Forsaken Realms (Bounty Hunters United Book 1) (11 page)

He gazed into the pool first at her, then at the rocky bottom where the school of fish circled. A slight smile crossed his lips. “Those are darackum. They are good to eat.”

“Would you look in the packs and see if we have anything we can make into a net? Maybe I can scoop up a few for dinner?”

“We do not need a net.”

“Yes, we do. The darackum are slimly as hell. They slipped right through my fingers.”

“Gemmina, cover your ears.”

“My ears? Why?”

“Do it.”

Was he nuts? Still, she covered her ears. “How will this catch fish?”

Syan cupped his hands in front of his mouth making a funnel. His lips parted and a tremendous roar poured out of him that made the top of her head vibrate and the surface of the pool shudder. A moment later a couple dozen stunned fish floated to the surface.

“Quick!” He dove into the pool and in several long strokes reached her side. “Gather the fish before they sink again. We don’t want to waste them.”

In no time her arms were filled with silvery fish.

Syan smiled. “You will like these. Darackum are my favorite.”

She rolled onto her back and kicked toward the bank while trying to keep all her fish together.

A look of delight bathed his face. “I found a deep cave behind the waterfall. It will be a good place to camp. If the patrol craft fly at night, the falling water will confuse their motion scanners. We will be safe there at least for tonight.”

A wave of relief welled inside her. They were going to stop walking for the day, eat, and rest. They had shelter, and she had the company and affection of an amazing man. As chaotic as the situation was, it occurred to her she’d never had it so good.

He smiled. “I agree.”

“It’s so weird when you do that. I’m not used to having someone else inside my thoughts.”

“Is it so difficult to have me there?”

“It’s a bit strange.”

They piled the fish on the bank. He climbed out of the water first, grabbed his pants and stepped into them. “Do you think we can risk lighting a fire?”

“I don’t know about that. A campfire would show up on a fly by. We could cook the fish with my handheld weapon. It’s a high-energy beam. I can put it on the medium setting for a second or two and give the fish a blast of heat. It won’t brown them. It’s more like boiling.”

At that suggestion he wrinkled his nose. “That would be a waste of good darackum. They are best cooked over flame. We could light a fire inside the cave. It would not be visible from the air.”

“All right. It will probably be fine.”

“What are in these packs? Do you have a knife?”

“Yes. Each pack has a knife, a bed kit, first aid—”

“That reminds me.” Syan walked into the brush. “I’ll return soon.”

“Where are you going?”

“Not far!”

“That’s not an answer!” Gemmina watched him walk away and realized this was her opportunity to jump out of the pool and dress. Slipping her damp limbs into her snug clothing was a challenge. The boots remained untouched because she couldn’t bring herself to put them on her aching feet. The packs were nearby so she opened one and dug through it until she found a sheathed virtual knife and quickly went to work cleaning and filleting the fish on a flat rock. The sun sank, leaving her little light for the task.

A short while later, Syan returned holding a bundle of leaves and what appeared to be a patty of greenish paste in his palm. A pleased expression dawned on his face when he glanced at the cleaned pile of fish. “You’ve already done all those? You’re fast.”

She drank in his praise. “I’m hungry.”

“Me too.” He knelt beside her and showed her the contents of his palm. “This is for the bruise on your forehead. These leaves are well known to my people as a natural painkiller. They will also make the bruise fade in hours instead of many days.”

“I have a bruise on my forehead? Terrific.”

“Yes.” He gently touched a spot near her hairline. “It has gotten worse, and I was worried about it. These leaves only grow near running water, and I was hoping to find some.” He lifted the poultice. “May I?”

She nodded her consent, and he pressed the cool compact against her forehead. Her skin tingled. Within seconds, the achiness fled and a sweet dreamy feeling took its place. “I feel better already.”

“You might also feel a little giddy.”

Her vision blurred. Everything had a double line around it, and tiny rainbows shot through the air. Syan’s eyes looked huge, glossy, and fathomless. “I think….” She burst into laughter. “Whatever this stuff is—It’s making me really high.”

He drew the poultice away. “It shouldn’t do that.”

“But it is.” As he turned his head, his hair appeared to writhe in slow motion and looked as if it had a life of its own. Shimmering blue and green highlights flashed. “I’m pretty sure that whatever is in those leaves is mildly narcotic.”

He looked at her with concern creasing his brow and held out his hand. “Let’s go inside the cave. I’ll bring the fish and start a fire. You need to eat. Its getting dark we’ll soon have other things to worry about.”

Weird sensations took hold. She perceived her voice had a hollow echo. “Oh, that’s right, I’m going to turn into a yowling she-cat and climb all over you,” she blurted.

“I’m not going to let you do that.” He helped her to her feet. “Speaking of cats. I’d better bury these fish cleanings. Even though we have not seen any large animals yet, these jungles might harbor a syan. They are very stealthy creatures. One never sees them until they pounce.”

Feeling buzzed, she wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a hard squeeze. “The only Syan I want to see in this jungle is you. You’re a big beautiful, tiger-like creature and I’ve never seen a man as freaking gorgeous as you in my entire life. You were so sweet to get me that poultice. No one ever does anything kind for me. You have no idea how much that gesture means.”

He pulled away. “Gemmina, I think you are intoxicated. I did not know the poultice would have this effect on you. I apologize and wish to inform you I will not be taking advantage of you in your impaired condition.”

“Damn you!” She laughed. “Take advantage. I need it.” Her head spun as she went limp. “Oh, shit, now I’m dizzy.”

He grabbed hold of her before she fell, hooked his arm around her waist, and held her steady at his side. “I’m going to start a fire and cook the fish. You will feel better after you eat.”

They scrambled over rocks and walked behind the sheeting spray of the waterfall. The cave was dark and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. The simple act of stepping into the blackness made her blood simmer with desire. The darkness caressed her heightened senses like a velvet blanket. A longing to rip what little clothing Syan wore off, push him to the ground and cover him in kisses, raged. “Be careful. The after dark thing is kicking in.”

“I know. I feel it too.” He led her toward the rear of the cave. “Sit. This area is clear. I will get the packs and the fish. It won’t take long. Don’t go anywhere.”

Her vision was so blurred she didn’t dare move. “I won’t.”

Syan strode away. “Do the packs have a fire kit?”

“Yes, of course. There’s an ion lighter and some fuel sticks in the side pockets.

The fire kit was located, and soon he was fanning a pile of flaming branches and threading filleted fish onto sticks and holding them over the fire.

Feeling useless she scooted toward the packs and dug through them. “Look! Salt!” She tossed the packet to Syan. “We can put that on the fish.” She held up a small blue rectangle the size of her palm. “Guess what this is?”

His gaze traveled to her. “I have no idea.”

“It’s a bed. Watch.” Gemmina set the tiny rectangle down on a flat sandy spot clear of rocks and pinched an activation button. The rectangle hissed as it filled with air, unfolded, and inflated into a large mattress.

The hint of a frown curled his lips. “That looks like it will be comfortable—for one of us.”

She dug into the packs trying to distract herself from feeling so intoxicated from the leaf paste and the effects of Syan’s bite. Flecks of colored light darted behind closed lids. Her skin tingled, aching to be touched. Tuning out his all-male presence was a challenge. “There should be bedding, too. Ah, here it is.” She held up a green square.

The fish crackled over the fire and browned. It smelled delicious.

A few minutes later, he took a fish kabob off the fire, sprinkled it with salt, and handed it to her. “It’s ready. I hope you like darackum.”

“I’m sure I will.” The colored geometric shapes that been hovering in her peripheral vision faded. Her thoughts cleared. “My head feels a lot better, and the weirder effects of the paste seem to be easing.”

“That’s good.” Syan helped himself to some fish, carefully sliding a few sizzling pieces onto a green leaf, which he used as a makeshift plate. He picked up a bit of fish and brought to his lips. The moment he tasted it, a blissful expression lit his face. “I am grateful you spotted the darackum.”

“I’m glad you roared at them or whatever it was that you did, and made them go belly-up.”

“That is my territory call. It is an imitation of a syan and a warning to other males to stay-away. It is handy for fishing too as long as the water is not too deep.”

“I first heard your boom voice at Naveen’s compound.”

He grinned. “Were you impressed?”

“Not as much as I should have been. Had I known….”

“The guards were being unreasonable. They kept trying to drug and beat me.”

She picked at the warm leaf-load of fish. “They’ll be sorry won’t they?”

Syan gazed at her with a cheerful smile. “You are a good companion. There must be many men on Earth trying to make a favorable impression on you.”

A flame-charred bit of fish was selected and brought to her lips. “I’ve not been looking.”

“Why not? Don’t you want a man?”

The mild-fleshed darackum was heavenly with a hint of smoke. “I haven’t found the right one.”

“You mean you have not found the right man on Earth?”

“Maybe we should talk about something else.”

“All right. Perhaps after we are finished here you will come to Kiron with me and see how we live. There will be much envy from my peers. You would be considered an ideal mate.”

A mouthful of darackum was swallowed too quickly so she could speak. “You’re pushing this aren’t you? Are you really serious about being in the market for a mate?”

A perplexed expression creased his brow. “In the market? I would never consider buying a mate. That would be insulting to a future life partner.”

She groaned. “Never mind.”

“Oh I get it!” He laughed. “It is an Earth saying. Being ‘in the market’ is to be searching for a mate, right? Yes, I have been searching for a mate. I am the right age. You have a lot of confusing Earth sayings, don’t you?”

“Yes we do.”

Syan looked gorgeous by firelight. The temptation to climb into his lap and caress his face while sharing the same warm breath was overwhelming, but she stopped that thought cold in its tracks. “We’re getting ahead of ourselves. First, we have to get out of here alive and keep you out of X57. Jason Naveen is a powerful man. Naveen’s not going to let us steal a ship and expose him to the outside world without a fight. Any number of things can wrong. If we die here, it could be a long time, if ever, before anyone finds out.”

“The darackum is delicious.”

Gemmina tensed. The raw, agitated feelings rose again. “You’re not listening, are you?”

“I am trying not to think of you sitting on my lap.” He glanced at her from the corners of his eyes. “But I would welcome it.”

“You’re right. The fish is delicious.” Her gaze focused on the campfire to avoid staring at him bathed in golden light with his lashes casting long shadows across his cheek. If she wasn’t careful she might become mesmerized by the sight of his elegant hands ferrying bits of fish to his beautiful lips. Why did Kironians have to be so sexy? It was insane and unfair. It took all her willpower not to wish he’d take hold of her, roll her onto the bed, kiss her mouth, and leave her breathless.

He set his fish aside and stared at her for a tense moment. “I’m going to get a drink of water.” He stood and strode toward the cave’s entrance, but not before she noticed how hard he was. The fabric of his suit was pulled taut against his crotch.

The sight of Syan moving away from her caused an anguish that had nothing at all to do with rational thought. Suddenly she couldn’t bear to be separated from him, even by a few meters. She leaped to her feet. “I need a drink too. I’m coming with you.”

“All right, but please try not to be so tempting. This situation is very difficult to endure.”

“You’re the one who bit me.”

“I do not need to be reminded of my shameful act.”

“Oh, please.” Gemmina stood at the edge of the waterfall, held out her hands, and brought scoop after scoop of fresh cool water to her lips. The weight of the day bore down on her, and she wondered if she should even bring up the topic of sleeping arrangements. The inflated mattress was big enough for both of them, but it would be a snug fit. A man Syan’s size was certain to sprawl out and take up room. Touching would almost certainly be involved and would she even want to spend the night so close to him and not touch? Then again, if she were honest, she could tell him there was another bed, in the other pack waiting to be inflated.

“I heard that.” His tone was somber. “I do not think I can share a bed with you and not touch.”

“Damn, I knew you’d catch that. I think I’m done for the day. I’m going to spare you the guess work and tell you aloud what’s happening. I’m going to brush my teeth and walk off into the jungle for a few minutes to pee. After that, I’m going to crawl like a zombie into bed and you can decide where you’re sleeping.”

He seemed confused. “You brush your teeth? Do they get tangled?”

A booming roar echoed over the jungle canopy.

She froze. “What was that?” A shiver rippled up her spine. “That sounded like one of your territory calls. Do you think there’s another Kironian here?”

Syan dipped him head and listened. “No. That was not a man. A low vibration is still rolling through the air. That was the call of an actual syan. They hunt at night.”