Chapter Eight

Bannack wrapped his hand around Loralia's fingers as soon as he felt their cool touch on his palm and turned to Pyra.

"We said that we wanted to learn more about the other species that are on this planet. Why don't we let her tell us?"

Pyra agreed and they started back toward the front of the cavern, allowing Loralia to use her compact to change the glimmering night sky spread across the floor into the hardened stone of the wall so that they could walk across it. Just like he had since the first time he had walked toward her, Bannack believed completely in the safety of the ground beneath his feet and crossed without hesitation, his hand cradling Loralia's beside him. The others paused briefly at the edge and Bannack saw them take a few breaths as if preparing themselves and convincing themselves that the ground would be solid when they stepped forward.

"Where are the others of your kind?"

Loralia looked up at Creia where he sat on his massive throne without flinching. Bannack found himself watching her in awe, admiring how she could go from an underground realm she had always known to facing the king of an above ground species without showing any sign of intimidation or fear.

"There are no others," Loralia told him calmly, "I am the last of my kind."

"What happened to them?"

"There was a plague several years ago. I am the only one to survive."

Whispers rippled through the meeting hall and Bannack turned to glare at the others, suddenly protective and defensive. He knew that no matter how Loralia was handling herself in that moment as she faced down the king, confronting a strange species that was far larger and more powerful than her, and that she had always heard were the ones who had taken over the land her kind had once inhabited after war and illness drove them underground, had to be frightening to her. He didn't want the reaction of the rest of the Denynso to upset her further.

Bannack turned his attention back to Creia, who looked at his wife in a way that told Bannack that the mates were communicating silently. Theia turned to Loralia and he saw the gentle, nurturing look in her eyes that made her the mother figure of all of the Denynso.

"You are welcome here, Loralia," she said warmly, "You may stay with us for as long as you would like."

Bannack wasn't sure how Loralia was going to react, but he saw her take the few steps up toward the platform where the thrones sat and reach her pale, lovely hands toward the queen. Theia stood from her throne and approached Loralia as if she were as drawn to her as Bannack felt, and took the beautiful woman's hands in hers.

"Thank you."

Loralia's voice was so gentle Bannack could barely hear it, but he felt a little jump in his heart when he realized that she had accepted the queen's invitation to stay. The conflict he felt when he looked at her was so intense it made his stomach twist painfully. As much as he wanted to be near her, and the intense way his body responded whenever he looked at her, he was still extremely aware that she was a completely different, unknown species. He knew nothing about her or her kind, and part of him was still extremely wary about getting close to her.

Bannack jumped when he felt a heavy hand land on his shoulder. He looked up to see Ero standing beside him.

"What are you thinking about so hard over here?" the other warrior asked.

"Her," Bannack said, nodding toward Loralia, "How is it possible that she has been living right underneath us her entire life and not only did we not know she was there, we didn't even know that there was a place for anything to live down there? From what she said, her species has been down there since long before the Denynso even existed. We have lived right over top of her kind for generations, but there was never any interaction."

"So?"

"So? Doesn't that make you suspicious? If they have been down there that whole time, they would know when the Denynso settled. Why did they just stay down there and not come up and try to make contact?"

"Maybe they didn't feel like they had any reason to. There was never any conflict, so why shake things up? Isn't existing peacefully what matters?"

Bannack looked back at Loralia.

"I don't know. It just seems weird to me. I don't know how I feel about her staying around here."

"You are the one that quite literally took her by the hand and brought her here. Why did you do that if you didn't want her here?"

Bannack sighed.

"I don't know," he answered honestly, "I just felt like it was what I should do in that moment."

Ero looked at him and Bannack saw his mouth twitch like he was fighting a smile. The other warrior nodded and his eyes traveled briefly down Bannack's body.

"Yep," Ero said, patting Bannack on the back, "I'm sure you did."

Ero walked away, heading back across the meeting hall toward Zuri. Confused, Bannack glanced down and saw exactly what had called Ero's amused attention to the lower half of his body. Muttering expletives under his breath, Bannack tried to adjust himself as quickly and subtly as he could to make his raging erection less obvious. Just as he was finishing, he saw Creia look up at him and gesture for him to come to the platform. By now both the king and queen were standing at the edge of the platform and as Bannack approached he saw them grin happily at him.

"I hear you have met our new friend," Creia said, reaching out to touch his hand to Bannack's shoulder.

"Yes," Bannack replied.

"She has accepted our invitation to stay with us and she requested that you be her guide and protector while she is here."

Bannack looked over at Loralia and found her gazing back at him, the lavender of her eyes so intoxicating he felt like he was falling into them. He felt her hand intertwine with his again and his erection twitched. The frustration and confusion built inside him and he felt painfully torn. He knew that he couldn't deny the king and queen his service as her protector, but the way his heart and body were responding to him made him feel both excited and repelled. She was at once the most beautiful and intriguing creature that he had ever seen, and something that made him uncomfortable.

"I will," he answered.

"Good. Bring her to the house where Samira was going to live," Creia turned back to Loralia, "I hope that you will be comfortable there."

"I'm sure I will," Loralia responded, "Thank you for your kindness."

Bannack gave a nod toward the king and queen and led Loralia out of the meeting hall, forcing himself to keep his eyes trained forward rather than letting them wander over to her or to acknowledge the group of warriors sitting at one long table, watching him and muttering comments as they passed. He knew what they were saying, but he didn't want to acknowledge it.

Loralia took a deep breath as they stepped out of the building and into the quiet center of the compound.

"I love the way the air smells up here," she said, "It's so different from the cavern."

"I'm glad you like it," Bannack replied gruffly, not turning his eyes toward her.

Finally they arrived at the simple house on the same row as the other homes the Denynso reserved for the scientists and students who had been invited to visit Uoria as part of the exchange program. He opened the door for her and stepped back to allow her to enter in front of him.

"Will you come in with me?" she asked gently. Bannack hesitated. "It's the first night that I've spent away from the cavern in my entire life. I don't want to be alone just yet. Please just spend a few minutes with me."

No matter what he tried to tell himself, Bannack couldn't resist her request. He stepped forward into the house and let Loralia close the door behind him.

"The solar panels collect energy throughout the day so you can use the lights and heat water for a shower."

Bannack turned back to Loralia and saw her staring at him.

"Why are you fighting it?" she asked, taking a step toward him.