“Why couldn’t you do that this time?”Ellard asked.
“There is some kind of force field, and we can’t move past it,” Leeam said.“We’ve tried, and it saps our strength.”
“Our ship disintegrated after we hit something.I never saw what happened because I blacked out,” Ellard said.“What else can you tell us about the area?”
“The dragons fear it because the rocks or something under them gives off an attraction that can kill them.”
“You spoke to us earlier, whispering of danger.What have you seen?”Ellard barked the order, stepping into bodyguard mode.
“The plants.They sensed our presence and almost ate Sheera.”
“What about the thing that howls?Have you seen that?”
“No, it sticks to the other side of the Red River,” Liam said.“We’ve heard it before if we stay late collecting the stones, but we’ve never seen it.”
“Good info.Wait.”Ellard frowned at them.“What about the plants?Have you seen them before?”
“No.The clearing where we first saw you is where we relax and share our energy.The plants are new.”
“What about the birds?”Gweneth asked.They hadn’t seemed dangerous, but they were big.One kick from them and the recipient might not live.
“They were here before.They eat plants and fruits.”
“That’s a relief.”Ellard tapped his chin with his forefinger, a gesture Gweneth was coming to recognize as his thinking monitor.“Why did you warn us not to climb up to the flat hilltop?”
“The force field trapping us here seems to originate from there.We feel the power bleeding from it.”Leeam shuddered.“We have to fight the urge to climb the hill.”
Another howl echoed through the forest, and Gweneth glanced at Ellard.The creature seemed much closer than earlier.
Ellard reached for her hand and squeezed in reassurance.“How did you manage to help me with Gweneth?”he asked Leeam.“Picking her up, I mean.”
“Sheera had the idea.You needed help.”
“But you almost wiped yourselves out helping us.”
Sheera gave a shy smile.“You have already repaid us by gifting us with energy.We’re still not as strong as usual, but at least we won’t die if we stay with you.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about voyeurs, but I’m glad we were able to help,” Gweneth said.
“You are beautiful together,” Leeam said, his tone sincere.“I hope we can find benefactors of your caliber once it comes time to leave our families.”
“What was the special stone for?”Ellard asked.
“Sheera and I love each other.We wanted to prepare a gift for a benefactor, someone who will shower us with sexual energy and help us start our own tribe.”
The more she learned about the Incorporeal people, the more fascinating they became.Living ghosts.She wanted to ask more questions but decided to save them for the next cycle.“Ellard and I should rest now.Can you sleep too?”
“We will blink out to conserve energy,” Leeam said, showing more animation than earlier.“We can still communicate via voice in this form.”
The two popped out of sight.
“Thanks for reminding me you can see everything I do,” Gweneth said.
A tinkle of laughter pulled an unwilling grin to her lips.
“We are very discreet,” Sheera whispered.“We do not gossip or even discuss our benefactors with each other.”
“Good to know,” Gweneth said.
