Zaureth: A SciFi Alien Romance (Enigma Series Book 4) (16 page)

Chapter Thirty-One

Zaureth stepped onto the beach, keeping his senses open for signs of life. Relieved to find the place devoid of land walkers, he strode up the incline and emerged in the backyard of an empty home.

“Over here,” Hauke whispered, jogging toward a gaping hole in the grass. “Exactly as we left it.”

Zaureth lowered to his knees while Amy slid from his back. The rest of the women gained their feet as well.

“I will go in first,” Zaureth announced. “One of you lower Amy through as soon as I give the word.”

Keeping his sight open to Amy, Zaureth grabbed on to a root that lined the opening and eased his body into the hole.

He dropped to his feet on the cave’s floor and held his arms up. “I’m in.”

Zaureth watched as Vaulcron carefully maneuvered Amy through the opening.

“I have her,” Zaureth announced, grabbing onto her dangling legs and pulling her into his arms.

The cave was dark, save for the flashlight Tony shone from above.

Zaureth could feel Amy trembling against him. He stepped back as the others began filing inside. “Are you all right, little one?”

“Yes,” Amy whispered, looping an arm around his neck. “I’m just weak with relief that we made it this far.”

“As am I.” Zaureth tenderly kissed her lips.

Tony handed out flashlights while Mallory positioned herself in the wheelchair. Hauke and Abbie walked ahead with Glenn and Fiona, while Oz brought up the rear with his squirming prisoner.

Zaureth’s brows lifted as he watched Oz wrestle with his burden. “You are planning to carry her the entire way?”

Oz barked out a laugh. “Hell no, I’m not carrying her. Her hipbones are digging into my shoulder.”

Dumping Maria onto the floor, Oz untied her ankle bonds, removed her blindfold and gag before yanking her to her feet. “Get moving.”

“Screw you,” Maria snapped, stumbling forward.

Zaureth waited for Vaulcron and Mallory to begin moving before turning to follow.

* * * *

“Fili mi!” Laurel cried, throwing her arms around Hauke. “You made it!”

Hauke hugged her back before indicating the rest of the party. “We are all safe, tired, and hungry.”

“Of course, my son.”

Klause appeared with Gryke flanking him. The king’s angry gaze zeroed in on Maria. “What have you done, Nicho?”

Oz brushed passed Zaureth to stand before the king. “I had no choice, Klause. Her brother nearly killed Zaureth by blowing up the yacht. The same brother who shot him just days before.”

“Then why does she yet live?” Klause growled, taking a step forward.

Oz moved to block him from reaching Maria. “Because I need her in order to get Carlito. She’s my only chance at luring him out into the open.”

Klause studied him for long moments. “Gryke will take her below.”

“Very well,” Oz conceded, handing Maria over to Gryke. “But I’m going with him to be sure she makes it there in one piece.”

The king nodded, motioning for the rest of them to pass. He touched Zaureth on the shoulder. “Once you have rested, I would see you in my chambers for a full accounting of what took place after our departure.”

Zaureth nodded, adjusting Amy’s sleeping form in his arms. “I will be there, sire.”

Klause cleared his throat. “What are your plans for the female you carry?”

“I have wed with her in the human custom, sire. I will take her to the mating cavern as soon as she is rested.”

A muscle tightened along the king’s jaw. “Healers do not mate, Zaureth. You cannot disregard our laws.”

“Klause,” Laurel began in a low tone. “We talked about this.”

The king responded to her without removing his gaze from Zaureth. “The laws are in place for a reason, Laurel. I cannot permit them to be broken at will, else disorder will ensue.”

Laurel laid her hand on Klause’s arm, drawing his attention to her. “Zaureth has made his decision. If you continue enforcing this law, I fear we will lose him.”

Something flickered in Klause’s eyes. He glanced back at Zaureth before meeting Laurel’s pleading gaze once more. “You really feel that I am wrong in this?”

“I do,” Laurel softly answered. “You alone hold the power to change it. Look deep inside yourself, my love. And do what is right.”

Klause kissed the queen on her cheek before facing Zaureth. “I hope she brings you happiness.”

“She does, sire.”

With a gentle smile on her face, Laurel took hold of the king’s hand and turned to go.

Zaureth stood rooted to that spot long after the room cleared and Klause followed Laurel in the direction of their chambers.

Turning east toward the catacombs, Zaureth trekked through the halls of Aukrabah, both relieved and exhausted.

He glanced down at Amy’s beautiful face, so fragile looking in her sleep. She would be hungry when she awoke, and he needed to gather the necessary supplies to care for her.

Zaureth came to the archway that led to the catacombs. He turned his body to the side to prevent Amy’s head from bumping the rock wall before descending the steps.

Taking a left into the alcove that housed his apartment, Zaureth gently laid Amy on the bed and pulled the covers up to her shoulders.

He stood there for several heartbeats, watching the rise and fall of her chest. She looked so small in the center of his big bed.

After assuring himself that she still slept, Zaureth secured another knife inside his boot and strode from the room to go in search of fresh food for his mate.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Amy jerked awake, dazed and confused. She held herself still for a moment, realizing she lay on a soft surface with a blanket covering her body.

“Zaureth?”

“I am here,” Zaureth answered, coming to sit at her side.

Amy reached for his hand. “How long have I been asleep?”

“All night and most of today.”

Amy blinked in embarrassment. “Wow. I’m sorry.”

“Do not apologize, little one. You have been through a lot.”

“Are we in Aukrabah?” Amy loved the feel of his warm palm enveloping her own.

Zaureth opened his sight to her. “We are in my apartment in the catacombs.”

“Oh my God.” Amy released his hand and scrambled from the bed as the room suddenly came into view. “It’s amazing.”

Soft, glowing lights lined the walls, resting on rock shelves. “What are those?”

“They are stones that hold the moon’s glow,” Zaureth responded, coming to stand next to her.

Amy could hardly contain her awe as she took in whatever Zaureth’s gaze touched on. “I want to see everything!”

Zaureth chuckled, offering her his arm. “I made you some dinner. Would you care to eat first?”

Amy’s stomach growled. “I am hungry. May I at least see the rest of your bedroom before I eat?”

“Of course,” Zaureth agreed, humor lining his voice.

He slowly moved his gaze around the room, allowing her to take in everything in his path.

The first thing Amy noticed was the size of the crude stone walls that held the moonstones. “It’s much bigger than I imagined it to be.”

And then the bed came into view. “Wow, Zaureth, what’s the bed made of? It’s huge.”

Amy listened as Zaureth explained the makings of his bed.

“So, it’s sand from the gulf’s floor, packed into a sharkskin casing?”

“There is a little more to it than that, but basically, yes,” Zaureth informed her.

Amy ran her hand across the soft surface. “It molds to your body like a memory foam mattress.”

“I do not know what a memory foam is, but I am glad you find it to your liking.”

“It’s very comfortable,” Amy admitted. “Show me the floor.”

Zaureth’s gaze slowly moved over the mostly smooth rock floor before coming to rest on a nook in the wall.

Amy studied it for a moment. “Is that a bathroom?”

“Though it is not as nice as what you are accustomed to,” Zaureth murmured, leading her in the direction of the bathroom. “It is functional.”

Upon closer inspection, Amy noticed the nook was roomier than it first appeared. A stone bench sat in the center with a round opening situated on top. Though too dark to see inside the contraption, Amy could hear water moving from within. “What is that?”

“It is a toilet.”

“Where do the…um, contents go?” She asked, more curious than embarrassed.

“It leads to the gulf.”

“But I thought Aukrabah lay beneath the gulf’s floor?” Amy was sure that she’d heard that before.

Zaureth brushed some stray hair back from her face. “Imagine this. A giant rock is submerged in a pool of water and then covered in sand. The rock is oblong with grooves and small openings running sporadically along the sides. The water, being drawn to the oxygen in the openings, is forced through the sand in places, creating an underflow beneath the rock. The air pressure at the entrance of the rock forms a barrier against the water. It then falls along the opening to start its journey anew.”

“You mean like a waterfall?”

“Exactly like a waterfall,” Zaureth stated.

Amy blinked in awe. “So, the rock is protected on all sides by the sand and water. Pressure sends the water below and above the rock, forming a vacuum of sorts.”

“That is a close assessment.”

Amy laughed. “How awesome is that? I guess you never have to worry about drain clogs in your toilet.”

Zaureth shifted his gaze to what looked to be a stone bowl made into the wall. He moved in closer to give her a better view.

“It’s a sink!” Amy exclaimed. “How did you make that?”

She could feel the pride Zaureth experienced at her excitement. “I simply hollowed out a deep groove into the wall, keeping it at an angle to allow the water to run back into the flow beneath us.”

“How do you get fresh water?” Amy knew she asked a lot of questions, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.

“There are many springs that bubble up from beneath the gulf’s floor that are free of the salt. We have one here in the catacombs, as well as a bath house near the main hall, and several more scattered throughout Aukrabah.”

At Amy’s soft intake of breath, he continued. “Aukrabah was once an active volcano. Over the centuries, and after many floor shifts, the volcano became completely submerged beneath the gulf. The core remains active enough to heat the water flowing in certain areas, yet it does not contain the required gasses to erupt.”

Amy’s mouth fell open. “How do you know all this?”

Zaureth took hold of her elbow and turned her toward the doorway. “I have been in the catacombs for many years, studying the ancient scrolls of our ancestors. There are volumes of information on the aquatic world as well as the surface.”

Amy trailed along beside Zaureth, lost in a haze of wonder. She’d never known anyone like him. His intelligence alone was intimidating. But his heart omitted an innocence she found captivating.

He led her to a smooth rock that sat next to a round stone table, and helped her to sit. “I am sorry that I do not have much of your human food down here, but I did not know what you prefer. I will take you to the storage room later tonight and have you choose the things you want.”

“What is that?” Amy questioned, pointing to a platter in the center of the table. “It smells amazing.”

“That is grouper, seasoned with some things I had readily available. I realize that humans do not eat their food uncooked, so I prepared it over the fire for you.”

He pointed to another dish before Amy could respond. “Those are oysters. I was unsure if you would appreciate them raw, but it will only take me a minute to cook them, if not.”

Next, he indicated a large bowl that held her favorite. Mashed potatoes.

“How did you get mashed potatoes down here?” Amy felt as if she could eat the entire dish.

“The food storage room has a lot of boxed potatoes. Vaulcron brought them back from Cuba at Abbie’s request.”

“They’re my favorite,” Amy remarked, watching as Zaureth made her plate. “How in the world did Vaulcron transfer food from Cuba without being seen?”

“He swam,” Zaureth stated in a matter-of-fact tone while heaping piles of food onto Amy’s plate.

Amy accepted the dish with a smile of thanks. “How did he keep the food from getting wet?”

“Oz packed everything in waterproof bags.”

“That had to be a heavy weight for Vaulcron to carry. I mean, he swam the entire way with all those supplies.”

“Objects become weightless beneath the water,” Zaureth pointed out. “I am certain that it was no burden for him.”

Picking up her fork, Amy took a bite of the delicious-smelling grouper on her plate. Her eyes nearly rolled back in her head. “This tastes amazing, Zaureth.”

He set out to fix his own plate. “I am happy that you like it.”