Smart arse.”

  Rangit smiled at him. “Least I know what’s ahead for me. You’ve got not one fucking idea. Otherwise, you’d be begging us to teach you more about the Energy.”

  “I’m no pussy,” said Braklen. “I fought in the war. I’ve handled weapons.”

  “But, not the Energy.” Rangit raised his eyebrow.

  “I can,” said Braklen. “I’ve taken down one Queen. How many have you dealt with?”

  “Boys, that’s enough.” Triena placed a cup of warm tea in front of Braklen. “You keep mentioning that we don’t have time to waste, yet here you are bickering like children.”