Chapter Seventeen #4
I gave Taio his weapon back and moved quietly and carefully through the trees.
The ground became sandier as we walked, and the underbrush thinned.
Taio and Omira spoke quietly in Zulenii.
I knew enough of the language now to discern that he was telling her what had happened after we were separated.
When he reached the part about Gaz’s ambush, Omira turned to look at me.
Her expression was full of respect. Hopefully, she knew she could trust me now.
The closer we came to Zleyval, the more I wanted allies.
I remembered how I and the people of Earsleh had looked at the Zulenii—we’d seen them as foreign and not to be trusted.
We’d had preconceived ideas about them that made us dislike them before even knowing them.
If the Zulenii were anything like we were, I would soon be the foreigner who was not to be trusted.
The trees thinned into slender-trunked saplings, and I began to relax slightly.
Hollows couldn’t hide well in this landscape, even in the rapidly descending darkness.
I heard a bird whistle, which was odd as stars were starting to appear in the sky.
Omira answered the whistle. “That was Yung. He heard us and that’s our call. ”
A moment later Yung appeared, and Taio greeted him much as he had Omira earlier.
Yung didn’t embrace me, but he gave me a nod and ushered all three of us over a sand dune.
At the top, I paused and stared at the body of water a few yards in the distance.
The lake was enormous, far bigger than I’d imagined.
I’d never seen a lake before, but I had pictured it as more like a pond.
This body of water made me think of an ocean, without the crashing waves.
Not that the lake didn’t have waves. Gentle waves lapped the sandy shore, making a quiet whooshing sound I found comforting.
Between the lake and the dunes, the Zulenii had set up a rudimentary camp.
As soon as I saw it, I relaxed. With the lake on one side and the dunes on the other, we’d only have to keep watch over our flanks.
A determined Hollow could climb one of the dunes.
They were rocky and full of scrub growing out of the hard-packed sand, but the sound of the waves would mask our voices and the breeze off the water would hide our scent.
I dropped my pack and unhooked my bedroll, my back already anticipating lying on the soft sand instead of against a hard tree trunk. “Hungry?” Omira asked.
“Yes,” Taio said, his head coming up at the suggestion of food. He’d said nothing of hunger while we’d been walking, but if I was hungry, he must be starving. He was taller and bigger than I was and had done as much, if not more, work than I had.
“We have mushrooms and berries,” Omira said, taking some from her pack. She handed them to Taio who immediately gave me half.
“You need them more than I—”
“Eat them, Mara,” he said, and his tone brooked no argument.
“How do you know these mushrooms are safe?” I asked. I knew berries, and I could usually tell the poisonous from the safe berries by the shape and size of the fruit. But mushrooms were less familiar to me.
“We have them on the other side of the lake,” she said. “Near the capital. We eat them there.”
I lifted my eyes from the mushrooms and stared out at the lake again. The capital of Zulen was on the other side of the lake. So close.
“You cannot see it from here,” Taio said. “The city is more to the west. Tomorrow we will find the sailboat we hid and sail back.”
“How far is it?” I asked.
“A few miles.”
That could mean anything from three to twenty.
Taio was very vague about distances. Another bird call sounded while we finished eating, and Kintle appeared.
He greeted Taio with enthusiasm and even pulled me into a hug.
I shivered as the wind off the lake cut through me, and Yung began to make a fire using pieces of driftwood he’d found.
“A fire isn’t safe,” I said.
“We’ll keep it low,” Omira promised. “We’ve been all over the shoreline today. No sign of Twilight Men or anyone else.”
I started to object again, but Taio rose and pulled me up with him. “Come. Let us go wash.”
I shook my head. “In the lake? It must be freezing.”
He looked at the lake. “If it was freezing, there would be ice on top.”
I sighed. “You know what I mean.”
He pulled me closer and whispered, “I promise to warm you up afterward.”
Even the tempting warmth of Taio’s body couldn’t quite persuade me, but Taio dragged me along with him until we were some distance from the others.
The dunes were higher here, and Taio pulled me to the top of one.
The sky resembled a blanket littered with twinkling jewels and bits of tertanium.
The stars looked so close that I felt as though I might be able to touch a glittering star if I reached high enough.
But Taio wasn’t looking up at the sky, he squinted at the lake.
“What is it?” I asked. “Is there a Hollow floating in the water?”
Hollows did not drown no matter how long they’d been submerged. That was another reason I was reluctant to go in the water. I couldn’t see what I was stepping into.
“No. Occasionally one might fall in, but the dunes serve as a barrier.” He pulled me against him, so my back was to his chest. He pointed across the lake, and I followed the direction of his finger. “Do you see that?”
I saw the black water and the black sky and the thousands of stars and told him so.
“That faint golden glow,” he said, his mouth close to my ear.
I wanted to turn and kiss him, not look for golden glows.
But I continued to search the darkness until I thought I saw a burnished haze.
It might also have been the reflection of the moon, which was rising now, on the lake.
Except the gold seemed to grow and dim, and a reflection wouldn’t have behaved as such.
“What is it?” I asked, turning my head so he might hear.
“My home. The city of my birthright. Zleyval. The gold is the glow of the lamps. If we were closer, we might hear the singing or the chime of bells.”
The idea of singing or ringing bells seemed incredible to me and not a little dangerous. The Zulenii were either incredibly lucky not to have been attacked by Hollows or had defenses I could not imagine.
“You will see it tomorrow,” he said. “Now, take off your clothes.”
I spun around in his arms. “Absolutely not! It’s far too cold.”
He raised his brows. “I thought you were a warrior.” He unfastened his belt and let it drop along with the weapon I’d made him. Next he reached for the buttons of his coat.
“What are you doing?”
“Swimming.”
“You cannot be serious.”
His coat dropped on the ground, and he shed his tunic underneath. At the sight of his bare chest, I was suddenly quite thankful for the moonlight. He kicked off his boots and reached for his waistband. “Join me?” he asked.
I didn’t feel quite so cold any longer. In fact, I felt rather heated.
“You are mad,” I murmured as he dropped his trousers.
Before I could reach for him, he turned and headed for the water.
I stared at his bare arse for a long moment, then unfastened my own belt.
I really was not sane. The air was cold, and the water would be even colder.
Taio splashed into the waves and let out a war cry.
I flinched at the noise but hurried to shed my own clothing.
If I had to brave the freezing water to have Taio’s naked body against mine, I’d do it.
Naked myself, I raced to the water and took a fortifying breath before splashing into the waves.
I almost turned back around, but Taio emerged from the water, picked me up, and carried me deeper.
As soon as the water touched my bottom, I inhaled sharply.
But the water wasn’t as bracingly cold as I’d expected.
It wasn’t warm by any means, but it wasn’t so cold I felt as though needles were stabbing my flesh.
“It’s not so bad,” I said, relaxing in his arms. We moved deeper and the water sluiced over me.
“This lake is fed by two sources,” he said. “Melting snow from the mountains and hot springs. This time of year, when the snow is falling in the mountains, the water is actually warmer than usual. In Zleyval, some mornings during the cold season, we see steam on the lake.”
This side of the lake was definitely not warm enough for steam, but the mild water combined with the heat of Taio’s body was enticing.
I wrapped my arms about his neck and slid down his body.
I could touch the bottom of the lake if I stood on tiptoe, while the water was only up to Taio’s shoulders.
I held on to those shoulders and peered over them, catching sight of the campfire.
The figures around it were small and seemed far away.
Taio lifted a hand from the water. “What are you holding?”
“The last of the soap,” he said. “Shall I wash you?”
I nodded, and he rubbed both hands together until he had created a lather.
He allowed the soap to float between us as he glided his hands down my back and over my buttocks.
My legs were wrapped around his middle, and he grabbed the soap and created more lather before he returned to rub his fingers along my thighs down to my calves and feet.
“Your turn,” I said, reaching for the soap, but he caught it before I could.
“I’m not done. Lean back.” He gave me a slight push to show me what he wanted, and I released his shoulders, adjusted my legs, and floated on my back in the water.
Taio started at my shoulders and spread slippery soap down over my breasts then my belly and finally between my legs.
I moaned, and his fingers slipped away. He caressed my inner thighs then worked his way up to the juncture between my legs again.
“I cannot wait to get you home and in my bed,” he said, his voice low and filled with need.
My breath caught as he guided a finger inside me, his thumb moving to circle the small nub now throbbing for him.
“I’ll spread your hair on the pillow,” he said as he stroked me, “and kiss every inch of your golden body until I know exactly where my touch drives you mad.”
“I think you know that already,” I gasped as his thumb scraped lightly against my center, bringing me closer to climax.
“I imagine there are other places.” His free hand touched my neck, my hard nipple, and the inside of my elbow. Everywhere his hands touched me left little trails of fire in their wake. I didn’t even remember having been cold any longer. Now I was hot, so hot.
I raised my head to look at him. His muscles flexed as his fingers pleasured me. His gaze met mine, and his lips curved into a smile. The soap floated nearby, and I caught it and rubbed it between my hands. “Your turn.”
I locked my feet around his back and floated closer to him, then ran my hands over his broad shoulders, savoring the feel of his muscles.
I spread lather on the tattoos at his neck and the lion on his shoulder.
I moved my body closer to his, and his arms came around my waist, pulling me against his erection.
I spread soap down his back and around to his belly, pulling away slightly to reach between us.
Taio tried to bring me closer, but I sent a soapy hand down to slide over his hard cock.
“Mara.” His voice was hard and might have sent warning bells through me if I didn’t know that tone. He wanted me, and he was losing his patience. Taio’s hand slipped to my bottom, stroking it and positioning me so his cock prodded at my entrance. He nipped at my neck. “I want to be inside you.”
“Yes,” I said, arching back to give him better access to the tender spot he’d found.
“Take me in,” he ordered.
I opened my eyes and looked at him. “Yes, my lord.” I tightened my legs on his back and pushed down slightly, taking an inch of him inside. We both groaned quietly. Taio’s hands on my buttocks tensed and then spread me so I was open to him.
“More,” he said. He kissed me, slowly, as I bore down, taking more of him.
His tongue dipped inside my mouth as his cock slid inside me.
I tightened around him, already feeling my climax start to build.
He growled and slid slowly out then back in again, just to where I’d allowed him.
The movement heightened my pleasure, and I made a small sound of anticipation.
“More,” he demanded, and I couldn’t tease him or myself any longer.
I pushed down and took him fully, gasping as he filled me to the hilt.
We bobbed in the water, joined and panting, for a moment before he moved his hips.
His hands on my bottom released me so I was tight around him, and every movement inside of me sent tendrils of pleasure down my legs, up my belly, and into my heavy breasts.
I rubbed my nipples on his chest, trying to quell the way they ached, and the movement increased the friction between us.
I rolled my hips, matching his measured thrusts.
We both groaned, Taio’s mouth against mine, his eyes closed.
We moved together again and again and then he opened his eyes. “My body for yours. My life for yours.”
“Yes,” I whispered as the pleasure crescendoed, and my vision went white with ecstasy.
He thrust into me harder then, increasing my pleasure, and then lowered his head to bite my shoulder softly.
I wasn’t aware of anything but the feel of him, the scent of him, the taste of him.
That was all I needed in that moment and—dare I even think it? —forever.