Chapter Twenty-Two
Serenya
The soft swish of the door sliding open stirred me awake. I rolled onto my back, blinking against the light filtering in through the massive crystal above the bed, the red tint still odd when I was used to something more neutral.
My limbs were heavy with relaxation, the comfort of the blankets almost too much to want to leave. I stretched, the silk-like material of the red one brushing over my naked flesh in a way that made me shiver.
Memories from the night before returned and sent heat blooming in my belly, my core growing wet instantly. What Kael had done with his tongue and tail, the differences between his and the men I’d been with, had me blushing but grinning at the crystal ceiling.
A soft sound made me turn my head and I spotted Kael walking toward me, looking composed and imposing in his black uniform, the dark fabric hugging the planes of his body and not helping the desire already stirring in me.
His kethra pulsed once, and I bit my lip, a secret thrill rushing through me over the hint that he wasn’t as controlled as he seemed.
His boots echoed softly on the stone floor as he crossed to my side of the bed and knelt.
“Skorr drazhari, veyrari.”
I sat up, biting my lip as I let the blanket fall. I was still nervous about it, but I tried to ignore the feeling as I puzzled over his greeting.
“Score was… morning. I don’t know the second word, but it rhymes with what you call me. I’m assuming… Good morning?”
His lips twitched and he rested his arms on the edge of the bed, trailing one finger along the side of my exposed hip.
Shivering, I clenched my legs together even though I knew it wouldn’t hide the way my kethra surged.
At least the scent lingering in the sheets should hide the fresh wetness between my thighs.
“DRAHzzz-hari. Drazh is day, -ari meaning new. Skorr drazhari. It’s dawn of a new day.”
I couldn’t stop my smile or my blush. Taking the time to explain things to me and teach me his language was something I hadn’t expected him to do, and I appreciated it.
And for some reason, my libido found it stimulating.
Or maybe it was just Kael’s presence, but the doctor hadn’t been wrong about increased desire being a side effect. I hadn’t even crawled from bed yet, and I already wanted to drag him back in with me.
Preferably for a repeat of the night before.
Part of me felt guilty for not doing anything for him after he’d given me such a devastating orgasm, but I’d fallen asleep almost immediately.
Trying to think about something else, I focused on his uniform.
“Are you leaving?”
“Returning. I had to meet with the council again, but I did not wish to wake you. You seemed to need the rest.”
The little smirk on his lips and the way he stared at me like I was a hunk of meat, and he was a lion, had me huffing even as my blush spread.
His hand rose to brush a stray strand of hair from my cheek, and I skirted around the subject of the previous night. If I kept thinking about it I was going to soak the bedding.
“How did it go?”
He made a low sound in his throat, something between a growl and a sigh.
“Predictable. The council does not like change, but they like weaknesses even less. They understand necessities.”
Moving his hand to cup my cheek, he brushed his thumb across my lower lip, pulling it down before letting it slide away. There was a muskiness to his scent that was making my mouth water and making it even harder to think of something other than his tongue between my legs.
“I wish to show you more of Korvashan. We can walk the surface again before it grows too hot for you, or we can visit the Markets. The level beneath the High Ledge holds the Cavern Markets. You may find something you like. For your nessha, perhaps?”
My eyes widened and I perked up.
“Markets?”
He nodded.
Shopping at home had been torture, but my curiosity about the differences between Earth and Morrakan was strong enough to overrule my normal aversion.
“If you’d like drevarn like ours, we could find some. Or… I think the word is jewelry? Metal and gemstones made to look appealing. There are also scented oils. Carvings. Even veysha’lin or more shavariin. We could try the zorhen and see if there is anything you like.”
I didn’t understand all his words, but that only stirred my spark of excitement, and I nodded.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
I dressed quickly. I still needed to unpack my things and put them away, but storing my clothes next to Kael’s seemed like another huge step. Maybe bigger than letting him see me naked. It didn’t really make sense, but I was finding a lot of my life no longer followed logic.
The tunnels outside our home were usually empty, most of the High Ledge seeming sparsely populated except for the huge cavern we’d first descended into. That one seemed to be more of a thoroughfare though, with people either heading up to the surface, or down to the lower levels.
Kael kept me tucked between him and the rail as we descended the steep stone steps carved along the walls of the ravine.
It was disconcerting to look over such a massive drop with fog hiding the bottom, but motion on the opposite side drew my attention.
There didn’t seem to be as much going on over there, but it was clearly still part of Korvashan, although if the narrow bridges that crossed the canyon were the only way to reach that side I didn’t think I’d ever be brave enough to go check.
While the air didn’t cool much between the High Level and the next, the wind decreased.
There were still strong gusts through the ravine, but by the time we turned onto the wide walkway that led deeper into the stone corridors, it dropped away enough for me to notice the ever-present sound of skittering sand was almost gone.
The tunnel we passed through was wider than the ones of the High Ledge, likely due to higher traffic.
There were crystals in the ceiling that brought sunlight in, and glowing moss grew on the walls, but as we stepped out into another massive cavern, most of the light came from crystals suspended on long chains from the cavern ceiling, casting soft colors over fabric-draped canopies, stone huts, and the bustling people moving between them.
The market echoed with voices speaking words I didn’t yet understand.
Slit-pupiled eyes glanced our way, some nodding in respect to Kael, others lingering on me with curiosity.
No one said anything directly, but I felt the weight of attention settle over my shoulders, and I straightened, pulling on the facade I’d perfected over years at my father’s side.
Kael didn’t give any outward reaction, although his tail brushed against the back of my knee. He walked with lazy confidence, hand gently clasping mine as he guided me through the stalls and crowded Morraki.
I paused by a table piled with what looked like leather, but it was thicker than the leather I was familiar with.
“That is krovek, from the Vezhakk raised on the surface. The hides of creatures on the surface have to be strong to withstand the wind and sand and the occasional veyr’karin. We use it for belts, harnesses, and weapon sheaths.”
I reached out to run my fingers over the thick, scaled leather. It was smooth on one side, rough and patterned like reptilian hide on the other.
“Veyr… Karen? Blood…”
I looked up and he pinned me with an intense stare.
“Blood storm. Storms where the air super-heats, melting the sand particles in the wind to glass. The gusts whip with fury, flaying anyone without protection.”
I sucked in a breath filled with a myriad of scents, but I couldn’t process them as I pictured being in a storm with glass splinters hurtling through the air. Shivering, I swallowed as I looked at the thick leather again.
“How often do those happen?”
I caught Kael’s shrug from the corner of my eye.
“Once a vehlar. They’re more common in vorrada… the season of heat.”
I tipped my head, glancing through the tunnel we’d used from the ravine edge.
“What season is it now?”
When I looked back up at Kael his lips had tilted up into a small, lopsided smile.
“Kriska. The cold season.”
I made a strangled sound in my throat, drawing the attention of the stall owner.
On the surface, even in the shade it was almost unbearably hot.
On the High Ledge it was on the verge of being uncomfortable in the tunnels close to the ravine, but the stone eased some of the heat farther from it.
Our home was warmer than I’d have preferred already, but if this was Morrakan’s version of winter, this was the coolest it would ever be.
“I’m going to melt.”
Kael’s lips twitched before settling back into his usual stoic expression, his fingers squeezing mine.
“You will adjust, veyrari. I will not let you melt.”
Shaking my head, I let Kael pull me along with the flow of other shoppers.
“On Earth, we make leather from cows. Their skin isn’t nearly as thick.”
Kael grunted, his eyes narrowing.
“Cows. The round things with tiny legs and many stomachs.”
I laughed, covering my mouth when I got odd looks from those near us.
“Yeah, that sounds right. I’m surprised you know what a cow is.”
“We studied your world long before contact, and the council plied us with many things to keep us friendly. Kethral Nyrel found them amusing.”
I laughed again, imagining someone trying to hand Kael the lead to a haltered cow.
We walked farther through the winding paths between stalls.
The way the market was laid out reminded me of the old flea markets and bazaars that used to happen on Earth before everything went digital.
I’d always thought it would have been fun to explore one, never knowing what hidden treasure you may find.
The air was rich with the scent of spices, oils, and those around us. It was too confusing to try to parse them all out. Kael’s peppery campfire smoke was the only constant, a soothing note of familiarity amidst the jumble.