Cherin could hardly sleep at all that night. He’d spent most of the carriage ride catching up on his lost slumber, but knowing he was going to embark upon such an important mission with his best friend was enough to send nervous butterflies surging through his stomach any time he opened his eyes or considered the adventures that would await them in the strange world below. Across the hall, he knew that Leika was probably sound asleep. Or, more likely, having the same feelings as he was.
Back when they had been in the academy, they used to sit outside by the fountain, just outside Lopu’s quarters, and meet there to talk. Neither of them had to ask if the other had been having a bad day. They simply went there when they felt it and would find each other when they needed it the most. Cherin suddenly got out of bed and slipped on one of the beautiful Loni-crafted robes that had been hanging on a hook on the door, clean and at the ready for whoever happened to use the room and need a breather.
Cherin crept in slipper-clad feet outside the manor and paused to get his bearings. The fountain had been to his left from the academy, but from the manor, it would be to the right. He was pleased when he heard the gentle trickle of water in the distance. His heart surged when he saw Leika sitting on the edge of the stone fountain, trailing her long fingers gracefully through the water, her purple eyes faraway and her black hair tied loosely at the back of her head.
She didn’t seem surprised to see him approach, and they smiled warmly at each other. He sat down heavily and sighed. The courtyard was empty and dark, lit only by the comforting glow of Loni magic. It was what made the place so special to them from the start. It was almost like their own private little world. Nobody had ever dared enter or bother them there, and it made the place seem sacred somehow. Almost romantic.
“I can’t believe she asked for me specifically for this,” Leika finally said, turning to face Cherin. Cherin grinned.
“Why? You’re the best.”
“Yeah, that’s what you say. But you’re biased.”
“Or maybe I just know a good thing when I see it,” Cherin chided, bringing a pout to Leika’s lips. He laughed quietly, thinking to himself how beautiful she looked in their special little world. She had always been the most beautiful person he had ever known. Nothing had ever changed his opinion on that. It seemed rather a fact of life to him at that point. Leika was the most beautiful, and he was there to protect her beauty and keep her out of trouble. Things had never changed before, so why would they now that they were no longer children; when the stakes had never been higher?
“I don’t understand you,” Leika said softly. Was she thinking about his kiss? Cherin blushed furiously, glad for the cover of night to hide his embarrassment. She could probably already tell how he was feeling, though. Her intuition was strong and pure. Far more advanced than any of the other Lonis he knew.
“There’s not much to understand,” Cherin said. “I’m a simple guy. I follow my best friend around and get in the way. When I’m not getting in the way, I’m saving her ass. And vice versa.”
This brought a smile to Leika’s lips and Cherin sighed, glad to see it there. He wondered how long it would be before she smiled at him again. She had seemed pretty irate in the carriage, though it was easy to see why. He was honing in on her summons, and more than that, his games could have gotten them both into trouble. Or they could have if Lopu was a less reasonable and compassionate person. But both of them knew she would laugh this kind of childish prank off and forget about it in minutes.
“I’m kind of nervous,” Cherin admitted. “Are you?”
Leika straightened her shoulders, always reluctant to admit her weaknesses to Cherin.
“It’ll be all right,” she said, patting him on the shoulder gruffly. Cherin laughed.
“Thanks.”
“I guess it’s pretty scary. I’ve only heard terrible things about Earth. Why not send someone from Earth to help us?”
“I think there’s been active efforts to help the survivors forget about the past and make way for a better future. Sending them back there would undo months of intensive emotional work. It’s not fair to them.”
“That makes sense,” Leika sighed. “But do you think I’m ready?”
Cherin was surprised by the question. Normally Leika would take a lot more cajoling before she opened up about what was really bothering her. It almost felt sinfully easy this time. It must really have been weighing on her. Or perhaps something else had changed.
“Of course! You’ve been ready since we were out of diapers,” Cherin exclaimed. “If anybody can do this, and do it right, it’s you.”
Leika stared into Cherin’s eyes, an expression on her face that he had never seen before. He wasn’t able to help himself. The same thing that had happened a few days back began to happen again, and he lowered his lips against hers. The warmth of her mouth against his sent a rush of heat through his body that almost made him moan out loud as he felt himself grow hard from her touch. If she knew, would she pull away again? How was she feeling? Leika pressed her lips firmly against Cherin’s. He wasn’t mistaken in thinking that she was kissing him back. Maybe she was comforted by his nearness and the strong physicality of his body so near to hers. They pulled apart mutually this time and exhaled deeply.
“I don’t know what any of this means,” Leika said, standing abruptly. “But thank you. I’m glad you’ll be going with me to Earth.”
Neither of them said anything else as Leika turned her back to him and walked calmly back toward the room where she was sleeping. In all honestly, Cherin didn’t know what was going on either. All he knew was that the most beautiful Loni in all of Kaldernon was his best friend, and he was about to follow her on a dangerous mission that might change both of their lives forever.
***
Leika shrugged off the robe she had worn outside, when she had foolishly slipped it on in the hopes that Cherin would know to meet her once more in the special place they had selected to go to when things were feeling hard. But why had they decided to make things even harder than they had to be? Complicating their bond of friendship was a miserable idea. She knew how things like this worked. It seemed like a great idea until the fickle flames of romance died down and left your once perfect friendship in shambles. She wouldn’t stand for it, and she was pissed that Cherin might be suggesting that the two of them break the sacred vow of friendship they had been nurturing for so long.
She tossed and turned that night, furious with herself and with Cherin as well. He had initiated another kiss, and this time he didn’t have sleep deprivation to blame. Not that he had really blamed it the first time. That had only been her excuse for him when she tried to justify why he might be willing to throw their friendship away after so many years of working together without any of these ridiculous feelings getting in the way. Whether they had always been there as a possibility or not, just a thought away, was meaningless. It only meant something when you acted on it. And somehow he had acted on it, and was starting to get her to act on it too. This needed to stop. Especially if they were going to be trapped on Earth; one of the most hostile planets possible for the vulnerable shifters.
Leika shivered. The fundamentalist group that called themselves the ‘Guardians’ of Earth were constantly studying the shifters, and had been for the past hundred years or more. Ever since they had discovered something strange afoot. To them, the beautiful, compassionate, and powerful shifter and Loni people were nothing but an invasive species and an alien race that had to be exterminated immediately. She was furious on behalf of all of the surviving descendants of Kaldernon, and even more horrified at the thought of the poor souls who had endured the torture that the Guardians subjected them to in an effort to learn more about the world where they were from.
As soon as daylight shone, she was to be whisked away to this dark planet, so lacking in light that they forced beautiful and colorful souls like the shifters and Lonis underground to hide their power and grace from the world at large. What was going to happen when she and Cherin were alone in the unfamiliar place? They had studied all about it during their days in the academy, but everybody knew that experience was very different than learning in books. There were going to be drastic differences and they were all just going to have to deal with it as an inevitability.
It took a long time before she finally managed to sleep. Even then, her mind was cluttered with images of war and terror on the planet where she was going to be sent. But mixed between those nightmares was a deep, wafting desire, urged by the sight of Cherin’s face and the memories of his soft lips brushing against hers, bringing them both the first taste of an unbidden pleasure yet to come.