Survivor Planet III (7 page)

How could I explain without sounding like a lunatic?

“It was a nightmare, like you said.” I dare not say too much. His gentleness confused me. Why wasn't he yelling at me?

He shook his head obviously trying to comprehend my actions. “You were so angry. It was as though you stared at me, but saw someone else.” He pondered me for a moment or two. “I think I know what's happening.”

“You do?”
Please don't say I'm crazy.

He actually smiled. “You've obviously tried to block out your abduction, but when you dream it surfaces. I've seen it before. Warriors, after battling the enemy. They think they have everything under control, and then bam!” He smacked his fist against his palm making me jump. “Everything rushes back when they least expect it.”

I nodded. “That must be it. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to attack you. I don't know why I would react like that. I'm not a violent person.”

“You'd be amazed what you're capable of when threatened.”

He must have been speaking of his past experience. But he did seem pleased, not pissed. Maybe my moves impressed him? Although, they weren't actually
mine
. The gaze he turned on me was assessing and I knew he was contemplating what this might mean for the game.

“You said some things that were strange,” he said.

“I did?”
Great.

“I heard you yelling. I thought you were being attacked. When I ran in here you were thrashing about out of control.”

“I felt like I was being ripped from myself. It's hard to explain.”

“You called out a name. Do you remember?”

I nodded. “Ayres. Though I don't know why.”

He looked thoughtful. “I once knew an Ayres. It was a long time ago.” He shook his head as if to overthrow the memory. Then, staring into my eyes, he took my hands into his, the warmth and strength of him washing over me. There were tiny beads of sweat on his neck and his chest, which I now noticed was bare. Long gray boxer-like shorts covered his bottom half almost to his knees. They were tight, however, and from where he sat I could see the bulge of his sex. I became intensely aware of the close proximity of our bodies. The way his chest, bare of hair, and rippling with muscles, rose and fell with each breath he took. A tingling in my lower regions made me tense for a moment until I figured out it came not from my lower legs, but from higher up between them. My breasts tingled as well and my nipples hardened into tight little buds.

Was that desire I was feeling?

How unusual.

I'd never felt such a thing before, of that I was certain.

I licked at my suddenly dry lips as Cade's thumbs caressed the palms of my hands. He looked at my mouth and watched my tongue, seemingly mesmerized by it. I felt my own breath deepen and became aware of a sudden dampness between my thighs. Our eyes met and locked. Time seemed to freeze.

Achingly slow, as though battling a force stronger than himself, Cade bent and pressed his lips against mine. His kiss was soft and gentle, but soon became more forceful. I gasped, unwittingly allowing his seeking tongue entry into my mouth.

My first kiss.

My hands broke from his hold and came up around the back of his head. His kiss deepened, his tongue plunged further into my mouth to seek out and battle with mine. I felt his hand creep up my side and come over my breast. He pinched my nipple between his thumb and finger making me arch my back. His other hand came up to the side of my face and slid into my hair. He gripped my head with his hand holding me in place while his tongue plunged in and out of my mouth. I felt my thighs open. And a primal urge rushed though me, wanting the action of his tongue enacted between my legs. The core of me tightened and ached for fulfillment.

I knew about sex. Knew what it entailed. What I hadn't known or expected was my body's intense reaction to a simple kiss. This was a dangerous game we played. Thena had warned me about the lusty males of Calixtus. And right now Cade was caught up in this play.

I had to stop.

If I allowed him to continue this would be our ruin.

Reluctantly, I put my hands against his chest, which was almost right on top of mine. With effort, I turned my head away. “Stop,” I said. “Please stop.”

The grip on my breast tightened while Cade raised his head, closed his eyes, and took several steadying breaths.

“Hell,” he said. “I don't want to stop. But you're right.”

The words were left unsaid that I must remain a virgin. It was the entire reason for me being here with him. Without it I'd have no value.

He sighed and got to his feet. As he strode toward the door he paused for a moment on the threshold. “Remember what I said about training you to fight?”

“Yeah.”

“Forget it.” The door clicked as he shut it tight behind him.

It must have been hours later when something awoke me—that tearing sensation I'd felt earlier. I put my hands to my mouth to keep from crying out. Though I longed to beg for help, I refrained, knowing that the deep, angry force in me would surge forward with abandon. The last thing I wanted or needed was for Cade to rush in here and for us to do battle again. Images flooded my mind's eye. Crazy things, otherworldly things, popping into my line of sight only to distort and retreat. Voices sounded in my head calling another name that wasn't mine. Sitting up in bed I grasped my head and pulled my knees up to my chest.

Please stop…please stop…

Invisible hands were on my shoulders shaking me gently. “Amanda, wake up now. Come on sweetheart.”

“Not Amanda,” I cried softly. “Leave me alone.”

Shadows loomed all around me. The lines of reality blurred and were replaced by visions of a place I'd never been, and faces I didn't know. I swung my arms out in front of me trying to push them away.

“It's Ayres. You remember, baby. Come on now, let go.”

Ayres?

The name I'd called when I was afraid. But the voice didn't sound in control. It sounded impatient, almost frantic.

Something's wrong.

The grip on me became stronger. So strong I feared it would rip me from this world. Was it true what Cade had said, that I was reliving my abduction? It made sense—to a point. If it were true then why would I call to Ayres for protection—the very man who seemed bent on tearing me away? Had he been my abductor perhaps? And could I be experiencing some twisted sense of loyalty, like Stockholm syndrome? Expecting the person responsible for my fate to be the one to save me? The only one who could save me? And yet, I could not deny the deep bond I felt with this man. Though his means of defending me were strange, and intrusive, he had at least come for me.

The pain I felt was more mental than physical. Like I was about to fall over a cliff and the hand linking me to the edge was slipping. Fear of the unknown was the worst part. What would become of me if I allowed myself to drift into the void?

“I don't want to go,” I cried. “Please, leave me alone.”

The door to my room suddenly burst open. “Lara?”

Cade!
I'd disturbed him again. And now he would see what was happening to me. I couldn't stop it. Even now as I saw him coming toward me—slowly as if in a dream—the hands on me were Ayres'. Pulling, ever pulling.

“Come
now
, Amanda!” he begged.

“Not Amanda,” I asserted through gritted teeth.

“Lara! What's wrong? What is happening?” That was Cade, his voice sounding from the distance.

“Ayres, taking me away.” The whispered reply was all I could leave him with. In the next moment I felt my body go completely limp. Blackness surrounded me.

But not for long.

Creeping out from the edges of my psyche were those visions I vaguely remembered. A dove, a forest, a bright light. Then more quickly; deadly laser bolts flashing from steel weapons, strange human-like creatures, some with wings. Death.

Hands were on me, urging me to sit up. But I was already sitting up, wasn't I? Hazy faces materialized before me. A sharp pin prick in my arm.

“We need her up. Now!” a man said sharply.

“Amanda! You need to wake up. We're under attack.” That was Ayres.

Attack? From who? Why would Ayres sound so concerned? Wasn't he a warrior?

I shook my head, fighting the nausea and dizziness. My hands reached out and came in contact with a huge, hard chest. I felt leather beneath my hands and clung to it.

“They're practically on top of us. They must have seen our ship,” the other man said.

Slowly my mind began to focus.

“Roamyn?” Ayres demanded.

“I can't tell from here. I'd have to go up to the surface. It's only showing me three small ships. They've fired on our ship though.”

“Damn it!” Ayres again.

I scrubbed at my face with my hands trying to force myself to revive. There was trouble. I needed to wake up. A strong hand went around my waist helping me to stand.

“They're landing.”

Though he kept merging from one image into two, I focused on Ayres. “I'm out. Damn, what a mind fuck that is.”

Ayres grinned. “She's back.”

“Good. We're gonna need her.”

Both men now had their eyes trained on a small monitor off to my right.

“Not Roamyn,” Ayres said. “Hell. Akkadians.”

“What?” I asked.

“God damn filthy snot suckers,” Lourde snapped.

“That good, eh?” I couldn't help but smile.

Despite the danger, all I felt was relief. It was good to be back.

The three of us slunk through the winding corridors of the tunnels, making our way up to the surface. Our plan was to leave the cave from one of the few exits we'd uncovered, hopefully coming up behind the Akkadians and catching them unawares. First, we'd booby-trapped the main exits, rigging them with powerful explosives that'd annihilate anyone unfortunate enough to trip the wires. The aliens already knew from our ship that we were here. They'd soon figure out we were a force to be reckoned with. From the small portable monitor Lourde held in his hand I knew he was gauging the movements of the enemy above.

Slung over our shoulders and strapped to our hips and legs were several weapons. Ayres held a duffle bag in each hand, containing a veritable arsenal to use in our defense. Along the way he filled me in on the vile creatures that were the Roamyn's sworn enemy.

I did my best to pay attention, despite the fact that only a short time before I'd been in an entirely different world, experiencing a whole other set of problems. Try as I might to focus on the here and now, I couldn't quite shake off the recesses of Lara's life. Her fears had been mine, and only now that we were separated could I process all that I'd taken in. Lara had no idea of the horror awaiting her in the tournament on Taleon.

But I knew it all too well.

We finally came to a halt several feet from an opening to the outside. Covered over by vines and brush I knew it to be virtually invisible from the other side. Lourde paced, his eyes darting between the exit and the screen monitor.

“We can go out there and do some damage, but we can't guarantee success. If they get in here and find the room, all of this will have been for nothing.”

Ayres gave him a grim look, his grip on a lethal looking short-handled, steel battle-axe that shot laser bolts. “I plan on doing a lot more than just
some
damage.” He fixed his stern gaze on me. “You're to stay in here and protect the door. Do not fire and draw attention to yourself unless you're forced to.”

I nodded. While on Taseeus, he and Aris had endlessly drilled me on weapon use and hand to hand combat in the weeks before we left. Though I lacked the strength of a warrior, Ayres had assured me I was beginning to make up for it in skill. The biggest threat we faced right now was the fact we only had one true warrior among us. As if reading my mind, Ayres said, “If only my brother were here.”

Lourde's head jerked up as though he'd been slapped. “What'd you say?”

“You heard me,” Ayres snapped.

He was always snarky when in warrior mode I'd come to learn.

Lourde shoved the monitor into my hands and began digging through his pockets. “I know I have it somewhere. Bloody hell!” Then his face lit up. “Ah! Yes. Here it is. Almost forgot about it.”

“Unless you've got a warrior in your pocket then I don't see what all the damn fuss is about,” Ayres snarled.

“But that's just the thing! I do have a warrior in my pocket. Well, not really in my pocket, but…”

He pulled his hand from his pants and held up pinched fingers, waving them before my face. “What is it?” I couldn't make out what he was braying about, the object was too tiny.

“One of the many things I was in the midst of working on when I was forced to leave Calixtus was this…” He put a tiny copper-looking object that he'd been pinching into the palm of his other hand, displaying it before our eyes.

“It looks like a tiny penny,” I said.

“Exactly. In fact, it fits into a larger coin. There are actually two pieces that can be extracted from the whole. Unfortunately, in my haste, I lost one of the pieces when I escaped Calixtus. “

“So what?” Ayres demanded.

Lourde gave him a haughty look. “So, this is your brother. Well, not exactly your brother, but it can bring him to us.”

Ayres shook his head in disgust. “You've completely lost your mind.”

“Not at all. In fact, it's quite ingenious, I must admit. And I am thrilled to take full credit for this little creation. Though, unfortunately it's the only one of its kind. But it does work, I assure you. I've tried it out myself with favorable results.”

“What exactly does it do?” I asked. I was beginning to become as anxious and irritable as Ayres. The monitor was showing three ships had landed and at least four Akkadians had exited each one. They were spreading out and I feared it would only be a matter of time before all hell broke loose.