Night Of Fire Part 9

One of the old men grunted. "The priest tore off his robe; all could see his reddened shoulders and arms. His hair is burned; it stinks. The last we saw, he was standing naked with his white belly hanging down over his man-thing."

It struck Taron that the old man hadn't said seed-maker, maybe because the priest had no value in that department. The Lady dropped to her knees beside Maia and placed the back of her hand over Maia's nose. "Yes, she breathes," she said softly. "Taurus, again we thank you."

"Someone had to do something," he snapped. "Everyone else was standing around with their hands in their pockets."

No one said anything.

"I don't want some witch doctor or whatever you people have caring for her. I've got to get her to a full service hospital, p.r.o.nto."

"Hospital?"

s.h.i.+t. They weren't going to waste time playing word games, not with Maia's life at stake.

"Look." He grabbed The Lady's shoulders and hauled her to her feet. Too late he realized that put him face to face with a buck-naked woman. His c.o.c.k paid no mind. "Maia said you know how this time-travel stuff works. Whatever you have to do, do it! I' m getting her to an emergency room, d.a.m.n it!"

"That place is not what she needs."

"What are you, a trauma specialist? Never mind; we both know the answer to that. What's the mortality rate around here? I can guarantee it's a h.e.l.l of a lot higher than where I intend to take her." If I can figure out how to get there. "You want her to live, don't you?"

"She will."

The Lady's calm and certain tone distracted him; he almost believed her. He sure as h.e.l.l wanted to, but when he heard approaching footsteps, he dug into his pocket for the lighter. Why didn't any of these people carry weapons?

"Do not be afraid," The Lady told him. "Her family knows what must be done."

"What? Leeches? Don't get anywhere near her with something like that. You so much as try and I swear... " What, you idiot? Run off the whole village with a Bic?

He didn't know what to make of the ragtag bunch coming their way. It was light enough now that he saw everything from a baby in arms to a woman who had at least one foot in the grave. There were maybe twenty of them. Except for the young woman carrying the baby, they all had an armload of firewood. To his dismay, they piled the wood around Maia. He would have stopped them except-except what?

"Where is your fire-maker?" The Lady asked. "Light the one closest to her head."

"The h.e.l.l I will!" s.h.i.+t, where was Rambo when he needed him? "Don't you get it? She's- she might be dying."

"She is," The Lady said, causing his heart to skip. "But spring's flames will save her and the child."

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. There wasn't anything remotely frightening about these people. Quite the contrary, their expressions were universally gentle-almost as if they felt sorry for him. There was something about their presence that gave him a sense of peace; when had he last felt that?

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"There is not time to explain it all, Taurus," The Lady told him. "This is Bel-fire, the time to celebrate the land and the life which springs from it. During the moons of winter, seeds have lain dormant. No newborn animals suckle at their mothers' b.r.e.a.s.t.s. It is as it must be; the world rests. But with our celebration, we awaken the souls of those seeds. They know that our need for them is great. The souls of all living things come together in the flames of Bel-fire. They will see Maia and give her their energy, their life."

Any other time, he would have retorted that that was the biggest bunch of bull he'd ever heard, but he didn't. For the life of him he couldn't say why. Maybe it was nothing more than the older woman's soft, sincere tone. Maybe the way everyone nodded agreement had something to do with it.

Possibly-probably-the utter and complete faith in everyone's eyes had seduced him. Feeling as if he'd lost all control when he was accustomed to exactly the opposite, he walked over to the pile of brush closest to Maia's head and lit it. Once the flames took hold, The Lady pulled out a burning branch and used it to light the other piles. It was now dawn, and yet the flames provided enough of a contrast that they painted her naked flesh in bright red. When he looked at the others, he saw that the same thing had happened to them.

Then he looked down at Maia and forgot everything else. Her features were paler than the villagers, almost white. Weak, he dropped to his knees and used his thighs as a pillow for her head. His c.o.c.k stirred.

I don't know where you are, he told her. Or whether you can hear me. I want you to know I'd do anything to get you to a hospital, but I can't find the way. If you're aware of what's happening here, I need you to come back so you can explain.

That sounded selfish, a p.i.s.s-poor reason for her to fight for life.

There's a lot that's unsettled between us, he continued. We had something-something mind-blowing going. Do you know that? Look, I don't have the statistics; there probably aren't any. But almost no virgins climax the first time; I'm sure of that.

"Sure you are," he muttered. "What'd you do, take a survey?"

You came, he told her. That's proof that you're one s.e.xy broad, and I'm one h.e.l.l of a stud. Can you imagine what would happen if we were given half a chance? We'd never get out of bed. We'd probably kill ourselves, but what a way to go.

That was all wrong! He shouldn't be begging Maia to live so he could f.u.c.k her senseless. No matter how appealing that sounded, there was still the matter of the crazy priests and their mindless soldiers. But first-first Maia had to live.

Unable to think beyond that, he cupped his hands around her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and began fingering them. Her nipples hardened, but she gave no other sign that she was aware of his presence-his touch.

All around him the flames danced with the rising sun. Drums began playing.

Chapter Eleven.

Taron figured he must have dozed off because suddenly The Lady was beside him. Instead of explaining what she was doing, she slipped something into Maia's hand, kissed her on the forehead, and then walked away. When he blinked and looked around, he saw that the villagers were leaving. The fires would soon be down to coals.

A soft, unexpected sound made him start, but when he realized it was coming from Maia, he relaxed. The priests and their henchmen couldn't hurt her-at least not right now.

"What is it?" he whispered. "Are you in pain?"

She opened her eyes but seemed to be having trouble focusing. Finally, her attention locked on him.

"Why are you here?" she asked. She sounded strangled.

He didn't answer because the truth was, he didn't know-either that or he wasn't ready to confess all. As the survivor of more one-night stands than he cared to remember, he knew how to end things with a kiss and a closed door. When her stare intensified, he drew her attention to the dagger The Lady had returned to her.

"I don't know how they recovered it," he told her. "Probably the priest dropped it, and someone found it."

She held it up so she could study it. Her movement was a simple one, nothing nearly every human being on the planet couldn't do without thinking about it, but it thrilled him. Maybe the worst was over, and she was going to live. Did the fires and drumming and songs have anything to do with it? Maybe his insistent finger-play while she'd been unconscious had turned the tide.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked because he didn't feel strong enough to face the questions he'd just asked himself. "That priest-"

"My blood is no longer on the blade."

She did remember. "No, it isn't. Someone must have cleaned it off. Are-are you sure you want it around? It's going to remind you-"

"Why are you still here?"

She was lying near him, her blood-stained grown just barely covering her crotch, but if she was aware of that, she didn't let it show. She might not have the strength to sit up, but there was no ignoring the fire in her eyes.

"What did you want me to do?" he retorted, furious without knowing why. "Walk away?"

"You wanted to return to your time. You did not want to stay."

"So I could get you to a hospital."

"I have what I need here. Bel-fire's magic is healing me. My child will live."

"Your child! In case you've forgotten, I had something to do with it-if indeed there is a child."

"You do not want one?"

"Don't do that! Don't! You knew what you were doing when you seduced me, didn't you? The thing is, you didn't clue me in. That was devious." The moment the words were out, he wanted them back-or did he? d.a.m.n it, she needed to know that he felt manipulated. Changed in ways he didn't understand and that scared him. "Being seen as nothing except a sperm donor isn't as much of a compliment as you obviously think it is. I believe I deserve to have a say in... "

She was no longer looking at him, and he had the sneaking suspicion she wasn't listening to him either so why the h.e.l.l should he bother? What he didn't understand was why he was angry at her when not that long ago he'd been terrified that she was dying.

"This-" She indicated the dagger. "This sent me to you."

"What are you talking about?"

Instead of answering, she rolled over onto her good side and tried to sit up. She might have been able to make it without help, but he didn't give her the opportunity to find out. She crossed her legs slightly and leaned forward, apparently oblivious to the fact that her p.u.s.s.y was now fully exposed. It took everything in him not to stare at her there, and he wondered when, not if, she'd noticed that once again he had an erection. Given the size of it, it was pretty d.a.m.n obvious.

One thing about the lady; she knew how to get him hot and bothered.

"This." She indicated the dagger which she held as lovingly as if it was a child and not the weapon that had nearly killed her. "This is a gift. It comes to those who need it."

Maybe he should be used to the way she switched from being a practical and grounded woman to a sprite not at all in touch with reality. But the truth was, he was no longer so sure what const.i.tuted reality.

"It is not for me or anyone to know what magic rules this." She ran her finger over the side of the blade. "It is enough that I am blessed."

"You nearly died because of it."

"No," she whispered. "I did not."

Instead of trying to ama.s.s arguments against that, he simply watched as she stroked the ruby-like jewel. Even unconscious, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s had responded to his touch. What would happen if he ran his hand over her belly and between her legs? Was she healed enough that she'd want s.e.x-one last time?

"The first time I looked into the jewel," she said softly. "I saw my journey to you. I saw us together, mating. I knew what my task was."

"Did you?"

"I knew I would find you on the night of Bel-fire, that I would love mating with you, and that you would guide me to becoming a woman."

His c.o.c.k strained against his wrinkled and dirty slacks.

"I did not know that we would ma-that we would have s.e.x more than that one time."

Much more of this trip down memory lane and I'm going to be adding a new chapter. "Ah, did you know about that?" He pointed a less than steady finger at her still sore looking side.

"No."

That surprised him enough that a margin of sanity returned-a very small margin. "That's all you learned from that crystal ball then?" he asked. "That you and I would get it on? Mate," he amended when she gave him a confused look.

"Then." She was still whispering. "Now I know the rest."

Just like that, his heated blood cooled. His erection was still undiminished, but it no longer commanded his attention. Instead, he struggled not to be undone by her somber tone.

He slid closer so their thighs were touching, but although he wanted to take her hand-such a simple thing, taking a woman's hand-he tried to see what held her attention about the stone.

"What's in there?" he asked.

For the first time since regaining consciousness, she looked down at her crotch. With her free hand, she touched her p.u.s.s.y lips. "I was like a child there," she said. "My-my c.u.n.t was something I barely understood. You changed that."

Although-d.a.m.n it-he'd love to help her expand her knowledge of herself, now wasn't the time. If he could just get the message to his c.o.c.k.

"Maia, I asked you something. What do you see in the stone?"

She withdrew her hand from her p.u.s.s.y. "You do not want to know."

Go with that, all right. Don't push. There's nothing wrong with ignorance. Even as he tried to convince himself of that, he knew he couldn't hide from the truth.

"You're probably right," he said. "But I need to."

She didn't say anything, prompting him to take her wrist and turn it so he could look at the stone. At first all he saw was the flawless if simply finished jewel, but as he continued to stare, the ruby-like interior changed. There was a mist in there, and something he recognized as a figure began walking out of the mist. Even before he saw the long, glossy black hair, he knew it was Maia. How could there be any confusion when he'd already memorized her curves and angles?

Instead of the gauzy gown, she was naked, and her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were larger, harder looking than now, the nipples darker. For as long as he focused on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, he couldn't pay attention to anything else, but eventually he forced himself to study the rest of her. Her arms and legs were as long and smoothly-muscled as they were now, her neck slender, her features small.

What had changed the most was her belly. She wasn't due to deliver yet, but it was definitely distended.

His child. His financial responsibility. His tax deduction.

Disgusted with himself, he shook off the materialistic thoughts and continued to study the jewel. He couldn't see enough of what was around the small Maia-figure to know where she was, but there didn't seem to be anyone near her. She walked slowly as if her thoughts were elsewhere. Her shoulders were slightly slumped, and she wasn't smiling.

Maia-the real Maia-sighed.

"What is it? Are you in pain?"

She shook her head. "I knew it would be like this."

That I would be alone. Numb, he couldn't do anything except watch as the Maia-figure plodded along what had now revealed itself as a narrow path. The land around the path came into focus, and he could tell that wherever she was, it was summer. The bushes on either side of the path were alive with bright leaves and flowers that covered the full spectrum of colors. He swore he could smell gra.s.s.

"Where are you going?" he asked. "Do you know?"

"To be with my people."

Your people, not with me. "Is it safe to be there? What about the soldiers?"

"I do not know," she said after a moment. "That part of the future has not revealed itself."

But your being alone has.

"What about the child?" he managed. "Is it all right?"