Chapter 16
ARDRUC
If I had thought the scent of Elena’s hair and skin was powerful, that was nothing compared to the sweetness of her arousal.
With trembling hands, I washed the last of the dishes and tried not to think about how badly I wanted to sweep everything off the table, place Elena on her back, and bury my face between her thighs so I could drink in every bit of that scent as she moaned my name.
My feathers ruffled and my tail twitched until I stilled them both.
Her reaction had followed immediately on the heels of my offer to hunt on Forux’s behalf. Earlier, she had responded to my lack of clothing, which was flattering but perhaps not entirely unexpected. But if the thought of me as a predator excited her even more…
A telltale warmth on my shoulders told me she was watching me as she finished her meal. I stretched my wings, flexed the muscles in my back, and ruffled my feathers before I folded my wings and let my tail sway. And I puffed smoke from my nostrils for good measure.
I continued washing up without missing a beat, as if I had not done it all deliberately to hear her sharp intake of breath and quiet rustling as she squirmed in her chair.
I was a surprisingly wicked man, and I had no intention of repenting for it.
By the time she put her fork on her empty plate and pushed it away, I had finished my cleanup work other than her dishes. I dried the pan in which I had made the crepec, set it on the shelf, and turned.
Elena was leaning back in her chair, legs crossed, one elbow on the table, her lips turned up at the corners.
“Oh, is the show over so soon?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Pity. I was just getting interested.”
Of course I had not fooled her. I could not outsmart Elena Regis, who was as brilliant as she was beautiful. This was play.
I had no need or desire to outdo her in any way. I was content in her presence. We were compliments, not competitors or rivals. But if I allowed myself to be more the hunter with her than scientist, I might give her what she wanted and endear myself to her, and that I very much wanted to do.
And the way she was sitting, almost reclining, eyes twinkling as she smirked, felt very much like a dare.
In a single leap, I crossed the kitchen, landed astride her legs, and tipped her chair onto its back feet. I balanced her there so she lay beneath me as if we were in bed, her heaving chest only inches from my own. And I let my eyes glow.
“The show need not be over,” I murmured, lowering my head so my lips were near her ear. She shivered, and a soft moan escaped her lips. The scent of her arousal grew.
Belatedly, I realized Forux had done nothing to defend his mistress against my very predatory movement. Instead, he had curled up under the table, head on his paws and eyes closed, apparently peacefully digesting his breakfast.
Elena took advantage of my distraction to raise her head and capture my lips with hers. She tasted of bano fruit, cream, and joy. I closed my eyes and raised the angle of the chair just enough that she did not have to strain to kiss me.
Her little tongue darted out to brush my lower lip until I parted my lips and gave in a little more to the hunger that built within me with every beat of my hearts. She teased my tongue with hers, then flicked its tip against my incisors and sucked in a breath.
“Yes, they are sharp,” I said, raising my head to smile down at her. “I am not a carnivore like your companion, but I am a predator.”
“I’m starting to see that.” She nipped my lower lip with her teeth. “You figured out that I like that about you.”
It was a statement, not a question, but I said, “Yes. And I like that you like that about me. Perhaps I will be a bit more more predatory in the future, for your benefit.”
“It might not just benefit me.” Elena brushed my chin with her fingertips. “Thank you for breakfast, and for the show.”
I ducked my head again and drew in a deep, much more primal sort of breath as I ran my nose along her neck and shoulder.
She chuckled, but the sound did not disguise either her little gasp or how she shivered.
Gods, the scent of her. I could lose myself in it completely, if only we had nothing else demanding our attention and if she would let me.
“It was my pleasure,” I murmured, my lips against her collarbone. “And yours as well, if I may consider your scent as both evidence and thanks.”
“You may.” Her smile turned wistful. “Mysteries to solve, Ardruc.”
“Indeed.” Gently, I set her chair upright and drew her to her feet. “First, to the medical bay for a scan?”
Elena’s smile faded. I felt a chill as though the sun had gone behind clouds.
“A couple of scans,” she said, with a sigh. “And then maybe up to the roof again to yell at the sky until something yells back.” She crouched to scratch Forux’s head. “Come on, little friend. I know you’re used to doing whatever you want around here, but stay close for now, okay? Just in case.”
Yawning, his belly noticeably rounded, Forux padded along behind us to the medical bay.
Much to my relief, the forest had made only minimal incursions into the medical bay, mostly in the form of vines and foliage.
The scanners, computer, supplies, and machinery appeared unaffected, and the symbols scorched into the floor remained uncovered.
The most critical item—the emergency medical pod—had not been touched at all, as if the forest understood the need for this life-saving equipment to remain intact.
Elena studied the room with her hands on her hips. “Just how intelligent do we think the indigenous plant life, fungi, and korae of Hyderia might be?”
“I suspect quite intelligent indeed.” I went to the computer to check the status of its analysis of the marks on the floor.
“Likelihood of language ninety-eight percent,” I read aloud.
“The language appears to be logographic, but the computer has an insufficient quantity of exemplars and contextual information for make any attempt at translation.”
“I figured that would be the case.” She sighed. “Disappointing, though. We need to get the korae to write answers to specific questions to have a chance to learn how to communicate.”
“Or offer a way for the korae to learn a language we can translate.” Along those lines, I asked the computer to compile a list of known logographic languages and propose ways an energy-based life form might access the information needed to learn one.
As the computer went to work on the problem, I accompanied Elena to the shelf where we kept the handheld medical scanners.
“I am sure it has also occurred to you,” I said, “that in all the centuries since Hyderia has had visitors, its indigenous life has not chosen to reveal its true nature in this way.”
“Well, as far as we know.” She finished calibrating a scanner. “There’s nothing in the records, but you and I both know not everything makes it into the records.” She raised her eyebrows and glanced up. “Like your lat’sar-playing kora, for example.”
“Or the kora that followed you on your hike back to your transport,” I countered. “Or the playful plasma or the one that communicated with us. Neither of us described those encounters in our official records.”
“Depending on how long our isolation lasts, we may never get to report those encounters,” Elena said, with a rueful look.
“But let’s say for the sake of argument the sentient korae and the forest could have chosen to reveal their true nature at any time and chose not to until now.
Why now? Why us? What makes us worthy of a revelation of this magnitude?
Not to diminish either of us, but I’m just a simple mycologist from Fyloria and you’re a stuffy atmospheric scientist from Fortusia. ”
Elena was not just anything, but I was indeed stuffy and understood her point.
“All good questions. We will endeavor to answer them.” I folded my hands behind my back and used my chin to indicate the scanner. “If you would…?”
Elena passed the scanner over me, her lips pursed as she watched data scroll across the screen. “No pheromones detected,” she said. “Interesting. I thought you might be enticing me in some way other than just your cooking.”
“If so, I would not have done so intentionally without your consent.” I leaned over to get a closer look at the screen. “Does it detect any lingering effects of the dust or spores that caused us to stay asleep?”
“Let’s see…” She hummed and scrolled through the scan results.
“Well, you have elevated dopamine levels, which makes sense given the state of euphoria we experienced. Also traces of an unknown flurane compound the scanner suggests caused extended deep sleep. That’s it.
You’re a healthy specimen of a Fortusian male. ” She handed me the scanner. “My turn.”
I waved the scanner slowly over her from her head to her feet.
“Similar elevated dopamine, similar traces of an unknown flurane compound,” I noted.
“All your hormone levels are as expected, so no discernible reaction to hypothetical pheromones in that regard. Elevated cortisol concentration and heart rate indicates increased stress.”
Elena chuckled, but without humor. “I didn’t need the scanner to tell me that.”
When the scanner passed over the center of her chest, it beeped. A red bar appeared on the screen.
“What was that?” she craned her neck to look at the screen. “What does it say?”
“One moment.” I touched the red bar and read the results.
Elena tapped her foot impatiently. “Ardruc,” she warned.
Stunned, I held out the scanner so she could read the screen for herself. She nearly snatched it from my hand and scrolled through the data. The color drained from her face.
“I have what?” she gasped.
She unfastened the collar of her jumpsuit and pulled the seam apart to reveal the tank top she wore under it and the mark on her chest. It looked the same as earlier—blue-green, like the foliage around us.