by R. J. Lloyd
"They are all gone, the people I know now are like me or immortal in some fashion for the most part. Caring about your kind is hard. Gone in the blink of a small few decades." He turned his face away.
"Yeah, mostly cattle save for a very few exceptions.” I rubbed the back of my neck.
He started to fold the map back up. “That is right.” His tone was colder, more like when we had first met.
The crinkling of the map stopped when I reached up to touch his cheek. His eyes met mine, and I smiled as I pointed to the place he had just shown me. "Okay, so you're from here..." I pointed to the Ruins of Saainborg, his mortal home. "And we are here..." I trailed my fingers to hover over Everwinter. "But where did we meet?"
Kane laid the map back out fully and shifted so he stood behind me. His hand gently rested over mine, guiding my fingers over the parchment. "We met way off over here, little one."
Our hands transverse the continent’s varied landscapes, through mountain ranges, plains, rivers, lakes and more until they reached a spot on the map in a lower, more tropical area with a lion and boats marking a sizeable city.
The feel of him pressed up against the back of me made my heart flutter. With his heightened senses, I was sure he was able to pick up on my body’s reaction to him, but I didn’t try to hide it either. I was trying too hard to pay attention to my geography lesson. “Elder-something, right?” I leaned back into him. “What else is of importance on this planet?”
"Yes. It's Eldercairn." He moved my hand left and up a bit. "This is Briarwelsh, a human city. Well, the last major one." He slid his fingers across my hand. "Then off to the left we have Sybarlyn. It is the home city of the Voirechoes. They are tiny people, barely up to my waist. Their skin is a deep red, which made many others think they were demons of some kind… evil. But in fact, they are highly intelligent creatures that work to maintain the balance between the races and nature as the elements are learned."
Over this way,” His hand took mine over toward the east this time as his free hand slid to my side. “There is a series of villages along the Rhainour River all called The Hurthfeur. It’s home to a woodland race called Emalne. Each village is tasked with their own purpose. One might specialize in growing foods. Another in non-edible plants. Another in herbs. Yet another in trees or flowers. There’s eleven in total that run the expanse of the widest part of the river.
Each village’s inhabitants of their race have markings or growths that are indicators of what they specialize in. The river, itself, runs throughout the continent and is, in fact, an energy and life source for much of the lands.”
My body temperature rose in response to him as I let him guide my hand, repeating each name as he says them, trying to concrete everything to memory. When he started sliding his other hand up my side, my voice quivered. “W-wow. This is all very interesting. Tell me about the human city...” I pointed to it. You’d think that I would be starting to get a little less effected by him after the time we’d spent in the bedroom, but that wasn’t the case. If anything, it was getting worse. “Would I still stand out there? Is Eldercairn a human city as well? Vampire? How many races are there on this planet? And… oh! Oh! Oh!” I was clearly reacting to not just the information, but I was flustered. “When you were on earth... how long ago was it? Tell me about that!”
He leaned in and kissed the soft spot just below my ear, sending shivers down my spine. "The humans are just humans, the last of them hold up in their huge city pretty much. You would not stand out there with the right clothing and attitude, but as I have said, it is not the most safe environment. There are several other races though. What I have spoken of are but a few." He paused, taking a moment to think. "But my travels to Earth? It was a few years ago. California, I believe? I cannot be certain." He shrugged and pulled away from me.
I exhaled, both hands planting on the edge of the table to help steady myself. “I want to see the Hurthfeur some time. Are the Emalne beautiful? And the other races. I’m so curious what they all look like; how they sound; what they’re like.” My imagination was running a mile a minute as flashes of what they could possibly look like rushed through my mind.
I knew I was still rattling off question after question, but honestly? They were only a few of what I wanted to ask. I wanted to know everything… learn everything. But that was me. I had always been a sponge, soaking in every little bit of knowledge I could. I guess that’s why my ability to absorb information from books by touch as well as my ability to feel the feelings and emotions off others were so fitting for me.
“You are such a curious creature.” He walked over to a small box that resembled a mini chest freezer. Pulling out a bottle, he poured some of the contents into a red-tinted glass he had retrieved from a side panel on the chest. I could see that it was not so cold as to freeze the liquid solid but kept it sufficiently cooled in order for the contents of the decanter not to spoil.
In examining what I decided was a version of a refrigerator, I spotted a tube running from its rear into the floor beneath it. I was curious about it. Yes. Another thing to spike my rampant curiosity. But I couldn’t help but thinking how odd Naelyra was in its combination of modern comforts yet ancient styles and contraptions.
He replaced the bottle and closed the lid, taking a healthy drink. “So many questions. Maybe you’ll learn the answers in time.”
“Okay. Well? What about California? What did you do for a week there?” I turned and leaned against the marble table, facing him.
“How about I tell you more of that short week over a dinner some evening. But for now, if you really want to learn about the races before you get to see them, I think I have a few books scattered throughout this room that might be of some interest.” He reached out and offered me his hand. Of course, I took it, my eyes widening at the prospect of being given access to books to learn more.
He pulled me to a row of books across the room. Giddy, I took in the spines, reading them as we passed. "Books. Yes. Please."
Figuring this was the perfect time to not only test it out how strong my abilities were but also to see his reaction if all still worked well, I lifted a book from the shelf. Grinning wide, I kissed his cheek, almost missing it with how I not only had to go up on my tiptoes but also hop slightly with how much taller he was than me. Typically, he leaned forward slightly when we kissed. But he was standing upright, proudly, this time. The process made me giggle as I lowered back down, letting my feet rest flat on the floor.
Returning to the book, I closed my eyes and ran my hand over the cover. I took several slow, steady breaths, my eyes darting behind my eyelids. My expression faded into sadness and worry as more of the text flooded into me. "Warriors and militant? Why is your world full of such anger and fear?"
No. I hadn't thought about what I could find, really. I had been expecting to learn about a beautiful, gentle tree species or something equally exciting and alluring. But instead, I read, in detail, about a violent and cruel time.
He tilted his head and looked down to me. "You learned all that from a touch?” He studied my hands.
I was slightly surprised he didn't snatch me up or worse. His reaction garnering him a little more trust. "It's one of my born gifts. One of the things I have been able to do since birth. Or at least once I figured out I could do it.”
“What is it that you can do?”
“I can just... well... here..."
I reached for the nearest shelf and pulled another book out, closed my eyes, held it in my left hand. Running over the cover with my right, I started to smile again. It wasn’t but a moment later when I held the book out to him so he could see which one I was working with. He read the cover and nodded.
I smiled. "Emalne. Humanoid in shape, which is not what I thought. I thought you meant something small and cute and covered in bark or branches or something. But still, by the pics… ethereal and beautiful. They are super curious, not unlike me.” I trailed off for a moment, processing the information. “They wh
at?" I squinted and then relaxed. "Something about wanting to restore some beauty on Naelyra. Very majestic in their way of life. Regal almost. Not unlike the fabled elves from my world mixed with woodland fairy aspects. And I love their village approach to raising their young.” Seeing him looking at me with awe, I giggled. "I absorb information from books I touch. Saves time from reading, even if I do enjoy the actual acts of reading."
Pursing his lips, he nodded in approval. "That is right, and damn impressive. What other secrets are you hiding, Miss Auriena?"
I bowed my head, grateful for the compliment. Reaching over and replacing the book into its spot, I pulled out another one. But before I read it, I looked up at him. "Thank you.”
“You are welcome. Thank you for sharing your gift with me.” He pressed his finger under my chin and lifted my face to his. "I enjoy that you love learning about the races.”
“Well yes. I would say I demand to know everything.” I held the book to my chest.
With an unusual softness for him, he pressed his lips to mine. My breath caught as I stifled a moan.
He pulled back and smirked. "Just like you own the place." He tapped on the book’s cover. "Would you like to see what this one contains?"
I looked at him, curiously. "Like I own the place?"
He nodded and slid a hand up my shirt to my breasts. "Yes, like you own it. Make yourself at home, little one. I’d like to see you here for quite some time."
I looked him over, soaking in his appearance, enjoying him thoroughly, enjoying is touch. Lightly, I slipped my finger in the waistband of his pants and moved it back and forth teasingly, placing the book back on the shelf. "What are you saying, Kane? Make myself at home as in that I'm a welcome guest and should enjoy my time here?"
He words were mumbled as he replied, "Absolutely, my personal guest."
I tried to hide the disappointment that surfaced at his confirmation of the guest status. "Oh. Yes. Guest.".
He tipped his chin up and leaned into me more. "A lover that I want to get to know. So, a very personal guest."
"Oh yeah, for sure. I mean, what else, you know? Guest. Lover. Yeah." I hated myself in that moment for feeling like I did, and my shoulders dropped, betraying my secret as I rested my forehead on his chest.
He pressed his lips to the top of my head. "What I do know is that we both feel something. We are still bound to different worlds and know so little about each other, let alone how or why you’re here. But there’s something that brought us together. We owe it to ourselves to take our time to figure out what this is, don't you agree?"
I hadn't moved my head from his chest, speaking as I looked down. "Nope. you're right." I wrinkled my nose. "I'm okay. Just being dumb. Not sure why. Kinda feeling super foolish. You can ignore me. I'm about to die from embarrassment anyways. I truly don't start to wonder about things like fate or..." I growled, still rambling. "Never mind me. Really. I'm going to shut up now. I’m sorry. Gods I’m being stupid!"
I pushed myself back and went to go find a chair … to escape my embarrassment, even if just a little bit. But Kane caught me by the arm and pulled me in to him. His hand landing on my lower back, the other on the back of my neck, he held me tight.
The firelight bounced off his features as he leaned back and looked me in the eyes. "Will you stay with me for a while Auriena Raulson?"
My warm skin felt like it was on fire against his cool body. "I'm going to fall for you if I do, Kane Rathmore."
"Are you?” There was a sinister touch to his grin. “I could really get used to you being here.” He flicked his finger up the tip of my chin. “And yes, before you ask. That scares me."
He lifted me up and carried me back to the room. I clung to him as we walked, head tucked into the crook of his neck, arms wrapped around his shoulders.
I stuttered as he sat me down on the edge of the bed, before he knelt between my knees. "It… it ... It's soon. It's fast. I have no fucking clue why I’m here or how or what any of this is. But yes. Maybe I am going to. Maybe I’m already starting to..." I cleared my throat, my brain finally registering what else he'd said. "Wait. You can what? You're scared? Why are you scared?" I looked down at him.
He set his hands on my knees, his eyes meeting mine again. Several of his long, blonde hairs had fallen in front of his face, making him appear slightly disheveled. "I am not used to having someone around that I care for or want to look after. At least not ones that can’t stand in a fight against some of the beings we have here. I live a rough life, and people would benefit from my death. Some would hurt anyone that I loved. There have been cases where people have been hurt because of me. And because of this, I have kept to myself aside form a very select few," he confessed.
I ran my hands down his arms and back up. "I'm not a fragile flower. And for the right... for lo... for whatever. Not saying we are or will be or... I just mean." I growled in frustration at my stumbling. "Real love is worth the risk." I searched his eyes.
The corners of his mouth turned upward, his smile reaching his eyes. "It is worth the chance."
We both sat in silence, looking into each other’s eyes. My green hues watched the blue of his, vibrant and swimming with emotion. My hands on his arms. His hands on my hips.
I blinked and pulled back, looking at him curiously. "Did you ask me to stay a while? Did you say the words stay with me for a while?"
He chuckled. "Yes, Auri. Stay with me for a while, won't you?" He massaged my sides, waiting for my reply.
"Careful, Kane. I might be melting that ice cold exterior of yours." I joked, working to pull myself out of my stupor. "But in all seriousness. I would love to. But only if you promise to protect me, keep me safe, take care of me here while I learn my way and promise to give this…" I waved my finger between us both. "a real chance. And not for a doll or a pet or a toy or whatever. Like let me in."
“I think we are definitely past that.”
I tapped on his chest above his heart. "And one last thing... okay, two. More feminine clothes and maybe some stuff so I can make some jewelry or something? I would rather not look like a Conan the Barbarian action figure. And when we can get a working portal, maybe let me visit my planet to be sure those that rely on me are okay and maybe, if things go well here, so I can say goodbye? That is, if I'm not allowed to go back and forth occasionally. Because that would be amazing."
He tilted his head. “What is a Conan the Barbarian? A hero from your world?”
I clamped my lips shut and leaned back, surprised at my own words. “Oh my gods. I’m sorry.” I got up and started pacing. “What the hell has come over me?”
"That’s a lot of conditions.” He stood and walked to me, placing his hands on my shoulders and turned me to look at him. “I can get you clothes and jewels and all of that. I will let us figure out what this is for sure since you perplex me, and I adore your rants. The whole life plan after that we can figure out. I hope this reply satisfies you." He hesitated before letting me go.
"I didn't mean to have a life plan. I just mean, that I had been aiming to go home right away. But if we are going to see what this is, I'll surely be here a lot longer. And if you can get a portal working, I'd like to pop home to check on things if that's possible. But you didn't agree to keep me safe." I chewed on my lip.
“Of course you may go home as soon as we find out how if you wish.” A sadness clouded his eyes as he looked down, pushing my hair back over my shoulder. “And I will always keep you safe. I am starting to think I would risk everything for your safety.” His voice trailed off as he spoke.
I warmed at his words. The way he spoke was genuine, deep. I could tell that he, himself, was just realizing how he felt as he said the words, and it made me want to wrap up in his arms and stay there.
Gathering myself, I took a breath and kissed his cheek gingerly. "I like you more and more Mr. Rathmore." My fingers skimmed through his long locks before stopping at their ends, wrapping several strands around my fingers. "You are a myst
ery to me, sir."
"I mean, I've been inside you so not much of one anymore," he joked, sighing happily. "Tell me. Have you ever been married, Auriena?”
He had moved so close when he asked that my body shivered in anticipation. "Married? Me? No. I've never been married and have no children. I have been close but no." My voice betraying my sadness behind my reply. "You? I know you said you're not married and no kids, but have you ever been married?"
He shook his head no. "Close once as well, but no."
I wanted to ask him about his 'close'... to learn all about him, but feeling his lips so close to mine, I also wanted to skip talking altogether.
I placed several soft kisses along his neck and shoulders. "Are you opposed? Would you ever consider it if you found someone?"
A low growl rumbled from deep in his chest. "I am not opposed… I guess. Besides the safety factor of course. Plus, I am used to doing things my way. It would take either a very strong or a very compliant woman."
My lips trailed kisses back up to his jaw. "Used to doing things your way, huh? I do not doubt that in the least.”
He tugged on the shirt I was wearing, his shirt that I had on, and slipped his hands up under it, roaming across my body. "I love your body, but I love your mind as well. The sass is alluring as well, even if you are confusing sometimes."
I didn’t stop him. "Love huh? You love my body and mind?" I teased him with a flirty tone. "Love is confusing."
He took that as the final hint and picked me up, leaning me back onto the bed, pushing the shirt up and over my head. Like stalking his prey, he climbed up over me. "Are you picking on me?"
"Picking on you? No. Just noticing your choice of phrasing... the word you used… love." I let my leg slide up his thigh and back down.
"I was paying you a compliment." Straddling over me, his hair fell over me as he looked down. “I could stop if you wish.”
I lifted my arms, clasping my hands behind my head cockily. "Do you always use the word love to compliment women?"
