Untouchable Lover (Worlds of Lemuria: Earth Colony Book 1)

by Rosalie Redd

  “You will not win. Give up before you hurt yourself,” Noeh taunted.

  Demir’s lips curled around his sharp fangs. He lunged, and his canines clanked against Noeh’s metal cuff, knocking his sword from his hand. The weapon cried out from the loss of its owner as it landed on the floor.

  Grunts and groans echoed from the group of warriors who’d gathered to watch. Stiyaha and Panthera alike crowded closer, eager to see their two leaders battle.

  Noeh wrapped Demir in an embrace and squeezed, knocking the air out of the giant cat. The male was heavier and stronger than he anticipated.

  “Submit now,” Noeh grunted.

  Demir relaxed against him. Noeh took this as resignation and loosened his hold. That was too easy. The thought came a second too late. Craya.

  Demir shifted back into human form and slipped through his grasp. Noeh tried to grab the slippery male, but Demir was too fast. He slid behind Noeh, taking him down with a sweep of his legs. Demir’s weight on Noeh’s back had him pinned.

  “Now who will submit?” Demir held a throwing star at Noeh’s throat. He nicked him, and blood dribbled onto Noeh’s white shirt. Demir laughed. The sound burned deep in Noeh’s gut.

  Demir stood and brushed the dust off his black T-shirt, casually running his hands over each sleeve like a cat preening itself. The clothes were clean despite being absorbed into his panther form during the fight.

  “Well done.” The line on Noeh’s forehead for truth pulsed under his skin. He didn’t care. Demir didn’t know about his marking, and that was fine with him.

  Noeh turned to his warriors and assessed the group who’d observed his humiliation. “We can learn much from the Panthera, like how not to underestimate them.”

  Demir peered at his own soldiers. “Pay attention. Learn from our new friends. Remember, we fight a common enemy.”

  “Saar, demonstrate proper sword technique to our brothers,” Noeh said.

  “Of course, Your Majesty.” Saar raised his sword. “Listen up. This is a short sword and—”

  Noeh motioned to Demir. “Walk with me.”

  Demir studied his fingernails and rubbed them against the sleeve of his shirt. “You need to get over yourself. I don’t take orders, I give them.”

  Noeh raised an eyebrow. “We should talk. Come with me if you want to hear what I have to say.” He turned away, a smirk playing on his mouth. The cat wouldn’t be able to resist.

  Demir caught up with Noeh, his quick steps matching Noeh’s strides as they headed down the corridor.

  Noeh smiled to himself. “You’re stronger and faster than I anticipated.”

  “Well, thank you for noticing.” Demir rolled his eyes.

  “The training is going well. Your thoughts?”

  “Agreed. We’ve made progress but still need more time.”

  Noeh stopped at the Hall of Warriors. “Tomorrow night is the parting ceremony for our fallen soldiers. You are welcome to attend and honor your lost ones as well.”

  “That isn’t necessary. We mourn in private.” Demir headed down the corridor, his arrogant attitude filling the hallway. His ponytail swung from side to side. The long hair grated on Noeh’s nerves.

  He sighed. The weight of his commitments bore down on him, anchoring him to the spot. He let his mind wander, in search of some relief, but his thoughts took him where he didn’t want to go—to Melissa. That was just what he didn’t need, or so he told himself.

  *****

  “Let me out!” Melissa rattled the doorknob for the umpteenth time. She’d tried to pick the new lock during the long hours of the day but gave up and fell into a fitful sleep on the large bed. The softness of the comforter had helped her drift off, but her ire and desire for a tall, gorgeous king had woken her up, several times.

  She pushed away from the door and punched the air with her fists, a vision of Noeh’s blond hair and blue eyes providing the perfect target. She should never have let Gaetan put her back in here. Stupid, Mel, very stupid.

  She pounded her fists against the wood. The scratches she’d sustained in the confrontation with Torbin and Niko reopened. Warm blood trickled down her skin, and she wiped the wetness on her pants. The knot in her stomach only tightened at the memory of Torbin. She could’ve helped him.

  The air in the room warmed, in part due to her agitation, in part due to the Keep. Heat pumped out in steady streams from the sunstones embedded in the walls and ceiling. She touched one of the crystals. The warmth the stone emitted sent a tendril of peace into her being. She sighed and let the glow ease her aching heart.

  She looked around the room, her new prison, and one of the tapestries caught her attention. A battle scene covered the canvas, but unlike many of the others, this one had large hairy beasts fighting a band of Gossum. Several of the vile creatures lay dead, scattered among the rocks and trees in the surrounding landscape. A few warriors pounded their chests, heads held high, victory evident in their fierce, triumphant faces. The gruesome battle made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Why hadn’t she noticed this picture before?

  A knock on the door brought her out of her preoccupation with the tapestries.

  “Melissa?” a female asked in a soft voice.

  “Ginnia, is that you?” Melissa raced to the door.

  “Sure, it’s me. Who else would I be?”

  “Ginnia, what are you doing here?”

  “Well, I came to get you.” Ginnia’s tone was full of excitement.

  A quick shot of adrenaline ran along Melissa’s spine. “You can get me out?”

  “Of course, silly.”

  Melissa held her breath. The wood creaked, and the doorknob turned fiery red.

  Pop. The latch broke. The door swung open. Relief flooded through Melissa’s veins.

  Ginnia poked her head through the opening and giggled.

  “How did you do that?” Melissa pulled open the door just in time to see Ginnia stuffing a couple of sunstones into the pocket of her dress.

  Ginnia raised her eyebrows and glanced down the hall. “You ready?”

  “Ready—for what?”

  “To go. We have to hurry. Why do you always make me hurry?” Ginnia scrunched up her nose and shook her head. “Silly, Melissa.”

  Melissa couldn’t help but smile at the innocent female with scraggly brown hair and gray eyes. “Where are we going?”

  “To the parting ceremony.” Ginnia pulled on Melissa’s arm, urging her forward.

  “Noeh will be angry you let me out. I don’t want you to get in trouble.” Melissa moved a stray curl covering one of Ginnia’s eyes. “There, that’s better.”

  “He won’t be mad, at least not for long. C’mon, let’s go.” Ginnia grabbed Melissa’s hand and dragged her into the corridor.

  There would be consequences for this little excursion. Noeh had all but promised. Deep in her heart, Melissa couldn’t wait to find out what that would entail.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Noeh stroked the hilt of his sword. The warmth from the sunstones set into the handle calmed him. He rubbed his hand up the sleeve of his finest woven shirt, the one made for him alone, as king. The deep green color reminded him of Melissa’s eyes—ones that haunted his soul.

  He shook his head to clear his mind and glanced around the Hall of Warriors. Merchants, warriors, and Jixies paraded into the room. All wore their finest garments to honor the fallen warriors.

  Noeh wore black pants and military-style boots in an effort to blend in with the warriors in the room, but he could do nothing about the adornment on his head. Made of intricately engraved silver, the crown curved down to a point, where a large, red sunstone dangled flat against his forehead. This was a Stiyaha ceremony, so he’d elected to wear his old crown to honor his fallen warriors. Besides, in his mind, he hadn’t earned the right to wear the new gold one with the large ‘T’ engraved on the front. He’d wear the one Veromé gave him once Ram was dead.

  The Hall of Warriors was a sacred place f
or fallen soldiers, one full of history. Noeh’s gaze followed the route Caleb’s and Jade’s swords would take during the parting ceremony. The path led up and onto the walls, where weapons from ancestors long gone lined the ancient stone. The blades faced upward, as if their warriors still held them, ready for battle. The weapons would rest there until called upon by the soul of another male, creating the vibration that bonded sword to warrior and warrior to sword.

  In the middle of the floor stood the sacred stone, a large, flat rock so finely polished it looked like the midnight sky. A natural spring bubbled at the base of the rock, caught in a small pool fed by the underground stream. Noeh closed his eyes, straining to capture the quiet sound of the water. His ear itched, and he rubbed at it. Why does my ear itch? This isn’t normal. Maybe I should have Gaetan take a look.

  The crowd of merchants, councilmen, and Jixies shuffled to their chairs with whispers of “excuse me,” “pardon me,” while warriors remained standing against the walls. Wood creaked as bodies settled in for the sad custom.

  “Your Majesty, all the preparations are finished.” Saar bowed, giving Noeh the utmost respect.

  Warriors lining the room followed suit, bowing down on one knee in tribute to their king. Merchants, council members, laborers, and Jixies sat in wooden chairs brought in from the Grand Hall, their heads bowed to honor their king.

  “Thank you.” Thankful for his friend’s courage and devotion, Noeh touched his commander on the shoulder, and his chest constricted.

  He peered at the crowd, evaluating them, gauging them for their readiness to begin. Once all had quieted, he spoke in his most imposing voice. “All rise.”

  Chair legs scraped against the surface of the smooth stone floor as the crowd rose to their feet. He waited until the silence returned once again.

  “Many great warriors have passed this way, giving their lives so that we can survive. Two more, Caleb and Jade, join the ranks of our fallen brothers. We honor them tonight—two courageous warriors who fought for our kind.” He exhaled, his heart heavy.

  Out of the corner of his eye, a flash of movement distracted him. Ginnia pushed her way into the back of the room. He stilled when he noticed who was with her. Melissa’s red hair was visible despite her attempts to hide behind the warriors at the back of the room. His gaze locked onto hers, and his pulse quickened.

  He took a deep breath and closed his eyes once again, relishing the fresh air, now tinged with Melissa’s unique fragrance. With great effort, he forced himself to relax, to concentrate on his task, and opened his eyes.

  “You may sit.”

  The crowd settled once again into their seats. A small cough, the scraping of chair legs, and soft whispers filled the room. He scanned the crowd, assessing what remained of his kind. Gaetan’s rapt attention bore into Noeh, his eyes riveted on him, as if he awaited his words.

  “Caleb and Jade died an honorable warrior’s death. It is our duty to remember them, cherish our memories, and lay their swords to rest in the Hall of Warriors.” Noeh pointed at the weapons on the wall, their gleam becoming brighter as the Keep poured energy into the surrounding sunstones.

  “Who will remember them with me?” Noeh searched the crowd.

  “I will.”

  “I will.”

  “I will.” The chant of hundreds filled the large cavern.

  “Who gave their life for us?” Noeh’s voice cracked.

  “Caleb.”

  “Jade.”

  Their names filled the room, echoing up to the ceiling as the chant grew louder.

  Noeh scanned the faces in the room. Their numbers had dwindled yet again with the recent deaths. If they lost many more, there would be less than two hundred warriors to protect the five hundred or so inhabitants in the Keep. His chest tightened.

  They stared at him with their grim mouths and tear-streaked faces. As their king, they needed him to give them hope, in spite of death knocking at the door. The realization hit him hard. His knees buckled under the pressure, and he leaned against the sacred stone for support.

  A gasp escaped the crowd.

  His marking for faith pulsed under his eye. He couldn’t hide his diminishing belief. It was evident in his fading mark. He pulled on the sunstones for strength and pushed away from the sacred stone.

  “Yes, Caleb and Jade.” He spoke their names to bring the focus back to the fallen warriors. “Bring me the swords.”

  He scanned the room once again. When his gaze found Melissa, he couldn’t break eye contact. He was caught in the depths of empathy shining from her eyes.

  *****

  Melissa stared at Noeh. The crystals in the ceiling made the sunstone in his crown flash and shimmer. The Hall of Warriors was eerily silent, despite the large number of inhabitants in the room.

  She wanted to reach out and stroke her fingers down Noeh’s face, tell him how much she ached for these warriors she didn’t even know. The depth of his compassion melted her heart. Her nerves tingled, and her mouth went dry. He was an honorable and just king.

  Saar handed two swords to Noeh. He broke eye contact with her to accept the deceased warriors’ cherished weapons. He placed the weapons on top of the sacred stone, tips pointing out in opposite directions. He dipped the fine silk cloth in the fresh spring water and rubbed the material over the sword from handle to blade’s tip, his touch slow and tender.

  She studied his movements. A lump formed in her throat. His torso moved in concert with his hands. She longed to have him touch her that way, to feel his sensuous fingers on her body. Heat bloomed within her, and she glanced away. A warm flush rushed up her neck and into her face. She shouldn’t be having these thoughts under such sad circumstances.

  “The cleansing ritual is done.” Noeh raised the weapons above his head.

  The tips reached upward, as if to the stars. Screeeee. A shriek emitted from the blades as if the swords gave up their warriors. Noeh’s arms shook from the force, and he bowed his head. His words were but a whisper caught on the air. “May their souls find their way back home.”

  “Home to Lemuria.” The chant of many voices filled the air.

  Noeh approached the wall and placed Caleb’s sword in the opening in the rock. The Keep held the blade against the stone as the weapon traveled up the wall to its final resting spot. He did the same with Jade’s sword.

  Noeh placed the back of his hand to his mouth and closed his eyes. His drawn features and hunched shoulders pulled on Melissa’s heart. A tear slid down her face. She wiped the wetness away with her fingers.

  Saar approached Noeh with a large wooden object three feet tall and two inches thick, about the size of a large sword. The figure resembled a giant letter ‘T,’ the symbol for Lemuria and life everlasting. Intricate carvings of deer, trees, and plants covered the surface of the wood.

  Noeh raised the symbol into the air, his arm straining under the weight. “Life comes full circle—birth, death, and rebirth. May we rejoice in the knowledge Caleb and Jade live anew back on Lemuria.”

  Cheers rose from the crowd, celebrating eternal life.

  Noeh placed the Lemurian symbol across the sacred stone. “Remember our fallen warriors. Honor them in the privacy of your own chambers.” He nodded, ending the ceremony.

  Chair legs scraped against the stone floor. Stiyaha and Jixies rose from their seats. The chatter of voices filled the room as the crowd dispersed.

  “Will there be a separate ceremony for Torbin and Niko?” Melissa asked Ginnia.

  “No, only warriors have this ceremony because they have swords.” Ginnia smiled, wisps of brown hair flying around her head. “When a Stiyaha civilian dies, only their families say goodbye.”

  “Ah, thank you for telling me.”

  A smile crossed Ginnia’s face, and she glanced at the doorway. “I need to go now, bye-bye.” She slipped between two council members before Melissa could stop her.

  “Wait!” Melissa tried to get through the mass of moving bodies, but there were too m
any Stiyaha and Jixies in the way.

  She took a deep breath and turned around. Noeh’s look bore into her. A tingling started at the base of her skull and ran down her spine. Time to face the music.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  The death ceremony had taken a toll on Noeh’s body and his spirit. He picked up the cloth and wrung out the water, letting the coolness seep between his fingers. Shaking out the fabric, he laid the cloth on the sacred stone to dry. The movement soothed his battered spirit.

  He tapped the hilt of his sword with his ring, anxious for the last of the crowd to shuffle out of the Hall of Warriors. Melissa hung back by the entryway. Her fingers alternated between twirling a strand of her hair and straightening her short dress. She seemed nervous, and that made him smile.

  When they were alone at last, she approached him. He couldn’t help but notice how lovely she was. She caught him watching her, but she didn’t scowl as he would have expected. Instead, she held his gaze, her green eyes pulling him in, making him desire her all the more.

  “That was a beautiful ceremony. You honored your warriors well.” The gentle cadence of her voice danced across his nerves, soothing him.

  He expected another tongue-lashing, not a compliment. “Ah…” He ran his hand through his hair, knocking his crown off his head. The headdress clattered to the floor.

  She rushed to pick it up. Touching the scrollwork etched in the silver, she ran her delicate fingers over the sunstone jewel. “Your crown is exquisite. It must have a long history.”

  She handed the symbol of his legacy back to him, and their fingers touched. The sensation sent a lightning bolt of desire straight to his groin. She must’ve felt something too, for her cheeks reddened, and she glanced at the ground.

  The chamber warmed in an instant. Unable to take a breath, he stared at her, his heart racing. His inner beast stirred.

  Possibly mistaking his desire for anger, she became defensive, crossing her arms over her chest. “I won’t stay cooped up in that room. It isn’t fair, and you have no right to keep me there.”