Raine nudged her back onto the bedding and carefully straddled her, wanting to play. “I feel a beast rising in me that you had best tame, wench. It lusts only for a princess, and if you don’t feed him sweetly he’ll devour you alive!”
He pinned down her wrists and began ravishing her breasts with his tongue, growling in his rollicking. Sarra wasn’t in the same mood.
“No!” she protested.
“What?” he muttered, surprised.
He sat up, deciphering the expression on her lovely profile. “What is it?” he urged patiently.
“Do you ... Do you believe that I’m shameless and cheap?”
“No, I’m cheap. You’re very costly,” he teased.
“I mean it!” she warned, unable to bring herself to look at him. “Do you think of me as your whore?”
He sighed while he bent, cradling her head with his arms. “No, I never would,” he whispered hoarsely. “You are my lover whom I will always cherish.”
“But of course you would say that!” she cried softly. “You wouldn’t tell me the truth!”
Raine rose, draping and tying the ivory sheet around his hips. She sat up, holding the comforter to her breast. He slowly paced, and she waited for him to say what he was going to say.
“We are in a situation, Sarra,” he began, “one I never imagined I’d find myself in. I abducted the princess from her palace, believing that I could return her there with the same cold-heartedness as when I took her. But, that was not to be. Along the way I found a woman, one who—if I were given different circumstances—I would keep by me always.” He spread out his arms as if powerless. “You are like the finest wine and I am drunk. But after having the bout, one must sober up. I never want this to end, but it must. We’re not meant to be together.”
Sarra fought back her tears. “So when does it end? Tomorrow? Tonight? What will happen to me? I was the girl you stole and ravished, and along the way I found a man. I gave you my innocence and I can’t go back. What am I to do? You despised me and now you call me your lover. If you have your way, you’ll just disappear, never telling me anything—or why. Leaving me in the dark ...”
Raine stopped by the window, his face shadowed by the blinding sunlight that streamed in behind him. “We’ve a while, yet,” he said.
“My father still hasn’t complied?”
“Things don’t always go as planned.”
“But, you said—”
“I won’t leave you guessing. I want you to hear it from me, the reasons for what I have done. I owe you that. I do care, and I’ll prove it.”
“You’ll tell me why you abducted me?” she breathed.
“I’ll show you why. Tomorrow.”
He was thoughtful a long while, and then he sighed out the words that seemed to weight his head. “Ah, tomorrow. There is always hope for beginnings, for ...”
He didn’t say the word, and she didn’t dare help him. Both feared the heartache. Emotions had gone deeper than just the physical sense—the fact that their minds always seemed to connect when they touched unsettled them both. If their hearts had become tangled ... if this actually was true, eternal love ...
Sarra stared at him while he gazed out on the sky. She wanted to burn the image of him into her memory for eternity. Swallowing back her emotion, she resolved to do what she had become an expert at—making every moment count.
Naked, she went to him and placed her hand upon his strong arm, looking up at him with her mischievous, dark-blue eyes. “About that beast ...”
His smile brightened his green eyes as he swooped her up and carried her back to their bed.
***
Sarra sensed that the events of this day would change her life for forever. She was more than ready for the mystery to unfold ,,,
Raine gave her masculine garments for her to wear, saying, “Let’s hope that from a distance you can look like a man, if need be.”
Impatiently, she slipped into her disguise. These weren’t his clothes, since they were smaller. The bulky, long-sleeved gray shirt concealed her curves and the black leggings fit her well, snug about her ankles. And the boots were also her size. She wound her hair into a coil and pinned it up. He dropped a round cap on her head and stepped back to inspect her. He laughed, and she joined him when she saw the mirror. She looked like a tomboy.
“Ready?” he asked.
She nodded eagerly.
Sarra was silent beside him while he drove the auto above the valleys and treetops. He trusted her enough to let her stay near him, knowing that she would obey and flee into the hidden compartment in the modified vehicle if they came across others. She looked down on the green landscape that was blurred by the incredible speed. When everything came slower, she glanced at his sober profile, her anticipation mounting while he parked near a wooded grove.
“Stay by me,” he said. He tossed the strap of his backpack over his shoulder and took her hand to assist her.
Sarra stepped out into the blue, tranquil day and followed him through the forest’s thicket. She was busy imagining what he planned until he stopped at a plateau. He pulled her down before a tufted bank to kneel beside him.
“Where are we?” she asked.
He motioned at the panorama. Below them was a deep, verdant valley that stretched out to finally give way to mountains, to the scattered sorrel ridges that extended for miles upon miles. She met his watchful eyes, confused.
He took a small case out from his pack and snapped it apart, making the compact binoculars the proper length for his use. He searched the horizon until he found the desired sight, and he pushed a knob, setting its computer.
“Here,” he said. “You’ll find it on ‘zero’.”
Sarra peered through the magnifying orbs, guiding the binoculars and watching the gauge on the right side until the numbers turned to zero. She saw them, then. A great distance away there were scores of people. Many faces were dirty while they labored on the hill in a sort of organized chaos.
“Who are they?” she whispered, fearing that they somehow could hear her.
“You know about Keyes, the mining town?”
“Keyes. Yes, it is one of the biggest producers of the rainbow gems. What about it?”
“Look again. Tell me what you see.”
Sarra obeyed. “I see ... people. Most are dressed in black body suits that miners wear. Some are wearing silver—kind of like the FAS uniform. Some more workers are coming out of the cave. The silver ones seem to be overseers, commanders. There’s nothing strange. I don’t understand.”
“Just a cheery little mining town,” he said sarcastically. “Don’t you notice anything unusual? Look higher, at the sky.”
She did, and then she saw the large, reflective squares. At first she supposed that they were a defense system to keep the mines safe from thieves. But, the more she looked, the more it seemed like the panels were a base to create a wide-scale invisible wall, a laser barrier used to keep incorrigible criminals in place.
“A prison!” she breathed.
“Exactly.”
She glanced at his somber eyes. “But, that can’t be! It wasn’t too long ago—last year, I think—that I saw a documentary about mining—I believe it was about Keyes. The people there loved it and they said that it was a challenge to search for the rocks. They were happy!”
“Do they seem happy to you?”
She looked again, aware of the tired, despondent faces. “No, they don’t.” She leaned back against the bank, stunned. “But, how? Why? My father wouldn’t allow this!”
“Power and greed can corrupt even the most upright of men,” he replied.
“Not my father!” she protested. “And anyway, why would the rainbows make anyone greedy? I have dozens of jewelry pieces at home, but they aren’t worth much. They’re just rocks!”
“To you and me, they are. But, to the Kalcoons ...”
He reached in his pack and pulled out a gem the size of his palm. Her eyes widened, never having seen on
e that large. He put it in her hand to let her inspect the beautiful mineral. The iridescent crystals, rightly called ‘rainbows’, had tiny scattered veins within that shimmered like colorful prisms with any slight movement. She watched the glowing effects, fascinated.
“You could exchange one like that for anything that you wanted from the Kalcoons. Even one as small as a thumbnail.”
“It is incredible!” she murmured, giving it back to him. “But what does this have to do with anything?”
He stared off in the distance, debating on how to explain it to her. “When our ancestors colonized Adriel,” he began, “they came across the Kalcoons and warred with them for almost twenty years. Even after the two races made peace, relations were strained. Our people valued Kan’s unique commodities—the fibers from which your red dress was made, tamfonite, the delicacies of the icy seas—but the Kalcoons had little interest in our planet or parting with their possessions. Commerce was minimal. But, almost ten years ago when the mines were discovered, our people had something the creatures wanted. Adriel’s govern saw this as a great advantage. Although the stones mean little to us—but for jewelry and trinkets—with them they could get all that they wanted. The sovereignty found a way to have power over the Kalcoons.”
She was surprised. “Power over them? I know that trading has flourished these past few years. But why do the Kalcoons prize the rainbows so much? It’s ridiculous!”
“Remember our Earth history? People fought and died for precious minerals. Gold, diamonds ... they brought wealth and status to anyone who owned them. What made the stones so worthy? They were so rare. Adriel is the only world that we know of that has the rainbows. They are similar to Earth’s opals, and therefore are of little value to us. But to the Kalcoons, they’re riches for the elite.”
He paused before he said, “Adriel’s sovereignty is the winner in all aspects. Having sole access to the mines, it deals with Kan and turns around and sells the merchandise to its own people at an outrageous profit. The government grows rich while the people become poor. It keeps the subjects and the Kalcoons under their control.”
Sarra was miffed, knowing that every time he mentioned ‘the government’, or ‘the sovereignty’, he meant her father. “Not every Kalcoon,” she said, stiffly. “What about the ones who have tried to destroy Adriel’s ports?”
“They want to return to the old ways. They’re seeing something they never had before we Humans arrived—corruption. Greed is disrupting Kan’s entire balance of trade. There are some who want it stopped, and they have banded with me to fight. Remember that ship you tried to stowed away on?”
She nodded, grudgingly.
“It was carrying an illegal cargo, one of the rare, raw materials needed to make M-5s. Cronala’s garment factory is a reputable front for our operation on Myrrh, and we have other locations on Kan.”
“That was Cronala's garment factory? She never told me about that,” she said, feeling a new respect for the woman.
“Yes, she fancies herself a clothing designer. She didn’t want to mention the warehouse for fear that the king might learn about what else goes on there and retaliate.”
Sarra was confused. “And you dare to tell me about it?”
“I trust my instincts,” he said, simply.
She smiled warmly, glad that he finally trusted her, but the emotion soon left her face. “But you’re making M-5s. It’s unlawful for commoners to bear arms.”
“Another way to keep the subjects in line.”
“Most Adrielians are peaceful! There is no need for guns!”
“There was no need. Long ago.”
“I’m not sure what’s going on,” she said angrily, “but you have the wrong man if you think that my father is responsible for all of this. He wouldn’t treat his own like—like slaves! He would see to it that they were given good wages to work in the mines!”
“Well? Why doesn’t he? Could it be because it’s more profitable to use slaves? He’s forcing them to work the mines. The conditions are miserable. The caverns are like labyrinths and are difficult to work, our most advanced robotics being almost useless there. The extracting of the minerals is an art form, a Human technique to get the best cut. And, if a wayward laborer doesn’t do a sufficient job, eventually he is killed.”
“Killed!”
“Dead.”
“There must ... this has to be a mistake,” she stammered. “How do you know? Where did you hear about it?”
“A slave escaped once and made his story known to a certain village.”
“But, I know nothing about it! Surely I’d have heard something!”
“The sovereignty will do anything to keep it secret from the masses—and apparently, from you.”
“I don’t believe it!”
“Believe it.”
Sarra gazed out on the distant town, not even seeing a speck of it without the binoculars. She didn’t want to accept it, but could it be true? Maybe this great injustice had been hidden from her, for she looked upon it right now and her eyes couldn’t see it. “I have heard that there are seven mines and thousands of workers in them,” she considered aloud.
“Three more mines were recently discovered. Scientists had a breakthrough in how to make the satellites better detect the deposits.”
A long moment passed.
Quietly, he said, “I had believed that you condoned the treatment of these people. I know now that you were naive to their suffering.”
“So that is why,” she murmured. “You abducted me because of this.”
“We had to go to the palace, to the source. It was more a ruse at intimidation, to send a clear message to the king that his rule was ending. We could have done a violent coup d’état, but Adriel wouldn’t understand our tactics. And we didn’t plan to kill the royals in our so called assassination attempts, we simply wanted to strike fear of what would happen if the king didn’t comply with our demands.”
“And what do you want?” she asked and held her breath, scarcely daring to believe that he would tell her, at last.
“Freedom for the slaves, for them to have part ownership of the rainbow mines. Weapons to fight with, to protect their rights. For starters, we wanted five hundred guns and access to one mine. Then we’d have the evidence to expose the corruption, and put a stop to it.”
“So that explains it.”
“Partly.”
She eyed him, curiously.
“Come,” he said, taking her hand.
As the auto sped above the land, Sarra watched the blur. She had assumed that knowing his reasons would give her some answers and peace, but it was just the opposite. Her head reeled with a bevy of questions, disturbing doubts that loomed like an omen. How could her father not know about this? Did he know? He couldn’t know. If there was anything in this world that she could be certain of, it was the king’s loyalty and want of justice for his people.
Ironically, Raine worked for a cause that her father would join, if he knew. She was beginning to understand his cruelty to her. But, what made him fight for the oppressed? She recalled when she had scoffed at him, calling him a ‘Robin Hood’. He was indeed from the same mold as the Earthian legend. He aimed to free the poor and reprimand the rich.
She glanced at his handsome profile, seeing him in a new light, and the revelation brought a warm feeling of admiration into her breast. He wasn’t a barbarian ... but who was he? “You weren’t born a revolutionist,” she said, breaking the quiet. “What did you do before?”
“Why?”
She shrugged casually, but was very eager to know.
“I was a cargo runner. I transported merchandise, different kinds, between the planets.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
He nodded. “I liked the motion and the adventure that comes with space travel. But it was the long flights, like to the Dazen Star System, that were quite dull.”
“You’ve been to Dazen?” she asked, a bit envious since it was a place that she had alwa
ys wanted to go. “What was it like?”
“Similar to what we’ve all seen in the transmissions. The societies are odd, but interesting.”
“I’ve always wanted to see it,” she confessed wistfully. “It’s been a dream of mine to explore uncharted systems and find a cosmic place not yet found.”
“We’ve that in common,” he too confessed. “But, I’m one who also needs to have the ground beneath my feet, to feel the sun’s heat. Long-voyage stasis is for those without cares—a moment of your life is over, but everyone you knew on your world is gone. Although deep space would be the thrill of a hundred lifetimes, the Human element—family and friends—can hold one back. But, if you have no family to stay for ... I’ve considered travel recently, but ...”
He fell silent, and Sarra swallowed hard with nothing to say. What was to keep him here? How could she bear it if he were to slip away for forever?
When he stopped the vehicle, Sarra knew that it would be best to put this fear out of her mind, for now.
At first, when she stepped out at the edge of a small city that was cradled in hills, she wondered if he had forgotten about his need to keep her hidden. She followed him down the slope, and discovered why he was so unconcerned. Everything was silent and still. The contemporary dwellings were as deserted and desolate as a ghost town. She couldn’t remember hearing of such a place on Adriel.
“Where are we?” she whispered, intimidated by the eerie quiet.
“Tyler Oaks. This was my home.”
She froze. Her mind raced and then she recalled ...
Tyler Oaks was the village that had been destroyed by a terrible disaster. It was less than two years ago when its population—more than five hundred people—had died. A toxin, normally deep within Adriel’s crust, had penetrated the town’s water wells. The purifying filters had malfunctioned, poisoning the supply.
Raine turned around and waited for her to reach him.
“Your home?” she asked gently.
“Yes. Hard to believe that this place was once alive, isn’t it?”
He was calm and nonchalant, but she sensed the anguish he hoped to conceal. She wasn’t quite sure what to say. “I’m ... sorry. It is such a great tragedy, a horrible accident.”
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