“I can certainly try connecting my mind to his to see what ails him,” I tell Alu. “Though I am not sure I will be of much help beyond that.”
Alu drops her utensil with a loud clatter as she claps her hands excitedly. “Wonderful! We shall depart after we eat.”
“Oh, you wish to go this eve?” I ask, suddenly aware of the fact that Alu’s house is not close by, so she will have to shift into her draxilio to fly us there, and the only clean clothing I have is the revealing dress I am currently wearing.
“Yes, I do not feel right about leaving him alone while he is suffering,” she says.
That is understandable.
Though it means I will be in her home, alone. Aside from Mek, it will be the two of us, and with the way Alu’s heated gaze continues to linger on my bare arms and chest, I am worried I will not be able to keep myself away from her. I have been celibate for over two centuries, and Alu is a temptation I did not see coming.
“Very well,” I reply.
“Good,” Alu says, triumph in her tone as she tosses her long, silky black mane over her shoulder. “You shall stay with me until we can determine what is happening with poor Mek.”
“Certainly.” What have I just agreed to?
CHAPTER 2
ALUSSANAI “ALU”
By the time we arrive at my home, it is the middle of the night.Makka nei,I wish my brother, Nirossanai, or Niro, as Kate calls him, lived closer. I do not mind flying in the dark; it is just that I am eager to have Jo in my home so I may finally taste her lips.
I have longed to press my mouth to hers since the moment we met at Kate’s day of birth celebration, and I still have not had the opportunity to do so. At this point, I want her so badly, I can barely breathe.
Perhaps I should feel remorse for bringing her here under false pretenses, but how else was I supposed to spend time alone with her? Back in the clan of golden ones, Jo lives in a crowded home with several others––her “coven,” as she calls it. While staying in Niro’s caves is certainly better in terms of fewer people hovering around her, I am not comfortable seducing her there with my brother and his mate nearby.
Kate has told me that Jo struggles with the events that unfolded during the battle against Bzzsil Chi, but I have yet to discuss this with Jo, and I am eager to remind her that Nalba’s injury is not her fault, but with Kate and Niro always hovering, I have not had the chance.
I had to lie about Mek being possessed by an ancient spirit so she would leave my brother’s caves altogether and come to my home. I do not know how long it will take Jobaki to figure out Mek is not ailing. He is just a strange, ornery bird of the jungle who makes his nest in the pillows of my spare bed. She will probably discover my ruse immediately, as she is quite smart. Much smarter than I am.
I hope she will not be too angry with me.
Truthfully, I have grown tired of people––my brothers––always being angry with me. It seems there is not a task I can complete without doing something wrong. They often tell me how gullible or simpleminded I am because of my genetic modifications. But it is not as if I chose to exist without the ability to feel fear. Our handlers chose this life for me by altering my brain tissue. If I could reverse the calcification on the part of my brain that registers fear, I would in an instant.
What does fear feel like? It is a question I have pondered many times. I imagine it would be thrilling to have your mind warning you not to do something before you do it. There are no warning signals in my head before I do anything, so I am often scolded for actions my brothers deem “too dangerous” or “foolish.”
While my brothers also suffer with their own genetic modifications––Niro lacks remorse, Bexo lacks trust, and Kuli lacks awe––they do not mock each other the same way they mock me.
If I can show them my lack of fear does not mean I am lacking in intelligence, perhaps their mockery will cease. And is luring the most beautiful sorceress on Oluura to my home to free my bird from the clutches of an ancient spirit not a brilliant plan? It took many days for me to hatch this scheme of mine, and I am quite proud of the results thus far.
They shall regret their foolish words!my draxilio shouts triumphantly inside my head. The bond with my draxilio is sacred, as we both occupy this body. I let her out when I shift into my other form, the one that can fly and breathe fire, and while I am in my flightless form, she is encouraging me to behave as she would, to be bolder and more confident. Most things excite her, so her voice is often a shout inside my head.
Should Jo decide she is not interested in me, I shall return her to Niro’s caves at once without hesitation or complaint. But I do not think that will happen. I feel her eyes following me whenever I am near, and the addicting floral scent of her arousal blooms in the air the moment my skin touches hers. She wants this as desperately as I do.
I shift into my flightless form the moment we land outside the tunnel that leads to my cottage, and I find Jo shivering to the point where I worry she may faint. “Are you well?” I ask, coming to stand in front of her.
Her fangs clatter loudly as she shivers. “I-It is just q-quite cold, and th-th-this dress does nothing to protect m-my skin.”
Goodness, I had not even considered how the wind would whip through my claws as I flew with Jo tucked inside. This poor female. I have not properly cared for her at all.
The cold season is most severe where Niro’s caves are located, and though the air does hold a chill here in the jungle as well, it is not as brutal. Her body should adjust to the warmer temperature soon enough, but how will I get her through the tunnel if she can barely stand?
Not knowing what else to do, I wrap my arms around her and pull her flush against my body. She is a small creature, her head barely reaching the middle of my chest. I am hoping my larger size will provide enough warmth to keep her alive until we arrive at my home.
“Shh,” I whisper in an attempt to comfort her, as I rub my hands up and down her arms. Then I recall a phrase I read in a book when I was a child. It was something natural-born draxilio mothers would say to their young when they were afraid.
“Vana kiyle tu benof charchery vunup xi hulliya bo wqikiva. Kukuvai qpi mussaw kwe dinl sah ul nuzilba.”