“A snack before we go to rest would be nice,” Leeam said, and Ellard heard the humor in his suggestion.
“A kiss is all you get,” Gweneth said, trying to sound stern.She glanced up and caught the glow of Ellard’s eyes.“What?”
“It’s not often I see you nonplussed.”
“They watched us.”
“But they were discreet and didn’t appear until we had finished.”
“I was still naked.”
“Spectacular,” Ellard corrected.“Come back down here and let me kiss you.”
“At least we found them,” Gweneth grumbled.“That’s something.They’re so young.”
“We are not,” Leeam said, indignation crisp and combative in his reply.
“New rule,” Ellard said.“You need to be visible to take part in our conversations.The sole exception to this rule is while we’re traveling through the trees and trying to find a way out on the morrow.You may speak or advise us in that case.Is that clear?”
“Yes.”
“If Gweneth and I are in our chamber, and this shelter counts as a chamber, you will keep your opinions to yourself,” Ellard continued.“Is that understood?”
“So, if you are outside your chamber and we are visible, we may speak with you?”Sheera queried, and she sounded worried and close to tears.
“All we’re asking for is a little privacy or at least the illusion of privacy,” Gweneth said.“Do you understand?”
“Yes, we do,” Leeam said.“Please forgive our bad manners.”
“Yes,” Sheera added in her softer voice.“This experience has placed us off-balance.We are happy to abide by any rules you put in place.”She paused.“But you will continue to feed us?”
The bloom of silence trembled with urgency and fear.
“Of course we will,” Gweneth said.“Good rest to you.”
“Thank you,” Sheera whispered.“Thank you.”
Gweneth cuddled against Ellard and pressed a kiss to his throat.Now that she’d had a chance to consider the matter, having the Incorporeal couple dependent on them gave her and Ellard a good excuse to make love again and often, which worked to her advantage.There was always the chance Ellard might decide to stop with the lovely touchy-feely stuff, but now he’d think twice about putting a halt to their lovemaking.
She lifted her head and aimed at Ellard’s lips.He responded, a feline growl issuing from him before her mouth sealed off its escape.She sank into the kiss, enjoying the heck out of the physical contact.After all, they couldn’t let Sheera and Leeam die.
Gweneth groaned as she attempted to stand the next cycle.Every muscle screeched like a hell-horse in a tantrum.Finally, upright, she cautiously rubbed her hipbone.“I hurt.”
“Some of the aches will ease with movement.”
“I hope so.”No matter how much her muscles protested, they had to move, had to find a way off the planet’s surface and away from the rocks that caused the dragon glittery sickness and death.She tried a few steps and bit her lip.What she wouldn’t give for a hot bath to ease her throbbing muscles.
Sheera’s head bobbed in front of her, and Gweneth started, a naughty curse escaping before she could self-censor.“Fuck a duck.”
Sheera giggled.
“What is it?What’s wrong?”Ellard popped from their shelter with one leg in his trews and one leg out.
Gweneth pointed at Sheera’s floating head, the youngster’s humor no longer in evidence after witnessing Gweneth’s displeasure.“She gave me a fright.I didn’t mean to squeak, but that is plain creepy.”
“Leeam said we should try to conserve energy.”
“But we shouldn’t frighten them either,” Leeam’s disembodied voice replied.
