“And Logan?”
“Logan’s the hero. A protector. He’s a problem solver and philosopher when you can get him to listen. He’s somewhere between a romantic and a seducer, but never strays too far to either side. Win his heart, and he’ll be faithful to you forever. Make him your enemy, and you’ll pay for eternity.” He picked up a grape from the tray. “Do you like these?”
“I don’t know what it is.”
“Taste it.” He put the grape into her mouth and smiled at the pleasure on her face. “It was Logan who suggested the grapes for your breakfast.”
“He did?” Her eyes twinkled with the news.
“Yes.” He stroked her raven hair from her face with a loving caress. “Come on. I want to show you something.”
* * * *
For fifteen minutes, they searched Arlo’s closet for a pair of pants to fit her. Having no success there, he went downstairs and asked Roxie if she had anything that would do. Lucky for Fay, Roxie picked out a soft wraparound skirt. It circled Fay’s waist three and a half times, but once she had it tied, it stayed on her boyish hips.
A short time later, Arlo helped her mount his horse and took her for a ride through the most beautiful landscape she’d ever seen. The hills were a rich green, and the trees like giant guardians watching over and protecting them. She felt safe for the first time in her life, secure in this land of the Airbornes. Her home beneath the surface never felt right to her.
Heading toward the forest that surrounded the quaint Airborne town, they finally came upon a monolith of clay-colored earth jutting into the sky. Arlo reined in. He reached around her head and covered her eyes. “No peeking. I’m going to round this bend, and I want you to open your eyes, but only when I say so. Deal?”
“Deal.” Excitement raced through her. She was sure whatever awaited would be beautiful. What could he have possibly planned in such a spontaneous moment? The thought made her heart flutter with anticipation.
“I’ll share this with no one but you.”
When she opened her eyes and looked down, she saw every color she could imagine and a few shades she’d never seen before. “Flowers! They’re everywhere.” She blinked her eyes in awe. The flora covered the grassy ground in patches of open fields between the forest trees. Are they real?”
He laughed before answering. “Of course they’re real. Smell the air.”
She closed her eyes and bathed her lungs with the scent of them. “Oh, the fragrance. Arlo! They’re real flowers!”
“I didn’t know there were any other kind.”
“The Dirt Dwellers only have silk flowers.”
“Okay.” His brow crooked as though unsure what a silk flower was. “Well, we only have real ones.” He smirked. “They’re wildflowers, but that’s not what I was hoping you’d notice.”
He skipped his hands up her arms, trying to stop her from dismounting. She wouldn’t be stopped. She had to touch them, to find out what real flowers felt like. She dropped and took several stumbling steps. “The government doesn’t consider flowers valuable.” She strolled toward the closest bunch and filled her lungs with the scent. “They have little nutritional worth and take too much prime space to grow. Because of this real flowers are banned.” Her fingers tickled over the tops of the taller growth. Yellow pollen coated her fingers. She rubbed her fingertips together in awe.
“Pity. Flowers are the number one source for our medicines.”
“The UG selects who gets medical care and who gets euthanasia.”
He choked. “Nice. I’d say if you want to live long, you’d want to make good friends with the guy who handles that job.”
“Oh Arlo.” She leaned her head back, stretched her arms out, and twirled. “I feel so alive. I never would have guessed they had such a wonderful aroma.” Fay lay down beside a flower patch and gazed up. They were in the center of multiple layers of nature. A thick circle of trees ringed the colorful meadows offering glimpses of the sky. The forest spread up the sides of the giant purplish-gray snow-covered mountains forming a protective barrier all around them. What a unique world.
“Did you happen to see the waterfall over there?” He slid from his horse. In a gallant gesture, he offered his hand. She grasped it, and he pulled her up.
She cocked her head to look and stretched her eyes wide. “Ooh.”
“Follow me.” He led her and his horse over to the cascading water. It fell from atop a rock formation halfway down the mountains. He sat down by a natural pond at the bottom of the waterfall with the most crystal-clear blue water she’d ever seen. “Touch it.” He glided his fingers in a soft caress down her arm until his hand covered hers. He entwined their fingers and a shiver run through her.
The lemon-grass scent of him filled her senses, as did the heat from his skin. His strong jaw was so close to her cheek she almost brushed it with her lips when she turned to look at him. He placed their hands deeper into the water.
She gasped. “The water’s warm, just like you.”
“It’s how we get our hot water. It’s fed by a hot spring somewhere up there.”
Fay wiggled her fingertips, playing with the water beneath his hand. She raised her brow. “How is this place possible? We entered a cave. How does this place exist within it and still have blue sky above, waterfalls, and flowers? Where does the light come from?”
“Have you heard of Shangri-La?”
“No.”
“Well, this place is like the magical Shangri-La. It’s a perfect world within a world. Just like Shangri-La was supposed to be like. If you noticed, we went down when we entered the cave.”
“I just remember traveling quite a ways until we came to the stone window.”
“Well, the distance we traveled took us under the mountain range.” He pointed to the peaks circling them. “The window is the gateway that allows us to pass into this area. As you can see, this whole place is surrounded by the mountain range we went under. We’re still outside, but we’re in a protected area.”
“It’s so wonderful here.” There was a warmth in her heart she’d never felt before. “I feel truly liberated. I feel so free and safe here.”
“This was the Airbornes’ original place of survival when the Underworld government took vengeance on the rest of the world. It’s safe from any enemies who fly. They’ll see nothing of us here, because these redwoods shelter us like an umbrella. Not even the Star Riders know of this place. Those huge tree trunks you see, they reach eight hundred feet high or more. And should anyone travel by horse, well they could never make it up over the mountains. The lowest peak is a little over twenty-nine thousand feet above sea level. Even the strongest foot army could never come down in a raid on us.”
She smiled.
“I want you to feel safe here…with us.”
Arlo’s trust was endearing. It was plain to see, whether she was a spy or not, he believed what she’d told him about her escape. He trusted her to keep this rather significant information to herself, and she wouldn’t let him down. “I love it here.” She exhaled a deep, satisfied sigh.
Arlo turned Fay to face him, taking her into his arms. “Then stay with us.”
“Oh, Arlo.” She snuggled deeper into him, hugging his warmth to her. Torn, her feelings for him and Drakker were shadowed by Logan’s distrust, and the grip he held on her life. Her heart broke into a thousand pieces. “I didn’t know I had an option to stay or go.”
He stiffened, breaking away from their hug. He flashed a quick smile, but his twinkling eyes were now dull with concern. “I guess you don’t, do you?” He pulled her down with him into the thick, plush grass. “Well, let’s look at the bright side of this.” Plucking a bright orange flower, he turned and tickled her nose with its black center, making her laugh. “Would it be so bad to be stuck here with me and my brothers for the rest of your life?”
“Trust me, I could get use to your world very easy.” She patted the back of his hand, which held hers. “In time, I might even find a way
to accept your interesting hedonistic polyandrous society. Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s what Logan has planned for me.”
“I wouldn’t worry about him.”
“Do you know if he intends to prosecute me as a spy?”
“I don’t know what he has planned. But I made my plans for you, very clear to him this morning.”
“Oh, so you’re the judge, not Logan?”
He laughed. “No, I’m no judge. Logan’s our leader. I just wanted to inform him about my feelings and my intentions before he made any decisions as to your fate. I wanted him to know I want you as my wife.”
She gasped. “Logan won’t let it happen. I’m a mind traveler. He’ll never trust me. I felt his suspicions when you brought me into his den yesterday.”
“He believes he can’t afford to trust anyone.”
“Why?”
“Because when Logan was seventeen he trusted a man from the Underworld government who said he was here to offer peace to the leader of the Airbornes. He asked Logan to take him to his father, who at the time was our leader. Logan arranged a meeting with our parents. When Logan introduced the man, the guy removed his hand from his pocket and shook each of our fathers’ hands. When our mother served the man coffee, he shook her hand as well.”
“Handshakes are a symbol of peace between the Dirt Dwellers. It’s a silent word of honor.”
“How ironic. Within five minutes of his handshake…all of them died a most horrible death.”
Her gasp was loud. “Oh dear God! How?”
“It was later discovered the man had a powdered poison in his pocket. It was nicotine. It absorbs on contact through the skin. The man was on a suicide mission to kill our parents in hopes of crumbing our world. Logan blames himself because he trusted the man.”
“How horrible.”
“As for you…” He propped himself up and picked several tiny white flowers, their miniature petals clustered together like little balls of cotton on long, lime-colored stems. “I believe in time, as you prove yourself, Logan will come around.”
She raised her shoulders in doubt, but cocked her head with a smile at his weaving fingers. “What are you doing?”
“You’ll see.” He looped, twisted, and knotted the green stems so all the balls lined up in a row at the top, and the stems made a braided circle at the bottom. He grabbed her hand and slipped the weeds on her finger. Looking into her eyes, he said, “I’ve made you a promise ring out of flowers since you like them so much.”
“Oh, Arlo. You’re so sweet.”
“Don’t you mean romantic?”
She reached over and hugged him to her. “Very romantic.” She felt her lips tremble with emotions she’d never dared to display back in her world. “I love it.” Tears threatened to spill what her heart was truly feeling for once in her life. “You’re so sweet to me.” She pulled back just enough to look at him. “I adore you, you know.”
“I was hoping you did, because I’ve been waiting for a woman like you.”
“You have?”
“Yep. I knew we’d need a strong woman, who could deal with the likes of us Abán brothers.”
She smirked, unable to hide her humor. “Has God made such a woman?”
“Didn’t you know? She’s hidden in you, my little filly.”
They both laughed before Arlo turned somber again. “Fay?”
“Yes?”
“Seriously, will you have us?”
“I can’t answer a question like that.” She lay back, and he followed her down, leaning over her as she spoke. “I don’t know what my future holds right now. Logan has my fate in his hands. What does he usually do with spies?”
“Stop worrying about him. Drakker and I’ve got it covered.” His words brought some comfort to her soul. Maybe she could find some kind of a life here.
“I’ve got a surprise for you.” He jumped up and rushed over to his horse. He dug around for a while in his saddlebags until he pulled several cloth packages from one of them. He also pulled a rolled blanket from the back of his saddle. With one gallant flip of his wrist, he managed to spread the blanket.
A moment later, he had spread out a romantic picnic, candles and all. He crooked his finger at her, gesturing for her to join him on the blanket. Once she sat down beside him, he sang a sweet song of everlasting love, while feeding her dried fruit, nuts, and sweet buffalo jerky.
“You’re an amazing and gorgeous woman.” He lay back and folded his arms behind his head.
Fay did the same. “And you’re a fascinating man.”
They stayed there for what seemed like hours, just talking about everything in their lives, all their wishes and dreams, and what life could be.
As dusk settled in, Arlo sat up and grabbed a globe-shaped flower. He held it out to her and said, “Make a wish then blow.”
Wishes were for naïve children. However, right now she was feeling as free as any child. “Okay, I’ll play.” Fay wished for a sign to guide her in the right direction. Just as she was about to blow on the flower Arlo puffed out a hard breath, blasting the flower apart. She squeaked as all its little parachute-like petals exploded into her face.
He burst out laughing at the shock she knew must be splattered across her face, right along with all the parachute petals now stuck in her hair. “Arlo! You did that on purpose!” When she punched him in the stomach for his bad boy behavior, he rolled over toward her pretending she hurt him, but he continued to laugh. She couldn’t stop her own giggles. “You’re such a devil! Why’d you do it?”
“I didn’t like your wish.” He squirmed at her pinches.
“You don’t know what I wished.”
He got to his knees and sat back on his haunches next to her hips. “If it wasn’t for three husbands all with the last name of Abán then it wasn’t a good wish.”
She pouted her bottom lip out. “So, now my wish won’t come true?”
“It will. You’re supposed to blow on the dandelion so its seeds will fly to the gods, who can then hear your wish and answer it.” He leaned over and gave her a tender kiss.
Fay responded by wrapping her arms around his neck. Arlo’s hot lips made her deepen the kiss, driving her passion higher. He glided his hands down her body and up under her shirt to fondle her braless breasts. His obvious need for her drove her enthusiasm for more. He unbuttoned her blouse and exposed her nipples. He kissed each one, making her whimper as they grew into hard buds. She sighed as he trailed a moist path of kisses over her bosom, before playfully nipping down her stomach to her navel. He feathered his fingertips down her torso following the track of his kisses. When his lips lingered just above her waistband, she pushed his head lower, wanting more. She wanted to feel his mouth on her pussy. She didn’t dare ask for fear of being judged for desiring something so bizarre.
He reached down, caught the bottom of her skirt with his fingertips, and slid his hand to the top of her thigh. Arlo flipped his handful of material over her waist and then pulled on Drakker’s cotton briefs, yanking them off her. “I love oral.”
Her heart rate sped up in wanton excitement. “Oral? You mean you want to…kiss me…there?” Doing all her crazy, kinky fantasies in the other reality was one thing. Doing them in this physical world was quite another.
“Of course.”
His boyish smile thrilled her. He wasn’t judging her. He had the same naughty desire.
“Tsi ge yu i.”
She remembered his telling her their first night at the campfire tsi ge yu i was a Cherokee endearment. Hearing him say it so lovingly now, after her evening with Drakker, struck her soul. He’d just called her his love. Knowing he felt this way about her was like an arrow of love to her heart.
“I want to suck, kiss, and lick your juicy peach until you come.” He stroked his fingers along her inner thighs. She’d fantasized about what a man’s mouth would feel like down there. Now it was time to find out. She parted her legs inviting him to go higher. His muscles flexed as he accepte
d her invitation and slipped between her thighs, sending moisture through her core.
“Are you really going to—” She gasped at the heat of his breath teasing her sensitive flesh. Arlo didn’t open the lips of her mons. Instead, he flicked his tongue in tantalizing licks at her curls, making her sigh with pleasure.
“You think that feels good? Wait until she’s hairless. I’ll make you climb the walls when I lick her.” He pushed her legs wider apart, planting warm kisses on the tender skin where her limbs joined her pussy. The sensation of his warm lips against her flesh caused her to unwind, allowing her body to relax in a silent suggestion he go right for her juice. She could feel her sexual heat flow to her G-spot in anticipation of the climax to come.
Arlo slipped just the tip of his tongue along the line of her pussy. She murmured at the tingling pleasure. The sensation was far more pleasurable than she’d imagined and couldn’t wait to feel more. Feeling brazen, she reached down and pulled her lips apart, opening herself to his mouth. She had to feel it. His tongue slipped in deep for several strokes, and Fay sizzled from the stimulation. Arlo flattened his tongue along the length of her pussy and made a slow swipe up to her clitoris, circling around her button until it hardened in excitement.
She gasped.
He cupped his mouth over her pussy. She gasped again at the decadent sensations of his tongue flicks, twists, and driving strokes of this unique kiss. He tongued her slit until she shook with uncontrollable bliss. She grabbed his head and held it there as her body reached for its peak.
Arlo seized her arm and sat up, pulling her with him. “What’s embedded in your wrist?”
“What?” Fay felt the color drain from her face. The SNS!
“It’s pulsating against my ear.”
“Oh God!” Before she could answer a red beam shot through the trees and hit the ground only two feet from where they lay. Arlo jumped up and bolted for his horse. Fay dropped her skirt, wanting to follow but her feet wouldn’t move. She was frozen where she stood, but when another beam hit the place they’d just been, Fay jolted into action.
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