Page 20 of Wings of Desire

“I want that too,” I whisper squeezing my eyes closed out of fear of what he’ll say.

Xakiras tilts my face toward his and as my eyes flutter open, I see nothing but devotion lingering in his white eyes. A smilegradually grows on his lips, showing me his rows of many teeth. It should appear frightening to anyone else, but to me it makes me so pleased.

Ferociously his lips crash into mine so hard that my teeth bite into his skin, and my hands are all over his digging into his back. Neither of us can stand not having our hands on one another, or our lips for that matter. My body may be sore and raw from last night, but it’s all forgotten as he tears my dress over my head.

We have sex one more time, though unlike last night he holds me close, grinding into me from behind me. With each thrust he whispers sweet nothings into my ear as if I’m the best thing that has ever entered his life before now.

When we leave the cave system later that morning, it feels as if time has stood still. The forest is almost unchanged, though I notice just as Xakiras mentioned that the trees have subtly shifted. A large, swirling tree with vibrant violet blossoms now stands in front of the cave, replacing the smaller spindly ones that were there before.

“We should find your camp quickly,” Xakiras says as he lifts me into his arms, bridal style. “Remember, Echo, you must remain quiet. The Sagath may still be in the forest.”

“I understand.” I wrap my arms around his neck, planting a small peck against his chin. “I’ll stay quiet. You have me, so I’m a lot less afraid of flying now.” I pat his cheek, offering him a smile. “I’ll be a good girl.”

Those words spark a fire in his eyes, and a deep rumble escapes his throat. “Yes, you are and distracting as well.”

Nothing Left

We fly for hours until my arms feel like Jello and my ass has a cramp in the left cheek. As we approach the camp from the sky, a sinking feeling hits me. The tents are all crumpled heaps, some torn with gaping holes. The small shuttle we used to get here from the Peony is, for the most part unscathed. The Peony was supposed to return for us all in six weeks with more men and rations, but now there’s nothing left.

The moment Xakiras touches down on the ground, I want to leap from his arms. A burning hope rises in my chest hoping to find Jetta in her buttercup-yellow dress, drinking the burnt coffee from the canteen. It’s a fantasy to think anyone survived, still that fragile belief pushes me forward.

“Let me down. I want to see.” I squirm from his tight grip on me, wanting to investigate on my own.

Xakiras doesn’t immediately let me go; instead, one of his hands gently grasps my chin so that I’m forced to give him eye contact. “Echo,” he says, his voice commanding. “Do not stray too far from me. The Krel may be nearby; they enjoy the thrill of luring their prey into a false sense of security.”

It annoys me to no end that he feels the need to constantly give me orders. With a narrowed gaze, I can’t resist rolling myeyes at his remark. “Don’t tell me what to do, Xakiras. I’m not a baby, I’ll be safe.”

The devilish smirk that crosses his lips makes me regret sassing back at him. He jerks my chin forward until I’m a hairsbreadth from his face. The gust of his breath tickles on my lips.

“Kukali,” he says, his tone is a warning. “Do not tempt me in punishing that sweet body of yours for misbehaving. Do not think I will not choke you while I fuck you senseless, just to prove who controls whom.”

A pleasant tingle crawls over my body at the promise, and I swallow loudly enough that I feel my throat bob.

Nodding my head obediently, I say, “That sounds less like a punishment and more like fun to me.”

Xakiras’s eyes are filled with mischief and determination. “You may think that, but that remains to be seen.”

My pussy throbs and my breath hitches at the thought of what that might feel like. I force it down, taking a steady breath to refocus on the task at hand. We are searching for survivors and evidence of what these scorpions are doing, not having sex.

“Later, after we’ve looked around,” I say, though my traitorous voice wavers.

“Mm...yes, later.” Xakiras presses a kiss to my lips, setting me on my feet.

Already I feel woozy and weak just from his promise of “punishment”, but he’s right; I need to stay close to him. The Krel were monstrous, and far larger than Xakiras is. He might be seven feet tall and full of muscle, but they are twice his girth. They were taller than him, with thick exoskeletons, and their arms were as large as tree trunks. The strange spears they had with them must be magical, which gives them the upper hand.

As we move through the camp, weaving through broken and ripped tents, I can’t escape the sight of blood everywhere. Theonce bright green grass that glitters beneath our feet is stained red. There are no bodies anywhere.

“Where are the bodies?” I whisper. We’ve barely walked through the main stretch of camp, but there isn’t a single sign that someone died here other than blood on the ground.

Xakiras stops, and I halt beside him. His hand slowly reaches down, grabbing mine. “Echo, they were consumed.”

My heart shatters, and I gasp. “No, they wouldn’t have done that.”

No, no, no.

Xakiras squeezes my hand, grounding me as tears slide down my cheeks. I want to scream or float away to a place far away from here. Xakiras is the only thing tying me to this place now, holding me in his safe arms.

“Echo?” He says so tenderly, and I notice the grief in his eyes while he pulls me closer to his side. “I will keep you safe.”

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