Page 11
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Early Days of Dawn
éLISA - NOW
élisa tossed and turned on her furs.
Outside, a burnished pygmy owl shared its distinctive seven-note call as it winged past R?k House.
The hour was late, but her mind would not let her rest.
She was consumed by worry.
For Killen and his growing quest to claim his legacy, a journey that she worried would be fraught with uncertainty, danger, and perhaps even extreme violence.
It was a dark path, yet he insisted he had to traverse it.
Although reluctant to take the throne, her son was convinced the hawkstone had the answers his people needed. All this without meeting any of them, not even a single soul.
She shivered as memories of the brutality of her people and, most of all, her father flooded her mind.
His fury had scorched planets, and his marauding instincts had pulverized nations. He was the Kíríga of Katánē, the All-Powerful King. Who only listened to the kirorero , the dreams of purpose, power, and prophecy, as told to him by the kurogi witchmen and curse placers.
Killen had none of these memories or these horrors to deter him.
She rose from her bed and gazed out of the open spaces that let in the filtered light bouncing off the chromed surfaces of Devansi’s plains.
élisa paced her room and used her lodestone, the remnants of her time wearing the hawkstone, to shut off the past.
What remained was a raw need for comfort and intimacy, and increasingly, yet confoundingly, she’d begun to desire it from her guest.
Since encountering the weathered bounty hunter, her body had played tricks on her. Her heart thumped, her pulse skittered, and her temperature rose every time he looked her way.
No man in decades had ever had such an effect on her.
He was not even her type.
She gave a frustrated moan, falling back in her bed as craving swamped her.
Against all logic, Ribau reminded her of her first love, her only love.
Not so much his appearance but how he moved, his smile, his essence.
It had all brought back echoes of her past.
Of her silver-eyed Riv.
The only man who made her feel like she was flying just by looking at her.
The Galician gazed at her in a similar way, and it was driving her mad.
The way he sized her body up and down.
How his eyes heated, how he licked his lower lip.
His hands moved with grace, which made her imagine what they’d feel like stroking her just as Riv had used them in the past to leave her weak between the sheets before he rocked her to sleep.
She shut her eyes tight, flooded with memories she’d tried to suppress for many years.
Of Riv, of his sensual energy, the way he’d made her feel when he was holding her, when he was spooning her.
How seductive he’d always appeared with his silver hair sheeting down over her when he touched her, rocked her between her thighs, and made love to her in what was then the most exquisite sensation.
His face melded into Ribau’s in her mind’s eye, and she jolted.
You freak! she chided herself, her face heating as a rush of wantonness hit.
She rushed onto the terrace outside her chamber, seeking relief in the night air, desperate for the breeze to cool off her heated flow.
Sweat dripped down her back, and she growled, frustrated by how a stranger with a grizzled face and skin scarred by rough living was having this effect on her.
Perhaps if she gave him some or they had a night for fun, it’d rid her of these unbidden thoughts of a man she’d left so long ago.
If she did, would she regret it?
Guilt suffused her at the thought that she’d be cheating on Riv.
Still, after all these years.
Her unceasing loyalty to her first love had kept her from yielding to the many men who’d tried their luck on her.
Because only one man had ever ignited her flames into a blaze, only one man had the keys to her heart, and she’d vowed to remain faithful to him for life.
élisa flicked away the tears spilling from under her eyes.
She’d agonized for years about the anguish she must have left him with, how much heartache she’d inflicted on his heart.
Yet there’d been no choice.
She’d had to leave Eden II without telling a soul.
If she hadn’t, the planetoid would have been torched and scorched, every living cell on its surface reduced to ashes.
Including her one true love.
He’d have been torn apart, shredded, ripped up, as would have all his friends, family members, neighbours, and the city.
For harboring K’élisa. Daughter, Kinti of the Kíríga of Katánē.
RIV
I need more meat on the Katánē.
Riv lay in his guest bed, his nodes locked in a neural connection with Mirage.
The AI’s neural tone was laced with concern. I’ve had to look far and wide for this intel, Riv. It took gigabytes of dense data before I dug out a few kernels. What I found was bone-chilling. We know they’re a bloodthirsty, marauding, ancient people living on Pegasi’s outer edge. Get this. They’re also shape shifters. Their collective name gives it away - The Ka??m??r?. They have chimeric abilities to change form into winged beasts and creatures of great size and magnificence.
Riv knifed up in bed. You fokkin’ jest?
I do not. You see feathers on both élisa and several on Killen because the Katánē transform themselves into lethal hawk giants, mostly in battle.
Riv cursed under his breath. I’ve been in love with a hawked warrior all along. Fokk me. Go on.
Mirage indulged him. I found a few legends and stories about them among the tribes and planets along the galaxy’s dark side. Stories about their prowess at battle, their sieges of entire worlds and planets, accounts of harrowing battle scenes, and the suffering and looting they left in their wakes. They became a wealthy race because they stole silver, gold, and the silks they used to embroider their elaborate woven tents and grand palaces. They’re feared across the Rim and will wage war with anyone who dares stand in their way.
It is also said they have the most superior firepower, and their War Eagles, their interstellar warships, are beyond lethal. They’re not the kind we want to cross.
Riv sighed. Yet here we are. Sounds like the die is cast, and we’ll have to deal with whatever comes our way.
Mirage agreed. As Kainan says, buckle up.
Will they receive any comms from us? Riv asked.
Mirage grunted. I hope so. I believe the beacon should still be broadcasting to our Sable network. I implanted our current position into it, so with any luck, the cavalry should be here soon.
Perhaps they can retrieve Ankis while I continue with élisa’s mission.
Perhaps.
‘What can I offer you?’
I need your heartbeat because you took off with mine.
‘Just a kahawa ,’ Riv rasped instead.
The woman handing him the steaming cup had no idea what was going through his mind.
Riv examined her with hooded eyes as he sampled the robust brew. It added heat to his innards, already warmed from just looking at her.
He imagined her as a giant, hawked warrior for a moment and tried to see it in her angelic face. There were hints of it under her skin, from her chiseled fierceness, alert stance, and the five feathers that bristled from her nape.
Moments later, his ardor cooled as he realise she was more unsettled than usual this morning.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, her mouth tight, and her body tense.
Riv wondered what was weighing her heart down, wanting to wrap his arms around her, press his lips to her temple, and tell her it would all be okay.
Still, she moved with lithe grace across the kitchen, tidying up after breakfast in the way he remembered. She’d always preferred a neat space.
Every so often, their eyes would meet between her chores, and a savage arc of need would jolt between them in a high wire of feeling.
She glanced away each time, her gaze skittish.
He smirked as he sipped his drink.
The tension between them was palpable, like a hot-wired current in the air.
élisa’s pull on him was ratcheting; his desire was fast-tracking. Nothing she did would keep him from needing her.
He bit his lips as she bustled around him, her grace only accentuating her curves and sensuality.
Every movement she made only heightened his need.
He had to pull his mind away from her allure. ‘Where’s Killen?’
élisa started at his question. ‘He left at midnight.’
‘Walkabout, was it?’
élisa nodded. ‘He should be back in a few days. When he decides he’s ready.’
She paused like she’d had a sudden thought. ‘I’ll cover your cost for the extra days waiting for his return.’
Riv hid a grimace at having to keep up the Ribau act. ‘That’ll be appreciated; otherwise, I’ll have to leg it to Galicia empty-handed.’
‘I’m sure our gold will cover your expected fee. I’ll add a few bags to ensure your silence.’
‘You’re assuming I can be bought.’
She nailed him with a side eye. ‘You want our gold or not?’
He shrugged. ‘Bring it. I’m sure Trevilian would have taken a handsome cut anyway. If I return empty-handed, they will remain so while I pocket my stash. Winning. I’ve always wanted to stick it to them for all the jobs they’ve stiffed me for.’
She gave him a half smile, and he sensed her mind was elsewhere.
He cleared his throat. ‘So what shall we do while we wait? Sightseeing?’
He had a few private ideas, but he doubted élisa would be down for endless hours of lovemaking with a man who looked like he’d be her grizzled uncle.
He forced himself to the present as she shook her head and pursed her lips. ‘Ribau, we’ve plenty to do. If you’re ready to work.’
‘I’m always ready.’ For you.
‘We can check on the fencing and the animals.’
‘Livestock?’
‘Where do you think we got the fresh milk for your kahawa ?’
Riv cocked a brow. ‘Cows?
‘A Devansi form of them. They’re called dzo, a cross between a mini yak and cattle. Their milk is top-grade, and even though they’re small, they make ideal pack animals for hauling gear in these treacherous plains because they are nimble. I rear them for trade as they’re valuable in these desert parts. Which also means we’ve had some unwanted attention as a result.’
He paused with his cup mid-air. ‘How so?’
‘We get an attack at least every other month from the desert tribes, who prize them.’
‘Looters?’
élisa nodded with a rueful turn of her lips. ‘Sand pillagers who roam the surfaces of the fissures and sleep in pits dug deep into the rocks. They once lived in the cooler chasms until warfare drove them above, where they now scavenge from their enemies below and us. They find our small herd irresistible, given the quality of our milk and meat and their hauling capacity.’
‘Fascinating. I must set eyes on these creatures then.’
Her eyes lit up. ‘Help me feed them; afterwards, you can help me with more chores.’
Riv walked over to the natural rock sink and washed his coffee cup.
‘Show me these bearers of fresh milk. Being a spacefarer means I don’t get the chance to interact much with animals, which will be a treat.’
élisa smiled. ‘Follow me, Ribau.’
She turned and strode through the house towards a side entrance.
Outside, the warm desert air flowed over a landscape covered in salt dunes and fissures, their bleached color bouncing heat and rays in every direction.
Lifting a hand, Riv shielded his eyes while his noids adjusted. He followed élisa as she headed towards an outhouse, surrounded by the same lethal-looking chrome fencing as the homestead.
élisa punched a code into the security panel on the gate; it beeped and swung open.
As soon as it did, a cacophony of braying and yipping hit Riv like a wave.
Followed by a flurry of hooves clattering hard over rock towards him.
His eyes widened on seeing a herd of miniature silken animals with long, flowing, dappled silver-white and caramel coats prancing towards him.
élisa surged ahead of him to stay their advance, and they followed with earnest calls.
She approached a feeding bin and reached inside for a scoop, using it to gather and spread seed over the rocky ground.
The dzo leapt for it with excited yips while Riv watched with a half smile. ‘Bizarre yet adorable.’
‘Want to try?’
He started at the offer. ‘I suppose.’
Strolling towards élisa, he nabbed the scoop and sunk it into the feedbag.
The animals pawed at him, butting his legs with gentle nudges until he scattered the grains as élisa had done.
‘They’re insistent buggers.’
He and élisa exchanged a smile, and he had an epiphany at that moment.
He’d never relaxed since she’d left him, always so wound up in his heart, body, and soul.
Today was the first time he’d woken without any tightness in his chest, a churning sensation that had dogged him since she’d left. Nor did he feel the weight of the daily anguish that had stalked him like a phantom for years.
It was almost euphoric, and he grinned at her.
He noted her slow blink as she studied his face.
The doubt in her expression was growing each time she looked at him. Like she was quizzing who he was under Ribau’s disguise.
Riv turned away from her and busied himself, petting one of the miniature creatures that decided it liked him.
The needle probe of her gaze fell on him, and he chose to ignore it, still uncertain of how to proceed with her.
Knowing they would be alone this coming night, a bolt hit his cock, and he almost groaned.
The chores came as a relief, letting him focus on the manual labor instead of on her.
He worked beside élisa to weed the small garden beside the dzo enclosure. She came alive in this rare green space, a smile playing on her face as she stopped every so often to push a synna berry into his mouth or crumple an aromatic leaf against his nose.
It was earthen, sensual, and such torture to be so close to her, to inhale the purity of her essence and have his lips touch her hand as she fed bounty to him.
At one point, he strode to the boulder adjoining the house, where he threw his heated torso under a gushing fountain, seeking relief.
He found her eyes on him, and the wash of cool water turned into a caress as their attraction intensified.
Kuma, how was he going to survive this?
élisa came to his rescue when she asked him to look at the aging generator that powered the fence’s energy field.
He examined it, head tilted, eyes narrowed, searching for the faults. ‘The sandstorms have worn down the shield by damaging its crystals as the impact is absorbed and spread through the matrix. I’ll need to reface some of the crystalline tiles and recalibrate over the capacitors so they drain the shield’s energy slower.’
He also sent a cluster of noids over the rundown machine, and they went to work going into the machine’s grooves, stabilizing its energy fields.
They spent the rest of the day fixing breaks in the fence where sandstorms had sheared away sections.
Together, they bolted on storm windows over the large openings that acted as windows. Riv couldn’t keep his eyes off her, noting she had a deft hand and worked fast.
She’d become ever more sufficient and self-assured in her ease in maintaining the property.
‘You’re battening down in case you don’t return,’ he murmured.
She nodded. ‘I need to prep for our departure. Killen seems convinced we’ll not be back, and like I said, he’s never wrong.’
Sadness flitted across her face, and she shrugged like she was resigned to her fate.
A stab of compassion suffused Riv. ‘You must like this place,’ he said, gazing out over the barren landscape that held a haunting beauty.
‘It’s where we found safe harbor, and I brought up my child.’
It’s also where you hid away from me, my love.
They continued their work in silence, with Riv brooding and élisa pensive.
At one point, she looked up at the sky. ‘Is your ship still here?’
‘In a manner of speaking. It’s cloaked.’
‘Won’t you let it land to preserve fuel?’
Riv shook his head. ‘She’s better off in the skies, surveilling the area.’
The truth was, he’d sent Mirage and Glimmer to the south to investigate the strange phenomenon élisa and Killen had mentioned and to hunt down Ankis.
By evening, Riv had helped élisa secure the property and even pack up some of her belongings that she’d need for her journey.
After freshening up, he worked beside her at the kitchen counter to prepare a light supper of flatbread, preserved pickles, and smoked meats. élisa served it with a light beer, which he found delightful.
‘This is refreshing. I like the taste, super crisp and clean with a citrus finish.’
‘Our brew. Or rather, Killen’s. He’s been experimenting with a small batch of wheat growing in the back conservatory, adding desert lemons and tiny limes he’d found on his travels into the fissures.’
Impressed, Riv downed a bottle in just a few gulps to élisa’s amusement.
He grinned at her and reached out for a second.
Leaning back against the stone lounge, looking out over the stunning vista, Riv indulged in the ongoing pangs of need for the woman beside him.
They’d worked in such synergy earlier, their bodies falling back into the rhythm that was theirs even two decades later. It was seamless, and it was singular. He’d never had this ease and flow with any other woman.
She sensed it, too.
He caught élisa sneaking glances at him, ever more drawn to him and questioning his identity.
She’d soon rumble him, and he mused about when and how he’d reveal himself.
Perhaps it was time for another subtle hint.
He reached for his potty book and pulled it out, watching from the corner of his eye as élisa’s eyes fixed on him.
‘I think it’s time for me to read The Inomorati for you.’
She tilted her head. ‘The man’s refrain from the last poem?’
She hadn’t forgotten.
‘Indeed. It’s even more poignant than you expect.’
She eyed him over her bottle. ‘Go on then.’
He stepped up to the challenge in her glittering eyes.
Riv flipped the pages until he found the one he sought. His lips turned up momentarily when his finger landed on the poem he was after. He began reading out loud with a slow, rhythmic resonance.
‘Oh, my love Inomorati, you are like a costly ring
for which thousands were paid:
Oh, you are as the gold of Sian, finely molded, always bright
You are the risen sun and the early days of dawn.
You are the strength of a bull when you work the land
You are the neck of a crested crane when you walk the avenues
Selling your wares so we may grow rich
Your eyes and teeth are so fine they out-glitter ice
Your hands and feet are so strong they break the enemy
Your lips and tongue lead me along the path of desire
Your heart and soul are so deep, they’re a pool in which I drown
Your kindness and care
You are the triumph on the shoulders of men.
You are the King treading along on camel blankets
You are the green serpent with fearful eyes.
You are the warrior slaying thousands on one side
And tens of thousands on the other
Make way for my lover.
He is coming, he is coming,
Make way for the love of my life
For you are the risen sun and the early days of dawn.
His voice trailed away, its deep, low reverberation hanging in the air. He looked up, his gaze clashing with élisa’s before she tore her face, hiding it away from him.
Not before he caught the glisten of tears and wet sheen in her eyes, reflected the moon and aurora above.