In the Arms of the Dragon Princes

by Jessica Miller

  “You okay?” Cliff asked. “Are you sure there’s nobody at home looking for you?”

  Gem snapped out of her thoughts. “Only my mom,” she admitted. “But she will understand. I’ll go back when I figure out something.”

  “Alright,” Cliff responded. He never probed any further, probably careful not to step on her privacy.

  At times, Gem had the urge to just spill the beans to him- about her true identity and why she couldn’t manage to get back home even if she wanted to. But she wasn’t sure if he’d understand or accept the truth. It was still too soon.

  *****

  The sun was hiding behind the clouds, probably getting ready to go down in the west. A cool breeze blew Gem’s long, soft locks in the air, making them dance in various directions. She stood barefoot on top of one of the biggest sand dunes at the other end of the beach. Her beautiful eyes sparkled in awe as she quietly delighted in the late afternoon view of Moonrock Beach.

  “I come here when I want to just… drink in Mother Nature…” Cliff revealed, joining her on top of the mound. “Sometimes I come here to think, reflect, relax, or when I want to be inspired.”

  “I know what you mean,” Gem whispered, looking out into the sea. “Everything is so beautiful and peaceful. I think I’m falling in love with this whole new world.”

  “That’s good to know,” Cliff said, moving even closer behind her. She could almost feel his chest on her back. “You can stay here as long as you need to, as long as you want.”

  “Thank you.”

  “What’s your world like, Gem? I’m curious.”

  Gem’s heart raced. She laughed nervously. “What do you mean? You’ve been to the city many times.”

  “Yes, but I want to hear how it is for you, living where you live, growing up wherever it is you grew up, being with the people you’re running away from now…”

  Gem faced him then, her heart beating fast and hard as she looked into his eyes. “My world… is nothing like this. Everything is happening in a rush there. We’re all preoccupied with jobs and technology, running here and there and never really making time for relationships and all that stuff. It’s so, so different.”

  “I’m guessing you’re starting to like it better here…” Cliff said, brushing away strands of her hair from her face with his fingers.

  “You could say that,” Gem whispered, enveloped with a growing need and desire to be in his arms and spend the rest of her life with him on that beach.

  “I’m starting to like it better now that you’re here too…” he told her gently as his arms slid around her waist. His words and the way he looked at her seemed to reach deep into her heart, cozying up to it like it had never been touched before.

  She closed her eyes on instinct, everything in her mind turning into a blur. Her body took over, warming up fast and then quickly going ablaze with craving. He could sense it and decided to go with his own instincts as well. She felt his soft, moist lips on hers as he leaned forward to finally kiss her. They lingered gently for a while, before pressing harder.

  She had never been kissed like that before and especially never with real feelings. Thus, going with her natural impulse, she moved her lips and began to kiss him back, meeting his every passionate urging, and eventually letting her tongue dance and entwine with his in fiery, erotic movements.

  He began to rub her arms, making the fire in her body burn even more. She felt hot in spite of the cool weather. The temperature around them was going down as the sun began to set. But this time, they hardly noticed the glowing, colorful beauty of the sunset. With their hands wrapped around one another, they kissed passionately as if they had the whole island to themselves.

  “Woof! Woof! Woof!” the loud and insistent barking came, forcing Gem to open her eyes and break apart from Cliff. She felt a little woozy.

  Cliff crouched down and scratched his dog’s ears. “What’s up, boy?”

  The dog jumped up and down, barking loudly. It was calling them to follow him.

  “He sounds urgent,” Gem said, quite alarmed.

  The two of them quickly followed the dog down the chain of sand dunes and back onto the shore. That was when they heard some screaming coming from the sea.

  “Help us! Help my daughter please!” a woman was screeching.

  They ran towards her, and Gem recognized her as the mother staying at the bed and breakfast. Cliff did not waste any more time. He hurried into the water and swam as fast as he could toward the little girl whose arms flailed wildly above the surface of the sea, trying to stay above the water.

  Huge waves were coming fast, slowing down Cliff. Despite being a fantastic swimmer, he was struggling against the harsh waters and time was running out as the girl had begun sinking.

  Without thinking, Gem dashed after Cliff and jumped into the water. She didn’t even know how to swim, but she knew her Martian survival instincts would kick in. Her unusual speed allowed her to catch up to him fast and surpass him amid the tumultuous sea. She took a deep breath and plunged below the surface, searching for a sign of the girl.

  The silver specks in her eyes were reacting to the salt water, moving in circles fast and then merging together. She felt dizzy, but she did not close her eyes as she looked for the girl underwater.

  Without any warning, a flash of light came out of her eyes! She shut them as she felt immense pain. Then in just a few seconds, the pain was gone. She rose up to the surface for a breath of air before dropping down again. This time, when she opened her eyes, it was like the entire undersea had been lit brightly like daytime.

  When she caught sight of the girl, she immediately swam toward her and lifted her out of the water. She seemed to have gotten stronger as she tried to swim back to the shore with the girl. It was certainly more difficult to go as fast when carrying someone. Luckily, Cliff arrived. Upon seeing them, he appeared to be shocked but did not say anything. With his strength and her speed, they had no problem getting back to the beach promptly.

  “Essie! Essie!” the woman cried, sobbing. She fell to her knees beside her motionless child.

  Cliff seemed to be well-versed with such situations. He leaned down and put his ear to the little girl’s mouth to check for breathing. There was none. The chest was not moving.

  “Please help her…” the mother kept saying hysterically.

  Cliff checked for a pulse. When he found none, he immediately started performing CPR. In a short while, the girl began to sputter and water came out of her mouth. She opened her eyes and her chest began heaving.

  “Essie!” the woman bawled, embracing her child tightly.

  Some of the villagers had come by this time. One of them whom Gem recognized as a doctor came to check on Essie while her mom thanked Cliff and Gem profusely.

  “You’re welcome. We’re happy to help,” Gem told her with a smile. She was teary-eyed, feeling the intense love and gratitude coming from the woman’s heart. It was simply incredible.

  *****

  “Ta-da!” Gem said in a jolly mood as she presented the feast she’d prepared to Cliff and Chelsea.

  Chelsea’s mouth dropped open at the sight of all the food on their dining table. “How did you---?”

  “Wow,” was all Cliff could say, shaking his head in disbelief but nonetheless smiling.

  “Told you I could do it,” Gem said. “So go and invite the villagers over to have a taste.”

  “Let’s party!” Chelsea exclaimed, laughing.

  “Yeah, way to go,” Cliff said, nodding and clapping. “After everything that’s happened, you still had the energy to whip up this spread…”

  Gem took a bow, laughing. “If you guys will excuse me, I still have to get dressed for dinner.”

  Chelsea was shaking her head. “I’ve never met anyone else who can cook that fast. I bet you’re the only woman who showers, dresses up, and puts on makeup like The Flash!”

  “And swims like a fish too…” Cliff muttered under his breath.

  G
em heard him just before she went inside the bedroom she shared with Chelsea. Her heart was pounding madly because she was afraid he might be on to her secret.

  Don’t be silly, Gem told herself as she got ready. He wouldn’t possibly consider that I’m an alien from the future. That’s next to impossible… except that it is true…

  So as not to raise more suspicion, she did her best to take her time before going out again. It took all of her patience to do it, as she was very excited about the festival. This was a good time to just relax and enjoy, after all the drama that had taken place earlier.

  When Gem finally went out, she saw a lot of people who looked familiar. They had swarmed in the dining area, enjoying her feast. She smiled and stayed a bit to chat with some. Everybody was in a festive mood, and they were all complimenting her on the food.

  The Moonrock Festival was a celebration of family and community, commemorating the day when the first few families got together to live on the island. It was a full moon then and they had all gathered on an enormous flat rock to sing and celebrate their new life together. That’s why they named the beach “Moonrock”.

  On the beach, several blankets had been laid out along with colorful throw pillows and bean bag chairs. All around them were lit candles in tiny glasses, illuminating the area in a romantic way while the stars above shimmered exquisitely.

  In the midst of the people gathered in the area was a group of singers with acoustic guitars, strumming away and entertaining the locals and the tourists.

  “You look wonderful,” someone whispered in Gem’s ear, almost making her jump.

  Her heart was once again racing, this time from the undeniable attraction between her and the man whom she had first met on the island.

  Knowing it was Cliff, she turned around quickly with a smile. “Thanks. You too.”

  She was wearing one of Chelsea’s beach dresses--- a strapless floral cotton dress that made her look dainty. She’d even curled the ends of her long hair and had put on a little makeup for the evening.

  Meanwhile, Cliff was looking mighty handsome in a plain white shirt and an island-inspired pair of drawstring pants. And he was gazing into her eyes as if he wanted to kiss her right then and there.

  Throughout the festivities, they stayed together and had fun participating in the singing and watching the reenactment of the first families’ settlement of the island. They went from house to house too, filling themselves with the various feasts that had been prepared for sharing.

  The night was deepening and most of the villagers had gone back home. Only the vacationers and foreigners were left partying on the beach.

  Gem had a few drinks with Cliff, before he invited her to take a walk with him.

  “You know, I saw Chelsea with that Italian guy,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

  Gem laughed. “Oh, my! She must have put something in his drink!”

  Cliff laughed too. “That’s my sister. She gets tongue-tied in front of her crushes, but always finds a way to get them in the end.”

  “Haha, good for her!” Gem agreed, tossing her hair as she laughed.

  “Well, good for us too so that guy can stay out of our way,” he said jokingly, though Gem felt that he really meant it.

  They walked along the beach away from the village hand in hand. Soon they found themselves hidden in the dark crevices of the sand dunes near the woods.

  They came upon a rocky area amid the dunes. Cliff stopped walking and instead leaned back on a flat rock in the shadows, swinging Gem toward him as he did. She was caught in surprise as her body flew toward his bulky chest and torso. His arms wrapped around her sensually, and she felt her body heating up like never before.

  She ignored all the warnings she’d grown up with about succumbing to the weakness of the body and the heart. She could not even think anymore as their lips met in a hungry, passionate kiss.

  Heat began to pool in between her legs, and she embraced the intensifying sensations within her. She let her body guide her actions as this was something very new to her. Her fingers caressed his neck as their kiss turned wild. She pressed harder onto him while he pulled her even closer. That was when she felt his hardening cock rubbing against her sensitive area. A moan escaped her lips.

  His hands slid under the skirt of her dress and quickly pulled her underwear down. She was so wet and ready for him. When his fingers crept up her inner thigh and began rubbing her soaked slit up and down, she couldn’t help the buildup of desire. Her hand groped for his hardness and then wrapped around the length of it. She gently started fondling him, making him moan too.

  Both of them groaned in unison as they felt the sensations climbing. He suddenly took her in his arms and turned her toward the rock so that her back was now on it while he faced her. Without any hesitation, he kissed her neck sensually as he continued to finger her. His lips traveled downward to her breasts. He used his free hand to pull down the top of her strapless dress, freeing her heaving breasts.

  She arched her back to let him fully devour her breasts. His tongue continually teased her nipples until they were taut.

  He shoved his fingers inside her repeatedly, making her almost scream. She bit her lip, trying to stifle the screams. But then he completely undressed her and laid her down on the sandy ground. He took off his pants hurriedly and entered her with great desire and passion.

  Her eyes widened as she felt his rock hard cock slide inside, pushing against the walls of her opening. She watched the expression of erotic pleasure on his face as he thrust his penis into her over and over again. Her mouth opened as combined pain and pleasure filled her entire body.

  They moved in unison, both of them climbing higher and higher into extreme sexual pleasure. She felt her body shudder hard just as oozing fluid came out of his penis. She felt the liquid shooting inside while some trickled down the inside of her leg. She trembled and quivered as her intensified temperature finally began to descend, the hotness slowly dissipating through her skin.

  He kissed her once more on the lips- soft and gently- before rolling them onto their sides in exhaustion.

  *****

  Bright sunlight streamed into the bedroom, waking Gem up. She opened her eyes and smiled when she saw that she was actually in Cliff’s room. He was still asleep, with one arm around her waist. They were both naked under the sheets.

  For a few seconds, she just looked at his face, studying every little part of it and somehow trying to memorize what he looked like. Her heart felt torn. It had been a month now since the night of the festival, and although she was very much happy with Cliff, she was greatly bothered by the memory of her mother who might not know where she’d gone.

  During that week, she’d been dreaming of that last incident in the palace. And finally, she was able to recall the gift. It had been a special watch that was inside the package left by the strange woman. And when she’d tried it on and touched the screen, it had begun blinking with a green light. Numbers appeared on the face of the watch, perhaps indicating some programmed time and place. She didn’t really know for sure, but it seemed logical.

  “A time travel watch,” she whispered as she remembered bits and pieces of news about the new invention. That woman must have wanted her out of the way so she could be the Warrior King’s bride instead.

  She leaned forward to give Cliff a peck on the cheek. Whoever you are, thank you. I found the man for me because of you. I was able to witness love in many different ways. And now I’ve come to open my heart too, to this wonderful bond with another person.

  Cliff opened his eyes sleepily. “It’s so early… go back to sleep, beautiful…” he whispered before closing his eyes again.

  Gem smiled. She shifted her position so that they were hugging each other face to face. He was still groggy, but he smiled at her nevertheless and even kissed her on the lips.

  Can we really go on like this, without him knowing the real me? Gem questioned in her mind. She’d always been bothered by the fact that
she was not being honest with him. He still wasn’t asking any questions, perhaps because he was just too kind, patient, and understanding. He had told her once that he would wait for her to open up when she was ready and willing.

  “Sleep some more, Cliff,” Gem murmured. “There are no guests today, anyway…”

  He smiled again and then drifted back to sleep. In a jiffy, she was up and about. After showering hastily, she got dressed and headed to the beach. After more than a month after she’d washed up on the sand, she highly doubted that she would find that watch again.

  But she had to at least try or she would be stuck there forever. Not that she would mind, if only she was not thinking of the only Martian she knew who knew how to love- her mom.

  As she came to the spot where she had first arrived, a very strong wind made her cover her eyes. The wind blew grains of sand all around her, as if there was a minor hurricane. She could hear the wind howling and could feel the coarse particles on her skin, but she did not dare open her eyes.

  Soon the weird hurricane-like occurrence stopped. She felt it quiet down, and that was when she opened her eyes again.

  “Good day, Gemini!”

  The color drained from Gem’s face when she saw who it was in front of her. “King Eman?” she whispered with shock and dread, not believing her own eyes.

  “I finally found you,” he said, his big round eyes filled with pride and satisfaction. “Let’s go back and get married.”

  Gem saw that he was actually wearing the same kind of watch. “Wait, I-”

  “You do not make a king wait,” he said firmly in an irritated voice. With that, he quickly pressed on the watch’s surface before Gem could even stop him.

  Suddenly, the water from the sea rose and swirled around them, along with the sand and the trees and then the mountains. The whole world seemed to be turning fast. Gem felt like she was being pushed in by surrounding walls. She screamed, closing her eyes and wishing to wake up back in Cliff’s arms.