Getting Lost Ch. 03

"Stop it, Dakath, please. I- I'm not ready."

"Okay, right." He drew his fingertips down her arm and took her hand again. "I got pushy, I guess. Sorry, Lotus. I'll take you back now."

Together, they knelt on her blanket and cleaned up their lunch mess. When it was all tucked away in the picnic basket, Dakath leaned towards her. Lotus thought he was going to kiss her, and it was something she wanted. But Sabrael's recent behaviors made her worry. She quickly turned away and began to gather her things. "I have to go now."

Dakath pulled back. "Oh," he said, "Look, I'm really sorry Lotus. I just..." He left off what he tried to say and helped her fold her blanket.

They'd had such a good time with one another, and now he floundered and she fretted. She couldn't leave things like that. Before she could overthink the situation any further, Lotus turned to Dakath. With an odd sort of lunge, she kissed him full on the lips. It was fast and clumsy, and she quickly turned away again and started at a run for home.

"Lotus, wait!" He shouted, but the sun was setting.

If Sabrael wasn't already awake, he would be very soon. She just called over her shoulder, "Bye!"

The stretch of sand and rocks was in view when she heard something behind her. Lotus looked and saw Kortahn had followed her. "Did he send you after me?" she asked the dog. Kortahn tilted his head and woofed his reply.

"Go home," she said as she pointed back to the tree line. When the dog stayed where he was she added a small pulse of power to her words, sending an empathic command with her voice. "Go back to Dakath, now." The dog whined his disappointment, but he slowly turned away and headed back to his master.

As she got closer to the beach, she realized the skiff she'd arrived on was gone. There was no one to take it except the sil or Sabrael. Lotus prayed that she was simply careless in her mooring, that the tide pulled the boat away. She scanned the shoreline up and down, hoping for a glimpse of the boat.

Sabrael's soft voice asked, "Are you looking for something, love?"

Lotus froze for a second while her mind scrambled for a lie, but she couldn't find one. She turned around and quietly watched Sabrael emerge from the water. His mantle gracefully folded around him as he approached. His enigmatic smile was a fixed feature of his Eloua nature. His mind was closed to her, and she wouldn't know what mood he was in until he chose to share it. She answered him with a truth. "I used the skiff to come ashore, but now I can't find it."

"The sil are using it," he said. He reached out and touched her face, tucking her hair behind her ear. "They're looking for you. We were concerned."

The sil knew she had been going out, and they shouldn't have to look for her. They must have kept her confidence as she'd asked. A pretense of a search was for her benefit. To Sabrael, she said, "I'm sorry."

"Are you? We had an agreement, did we not? We agreed to remain with the Nephilumen until we were certain of this place, of the people who live here. If something had happened to you, I..." Sabrael stopped speaking, and his expression hardened. An Eloua was rarely left without words, but he couldn't seem to continue.

"I know, but the drones have given us so many good reports, Sabrael. I need light and air, and we have to trust it some time. And look." She took a sack from her basket and offered him a large ripe blackberry. "I found these. They're good."

He took the fruit from her and sniffed it. He took a small bite, then popped the whole thing in his mouth. He smiled as he chewed and nodded his approval. A flood of relief washed over her, and Lotus knew it would be all right. They both turned to the sea to watch the sil return with the skiff. He gently admonished, "You should have told me you were going out. You should have at least brought one of the sil with you. We are two unique persons in a vast and strange world, Lotus. We must be honest with one another."

"Yes, I know. I guess I was trying to avoid an argument."

"Eloua do not argue."

As far as ridiculous things to say went, that was about it for Lotus. She bit down hard on her tongue, keeping her sharp retort firmly to herself. She'd been privy to Eloua debate, and though they never shouted nor spoke over one another, the chaos in their psychic din was another matter. As the obedient ward, she answered, "Yes, Sabrael."

He looked at her then and seemed to struggle for his next words. "I fear I must confess something to you, my love. I have been leaving the ship as well. In light of this incident, you may be pleased with what I have to tell you."

Sabrael paused there, drawing out the silence. If she was dutiful, she would take the conversation bait like he wanted, but Lotus was irritated with him. She feigned interest in something in the sand, letting his silence go on until it was too awkward for them both. She eventually gave in, as she always did. "What is it?"

"The ylf'nim have invited us to join their community. We've been offered a place in the keep at Raelinholm."

Her heart caught for a moment. The invitation meant that she could be closer to Dakath, and she longed to explore the feelings that had begun to develop for him. However, Sabrael would be there, too. She didn't know how the Eloua would take her interest in the prince. She'd always just assumed that Sabrael would find an appropriate mate for her when the time was right. Maybe this was what he intended, but his ever-shifting moods made her keep her own thoughts buried deep.

His next words only encouraged more caution. "You must remember your place, Oracle. You will keep yourself apart from these primitive people. Though they physically resemble what you are, you are not one of them."

The sil came in with the skiff, and the two of them waded out to it. He and the sil helped her into the boat while Sabrael continued, "I will explain everything over our evening meal." He didn't ride in the skiff with her and the sil. Sabrael preferred to be in the water rather than on it, and he swam back to the ship.

The two crewmen on the boat were Sem and Abo. They worked at night with Sabrael, while Pol helped Lotus during the day. She asked, "Why isn't Pol with you?"

Sem replied, "When Sabrael woke early and realized you were gone, he was... distraught. Pol stayed behind to clean your room."

She stared at the two sil for a moment, processing what Sem had said. "So, you're telling me that Sabrael lost his temper, tossed my room, and then made Pol clean it up. Is that how it went?" She didn't need to wait for a response. "Oh, Sem, Abo, I'm so sorry for this. It's my fault. I shouldn't have stayed out so late."

Abo made an excuse for Sabrael's behavior. "I'm sure he was only looking for some clue as to where you went."

"Drones can't tell us everything. And I can't stay cooped up in that ship day in and day out just recording data. I went to explore, and Pol knew that. She could've told him as much."

Sem and Abo exchanged a nervous look, and they continued the trip in silence. They knew her half-truth for what it was. If she'd left the ship to collect information to further their mission of study, she should've taken Pol with her.

When Lotus boarded the Nephilumen, she strode right by the table where she and Sabrael took their evening meals together. She went directly to the room she shared with Pol, only to find the sil asleep in her cot. Pol's serpentine body coiled around a pillow, her head resting in the center. The sil appeared to sleep peacefully, still Lotus reached out to lightly stroke the fine iridescent scales. Pol seemed fine; and if the room had been in disarray, she had already cleaned it up.

Lotus sat at the table across from Sabrael. He smiled and spread his hands over their meager supper. "Our last prepackaged meal. Tomorrow, we shall dine on real food, once again." She squashed a pang of guilt over having just eaten real food.

"Why is Pol asleep so early?"

He drew back, stunned by the accusation in her tone, and Lotus felt even more guilt. The Eloua never hurt anyone. It was against their nature. "Pol told me that she suffered from a headache. Since you were out, I gave her an analgesic and told her to rest." After a pause, he added, "Perhaps, if you had been here to help her..." He trailed off, while keeping his mild eyes on hers. He stared just long enough to further set the guilt hard.

Lotus couldn't understand why everything he said was so irritating lately. She supposed it was the long journey and the close quarters, though they really only shared a few hours each night. She kept a disgruntled sigh to herself and offered, "I did say I was sorry."

"Yes, you did— to me."

Lotus lowered her eyes in acceptance. "I'll speak to Pol in the morning. I don't want to wake her if she isn't feeling well."

He smiled again and nodded slowly. "You were always such a sweet child. It's why these disobedient moments of yours are such a shock to the senses."

She knew he was right. When she'd lived with him in his home, and later in the temple of Iatsun, he'd doted on her. Her gratitude made her dutiful, loyal, and as he said, obedient. Sabrael wasn't the only one who'd changed since coming to Hibreon. Though Lotus longed for a little independence, she still loved Sabrael and didn't want to upset him.

She reached across the table and placed a hand on his arm. He looked at her, and a silent message of affection passed between them. Sabrael leaned forward to gently caress her cheek, and all was forgiven.

Lotus sat back in her seat. She licked her spoon, and with practiced skill, she stuck it on her nose. Grabbing another spoon, she said, "Tell me about your contact with the ylf'nim."

Sabrael chuckled and shook his head at her while she carefully placed more utensils on her face. "A primitive, yet delightful, people. We will have to get used to existing without the niceties of our technology. But, especially after today's incident, I should think you would prefer a perpetual camping trip to being cooped up in our lap of luxury?"

Lotus smiled and nodded her head, thus dropping her silverware in her lap. She loved Luma, but she needed to be outdoors. And now that she was so near, she yearned to be among her own kind. She wanted to tell him it wouldn't be as bad as he thought, but then she would reveal her friendship with Prince Dakath. Her instincts warned her that now wasn't the time.

Sabrael turned serious again. "The elves are in sore need of our guidance, I'm afraid."

Lotus returned to her spoons, and he spoke sharply, "Stop that!" Such an authoritarian bark was rare from him. Lotus looked up, giving Sabrael her full attention.

He continued, "There is a growing divide between these people. They cannot agree on the way of their progress. They argue amongst themselves, each for their own will. They have forgotten their gods."

It was a strange thing to hear from a being whose prayers often included advising the gods on how they should conduct their business. When she was a child, fresh from the horrors of the Infernal Tempest, this attitude worried her. Over time, as Sabrael was never stricken with lightning or plagues and such, Lotus realized the gods understood his good intentions. If they could forgive his pretentiousness and be patient with him, so could she.

Sabrael pushed the limit with his next words, however. "The elf king has obviously never before seen an Eloua. Azerrul has decided that I am a living embodiment of the Divines. At first, I thought that I should correct him, but then I thought to play the role."

She attempted to discourage him with an Eloua adage, "Divinity is not in the glow of the flesh, but in the light of the soul."

He waved a dismissive hand at her and pressed forward. "This serves the greater good, of course. They may not listen to a stranger from another world; and in light of their recent bickering, they might even try to harm me. But Azerrul is convinced, and he will lead others to the same conclusion. With me as their god and you as my high priestess, we can help these people. With your enhanced abilities, you can heal their bodies, minds, and spirits. Together, you and I can teach them, guide them on their journey to a more enlightened future."

Lotus' calling as a cleric in her youth had fit well with her calling as an Oracle among the Eloua. The only part for her to play in Sabrael's ruse was the one she was born into. She asked, "How long do you intend to carry on with this?"

"Only as long as they need our help. I can understand your hesitation, Lotus, but I've committed to this endeavor. I know this extends beyond the scope of our mission, but you and I are greater than that." He got up from his seat to kneel before hers. Taking both of her hands in his, he implored, "Together we can be a true force for good here. Say you're with me."

Lotus could abandon him, leave him to his own devices. Just as he could've abandoned her, a child alone on planet where demons and angels destroy one another in an endless war. She felt there was something wrong with Sabrael, and she couldn't leave him. If she went along with him, maybe in time, she could find some way to save him. She smiled for him and nodded her agreement. "I'm always with you, Sabrael."

He stood, drawing her up with him. He cupped her face in his hands, beaming with pride and hope. "Oh, my precious flower, with you at my side, I will lead Hibreon into a glorious new age."

With one hand, Sabrael pushed aside the remnants of their supper. The other hand moved down her back to caress her buttocks. He gently squeezed her soft flesh and pressed his body against hers. She could feel his thellimtok come to life inside his genital pouch. In one fluid motion, he pushed her back against the table while lifting her dress. His mating tentacles emerged, a few tendrils at a time, and he pulled her panties down her legs. It was clear he intended take her there on the dining table.

He breathed into her hair, "Let us bless this new endeavor with a renewal of our bond, my love."

"What about Sem and Abo?" she asked.

Sabrael put his hand in the center of her chest and made her lay back. "I've told you, they keep to themselves." He took her legs and pulled her body to the edge of the table.

He deftly parted her labia, the ends of the thellim from his palms tickling her sensitive folds. Her body responded to his touch while her mind drifted to thoughts of Dakath. She found herself wishing it were the prince's fingers that massaged and coaxed the moisture from her sex.

The minor tentacles of Sabrael's thellimtok wrapped around her legs, crawled over her belly, and slipped between her buttocks. She wanted Dakath, and when she imagined it was the prince's tongue in place of the alien appendages that stimulated her arousal, Lotus moaned and pushed closer to Sabrael. The Eloua interpreted this as her readiness, and his major member slid deep inside her. Then Sabrael's mind was present with hers.

Lotus pushed her longings away, keeping the thoughts of the lover she wanted safe from the lover she had. While she enjoyed the physical pleasures he gave her, intimacy with Sabrael was no longer the comfort it had once been. She opened her mind only enough to share with him the bodily delight of her climax, while she kept her true heart to herself.

She could tell that Sabrael was put off by her reluctance to be fully open with him. That didn't keep him from pleasuring her until her channel gripped and sucked at the length of his shaft. He spilled most of his seminal fluid inside her and spent the rest of it on her legs and belly.

He took a napkin in hand and wiped her clean while he griped, "You're distracted."

"I was afraid Sem and Abo might come in. It's rude to share sex in a common area."

He frowned at her for a moment, then shook his head. "It's rude to put soap bubbles in my personal misting sprayer, but that didn't stop you. Did it?"

She dressed herself and smirked at him. "The bubbles were very pretty, and the look on your face was the best."

He smiled at her and said, "Do behave yourself among these ylf'nim. Do not embarrass us, love."

Feeling a tiny streak of defiance, she responded, "I'll behave, if you will."

"I am Eloua," he sulked, "I do nothing but behave myself."

"Oh really?" Lotus asked this with sarcasm while she cleaned his semen off their kitchen table.