Island Fire

by Bobbi Smith

  The temple had been carved out of the forest. Open-air and circular in construction, it was guarded by massive stone figures of the Malikan gods, and the huge altar rose high above the clearing where the worshippers sat. Torches flamed brightly about the glade, casting quivering shadows in all directions, and the deep-voiced chanting of the natives gathered in this sacred place lent an eerie feeling to the whole event.

  Konga had arrived at the temple early to pray before the stone altar and to offer his own sacrifice to Tane, the god of manhood. All of his life, Konga had known what he'd wanted, and he'd gotten it. Now, for the first time, he was being denied his heart's desire, and he could not bear the humiliation. Fury and frustration had filled him all day. He had relived the moments he'd spent with Espri the previous night, and he knew he could not rest until he'd wreaked revenge on the white man who had dared to interrupt them. With reverence, he ended his chant before the altar, feeling certain that the god who had always guided him wisely would do so again.

  Nelani adjusted Tikiru's skirt for what seemed like the hundredth time as they waited out of sight of the villagers for Manti to appear and to signal the beginning of the sacrifice.

  "Is he out there?" Tikiru asked.

  "Manti?"

  "No . . . the golden one. Tommy," she hissed. "Go and see."

  Nelani was taken aback, but she hastened to do as she was bid. Slipping away, she stayed in the darkness beyond the brilliance of the torches, her eyes searching the crowd. At last, she saw Tommy enter the clearing and sit with Espri and another white man she hadn't seen before. Hurrying to return before the ceremony began, she rushed back to Tikiru.

  "Well?" she demanded impatiently.

  "He just arrived."

  "Where is he sitting?"

  "With Espri, near the back."

  Tikiru smiled strangely at the news. "Good. Manti is here. We will begin soon."

  Tana had been frustrated in her efforts to locate Konga all afternoon and she lingered near the fringes of the crowd, hoping to find him and be with him this night. It was with great relief that she finally saw him sitting alone on the outskirts of the temple grounds. She rushed to his side, eager to speak with him.

  "I have been looking for you, Konga." She was almost ebullient in her happiness. As soon as she told him the truth about Espri and the white man, he would be hers!

  "Why?" His tone was not welcoming, and he did not even bother to look at her.

  Dropping down beside him, she smiled her most beguiling smile and reached out to touch him. "I have not seen you all day and I missed you."

  Konga had no desire to talk with Tana, much less be with her. He was obsessed with making Espri his own, and he did not want to be distracted from his purpose.

  "I have not missed you," he said bluntly, wishing she would leave him to his dark thoughts of revenge.

  She gasped slightly at his rude reply, but was not deterred by it. "Shall I make you miss me?" Her voice was sultry, but he drew away when she moved nearer.

  "You needn't try. I do not want you anymore."

  "What?" Tana could not believe her ears. "You can't mean that. I love you."

  He shrugged. "You have known from the start that I do not love you."

  "But I can change that," she told him desperately.

  "There is no point. Espri is the only woman I've ever wanted, and she will be mine, very soon."

  Knowing that she was losing him, Tana cried heatedly, "She will never be yours! She does not want you!"

  Konga glared at her sharply. "What do you mean?"

  "Mitch and Espri are lovers."

  "Do not speak lies!" he hissed threateningly.

  "I saw them today."

  "Where? Doing what?" Konga had to know the truth. Had Espri given herself to the white man?

  "They were at the old hut Chief Luatu has given the whites. I saw them, Konga. They were naked and they were kissing and their bodies were joined." She emphasized her words.

  Konga's jaw tensed at the thought. He wanted to kill the white man who had claimed his love. "She will still come to me."

  "Surely, you don't still want her, now that you know she cares for him?"

  He leveled a deadly, obsidian gaze on her. "As I have said, she will still be mine."

  "Konga, you are a complete fool if you believe that. I am the woman who loves you. Espri does not want you. She loves the white man."

  Holding himself under rigid control to keep from throttling her, Konga stood up. "Be gone from me, woman. I do not ever want to speak with you or see you near me again."

  "I don't understand. I love you," Tana pleaded, completely confused by his attitude. "Since Espri does not want you and I do—"

  "It does not matter to me what your foolish feelings are!" He was seething. "Compared to Espri you are nothing. She is the only woman I have ever loved and I will have her yet."

  All of her plotting had been for naught. Konga would never love her. Tana was devastated. In one last, desperate plea, she started toward him, but he pushed her away.

  "Espri will be mine!" he swore vengefully, and he stormed off, leaving Tana in tears, her hatred of the other woman soaring to new heights.

  Tommy sat with Mitch and Espri, watching the preparation for the ritual with fascination, and when another chant arose from the crowd he looked questioningly at Espri.

  "What are they saying?"

  "They are calling for the taupau," she explained.

  "What is a taupau?"

  "The taupau is the temple priestess," Espri started to explain, but just then Tikiru appeared. "Look."

  Tommy turned and was completely spellbound by the sight of the partially clad woman on the altar. He had found many of the native girls attractive but this one was beyond compare. Her hair—long, black, and glossy—fell past her waist in a silken cascade, and the skirt she wore tied loosely at the side rode low on her hips, baring one leg almost completely. Her skin glistened from the oil with which she'd been anointed, and her breasts, tempting and succulent, were bared for all to see. Around her neck, she wore a single medallion. About her wrists were bracelets of multicolored shells. To the ankle of her exposed leg was strapped a very lethal looking, gold-handled knife.

  "She's beautiful," he said breathlessly. He watched in awe as the priestess was lifted onto the altar, where she acted out a sequence in the story of life on Malika.

  When the tempo of the drums reached a frenzied pitch, Tommy waited in expectation, and he was shocked when the priest handed her a snake that was at least three feet long. When the priestess lifted the reptile above her head and began to dance, he felt his blood stir. Though Tommy knew this was a religious rite, there was something so pagan and wanton about her movements that he was aroused. His eyes never left her as she wrapped the snake about her in what seemed a lover's embrace, and he was startled when her eyes met his across the distance. She stood poised, holding the reptile to her breast, and when the drums suddenly stopped, she plunged her knife into the creature, killing it instantly. Soaked in the blood of the snake, the taupau glanced at him once more, then she collapsed on the altar. A tall, muscular servant was summoned by the high priest, and he silently carried her away.

  "What happened? She's not hurt, is she?" Tommy asked Espri quickly when the man disappeared into the back of the temple with the priestess.

  "No," Espri assured him.

  "When can I meet her?"

  "I'm afraid that's impossible," she explained as the priest came forth to end the ceremony. "She is forbidden contact with the islanders."

  Tommy's spirits sank at her words, and he fell silent.

  Driven to emotional heights by Tikiru's sacrifice, the Malikans were ready to celebrate, and they left the temple, their mood exultant. Only Tommy lingered behind, staring up at the now-darkened altar and remembering the woman who had stared at him so boldly during the climax of her performance.

  The erotic nature of the ceremony had only enhanced the desire Mitch had been feeling
as he'd sat so close to Espri, and he felt a searing need to be alone with her as they followed the crowd from the temple.

  Espri, too, had felt the stirrings of passion as she'd watched the taupau's performance, and she was eager to be with him. All afternoon she had pondered the revelation that had come to her during their lovemaking. It was true, she decided. She loved him. And that discovery had left her alternately ecstatic and frightened.

  The words he had spoken so offhandedly to Tommy, about leaving the island, were branded in her mind. He had meant them, of that she was certain. He wanted to return to his home in San Francisco. Her only hope, she realized, was to try to win his heart, to make him want to remain on Malika, for she did not want to think of losing him.

  "Espri . . ."

  "Come." She took his hand and led him down an obscure path, away from the others.

  "Where are we going?" he asked with a smile of anticipation as the forest closed around them in a warm, green cocoon, heightening the intimacy between them.

  "To my favorite place on the island." Espri's voice was breathless as she directed him through the dense growth. "I hope you will enjoy it too."

  Mitch stopped and pulled her into his embrace. "If you are with me, it will be heavenly." His lips met hers in a fervent caress.

  "Hurry!" She laughed lightly as she pulled away and darted ahead of him.

  Mitch caught up with her just as they reached the pool, and he pulled her back to him for a passionate kiss. Only when he released her did he look around.

  "I see why this is your favorite place," he agreed, taking in the sparkling glory of the waterfall and the blossoms that brightened the deep green foliage adorning the bank.

  "Will you swim with me?" she asked enticingly, as she untied her sarong and tossed it aside.

  In a quick motion, she dove into the warm, inviting pool and swam easily from him, her sensuous movements holding Mitch spellbound as they revealed only an occasional, teasing glimpse of a rounded breast and sleek thigh. Totally captivated by her loveliness, he stood, transfixed, as she climbed onto the ledge beneath the waterfall. The sight of her standing in shimmering splendor beneath its splashing cascade galvanized him into action, and, shedding his pants, he dove cleanly into the water, swimming to her with hard, powerful strokes.

  Espri chuckled throatily as he pulled himself up next to her, and her eyes skimmed his strongly muscled body approvingly. She went into his arms without waiting for an invitation, and beneath the warm caress of the laving waters their lips met, tasted, then blended in soft enchantment.

  The moment was sublime. Time ceased to matter. All that existed was man and woman and the breathtaking rapture that nature intended their coming together to be. Love swept over them in a rush of feeling, and they held tightly to one another, bewitched by the surging emotions that possessed them.

  Enraptured, Mitch pressed cherishing kisses on her lips, while Espri wanted only to be his, forever. They moved behind the flow of the waterfall then, to stretch out together on the narrow ledge, their bodies united in perfect harmony.

  No words were spoken. No words were needed. Each touch, each caress said it all as their hands explored with loving reverence. And, when Mitch could no longer hold back the gift of his desire, he moved between her willingly parted thighs, merging with her in a timeless pattern.

  Each stroke of his lean body lifted Espri to greater heights, and she wrapped her limbs about him, drawing him deeper into her as the thrill of his lovemaking sent her spiraling to paradise and beyond. The shuddering of her body as she achieved her pleasure added to Mitch's own excitement, and he lost himself in her velvety depths, reveling in that possession which left him spent yet euphoric.

  Cradling Espri in his arms, Mitch lay quietly, sheets of water curtaining them from the real world. It was as though they had transcended time and space, and they surrendered to the beauty of the moment, savoring its perfection.

  Espri's senses were alive with love for Mitch as she curled tightly against him. Their joining had been wonderful in every way, and she yearned to stay in his embrace forever.

  Tikiru lay prostrate on the mat in her hut as Nelani tended her, washing the vile blood from her limp body. When the gore had been cleaned away, Nelani lifted her mistress's head and pressed a cup of kava to Tikiru's lips.

  "Drink," she urged, hoping the potent brew would help to revive her.

  Slowly, Tikiru sipped from the cup and then lay back, too weak to move.

  "Did I do well?" she asked, without opening her eyes.

  "You were magnificent, as always, Tikiru," Nelani reassured her, remembering how the villagers had been entranced by her dancing.

  "Good." Tikiru's lips curved slightly. She lay unmoving for a time and then looked up. "The time . . . how late is it?"

  "The moon is beginning its ascent."

  "Then we must go. Now." She struggled to a sitting position.

  "You should rest a little longer and get your strength back."

  "There is no time. He will be waiting."

  Nelani had hoped that she'd forgotten about the meeting with the white man, but she knew now that was not so. "Are you sure you must do this?"

  "Yes." There was certainty in Tikiru's voice. "Bring me a sarong—one of yours. I must not be noticed."

  "Yes, Tikiru," Nelani agreed, and she went in search of the garment.

  Getting slowly to her feet, Tikiru ran her hands over her body, feeling chilled and slightly nervous over what she was about to do. Never before had she met with a man; she wasn't sure how to go about it. She only knew that she had to be with him.

  Nelani returned quickly and wrapped the soft white garment about Tikiru's slender body. "Will we need the cloaks again?"

  "Yes, we will wear them until we are far away from the temple."

  Minutes later, concealed in the wraps, the young women left their hut and headed in the direction of the cove where Tommy would be waiting.

  Tommy stood on the beach, gazing out across the moonlit sea, pondering everything that had happened to him over the past few months. First, he had been shanghaied in San Francisco, then the shipwreck, and now this—a rendezvous with a mysterious woman who had sworn him to secrecy. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it all, and he wondered if anyone would believe him if he did get back home to tell his story.

  The thought of his family saddened him, for he knew that they had probably given him up for dead. He'd left the farm in the valley to go into San Francisco on an errand for his father. It had been his first time alone there, and he now regretted that he hadn't followed his father's advice, avoided the saloons and gambling houses. Knowing it was too late to worry about it, he sighed and pushed those thoughts from his mind.

  Tommy wasn't sure what caused him to glance back over his shoulder, but when he did, he saw a woman approaching cautiously from the forested edge of the beach.

  "Nelani?" he called out softly as he stood up.

  "Yes. I am Nelani." She stopped before him.

  Tommy frowned as he stared down at her. He sensed that this wasn't the same woman he had kissed last night. Not that he could remember exactly how she'd looked—it had been very dark and he'd been more than a little drunk—but he was almost positive that this was not her.

  "I am glad you came." His tone was warm.

  "You are to come with me." Her voice was stilted as she repeated Tikiru's instructions.

  "I am?" he asked curiously. "Where are we going?"

  "I cannot tell you that," Nelani replied curtly. Then she walked away, leaving him to follow.

  Tommy was intrigued. Why all the mystery? And if this was Nelani, who was the woman he'd seen last night? Quickly, he went after her, not speaking as they traversed the beach and started up a steep trail that led to an isolated palisade he'd only seen from a distance. The top of the bluff was stark compared to the rest of the lushly forested land, and he looked down at Nelani, wondering what he was supposed to do next.

  "She is there wai
ting for you," Nelani directed; then she turned away, leaving him to venture forth alone.

  "Who?" he asked, but Nelani had already disappeared from sight, heading back the way they'd come.

  Stepping forth from the protective cover of the trees, Tommy walked across the top of the moonlit bluff, and he couldn't believe his eyes when the woman he'd worshipped from afar earlier that evening appeared before him.

  "The taupau!" he breathed in awe.

  "Yes, I am Tikiru," she answered. "You are Tommy, the golden one."

  "I am Tommy." He wasn't quite sure what to say. "Golden one . . .? You mean my hair?"

  "I have never seen such hair before. It is as vibrant as the sun." Boldly she lifted a hand to touch his hair.

  Snaring her wrist in a firm yet gentle grip, Tommy stared down at her. "What do you want of me?"

  Tikiru's blood was pounding at just that simple touch and her eyes widened at the question. "I do not know. I only know that I needed to see you again."

  "Why did you tell me your name was Nelani?" he questioned.

  "It is forbidden for me to go into the village." She told the half-truth easily. "If I had been discovered, there might have been trouble."

  "Are we safe here?" He looked around.

  "Yes, for now, but you must never reveal my identity to anyone." Nervously, she wet her lips with the tip of her tongue, and, though he was not an experienced lover, he recognized the invitation.

  Without speaking, he drew her close and kissed her, his mouth taking hers softly at first. He savored the thought that the taupau was actually here with him. She was to be cherished. He released her wrist as he deepened the kiss, and instinctively, Tikiru locked her arms behind his neck. Sensations more powerful than those that had assaulted her the night before claimed her now, and she was afire with a strange need she could not name.

  Tommy lost track of everything except the woman in his arms. She clung heatedly to him, moving against his hips in an innately sensuous rhythm that was pushing him over the edge of control.