by Lisa Lace
“In here. It’s not like this place is enormous or something.”
I sniffed the air. A fragrant blend of spices and a faint hint of garlic hung in the warm air. Intrigued by the promise of delicious food, I ran to the source.
“What are you doing? Don’t tell me you know how to cook too.”
Axl stood in front of the only burner in the galley, his head tilted to one side so he could fit under the low ceiling. A large bubbling pot sat on the single burner, filled with shredded meat, leaves, and colorful berries in a dark brown broth. He sprinkled a handful of red seasoning into the pot and began to agitate it with a wooden ladle.
“You have to develop some abilities when you live by yourself.” Axl gave the soup a final stir before switching off the burner.
“It smells amazing, whatever it is. The ingredients look fresh. Do we have a refrigerator somewhere that I don’t know about?”
“We do not.” Axl scooped some of his creation into a bowl and handed it to me. “I went out looking for a market but stumbled upon a village from one of the Salhoonese tribes. They didn’t use credits but were willing to trade supplies for crops.”
“So that’s where you’ve been all morning.” I squinted at the seemingly endless swathes of woodland outside the window. “You must have walked for hours.”
“I needed to stretch my legs.”
After Axl had fixed a bowl for himself, we carried our piping-hot soup to the cockpit. I settled into the passenger’s seat, tasted the soup, and swooned. The savory-sweet goodness warmed me up like a sweet hug.
“We don’t have anything like this on Earth.”
“My mother used to make me something similar when I was sick as a kid,” Axl replied, drinking from his bowl. “I couldn’t get all of the ingredients here. I had to improvise.”
“I couldn’t tell. For all I know, this is your signature dish. Is there anything you can’t do?”
“I wouldn’t consider myself a chef, but I can get by.” Axl set down his bowl and headed back to the galley. “How are you feeling?”
“Everything’s better now that I’ve gotten all that out of my system. I don’t think it’s anything contagious. It’s probably from drinking on an empty stomach.”
“Good.” Axl produced a clean, damp rag. “I want to try something on you.”
He folded the washcloth and leaned over me, laying the warm compress on my forehead. I felt like a queen as he gently pushed the hair out of my face, feeling my lips part in pleasant surprise. As he looked back at me, I wondered if he could hear how loud my heart was thumping.
“Thank you.” I blew on my soup and tried to take a long sip so I could hide my blush behind the bowl.
Axl nodded at me and returned to his seat. “I wasn’t talking about your illness. I meant the call you received yesterday.”
“Oh, that.” I set the soup aside. “I didn’t realize you heard all of that.” I snorted, shaking my head in disbelief. “Would you believe that she had the nerve to tell me she was hurt that I got married behind her back?”
“It did seem like a poor choice of words on her part.” Axl kept his tone neutral.
“She tried to turn it around. She was talking about how she was forced to put me on the market so I would always have a protector. My aunt is positively mental, I tell you. Why is she so obsessed with saving me?”
“I’m not saying what she did was right, but she took you in and raised you as a daughter. Perhaps she still carries a burden of responsibility. It comes off as overkill because she is trying to make up for both parents.”
I smiled weakly. “I hate it when you’re right.”
“I thought you would be used to it by now.” Axl flashed me a wink that made my stomach jump.
“Even so, there are lines you shouldn’t cross.” I wasn’t going to let him win as quickly as that. “Aunt Meredith jumped over this one and sailed through to the other side. I’ve already decided what to do. When I get my share, I’m wiring her all the credits I owe her, and that’s it.” I paused, bouncing my leg. “It’s a little harsh now that I’m saying it out loud, but it has to be done, right?”
“It’s not my place to answer that for you.” Axl leaned an elbow against his armrest. “My mother and I were having an argument when she left for the base one morning. We did not say a word to each other in parting. You know how it is when you’re young and foolish. She was dead within a few hours. I’ve never been able to remember what our argument was about.”
I felt the urge to squeeze his hand when I saw the sorrow in his eyes. “I’m sorry to hear that. Whoa!” I felt disoriented from a sudden head rush and my vision blurred for a minute. I grabbed my armrests for stability.
“What’s the matter?” Axl sprang off his seat and knelt in front of my chair.
“I don’t know. That was weird. I got dizzy for a second.”
As I blinked the stars out of my eyes, Axl peeled the rag off my forehead, dabbing at my face and the back of my neck. His tender touches and the flash of concern in his eyes changed something in me. I couldn’t stop myself.
“You should probably take it easy for a while.”
I held his chin and pulled him into me, kissing him softly on the lips. Throwing the rag over his shoulder, he held me close to him and kissed me back, sliding a strong arm around the crook of my waist. As I moaned into his mouth, my hands slipped around him, exploring his strong chest and appetizing six-pack.
Axl pulled away and pushed my hair over my shoulder. My thighs started to tingle from the hot breath in my ear.
“Come to think of it, I know a way to make you feel better.”
Lost in the magnetic allure of his golden eyes, I nodded meekly at him. His hand glided past my bare thigh as he reached around me, adjusting the chair and setting the back in a reclined position. The tip of my tongue poked out of the corner of my mouth as I watched him. He took off his shirt and moved in front of me.
With a dazzling smile on his lips, he lifted me off the chair and settled in my seat. He placed me on his lap, facing away from him, and brushed his cheek against mine. His beard was softer than it looked.
Axl began to knead the tense muscles on my shoulders while kissing down the back of my neck.
“Mm. That feels good.” I rested the back of my head on his shoulder.
His motions were as smooth as chocolate. I was so engrossed by the feeling of his lips on my flesh that I only realized he had moved his hand under my shirt when I felt his rough palm brush my navel. As I began to writhe against his body, he kissed me on the side of my mouth. The raspy chuckle in my ear made my pussy clench.
Axl was just getting started. He pulled my shirt over my bra and yanked down the lacy cups, freeing my aching breasts. I was about to slip off his lap, so I ground against him, feeling the outline of his erect cock cushioned between the crack in my ass.
I bit down on my tongue, rubbing harder against him as he worshiped my breasts. He twisted and pulled at my sensitive nipples, which made my legs weak. Sensing an imminent victory, he slid a finger into my mouth and swirled it around before making his way between my thighs.
“It looks like I didn’t have to put in too much work.” Axl slowly tugged my panties down. “You are soaking wet.”
He slipped his finger straight into my slit. I melted against him, shallow breaths growing louder as he thrust his finger in and out. Soon his other hand moved down from my breasts to attend my needy clit. He teased the bead with his thumb and slipped a second finger inside. The head of his eager cock nudged up against me.
I was under his full control. The sudden feeling of being completely powerless was out of my comfort zone. I had no idea how much it would turn me on, and I was relishing every second of it. I dropped my gaze down between my legs, watching with excitement and a dash of fear as he finger-fucked me with an intensity I had never seen before.
My body had convulsed into an orgasm before I knew it. I reached behind me and grabbed onto the back of his neck, sh
ivering from the invigorating release. Slowly, Axl pulled his finger out of me and sucked his finger dry.
When I had recovered from the euphoric high, I pulled myself to my feet. I was trembling. “Congratulations,” I said breathlessly, fanning my flushed face. “You’ve outdone yourself.”
Grinning, Axl kissed me on the forehead and headed for the bathroom. “I’m going to wash up. Can you start the engines? We have to keep moving.”
“I’m on it.”
As I grabbed a towel to clean myself, Axl said something else under his breath, but his voice was drowned out by the shower.
“What did you say?”
Axl stuck his head out of the bathroom door. “Before I forget, I printed out the annulment papers like you wanted. I have already signed them. The papers are in the bottom drawer in the galley.”
“Oh, right. Thanks for reminding me. I almost forgot about that.”
My heart sank.
Chapter Twenty-Five
AXL
Despite the countless times I had attempted it, I could never get used to the abnormal sensation of divergence. The split didn’t hurt, but it felt like I was in two places at once. It always came with an acute rush and ended in a crash of numbness. I think my body knew I was making it do something unnatural.
At times, I wondered if divergence was similar to death. I felt like an abstract, weightless entity only temporarily in the realm of the physical world. Time didn’t seem to exist. I couldn’t feel the dewy blades of grass beneath my feet or the wind’s touch on my cheek. Only one sensation felt real to me - the constant fear of being trapped forever.
I pressed the flat of my hand against the knotted tree trunk, feeling a mild resistance but no texture. A few feet in front of me, I could see Christine, looking straight at me and holding her hands over her forehead. On the grass next to her was a fair-haired, bearded man sitting cross-legged with eyes sealed shut.
Intellectually, I knew the man was myself, yet it took an effort to recognize my body. I rarely got the chance to see how square my jaw was. The only time I spent in front of a mirror was when it was time to trim my beard.
Leaning away from the tree, I took a step back and closed my eyes. In less than a second, a compelling force enveloped me, lifting me off the ground and fusing my etheric form into my physical body. The searing heat in my limbs was brief but agonizing.
“That was wicked!”
Gasping, I opened my eyes and coughed into my fist. “How long was I out?”
“Maybe twenty seconds?” Christine started chattering as she squatted next to me, rubbing my back. “I wasn’t paying too much attention to the clock. I was busy gawking at your duplicate! You were in two places at the same time!”
“Is that all?” I lay back on the grass, rubbing my fingers against my pounding temples. “How embarrassingly mundane. I was hoping I would hit at least a full minute.”
“I’m sure you’ll get there.” Christine touched my forehead with the back of her hand. “It feels like you’re on fire. Do you always burn up like this?”
“Yes, but I’m getting better. The first time I succeeded, I felt like throwing up all day. It’s a useful skill, but it takes a physical toll.”
“What was that? I’ve never seen anything like it before.” Christine sprawled out across the grass by my legs, kissing my knees. Her eyes went round. “Can you do magic?”
“Not quite,” I laughed, raking a hand through her soft tresses of hair. “It is called vox-matnega. In Standard, the translation is etheric projection.”
“Do you think I can learn to do it?” Christine looked thoughtful as she ran her fingertips up and down my thigh.
“Eventually, you might be able to. But it’s not for everyone,” I replied with an air of arrogance. “It’s more than a cheap stunt. The shaman has given me lessons since I was thirteen. It took me five years to learn how to breathe properly.”
“Come on! I’m a fast learner.” She had a playful pout on her lips. “Do you know something? I bet I can change your mind.”
She swung a leg over my body and straddled me. In her position, the back of Christine’s head blocked out the sun, and the shadows cast by her loose dark hair hid her beautiful face. The sight was the perfect frame for her natural beauty. With the reality of our limited time together lingering in the back of my mind, I wanted to remember the incredible sight forever.
“Oh, really?” I folded my arms under my head, trying to look relaxed. “What are you going to do to sway me?”
Christine slid a hand down my thighs, caressing the swelling bulge in my trousers. She lowered her chin suggestively, maintaining eye contact as she undid the buttons on my pants. Miraculously, my vertigo receded, replaced by a sudden influx of lusty thoughts. I ran my hands along the curves of her hips.
She slipped her hand into my trousers and freed my rigid muscle. With her hair collected on one side of her neck, she wrapped her fingers around the base of my cock. I exhaled sharply, lifting my head so I could get a better view.
Christine pressed the tip of her wet tongue against the base of my erection and slowly ran it up my length. The blue of her eyes was mysteriously vivid. She analyzed my reaction to every move she made. As she gently pumped the base of my cock, she used her tongue to tease the pink head. The combination of Christine’s humming throat and rolling tongue was making my muscle vibrate.
Soon she got bored of playing with me. Christine grabbed me with both hands and dipped her head forward, gorging on my cock. My shoulders began to twitch at the hot, slippery feeling of her mouth. I reached out and held back her hair with one hand. With the other, I lightly pushed the back of her head, encouraging her to go deeper.
She didn’t need any direction from me. She played with my sack and sucked me with the fervor of someone with a sweet tooth who was trying to get to the gummy center of a hard candy. Her technique was somehow messy and controlled at the same time. A thin trail of saliva escaped her chin and ran down my cock.
She knew she pleased me. The look of pure confidence in her eyes was the most intoxicating thing. Christine hiked up her dress and rode me to completion, dismounting in time to let me finish in her mouth. As I redid the buttons on my trousers, she collapsed into a panting heap beside me.
“That was almost too much.” She gasped, rolling over to lay her head on my chest. “I think I need a cold shower.”
“Me too.” I wiped my gleaming forehead with the back of my arm.
“The weather in Henwick is unbelievable. I could lie here forever.” Christine stared at the open sunlit sky above us. It was so bright that it appeared to tinted yellow. “How long until we have to leave?”
“A couple of hours.” I checked my communicator. “Then we should get out of here.”
“Axl.” Christine sat up and gave me a hard shake. “Take a look at that.”
I propped myself up on my elbow, shielding my eyes from the sun. A full-grown lomas bird with a beautiful blood-orange coat flew over us in circles. The Urwanian native was millions of miles away from home. The bird stretched its long, graceful neck in our direction, singing a sweet tune before disappearing into the valley.
“You saw that too, right? I’m not imagining things, am I?”
“I saw something.” I was reluctant to answer. Questions were beginning to fill my mind.
“Thank goodness.” Christine lay her head back on my chest. I could feel her body grow tense. “This is going to sound a little crazy, but I feel like I’ve seen those birds everywhere.”
“What?” I sat up abruptly, inadvertently knocking her over. “Did you say that you have been seeing lomas birds?”
“I’ve been seeing birds. I didn’t ask them their name.” Christine frowned, rubbing the side of her head. “First it appeared in a dream. I thought I ran into one back on the ship. It was like I was starting to see things.” She paused, tilting her head. “Why, do you love them? I can take a picture next time.”
“Do you know what an airi
is?”
“Airi...airi...” Christine repeated the word until her eyes suddenly brightened. “Do you mean a kindred spirit?”
“In a sense, but there is more to it than that. An airi is someone you come across at a particular point in your life. For most people, they only meet in passing, but you’re supposed to spend the rest of your life with them. I mean, if you believe in that sort of thing.”
“Like a soul mate?”
“I suppose you could say that.” I stroked the side of her face, staring off into the distance. “Each pair of airi is bound by the same spirit animal. It shows itself only to them and disappears after they establish a bond.”
“Have you been seeing them, too?” Christine whispered, fingers stroking my chest.
“Yes.”
Christine sat up and gazed at me, rubbing her hands together. “What are you saying?”
I began to answer when I heard the excited tone of Barthan’s voice. “Chief, this is important. You have to listen to me.”
“Axl?” I held up a hand and shut my eyes.
“Chief, you have to bring the pillar to the Gatwar yard in Echiles. We’re on our way to collect it. There’s no time to waste.”
I opened my eyes and got up, dusting off the grass on my legs. “It was Barthan. He wants us to deliver the pillar on Echiles.”
“Echiles?” Christine asked, following me to the cruiser. “Why there?”
“It is remote and virtually ungoverned. It’s the perfect location for an under-the-radar transaction.” I worked on the communicator, trying to make contact with the palace. “Something’s not working.”
“What’s wrong?” She peered over my shoulder. “Why isn’t it going through?
“Something seems to be interfering with the signal.” A high-pitched squeal of feedback blasted from the speaker system. “The Makroid must already be at Urwan. Shut the door. We have to leave.”
