Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Kavon woke with his arms full of woman.
He turned his head and breathed deep, pulling in a lungful of sweet-smelling female. That in itself was strange enough—he wasn’t a snuggler, and usually sent a woman on her way when they were finished. He was a trained warrior—he didn’t like people in his space when he slept.
Then he opened his eyes and stared at the strands of hair in front of him. That fascinating shade somewhere between red and gold. Aurina.
He let his arms tighten around her. She was a delicious handful, that was for sure.
His fingers flexed on her smooth skin. By the warrior, he wanted to explore her.
Her face was buried against his chest, her arms around him, and her slim legs tangled with his.
At some stage during their sleep, she’d burst through her barrier of pillows.
Her sleep shirt had ridden up in the night, and the lower curves of her backside were bare.
He closed his eyes and waited for his unruly body to settle. He was a warlord, very much used to getting what he wanted. What he wanted was a sweet, smart-mouthed skyflyer, who’d crashed into his carefully constructed world.
Opening his eyes, he stared at the ceiling. She wasn’t in his plan. He had a family name to restore and favor to curry with his king. He had to marry a warlord’s daughter, not dally with an independent woman from another world who pushed him at every turn.
Aurina moved, making a small sound in her throat that made Kavon’s already hard cock twitch.
She went very still, then she raised her head.
Green eyes widened, and he half expected her to scramble away. Instead, she dropped her head back to his chest and groaned.
“Aurina?”
“I’m sorry…I’m prone to curling around anything I can in my sleep?—”
He felt a shot of something ugly inside. “I do not want to hear about you curling around another man.” His voice was harsh, the tone he saved for his warriors when they’d displeased him.
She shook her head, which made her lips rub against his chest. He swallowed a groan.
“No, I have this body pillow in my cabin on the Sky…where I live with my brothers. I always wake up curled around it like the constrictor serpents of Dagus Prime.” She looked up again, her eyes wide. “Why can I hear two heartbeats in your chest?”
“Because I have two hearts. All Markarians do. It gives us added stamina. You don’t have two?”
She shook her head. “Only one.” She shifted against him. “Anyway, I’m sorry…you know, about your discomfort.”
He nudged her with his “discomfort.”
She shifted against him, and he felt the tight nubs of her nipples rub against his chest.
“Aurina,” he murmured, his hands tightening on her skin.
“Don’t say my name like that,” she groaned.
“Let me pleasure you. Let me bring us both pleasure.”
She sat up abruptly, pulling her sleep shirt down. “No.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not staying. It’s best we don’t get entangled.”
“I’m talking about pleasure, not taking you to wife.”
“Sex makes things messy. I still think it’s best we don’t.”
“That’s not what I see in your eyes.”
She pushed at her tangled hair. “Enough, Kavon. We have work to do.” She climbed to the edge of the bed. “We have an e-beacon and a sword to find.”
He lay back for a second. He really was used to getting his way, and really used to women happy to do his bidding at the slightest murmur.
Aurina was as aggravating as she was fascinating.
And it was time he told her the truth about her e-beacon.
“I have your beacon.”
She spun fast. “What?”
“It looks like a round metal ball.”
She licked her lips. “Yes. It’s intact?”
“Yes.”
Her face tightened. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I chose not to.”
Her eyes sparked. “And you’re the great warlord and get to do as you please. You had no right to lie to me. God, you lied all day yesterday.” She turned away from him.
Kavon leaped out of the bed. “Nothing yesterday was a lie, Aurina. Least of all how much I want you here and not rushing off somewhere else.”
“You mean leaving for my home? You have no right to keep me trapped here.”
“We have a deal, remember?”
“That’s right, you want to use me first.” Her cheeks turned pink. “For my knowledge.”
Her knowledge was now the least of what he wanted from her. “You help me find the sword and share your knowledge with my people, and I will give you your e-beacon.”
“Fine.” She grabbed some clean clothes and stomped off into the bathroom. A moment later, he heard the splash of water as she bathed.
As Kavon dressed, he wasn’t sure why he felt so…disturbed. He was a warlord, he did as he pleased. What one pretty stranger from the stars thought mattered little to him.
When she returned, her lovely hair was caught back in some complicated knot. He frowned. He didn’t like it. He wanted to yank the damn thing out and let her hair free.
“I really wish I had my Sync,” she said.
“Sync?”
“It’s a small computer…ah, it’s a device, about this big—” she moved her hands “—I use it to write on, store information, that sort of thing. It would make this search a lot easier. Guess it’s in a pile of pulverized pieces in the Wilds.”
No, it was sitting in a locked room above them.
Soon, he was leading her to the scholars’ domain. He bellowed for some breakfast to be brought, and had a quiet word with Colm.
Finally, they reached the door to the large, airy library. Colm appeared and handed Kavon what he’d asked for.
Kavon turned to Aurina. “Before we go in.” He handed the object to her.
“My Sync!” She pressed it to her chest, then she eyed him. “Why give this to me now?”
“Because I do as I please.”
“You are so infuriating.” But her words held no heat. “Thank you, Kavon. This will really help. It makes me mostly forgive you for not telling me about the e-beacon.”
He liked seeing the happy light in her eyes. “Good.” He pushed open the door.
Chaldora stood. The woman was their chief healer, but also a knowledgeable scholar. She was running the team searching for the sword.
Beside her, a thin, young man popped to his feet.
Davin had been crippled as a young child, and therefore unable to complete warrior training.
It seemed the boy was eminently suited to being a scholar.
He loved knowledge, books, and peppering people with questions.
The third scholar in the room was a woman, only a little older than Aurina.
Kata didn’t look much like a scholar. Her dark hair fell in braids on either side of her pretty face, and she was extremely opinionated. She shot a suspicious look at Aurina.
“Scholars.” Kavon pulled Aurina close to his side. “I would like an update on the search.”
“Warlord.” Both Davin and Kata bowed their heads.
Chaldora nodded at him, then smiled at Aurina. “Aurina Skyflyer, you look recovered.”
“I am, thank you.”
“Sit, please.” The old woman waved at the solid wooden chairs at the table.
Aurina took a seat, but Kavon stayed standing. “I would like you all to tell Aurina everything you know about Durendal and the search.”
Kata’s eyes widened. “Why?” she said sharply.
He narrowed his gaze, noting the stubborn, suspicious look on the young scholar’s face. “Because I ordered you to.”
There was a sigh from Aurina and then she touched his arm. “Because I’ve agreed to help in any way I can. Where I’m from, I’m a scout. I’m good at finding things.” She smiled. “Kavon told me you’ve been working hard and have gathered a lot of information.”
Kata’s stiff body relaxed the smallest fraction. “You don’t plan to steal the sword for yourself?”
Aurina laughed. “I can’t go anywhere, Kata, and even if I could, what would I do with a sword?”
Some servers bustled in with platters of food—cooked meats, eggs, and freshly-cut fruit.
After they’d left, Kavon pushed the nearest platter closer to Aurina. “Try the fruit.”
She tilted her head back, one eyebrow arched.
He smiled. “Please.”
With a satisfied nod, she plucked up the juicy fruit and started eating. He liked seeing her eat the food he brought her. He glanced up and saw his scholars watching him—Chaldora looked amused, and the others looked dumbstruck.
“Chaldora?” he prompted.
With a nod, the woman shuffled forward to start.
“When the First Warriors came to our land from the north, we were but a primitive, animal-like species. The warriors came to help guide us onto a path of learning and honor.”
Kavon watched Aurina lean forward, completely absorbed in the story. He was completely absorbed in her.
He frowned. He’d never been so enamored of a woman. It wasn’t just her fascinating, tempting looks—he liked her quick mind, her annoying courage, and even that quick-talking mouth of hers.
“We were warlike and brutal, but not organized,” Chaldora said.
“Our bodies were unrefined. Huge, with power but no skill. The First Warriors made their home here and started to teach us skills and eventually, they mated with the native Markarians. We became smaller, but smarter, less like the beasts that roam the land. The warriors taught us to become one with the nanami inside us…to use the power of the nanami to our benefit.”
Aurina’s face was rapt. Kavon scowled. Why couldn’t she look at him like that?
Chaldora continued. “Some Markarians learned to use the power of their nanami to mine, others to channel it into growing crops, others into healing. And of course, into being excellent warriors. Some warriors, the greatest in our legends, were able to create the power of lightning with their nanami.”
Aurina pulled her small device from her pocket. Kavon heard the younger scholars gasp.
She pressed something and the screen glowed. “This is called a Sync. I’m just taking some notes.”
Chaldora nodded.
Aurina tapped furiously. “Go on.”
“They taught us to write, to build, and to farm, and to mine. Most importantly, they taught us the Way of the Warrior. To fight with skill and honor. To control our unruly, rampaging emotions. They taught us to speak in more than grunts and growls.”
Now Aurina went very still. Kavon straightened, watching her face.
“They taught you to speak English?”