In front of Marruk was the cockpit that consisted of a dozen buttons, a few levers and some dials. She watched Marruk operate a few of the buttons and levers before the glider was set in motion. To her surprise they rose above the ground after just a few meters. She had not expected the vehicle to fly. They flew along the length of the palace and passed the large, semi-circular balcony upon which the royal couple was standing to wave them off. Solima and Keela waved back then Marruk accelerated the glider so quickly that it pressed Keela back into her seat and she uttered a small cry.
Marruk turned his head and grinned at her mischievously.
“Really, father, you’re flying like a racemokus again,” Solima scolded, but she was laughing at the same time.
After a while Keela relaxed and began to enjoy the flight. She looked out of the window at the huge forests below them. They were flying just a few meters above the summit of the trees, and where the forest was less dense they could occasionally see various animals: some looked like those on earth, so there was a kind of deer and wild boar. But there were also animals that Keela had never seen before, for example one that moved on six legs and had a round, furry body, whilst the long neck and head were bald. Solima explained that this was a racemokus, which she had jokingly compared her father to earlier. These animals could reach a high speed within seconds, which sounded impossible to Keela, because the animal that she had seen moved extremely awkwardly. But half an hour later she witnessed such a sudden start when she saw another of these animals. One minute it was standing, grazing, in a small clearing and then, quicker than Keela could look, it was up and away.
The landscape below them changed. They left the forested area behind them and flew over a wide steppe that was broken by both small and large lakes. A wide river meandered through the landscape and in the distance Keela could make out a range of mountains. To her left another huge forested area stretched out with an enormous mountain behind it whose summit was covered in snow. The closer they came to the mountain range, the higher they flew, until they at last flew over the mountain and Keela held her breath in wonder. Before her lay the most beautiful landscape that she had ever seen. Gentle hills with lush green grass, fields with purple wheat, small woods and gurgling streams adorned the area as far as the eye could see. Two picturesque villages lay between the hills, one to her left, the other to her right, and in the distance a castle rose up with its four round towers surrounded by a defensive wall made of large white stones.
“We’re nearly there!” Solima cried out in joy.
***
Y-Quadrant, Karrx7
At Marruk’s castle
24th day of the month of Jakus in the year 7067
Federation Time
The room that Marruk had shown her to was not as big and luxurious as the chamber in the palace, but still amazing compared to her flat in Livingston. After Keela had enjoyed a relaxing bath and taken a small meal with Marruk und Solima, Solima insisted on showing Keela everything. Of course the girl also kept her promise of showing Keela her pergamo. Keela had already seen the horse-like animals at the palace. Solima’s pergamo was smaller than the animals that she had seen in the royal stable. Trommy was a white mare with a friendly nature.
Keela had taken the evening meal alone with Solima. Marruk had excused himself. Because of his long absence he had a lot to sort out. Although the atmosphere between Keela and Solima had been relaxed and intimate Keela had missed Marruk’s sullen presence. Of course she did not wish to admit this. It would be wrong to fall in love with Marruk. He seemed to stay out of her way when possible and did not give the impression that he would be interested in her more intimately - at least, not beyond a certain level of sexual attraction. And if there was something that Keela did not need, then it was a brief affair that would leave her with heartache. She really had had enough of heartache. But as she lay now on the over-sized bed her thoughts wandered involuntarily to Marruk. It would be senseless to deny the attraction that she had for him. But that did not mean that she was prepared to give in to this attraction. She did not want to risk being hurt again and sex with Marruk would undeniably lead to her losing her heart to him - if it was not already too late.
After she had tried to get to sleep for nearly two hours she finally got out of bed, annoyed, and wandered restlessly back and forth in her room. What could she do to get to sleep at last? A book would be good. If only she had something to read. Then it occurred to her that whilst on the tour of the castle today Solima had also shown her a library. She hoped that she could find her way to the room alone. She had seen so many rooms today that she was not sure where the library was.
The corridor was lit by flickering torches that were held in wrought-iron wall brackets. She had already noticed, in the palace, that people on this planet generally preferred primitive things, despite the fact that the Carthians clearly had highly developed technology at their disposal, like for example the space ship or the glider. But in their houses technology was almost non-existant. In the palace, though, there was Ceyla, the intelligent computer system and things like the clothes maker and the massage robot, but here in the castle there were not even these things. Here it was genuinely as if from the dark Middle Ages - only cleaner and more comfortable.
As she stood before the door of what she thought was the library she hesitated. She almost turned away but her spirit of adventure won over and she opened the door tentatively. Inside it was dark. She had not thought of that. She opened the door wide enough so that the light of the torches could light the room a little, searching for a candle. And indeed, there was a three-armed candlestick on a round table. Keela crept into the room and picked up the candlestick, then she went back into the corridor to light the candles with the torch.
Back in the library she closed the door and put the candlestick back on the table. She found another candlestick and two individual candles and lit these, too. Now the room was light enough for her to be able to look around properly. She went up to one of the shelves and stroked the book spines. She could not read any of the titles. Of course! How could she be so stupid? The fact that her translator made a conversation with the Carthians possible had made her completely forget that they were speaking in a language totally unknown to her. Of course the small implant in her ear could not translate the written word.
“Shit!” she whispered in frustration.
“Is there a problem?” came a husky voice that made her heart beat harder at once.
She turned round quickly. Behind her was an armchair with its back to her. She could just about make out his hair - the rest of him was out of her sight because of the high chair back.
“I … I didn’t know that … I didn’t think …”
Marruk rose from the armchair and turned to her. His eyes moved over her body. She was only wearing a thin nightdress that moulded round her breasts like a second skin. Without a doubt he must have been able to make out her nipples through the thin material and these had hardened at the sound of his sensual voice. She cursed her tell-tale body.
“Are you looking for something – specific?” he asked, coming closer, slowly, like a big cat moving in on its prey.
“I … actually …” She swallowed hard as she saw the hunger in his eyes that were now midnight blue. “I had completely … umm forgotten that I … won’t be able to read the books at all.”
“I can teach you if you wish,” Marruk offered. “We could begin tomorrow – after breakfast.”
The thought of spending time with Marruk made her heart beat more heavily. The butterflies in her belly fluttered nervously.
“Umm, yes, that would be very useful, if I … could learn your language. I … I mean, if I …” she stammered helplessly.
Marruk had come still closer and was now standing so close to her that they were nearly touching. His eyes bored into hers and she became unbearably hot. It was suddenly much too warm in this room. It must be because of the candles. It definitely had nothing to do with this d
amn sexy man. She was not that easily impressed.
Lier!
As if in a slow motion Marruk leant forward and she knew that he was going to kiss her. She should turn away right now and leave. Now! Before it was too late! But she did nothing of the sort. Instead she waited breathlessly for the moment when their lips met. It was only a feather-light touch of the lips but it made Keela weak at the knees and the ground literally fell from beneath her feet as Marruk, with a throaty groan pulled her to his stealy body. She uttered a weak sound of protest, but as Marruk pushed his tongue between her slightly open lips and moved in fully, she could not prevent herself from groaning. She felt weak, but not only because she was so small and helpless in his strong arms: somewhere inside her head a voice was telling her that she should resist him, stop him, but another voice silenced her reason, hardly registering that he had raised her into his arms without interrupting the kiss and was leaving the library with her. Only when he had laid her on a bed that was not her own did she become aware that she was in his room and what his intentions were.
Damn it, Keela, you naïve cow. Do you get any of what’s going on or has your brain slipped into your panties?
Of course it was not only a kiss that he wanted. He wanted more. He wanted her. But he had not said that he would claim her. With mixed feelings she watched him undress. He was so damn attractive. No man should be allowed to look so stunning. It was not fair. Dazed, she sat up before slipping back onto the bed. Her heart pounding, she moved her eyes from his broad, suntanned chest and looked him in the face. His eyes were now as dark at the night sky with passion.
“Do you ... plan to … claim me now?” she uttered with difficulty.
He stopped and looked at her. She could see the decision making its way through the mist of his passion.
“You only want to sleep with me, don’t you?” she asked, shocked at how painful this realisation was.
He ran his hand through the hair that had fallen into his face. The passion in his face had given way to a strained expression. Keela’s heart convulsed painfully. She had known this, so why was she now so hurt?
“I can’t offer you any more,” he said hoarsely. “I’m … I will never again …”
Keela raised herself from the bed, her heart pounding, avoiding his eyes. She did not want to look him in the eye now. She never wanted to look him in the eye again!
“I’m sorry,” murmured Keela. “I ... I should … not have … I can’t!” with these words she fled from the room.
***
Marruk stood breathing heavily next to the empty bed, his eyes closed, his fists clenched. His cock was pulsating painfully. A strained groan slipped from his lips. What had he done? He had allowed himself to behave in a way that was absolutely unacceptable. Keela was not a whore that one could take and then simply send away again. She was the hope of his entire race - a hope for suitable mates. He did not want … he could not claim her. But because of that she was also tabu for him. He must never let himself go again like that. If his father knew what he had nearly done his head would be on the block early the next morning with a sharp sword above it. He must never touch her again! If only he did not desire her so much.
Marruk uttered a wild howl, then he quickly dressed and fled from the house. A fast ride would do him good. Before he left the castle he called a few extra guards together to ensure the protection of Keela and Solima, because he would be away for the whole night. The very thought of getting into his bed, in which he had just almost dishonoured the most important woman on this planet, filled him with disgust at himself.
***
Trembling, Keela closed the door behind her. Her lips were still tingling from Marruk’s kiss and her heart was pounding so wildly that she felt as if it was going to burst through her chest at any moment. No man had ever before put her into such a state. Her whole being was shocked to the core. Her body was aching with unfulfilled desire. Her heart was swaying between fear and yearning and her soul was crying out to be near this man. It was as if Marruk was the other half of her soul. From the first moment she had felt that there was something about this man that magically attracted her. This feeling had grown ever since. Some sort of bond was there - an attraction that went beyond the physical. It was stronger than anything that she had experienced before. She had really loved Jake and sex with him had been amazing, but this was a completely different quality of love - and more than that. Could she be his mate? But why was he not claiming her then? Only because he was afraid of losing a mate again?
Damn it! You really are in a mess, girl!
Restlessly she walked up and down her room. She had not been able to sleep before, but now it seemed to have become totally and utterly impossible. She went to the window and stared out into the night. It was almost full moon and the landscape was bathed in silvery light. A rider rushed from the yard, towards the gate. She knew who it was. Clearly Marruk was also having to battle with his emotions. The fact that he wanted her was clear to her. There was no doubt about that. But it was also clear that he did not wish to enter into a lasting bond. All he wanted was a purely sexual relationship. As much as Keela also longed to melt into this huge warrior, she did not want to be hurt again in this way. And precisely that would happen if she were to give in to her own desire and his.
Chapter 7
Y-Quadrant, Karrx7
At Marruk’s Castle
34th day of the month of Jakus in the year 7067
Federation Time
“I don’t know if I’ll ever learn,” groaned Keela. “I mean, I will learn to speak and understand, but the written word …”
“You’re already making good progress,” said Solima encouragingly. “And your accent is very good. Really!”
Keela had been at the castle for ten days. Since the incident in the library Marruk had avoided her. Keela did not know whether to be grateful for this or sad about it. Solima had offered, in place of her father, to teach Keela to speak and write using the Carthian language. Every morning and every afternoon they now practised speaking and writing. Keela had actually never had trouble learning foreign languages. She spoke English, French, Spanish and German. It was just the charaters in the Carthian language that threw her. It reminded her a little of Gujarati.
“Let’s try a little more vocabulary and practise writing when you can speak a little better,” suggested Solima. “So, how do you say, ‘my name is Keela’?”
“Mene amna Keela.”
“Very good. And what’s ‘how are you’?”
“Ko najaka nus?”
“Almost. It’s ‘Ko najako nus’,” Solima corrected her.
“And the last one is a new one. Me laije nu. That means ‘I like you’.”
“Me laije nu.”
Solima beamed.
“You’re learning quickly. Soon you’ll be speaking our language so well that you’ll no longer need the translator. Then you’ll be able to speak with everyone here and not only with those people who also have a translation implant.”
“And how do you say …’I love you’?” asked Keela, trying hard not to let her excitement show.
“Me coshima nu,”answered Solima with a smile. “And if a male ever says ‘mene carisha’ to you than that means ‘my darling’.”
Well, I definitely won’t ever get to hear those words from your father.
Keela sighed.
“Let’s pack our things away,” she said in the end. “I’m tired and I’d like to rest before dinner. I didn’t sleep well last night. I think I’ll go to bed early tonight.”
“OK. I’ll go and see Trommy.”
Keela was sitting on her bed trying to read one of Solima’s old children’s books. It was a beautiful picture book with simple sentences that she could partly guess at, thanks to the pictures. Yet she still had difficulty. The Carthian alphabet consisted of thirty two letters which had no similarity whatsoever with her own alphabet. She sighed and put the book down on her lap. With her eyes closed she was en
joying the gentle breeze coming into the room through the open window. Suddenly there was a cry from outside and she leapt out of bed, her heart pounding. It had definitely been Solima.
She slipped on her shoes quickly and rushed out of the room, along the corridor and down the stairs. Without stopping at all she pulled open the door and ran outside. She could see Solima in the distance, lying on the ground, her pergamo standing next to her, holding its head down to the girl. Two guards were already with Solima and two more were running towards her.
Keela’s pulse was racing. What could have happened to Solima and where was Marruk? She sprinted across the yard and over the bordering lawn to the small sandy area that Solima used for riding when her father was not riding with her. As she got closer she could see that tears were pouring down Solima’s cheeks and her face was contorted with pain. The girl was groaning and crying quietly.
“What happened?” cried Keela breathlessly.
“She was thrown off by Trommy,” one of the guards reported. “Her shoulder is dislocated. We have to fly her to the palace. Our medical unit is not as good as the one at the palace.”
Keela knelt down next to Solima. It really did look bad and the girl was in a lot of pain. The poor little thing was already as white as chalk.
“I can fix it before we fly. It’ll take us too long to get to the palace. She won’t be able to bear this pain for that long. “
“What’s going on here?” Marruk’s worried voice could be heard.
He strode swiftly towards them. With an expression of grave concern he fell onto his knees next to his daughter and gently put his hand to her pale cheek. He swore quietly when he saw the dislocated shoulder.
Kidnapping Keela Page 8
