“And what harm is there in interfering? In helping new arrivals?”
A blue light circles the clearing. We both track its movements. Dread balls in my stomach. What else can go wrong? I’m not sure I have the will to fight another attack. Eskar can’t. Won’t.
“I don’t know. But I don’t regret it. This time with you has made the last one hundred-and ninety-eight-years’ worth it.” He presses a hard kiss to my lips.
Whatever happens, we’ll face it together. I return the kiss and the heat in my blood flares like now is the time to cement the bond. His pulse quickens, and against my thigh he hardens.
He smiles and looks away. “The urge to mate is strong even as I die.”
I want nothing more than to strip his pants and ride him into oblivion. “I want to…” We could at least try. “But if I…we…your heartbeat will quicken, and you’ll bleed out faster.”
“I know. I may only be an engineer, but I’d figured that out.” His hand smooths up my back, and his fingers tangle in my hair. “That doesn’t stop me from wanting you.”
The blue orb drifts around like it’s checking out what’s going on. When it tries to enter the ship, Harding bats it away. The orb is faster.
There are others in the trees now. Six in total that I can see, but the sky is lightening, so maybe we’ll be safe in daylight. The orb darts out of the upper level of the ship, then back to Eskar and I. It stops about a meter away and grows brighter.
I look away, momentarily blinded.
Eskar’s grip on me tightens, and I glance back. A man made of frost and water stands there, short tusks jut out of his jaw and his dark hair, half shaved, is dusted with ice. He’s only my height, but twice as wide and well-muscled and naked. I’ve met his kind before, ruthless mercenaries. Pirates and the like.
Eskar mutters what can only be a curse.
Another water being steps out of the shadows and hands the man a cloak made of the white fur from the beast, before stepping back into the dark.
“Peace,” the man says in Basic, his hands open in front of him, to show the lack of weapons. He looks at Harding. “Lower your weapon I mean no harm.”
“What are you?” Eskar asks, voicing what I also want to know.
“Someone who has been here far longer than you. I am for want of a better word the king of the water clan.”
“You’re the same as Eskar.” Made of water, but Eskar couldn’t turn into a ball of light.
“No I am not. We have rules for a reason. This world doesn’t accept everyone. Some are unsuited to the change.”
“And you decide that? You send those beasts to eat a few.” The anger bubbles in me, if I can’t indulge in lust, I will have rage.
“That was not my doing. But I observed.” He points at Eskar. “I watched the rule breaker.”
“You will not have to watch me for much longer.” Eskar moves me, so the blood-stained bandage is visible.
“I know why you saved the woman. I have been studying your kind since you arrived. You are missing your barb.” The king looks at me. “Omea has tried to keep his people together, but I will renegotiate our deal as I cannot have the Paohl interfering because they want a mate or death.”
“Am I that obvious?” Eskar asks.
The water king nods. “Yes.”
“What deal did you make with Omea?” I ask. This isn’t a visit to watch Eskar die. Kings don’t trouble themselves will minor details like that.
He stares at me with dark, intense eyes. “I don’t know your kind. What are you?”
“Human. We came to rescue some others that crashed recently.”
He nods. “I would like to learn about Humans.”
Eskar keeps ahold of me. “What about Omea?”
The water king is silent for several heartbeats. “Many Paohl were in the crash. More than our numbers. It would’ve thrown out the balance of the species and elements, even if we had split you up.”
