Darklands 02 - Something Wild This Way Comes

by Autumn Dawn

  The more she thought about it the angrier she became, and by the time she reached her room she was in a door-slamming kind of mood.

  Fickle, that's what he is, she fumed to herself as she grabbed some clean clothes. I knew it! It rankled to be proved so right, though.

  The worst of it was the blow to her vanity. She'd been doing just fine, known she was only middling desirable, and then he'd swept in and filled her head with glitter. Now the party was over, the novelty exhausted and she was back where she'd started, albeit a bit bruised from the bumpy landing.

  Well, she was on to his game now, and wiser for the lesson. It wasn't going to happen again.

  * * * *

  "Bon appetite," Andrea said as she set the last dish on the dining table and prepared to retreat to the kitchen where she'd eat her dinner.

  "Are you not hungry?" Fallon asked, looking at the two place settings. "We would hate to lose your company for the meal."

  Andrea studied the linen covered table, the candles, even the lighted china hutch in the corner, anything to appear busy. She was still so mad at Mathin she could taste it. Straightening her shoulders, she looked him in the eye and said, "Actually I'd planned to eat in the kitchen. After all, this is a business relationship, and I--"

  "Absolutely not." Fallon entered the kitchen and came back with Andrea's filled plate and teacup, setting it to his left. "I rather like your country's tradition of informality. Besides, we are isolated enough here without forcing more distance."

  Smiling like a cat, Mathin fetched a pair of chopsticks and a spoon from the china hutch, placing them beside her plate. The action brought him conveniently close enough to claim her as his partner for the blessing.

  Andrea tried not to scowl as Fallon spoke words of thanks. Mathin was up to his tricks again, and she didn't like it one bit. She especially disliked the way her respiration increased and her blood sped as the warmth of his hands seeped through her clothes. It was a great relief when he seated her and returned to his place across the table.

  Mathin couldn't miss Andrea's sulkiness, and he more than suspected that it was due to his new reserve. A secret smile curved his lips. So, the little sylph resented the withdrawal of his affections. It almost made wearing the nose filter worthwhile.

  Since it was obvious she wasn't going to be the one to speak to him first, he asked her, "What is the tea you drink? It smells interesting." Of course he couldn't smell--or taste--a thing at the moment, but she wouldn't know that.

  She glanced at the pretty crystal cup. "It's called sassafras tea. It comes from the bark of a tree. I use it to help control my blood sugar."

  Mathin canted his head and studied the reddish-brown liquid. "What do you mean?"

  Used to explaining her oddity, though never comfortable with it, Andrea traced the rim of her cup. "It's an inherited disorder. If I eat too much sugar or too many carbohydrates I get sick. Headaches, leg cramps, numbness in my hands and feet. Sometimes I get really cold or start to sweat." She swallowed hard, reminded of some of the grimmer symptoms. "Many times I get depressed, or dizzy and confused. Sometimes my body just shuts down and I start to lose consciousness." Knowing that no one really wanted to hear about somebody else's illness, she shrugged it off as if it weren't one of the nightmares of her life and forced a smile. "It's usually no big thing, though, as long as I don't get stressed and I have milk nearby. Milk almost always fixes it."

  "Milk?" Mathin exchanged a concerned look with Fallon. The Haunt did not have dairy animals and so did not drink milk. Nor was the idea particularly appealing. "Can't your medics do something for you?"

  "Our doctors? Not unless my pancreas stops producing insulin." She smiled dryly. "Trust me, we don't want that."

  Mathin returned to his meal in a much more sober frame of mind. The Haunt did not suffer illness, thanks to their unique makeup, so he had no experience with it. Though come to think of it, the humans who'd wandered into the Darklands did not become ill, either, but that was because...Excited by his sudden idea, Mathin sat up straighter.

  Fallon must have anticipated his train of thought, because he gave him a sharp look and shook his head no.

  Undaunted by Fallon's disapproval, Mathin assumed an innocent expression.

  Fallon's eyes narrowed.

  * * * *

  "Get it out of your head, Mathin!" They were alone in the study, and Fallon wasn't shy about raising his voice. "A dalliance here is one thing, but you're not seriously thinking of taking her to the Darklands and finding her a symbiont. Think of the uproar you caused with Jasmine! The last thing we need is another incident."

  "Jasmine would have died without my intervention," Mathin pointed out, close to losing his temper. He was tired of having the incident thrown in his face. He had saved her, hadn't he?

  Fallon's eyes narrowed, swirled with golden heat over the natural green. "It wouldn't have been needed if you hadn't broken her arm."

  A snarl escaped as Mathin's own eyes glowed golden. "Be careful," his gravely voice deepened, roughened yet further. "I did not see you there with a better solution that day."

  A moment of silence passed as Fallon looked upward, taking a deep breath. When he sought Mathin's eyes again his own had resumed their natural shade. "I was here at the time, but point taken. Still, you have to admit that introducing yet another symbiont-wearing sylph to our people would be a difficult thing. You'd be taking a woman you say you don't love from her world and introducing her to a society very different from her own. She will have enemies no matter where she goes simply because of what she is. Is that fair?"

  There was nothing Mathin could say to that. It wasn't fair, and he knew it. Worse than that was the knowledge that he didn't care. Even when he could not smell her, he wanted her. The attraction wasn't as powerful, but it was insistent. Was it only the knowledge of what she was that aroused him?

  Legend had it that to lie with a sylph was to experience pleasure worth dying for. Was it not said that more than one Haunt had gone to his death smiling after a night with a sylph? It would have had to be powerful pleasure indeed to allow a man to smile in the face of the woman who'd betrayed him.

  Mathin was no virgin, as the Haunt counted such things, and he'd known satisfaction many times; but never had he felt more than physical release. No matter how beautiful the woman, he had always felt that something--something vital--was missing. The notion had bothered him so much that he'd abstained from pleasure for nearly two years now, much to his own consternation. In fact, he'd begun to wonder if something were wrong with him--until he'd met Andrea. Somehow she was the key.

  None of which he could explain to the practical Fallon.

  "Look, Mathin. I know you," Fallon said, sitting on the edge of his desk. "Women adore you, for whatever reason," he grinned at Mathin's sardonic look, "and you adore women. It's only the shortage of agreeable ladies and being in close quarters with a sylph that's causing you trouble. All I ask is that you wait until some of the Haunt women get here. As soon as you see them you'll forget all about Andrea, you'll see."

  Doubtful, Mathin thought, but remained silent. After all, he'd seen scores of beautiful women in the last two years and had not been moved, but he was not about to share his private thoughts with anyone.

  * * * *

  "I cannot believe I'm driving a three hundred thousand dollar car." Andrea gripped the wheel and carefully watched the road, terrified lest she wreck it. "A house. I'm driving the price of a house. Several houses," she murmured in a daze.

  So much for being adventurous. It had seemed like such a good idea to choose the sports car over the black Land Cruiser at the time, but now all she could think about was how bad she'd feel if she so much as scuffed it. Maybe she wasn't cut out for this sort of lifestyle.

  Amused by the note of awe in her voice, Mathin slanted her a look from the passenger side. "And this impresses you?"

  Her jaw dropped at the absurdity of his question. "Are you kidding? Like I'm ever going to get another
chance to do this!" She gestured with one hand, encompassing the open top, the beautiful day, her hair whipping in the wind of their passage. "You might take all of this for granted, but for someone like me it's a dream come true. And I still can't believe he let me drive it," she murmured, almost to herself. As far as she knew men never let women, let alone employees, drive their cherished sports cars, let alone a Lamborghini Diablo.

  "And what makes you think this is nothing special for me?" It was, in fact, only the second time he'd traveled by car, expensive or otherwise, and he quite enjoyed it. Even if it was difficult to completely trust a vehicle that traveled at these speeds.

  Andrea frowned at his intimate tone. "You know what I mean. You don't strike me as the type to deprive yourself of anything."

  "You'd be surprised." Mathin stared straight ahead, his arm propped on the side of the door, debated, and then took a chance. "I haven't been with a woman in two years."

  The car swerved. It took a moment, but Andrea brought the vehicle back under control, though her hands still shook from the impact of her shock. Fortunately for them, traffic was light. "By choice?" she asked incredulously. Why would a man like him choose to be alone?

  He gave her a look that instantly assured her of what a foolish question that was. If Mathin had been alone, it wasn't for a lack of willing partners.

  Which brought her to the next logical question. "Are you ... sick? I mean, ill?" In this day of AIDS one never knew.

  Consternation brought his brows together. "I am never ill."

  Oh. Well, maybe he meant ... Her face heated. He wasn't trying to tell her that he was...? "Um, you're not ... you don't like guys, do you?"

  The shock on his face had her pulling over and stopping the car. The indignation that replaced it had her groveling in an attempt to salvage his male pride. "I'm sorry, it's just that I--"

  One moment she was babbling and the next he moved over, braced himself against the wheel and her seat, and kissed her.

  All thought stopped. His lips were warm and soft, yet erotically demanding. Sparkling tingles zipped from him straight to her heart, and lower. Much lower. He nibbled at her lips, nipped, and she opened, needing his heat. His tongue swept into her mouth as if he owned it, stirring her desire with controlled passion. So sensual, and just the perfect pressure, but she sensed a fire in him, knew that she could be the one to fan that fire into consuming flame.

  A low growl came from his throat as he shifted his mouth to her throat, tormenting her sensitive nerves. Then he groaned. "Bloody uncomfortable car."

  Shaken out of her haze, she pulled back as he did, breathing hard. "I-I guess that means you just like women, huh?" she joked feebly, trying to lighten the moment. He'd more than removed any doubts as to his orientation.

  His soft snort of amused annoyance wafted the fine hairs at her temple as his lips brushed her skin. "Only you would ask such a question, little rogue."

  "Rogue?" she half-laughed, pushing him back even as he withdrew. "I'm not the one doing the kissing here."

  He froze above her, a look of speculation on his face. "Are you claiming you didn't like it?"

  Not about to fall into his trap, she dodged the question. "We should be going," she said a little breathlessly. It was definitely in her best interests to shift his focus.

  Andrea didn't fully relax again until they got underway, and even then her mind was not on the road, but him. She wished he hadn't kissed her. Wished she hadn't liked it. It didn't help that the heavy-lidded glances he kept sending her did what they did to her heart rate.

  And why had he told her that about not having sex for two years? She risked a glance at him when he wasn't looking. He didn't seem the type to spill that kind of information to just anyone.

  Excitement stirred inside her. Was this his way of saying she was special?

  Don't be a ninny, Andrea, said her practical, cynical side. Whatever had prompted the confession, it wasn't personal. Neither was his kiss. It had just been a way to prove he wasn't gay, and she'd been convenient. Any woman would have done at that point.

  She almost believed it.

  Since she had a lot to do that day, Andrea chose a mall attached to the local Safeway and carefully parked the car, making certain to activate the anti-theft system as they exited. Once inside she told Mathin, "Go have a look around. I'll be in the bookstore picking out some novels if you need me."

  He nodded at her and watched her disappear into her chosen shop, then glanced around. Fallon had already taken him around town, but he was still amazed at the huge selection of goods for sale at these places. In the Darklands much merchandise was still crafted by hand; they did not have so many factories. He'd not yet made up his mind whether that was good or not.

  Since he had no interest in clothing and he was unaccustomed to the popular music here, Mathin chose to investigate the toy store. The bright colors intrigued him. As a child he'd never had toys; his father had believed that his son should be made a warrior from the first and had scoffed at frivolous pastimes. Certainly he'd have sneered at the soft, blunted weapons offered to boys here. The dolls were cunningly fashioned, though, and on a whim he bought a female equipped with a number of frilly dresses as a gift for Jayems' small daughter. Since it was unfair to bring her a token while neglecting Keilor and Jasmine's twins, he also added two little warrior figures, complete with weapons.

  Pleased with his purchases, he sought out Andrea, ignoring the admiring looks of the shop girls and the female patrons. He found her easily enough within the small shop, crouched on the floor by a shelf of books. Since she looked content he elected not to disturb her, shaking his head at one of the lady staff members who approached him so as not to drawn Andrea's attention.

  Clearly disappointed, the pretty blond offered, "Well, let me know if you change your mind." Her shyly admiring gaze flitted across his torso and then dipped lower as if she were unable to help herself. Pink color washed her face and she quickly withdrew to continue stacking books.

  Her behavior didn't surprise him--women always acted that way around him--but he didn't welcome the attention that morning, not when his interest was centered on one in particular. With a sigh of resignation Mathin crossed his arms and waited, leaning against a stack. Even though he tried to ignore them, though, he couldn't stop his sensitive ears from hearing the whispered comments.

  "Have you ever?"

  "I wish!"

  "Do you think he's a model?"

  Minutes passed and he grew irritated with the unceasing speculation. Unwilling to put up with it any longer, he took the short steps needed to Andrea and knelt beside her, picking up the stack of books she'd selected. "Are these the ones you've chosen?"

  "Oh! Mathin." She put a hand to her heart in surprise. "I didn't see you there."

  He refrained from rolling his eyes at the low comment another women made on that, knowing Andrea couldn't hear it anyway. "If you are ready...."

  "Actually, I am."

  Before she could add anything else, he scooped up her books and took them to the cashier, paying for her purchase.

  Astonished at his actions, Andrea laid a hand on his arm, trying to angle him out of the way. "Mathin, you can't--"

  Without moving, he calmly handed the cashier the correct amount of money and took the bag, leaving Andrea to follow him out of the store.

  She stopped him just outside. "Mathin--"

  "Pay me later," he told her to pacify her before she besieged him with protests, though he had no intention of accepting her money. "Would you like to look in there?" He nodded toward the jeweler's, remembering the quick, interested glance she'd sent at it before heading to the less expensive bookseller's. She glanced in the direction of his nod, then quickly turned her head, but not before he saw the her desire.

  "I don't need any jewelry."

  Undaunted, he placed his hand at her lower back, making her tense. "What harm is there in looking? Let us see what they have."

  Propelled forward by his
firm pressure, she reluctantly crossed the threshold and looked in the first case. She didn't say anything, but he noticed her gaze go to the rings, in particular a platinum ring with a blue gem. It was shaped like a heart and the metal waved around it, accenting the gem in a pleasing manner.

  "These are very nice," he prompted when she remained silent. "Why don't you try one on?" He motioned to the shopkeeper who hovered hopefully by to open the case.

  "Oh, I can't." Helpless in the face of his determination and her guilty desire to try out the ring, she allowed him to capture her hand. Her left hand.

  Realizing what she'd done, she tried to withdraw it. It was too late. Mathin deftly slipped the cool platinum over her ring finger.

  It fit perfectly.

  Tears pricked her eyes. He couldn't be serious. They barely knew each other! If this was his way of flirting, it hurt.

  Uncertain why she was so quiet, for he'd intended the ring to make her happy, he lifted her chin and gently asked, "Don't you think you deserve it, sweet one?"

  No. Andrea sniffed, unable to answer him truthfully without sounding pathetic. "I can't afford it." She winced. Even that sounded pitiful. "At least not right now," she qualified it in an attempt to save face.

  He flashed her a heart-melting smile. "No problem. My treat." While she stuttered and stammered, he paid the jeweler and took her hand, towing her out of the shop.

  Overwhelmed by his show of generosity and uncertain what he expected in repayment, she persisted, "Mathin, I can't accept this. Really, it's far too much."

  He stopped and held her wrists gently down to keep her from removing the ring. "If you return it you will rob me of my pleasure in giving it, besides being unspeakably rude. Is this your intention?"

  Stung, she urgently shook her head and opened her mouth to protest.

  Mathin put his fingers over her lips. "No more." Both his tone and expression brooked no argument.

  Resigned to the guilty pleasure of owning such an expensive keepsake, she nodded and said no more.