A cool wind seemed to envelope Sarah’s entire body—a wind that felt almost like a hand, pulling her downward on a cushion of air. The sides of the tunnel looked slick but it was hard to tell because she never touched them—she was at all times surrounded by the invisible air shield. Which only made her feel more than ever like she was falling.
Before her parents had joined The Brotherhood, they had taken her to Busch Gardens every summer where the three of them had ridden all the roller coasters together. The breathless rush and the feeling that she’d left her stomach somewhere far behind her reminded Sarah of riding the coasters. It was the sensation she felt while traveling down the tuve.
I wonder how we’ll ever get back up again? she thought as she struggled to control the scream that wanted to rise in her throat. Does the wind suck both ways? It seemed to go on and on, not straight down but making twists and turns and loops and spirals until she was really, really glad it had been a long time since lunch.
The ride ended abruptly when the last few feet of the dark tuve grew suddenly light and dumped her out. She landed on something hard and warm, eliciting a gasp of air and a harsh exclamation.
Sarah blinked in the sudden brilliance, trying to get her bearings but her eyes were still adjusted to the darkness inside the tuve and she felt half blind.
“Here—be careful! Hold still,” a deep, familiar voice ordered as she struggled to sit up. Warm arms like steel bands encircled her and Sarah realized she’d landed directly on Sazar’s big body and was currently pressed right up against him, chest to chest and groin to groin.
“Oh…I’m sorry,” she gasped, trying to get up again.
“Just hold still, I said!” he commanded again. “Let your eyes get adjusted to the light—I think it’s even brighter than outside.”
His own pale eyes were narrowed into a wince and Sarah thought she saw a look of pain cross his face as she stopped struggling and allowed her eyes to adjust to the brilliant illumination around her.
Does the bright light bother him more than me? she wondered, trying not to notice how big and hard and warm he was, pressed against her body. She had a flicker of a thought—something about how vampires can’t stand sunlight. But that was silly, wasn’t it? Just because Sazar drank blood from time to time didn’t make him an actual vampire. Still, he did seem more sensitive to the brilliance than she was—her eyes were already adjusting. Although the harsh light wasn’t very pleasant, she could function.
Looking around, she saw that they had landed on a vast thick purple cushion like a three-foot-thick mattress. It seemed to have a cushy, giving surface something like memory foam. Sazar was lying on his back on it and she was lying on her stomach on top of him.
Oh dear.
Since he had told her twice not to move, Sarah obediently put her head on his broad shoulder and waited until they could disentangle themselves. God, he smelled so good. Spicy and dark and masculine, his scent seemed to fill her senses and she inhaled deeply, wishing she could stay right where she was forever even though part of her was really embarrassed to be pressed so intimately against him.
“Don’t you have any idea of proper tuve travel?” Minister Obglod’s cracked and disapproving voice exclaimed above them, breaking her pleasant fantasy. “You must always, always wait five deep breaths before jumping into a tuve to allow the last passenger before you to clear the landing area. Even the youngest child knows that!”
“Forgive us,” Sazar said, squinting up at the old man. “We are not used to your modes of transportation.”
“Well, come on,” Obglod said impatiently. “We must get your pair partner properly attired before you have your interview with The Lord Magnate. I’ve called for help which will be here shortly.”
Sazar rolled over carefully and for just a moment he was above Sarah and she felt his big body pressing hers into the mattress. There was something hot and hard rubbing between her thighs and she gave a little gasp as she realized it must be his shaft. Had being pressed together so intimately affected him as much as it had her?
“Sorry,” he said roughly. “Here, I’ll get up first and give you a hand.”
He levered himself off her and stood gracefully, then held out a hand to her.
Sarah took it and he pulled her to her feet. Looking around, she noticed the thick purple mattress wasn’t the only one in the room. In fact, there were dozens of mattresses with the ends of tuves poised over them. Was this some kind of hub? Like a bank of elevators in a busy building? Or maybe more like a bus station or an airport hub where many terminals met at the same spot?
Her speculation was cut short when a young woman who looked to be about her own age slid out of a nearby tuve and landed gracefully on one of the thick purple mattresses.
She had pale green skin mottled with blue and purple splotches, just like the males they had seen in the Alquon vids, and her long purple hair was in thick kelp-like ribbons which reached her narrow waist—but that was where the similarities ended.
Her outfit was…well those in The Brotherhood would have called it obscene.
A short, ruffled top ran around the girl’s chest but the ruffle didn’t quite cover her perky breasts. They peaked out from under the bright pink fabric enticingly. They were pale green like the rest of her skin and she had deep purple nipples, Sarah saw. Both were pierced with delicate gold rings and a silver chain ran between them.
Down below, her outfit wasn’t much better. She was wearing a long skirt which started at her hips and brushed the ground at her dainty bare feet which had webbed toes. But there was a wide, triangular slit up the middle which clearly flashed her dark purple mound of curls.
Oh my goodness! Sarah tried not to stare as the girl bounced gracefully up off the mattress and came over with a smile.
“Well Chandra, there you are,” Minister Obglod said querulously. “I was just wondering what was taking you so long. These are Commander Sazar of the Kindred and his pair partner Sarah. As you can see, we have quite a situation.”
He pointed at Sarah who blushed and tried again not to look at the Alquon girl’s goodies, which were completely on display.
“Oh my, yes I see,” the girl named Chandra said, smiling frankly. “Why are you dressed like a male?” she asked Sarah.
“We weren’t sure how females on your planet dressed,” Sazar growled. He was keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the girl’s face, Sarah noticed. He must have iron control not to take a leisurely visual tour of her exposed assets. Sarah was having a hard time not doing it and she wasn’t even attracted to other women!
“Well, come with me,” Chandra said, smiling. “I have access to a good, private clothier in this district. They do all my formal outfits for when I visit the court of the Lord Magnate—I’m sure they’ll be able to help you out.”
“Thank you,” Sarah said, though she really, really hoped she didn’t have to wear something as revealing as Chandra’s outfit. Maybe the formal clothes she was going to be wearing would cover more? Oh God, I hope so!
“You’re very welcome. Hello, Minister.” She walked over to the old man who did something that shocked Sarah even more than Chandra’s outfit.
“You’re late,” he said. Casually he took the silver chain which connected her pierced nipples and tugged it, making her gasp. But not in surprise, evidently because she just smiled and kissed him on his wrinkled cheek.
“I’m sorry. Kendro didn’t want to stop making love to me. He gets so cranky when he’s interrupted—he wouldn’t even let me put my panties back on—see?”
She opened the slit in her skirt wider, flashing her pussy as casually as someone else might show off a new pair of shoes. A pair of delicate silver chains which matched the one between her nipples were dangling from between her puffy nether lips which were a dark purple. Was she pierced there too?
“He promised he’d finish filling me later.” Chandra giggled as though it was funny.
Sazar cleared his throat and looked deliberately over the girl’s left shoulder while Sarah also tried to avert her eyes. It was hard though—she’d never seen such a frank display of sexuality.
Minister Obglod, however, seemed to take it in stride.
“Chandra, my dear, I’m glad you were free,” he said. “And tell that pair partner of yours I want to see him soon—we have business to discuss.”
“Of course, Minister.” The girl smiled again and then beckoned to Sarah. “Come on—let’s get you dressed.” Turning, she led the way and now Sarah could see she had a slit up the back of her skirt too which clearly showed most of her pert behind.
Oh please, she thought. Please don’t make me have to wear something like that! I would die of embarrassment.
But of course, she couldn’t ruin the mission just for the sake of her own modesty. Only how was she going to manage if she had to show off her body like that?
Sarah had a very unhappy feeling she was going to find out soon enough.
* * * * *
The females here dressed in a very revealing manner. Sazar did his best not to look out of respect not only for the females in question, but also for Sarah who was supposed to be his pair partner. But as they passed out of the tuve room and into a busy corridor it was difficult not to notice all the flashes of feminine flesh which were visible everywhere around them.
The men were dressed as he was with loose trousers and long, open robes but the females’ outfits were much less modest. Everywhere dark green and purple nipples peaked from under brief tops and skirts were slit to show undergarments or in some cases, like Chandra’s, just bare flesh.
Sazar winced in the brilliant light which bathed the corridor and tried not to stare.
Why did the old fool only send me vids of males? he wondered, glaring at the old Councilor’s back. I never would have brought Sarah if I’d known this was the way she would have to dress. How will she deal with this?
He knew that she’d been raised in an extremely restrictive environment—the fashions of Alquon Ultrea probably seemed shocking and deviant to her. However, she said nothing but only stayed by his side, following obediently behind Minister Obglod and Chandra.
Sazar wished he could close his eyes and find his way by touch instead of sight. Not just because it would be easier not to look at all the exposed female flesh but because the brilliant light was giving him a blinding headache and sapping his strength. Pitch-Blood Kindred had a sensitivity to sunlight or intense UV radiation which made functioning in it difficult. His throat felt dry and even though he had slaked his thirst with Sarah’s blood only the night before, he again felt the Blood Hunger clawing at him.
He supposed the Alquons kept their undersea environment lit brightly to emulate the surface levels of sunlight which they had been used to before their world became submerged. But it was extremely unpleasant. How was he going to function when the environment around him aroused his thirst and sapped his strength?
Sazar sighed inwardly. Well, he would just have to do his best—there was no other possible course of action.