by C B Williams
And when had he lit candles that made the most amazing little patterns on his belly, that line of hair that drew her eyes downward? But no matter, his hands, his beautiful, strong hands were so warm and doing amazing things to her insides as they circled and stoked the small of her back and at the same time holding her so close.
He laid her down upon the sleeping cot. And what was he doing with his lips? Oh, the Gods! His warm, nibbling lips were finding all her most sensitive places. And what were those clever hands doing now? Touching, caressing. She could smell her passion. She could feel her moistness.
She moaned. She was being filled. Had she been empty? Filled with what? The warmth was seeping into her through his touch. Power was filling her, that’s what it was. And passion, too. Oh yes, the fire was way out of control now. No going back. His power filled her. His passion filled her. Power and warmth and, and, oh it was so much, and there was more flooding into her, and she wanted to give back to him. Fill him with her warmth in return—
“Beloved,” he whispered. “My beautiful beloved.” His velvet voice sent tendrils of need to her core. There, it kindled.
Enflamed.
Ignited.
This is important. Somehow I know this is important, and I’ll never be the same. But it didn’t matter. Within the safety of his strength, feeling his hands and his lips and her lips and her hands. Lips, hands, breathing and being breathed, in that moment, it just didn’t matter.
And it just all felt so good, to be consumed like this. So right, and so very perfect. It felt holy, even. Sacred.
With a laugh, she realized it wasn’t that she didn’t like being touched, it was she didn’t want to be touched by anyone but him. Ever again. Only him.
All this time she had been waiting for this, for him.
“Please,” she breathed. She parted her thighs even further, arched her back even higher and guided his erection toward her core. “Please.”
She laughed when he entered her, and gripped him with all her might, enveloping him with her being, giving as much as she received.
“In the south, did you find what you were looking for?” Wren asked, and smiled when Little Sister nuzzled her hand, demanding to be petted.
Eloch’s eyes took on the intensity she had noticed before. It made her feel uncertain. Cautious.
“That and more,” Eloch answered, and he told her how Spur had used Little Sister to attack him, his conversation with Spur, and the result of that conversation. “I spent the rest of my time solidifying my bond with Her,” his look softened, “and then I felt you return here and came as fast as I could.”
She melted into his gaze, had to shake herself to refocus. “So you are now the Champion of Spur? Is that what I feel from you? That intensity?”
He nodded. “The power of your planet fills me. I am Her vessel until I find Her true Champion.”
“And you can do those things here that you said you could do on Entean?”
Eloch laughed. “Of course I can. It is part of being a Champion.” He reached out, tugged her closer, and gave her a great, smacking kiss on the mouth. “I know you don’t believe me, but you will.”
“But I do. After I had that little talk with Aiko you so wanted me to have. I really like her, by the way.”
“Then I will show you just to show you.” Eloch reached his hand out and the staff he’d dropped outside materialized in his hand.
Wren gaped.
He flicked his wrist and the table held two bowls of stew, crusty bread, and two flagons of beer. The quality of the food was such as she had only seen on The Stardust or at a banquet in the UpperUpper.
She leaned over to sniff it and closed her eyes at the succulent aromas, finding herself suddenly ravenous. “Handy trick, that.”
“Not a trick, Wren, a gift. A very handy gift. Come, sit with me and dine while you tell me of your adventures since we parted.”
She sat beside him, watched while he made a candle materialize, already lit. His eyes were shadowed when she looked at him. “I’m feeling so many different emotions right now, Eloch.”
He took her hand and gently rubbed his thumb over the back. “I imagine you are. Tell me, love.” His voice was soothing.
She shook her head and felt the soft fuzz of a coil mat brush her ear. “Oh?” She reached up with her hand and fingered the soft coil matted style she usually wore. “My hair is back to normal.”
“They suit you better than the straight black.”
“True, but the straight black was part of my disguise. Not sure how safe I’d be if it the Martials knew I’m still alive.”
“By my side, you are safe. Very safe. Safe enough to be yourself. Eat, love. We need the nourishment.”
She hesitantly spooned up a mouthful of stew and followed it with another. It steadied her, the ordinary task of eating. She accepted the bread Eloch offered, took a bite, and enjoyed the crunch of the crust and soft, yeasty flavor. She smiled at him and nodded.
Eloch toasted her with the beer.
“Thank Spur for me. This is better than anything I’ve ever tasted.”
“Your delight and appreciation are all She needs. All She has ever needed. That’s what happened. The people forgot Spur is the source of everything on Spur. It grieved Her more than She could bear, so She disappeared. But now? Now things will be different. The people of Spur are in for a rude awakening, Wren. As Her Champion, I have been empowered to punish those who refuse to respect their living planet.” He took a long draught from his flagon.
“When you say things like that, I’m afraid, Eloch.”
“Don’t be. It has nothing to do with you. But there are some who should fear. And fear my successor as well. Tell me of your adventures.”
She looked down at her animated. “Obviously, I lost The Sausage.”
“I would have been there if you had told me.” He gripped her hand, hard.
“I know. But I’d kept you from the south long enough. I made Aiko promise to say nothing until you were back.”
“She kept her word.”
She grinned. “Figured she had, since you weren’t there.”
“And without The Sausage? Are you in less pain?”
“Much less, although it took me a while to adjust. I got to go to Talamh.” Her eyes sparkled. “Through an actual wormhole! Aiko allowed me up on the bridge when she used her knack to set the coordinates. No offense to Spur, but I loved it, seeing how people live on a different planet.”
“Spur wants to know if you sensed the spirit of Talamh.”
Wren chewed her lip and looked off in the distance for a moment. “I don’t know. I don’t know how to sense something like that.”
“Spur told me to teach you so you will know.” Wren wondered what that meant, but before she could ask, Eloch continued. “And your Kin? Have you seen your Kin?”
Wren felt her lips curve with her answer. “I did, and they are doing very well, although only Flick, Mouse and Spider know I survived.” She paused. “I turned the leadership over to Flick. We thought it best if I didn’t distract the Kin from accepting him.”
“You are no longer a KinLord?”
“Nope. And it feels like the right thing to do. I want different things than they do. I didn’t realize it until I really listened to what Flick was saying.” She paused and gathered her thoughts. “They never wanted to leave Spur. That was me, because of my past. But for the Kin? They only ever wanted to escape from Sub-City, and the Culls, and the horrific life, all of it.”
She paused again, her face alight. “Eloch, they want to live in Rubble. When I left, we started making plans for how to do it. I’m going to help them. Of course, they’ll need to know by then that I’m alive, but enough time would have passed for them to feel secure with Flick.”
“And then? After you help them relocate?”
“And then? I haven’t a clue. I’ve been thinking about it since I’ve been here. I’m hoping I’ll know when the time comes.”
�
��I’m sure you will, Wren.”
She smiled. “I’m glad one of us has faith in me.” She wondered if returning with him to Entean would be an option, if he asked. Knowing the heat of love still flowed in her veins, she’d never make a decision until time had passed and the newness had settled into something that either worked or didn’t.
“Flick. Tell me more of your friend, Flick.”
“He’s the best friend a person could wish for. He’s like a brother, a loyal, patient, kind brother. Peaceful by nature, but a good fighter if he needs to be. Being a leader is difficult for him. He never wanted to be KinLord. But he’s doing fine. He will make a very good KinLord.”
“And perhaps more. I would like to meet this Flick.”
“You’re thinking he’d make a good Champion, aren’t you?”
“Not I. Rather, Spur. She senses something about him. She appreciates his desire to remain on Her surface.”
Wren frowned.
“What is it?”
“I was wondering if Spur is offended because I’m trying to leave Her.”
“She calls you a Daughter of Spur, so I don’t believe She is offended. Besides,” he said intently, “you were born to be with me.”
Wren laughed. “How can you say that? You and I were light years apart. You had no idea I existed or even if there were other planets with life.”
Eloch joined in her laugher. “Isn’t the universe a miraculous place?”
He swept his hand across the table and the remains of their supper disappeared.
Wren’s eyes widened. “I’m seeing this, yet it’s still unbelievable.”
“Then I’ll keep at it until you do believe. Come.” He reached out his hand to her, helped her rise to her feet. “To bed.”
She stared as their small cot as it transformed into a large bed covered with soft down bedding. “A very lovely gift. Thank Spur for me.”
“Thank Her yourself, with your heart. She doesn’t need me to mediate between Her and one of Her own.”
He scooped Wren up again carried her to their bed. “I know you can walk, but I love holding you.”
She leaned into him. “And I love being held by you. Eloch?”
“Hmm?”
“This…thing…between us. It’s important, isn’t it?”
“Very.”
She nodded and remained silent as he lay her down and crawled in beside her, then covered them both with a silky down comforter. Snuggled in the warm bed with Eloch on one side and Little Sister curled beside the bed on the other, Wren fell into a dreamless, peaceful sleep.
In the morning she woke to soft kisses trailing down and across her back. Slow, deliberate kisses. It took her a few moments to realize the path of the kisses. The sensation demanded she pay attention to it and not the pathway the pleasure took. But when he reached her buttocks and the crisscross of scars there, she finally recognized the trail his lips followed.
Pleasure was swallowed by shame.
In the bright morning light there was no darkness in which to hide her ugliness. The puckered scars running the full length of her back, the black shiny leg so unlike skin.
He must have sensed she was awake and lifted his eyes to meet hers, the smile fading when he saw her face. “Wren.”
She rolled over and reached for the bedclothes, yanked them up to her chin.
Eloch pulled her into his arms, threw his leg over her torso, his body held tightly against hers.
His tawny, perfect body.
“Wren, what troubles you?”
She nestled into his shoulder, breathing in his scent. “I never wanted you to see the ugliness.”
“Ugliness? I saw no ugliness. I saw the body of my beloved. Her beautiful body that has suffered much but survived because of the spirit it houses. Look at me, Wren.” She burrowed further. “Love, look at me,” he said more gently.
After a moment, she slowly lifted her face to him.
He used his thumb to wipe the tears as he spoke. “I love this body, Wren. It is glorious and strong and so tiny and graceful and it pleasures me beyond anything I have ever felt.”
She smiled at that. “I am rather good in the sex department, aren’t I?”
“So good that I will never let anyone else experience a single moment of the pleasures you gave so freely to me. I am keeping you all for myself.”
“And I have no say in it?”
He kissed her, thoroughly. “Do you wish to have a say?” he asked several moments later, his green eyes dark.
She grinned. “Not really.” Her mouth found his and she hugged him close, allowing him to slowly remove the bedding in order to lie skin to skin again. She sighed into his mouth, enjoying the soft prickles of his chest hair on her breasts.
“I can erase them if you wish. The scars.” He said, relishing the feel of her in his arms.
She drew back to see his face. “And my leg? Can you give that back to me as well?”
“Unfortunately, no. But I can make it so it no longer causes discomfort.”
“That I would appreciate, but I will keep my scars to remind me where I started and what has made me strong,” she said, nestling the covers over them again.
“I’m glad. And I say again, I love you the way you are.” He put a hand over her clenched fist. “There is no need for shame, Wren. Please, let me love you the way I wish. In the daylight, neither of us hiding from the other.”
She sighed and stroked his face. “I can try, but not today. I’m not ready yet.”
He grinned. “I could make you ready,” he said wickedly.
She laughed. “I’m sure you could, but for now, just hold me.”
He did, and she drifted back into sleep.
“I can radio Aiko to come get us when we’re ready,” she told him over breakfast, a rather late breakfast. More like lunch.
He nodded. “I love you, Wren. With all that I am, I love you.”
Wren felt heat creeping up into her face and she felt shy suddenly. “Where did that come from?”
Eloch laughed. “From me. I want you to hear my feelings when we aren’t busy with lovemaking. I want you to know and believe I want you to be by my side for the rest of our lives, and I want you to know it is my choice. You, too, have a choice to make. I am patient and can wait for your answer, but before I take action, I want you to know my intent and my feelings. Whatever happens, whatever you decide to do, I will always love you, Wren.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but the words couldn’t pass through the thickness in her throat. She put her hands to her chest, felt the fullness there, closed her eyes, and tried again. “Whatever happens, whatever I decide to do, I will always love you, too, Eloch,” she laughed as the truth made her free. “I do believe you are the Champion of my heart.”
He sat back and grinned. “Now that we have disclosed our hearts, Spur wishes to meet Flick. Our priorities may be different, but as Her Champion, I do Her will.”
“Will Spur help the Kin relocate?”
“Of course She will.”
“And keep them safe?”
“Just wait until you see what She’s got planned.”
Mouse happened to be looking south and saw their approach. Wren still wore the green uniform of the Colonizers beneath her fluttering cape, but her hair was back to its customary coilmats and color. She wondered at that briefly, until Eloch lifted his head and gazed intently at her. How could he know he was being observed? And at such a distance? She watched as he leaned over to speak with Wren, who looked up and waved at her. A sniffer darted from around a corner to trot between the couple. Stranger and stranger, Mouse thought, assuming the sniffer must be the Little Sister who had nearly killed Wren.
Mouse didn’t raise an alarm, even though the pair made no pretense of stealth. Instead, she slipped from her post and went to fetch Flick, who was meeting with Skip.
“We’ve got guests,” she whispered to him but didn’t wait for him to follow.
“Guests?” he asked when he
caught up with her.
“Wren and what I suspect is the Champion of Entean.”
Flick grunted.
“They’re coming from the south. Just walking along, visible to anyone who chooses to look.”
Flick grunted again.
“Thought we’d go out an’ meet them. See what’s up.”
“Think it’s a good idea, Mouse. Lead on.”
“You’re going to be okay with this Eloch fellow being here?”
He shrugged. “I’m going to have to be, aren’t I? I want Wren happy. If he makes her happy, then I’ll be fine. If he doesn’t, well, he’ll have to answer to me.”
Mouse glanced up at him. “Then I’d better warn you, he’s pretty large.”
She led Flick through a maze of unfamiliar streets until they rounded a corner and he saw them. “Holy stercus, Mouse, the man is colossal! Look at how tiny Wren looks,” Flick squinted. “Her hair—“
“Apparently our Wren feels safe enough to go undisguised.”
“I wonder what changed her mind.”
“Walking next to the biggest man who’s ever existed and a tamed sniffer probably would help with the mind change.”
Flick stilled. “Hadn’t noticed the sniffer.”
“They’re a rather impressive trio, aren’t they? And it’s time to put on our welcome smiles.”
It wasn’t hard. Flick grinned. “Miss us that much, Wren?” he called when they were within range.
“You know it!” she called back. “Thought I’d check in with my KinLord replacement.”
They met in the center of the street, where Wren happily skipped into Flick’s and Mouse’s combined embrace.
Flick looked up to find Eloch watching him, his expression a mask. A wave of energy passed over him, like a breeze. It left behind gooseflesh. The hairs at the back of his neck raised.
That man had some major knack.
“And you must be Eloch of Entean.” Flick said cautiously, as he studied the alien. “Wren told us you saved her life. Thank you.”
Eloch watched Wren cross back to his side, his expression softening. “Her life is precious,” he said, drawing her to him.
