Afterwards, she lay in his arms naked as he reclined in his throne, the elgida on her arms pulsing softly. “Satisfied?” she asked, tracing one finger up and down his broad forearm.

“More than,” he rumbled, pulling her closer, dipping his nose into her hair. He took a deep breath. “You are my first and only.”

“First?” Esania tried to conceal her surprise and failed miserably.

“Do not get me wrong. There was plenty of interest. There was a time when the Vradhu wanted to forge alliances with us, when a union would have been highly desirable…”

“But?” It was unreasonable to expect that a being like Imril would have stayed pure for thousands of years, but Esania still managed to feel a pang of irrational jealousy toward any female who might have caught his eye.

“The song did not come. In order to mate, I needed to draw the elgida, but I never saw it. Not until you appeared.” His smile held a trace of bitterness. “The science of attraction is complicated, no? Acheros could never have predicted that you would be a part of his design.”

“It seems there’s a lot more than science to our… to this,” she said breathlessly, Imril’s warmth and the constant gentle pull on her vir threatening to lull her into sleep.

“The Universe works in mysterious ways,” Imril agreed. “Before you fall asleep here, I want to show you something.” He stood, lifting her effortlessly in his muscular arms, placing her gently on her bare feet. Imril picked up her discarded red dress and draped it across her shoulders, fashioning it into a kind-of cloak. “It gets cold up there.”

“Up where?”

“Come, Esania.” The smile never left his lips. Imril pressed his hand against the seamless wall. Suddenly, an edge appeared, then a part of the stone wall slid away, revealing an entrance beyond which lay a spiral staircase.

He looked over his shoulder. “My private sanctuary. It was in disrepair when I came, but I have been preparing it for you.”

“I see.” Her heart racing, Esania followed, taking the steps two at a time to match Imril’s big strides. As they climbed, she heard a muted roar—the pounding of the big waves below, the rush of the wind.

She followed Imril all the way to the top, and suddenly she was drenched in glorious light. The vast blue sky of Khira stretched above them, so similar to Earth’s, and yet just a few shades more vivid; hyper-real.

But maybe that was just the effect of Imril’s power on her body. Every time he sent his energy through her, her senses became heightened.

Esania gasped as she stepped out into a circular courtyard of sorts. The salty ocean air caressed her naked body, carrying just a hint of a chill with it, and she drew the sumptuous fabric of her dress around herself, covering her bare breasts. Imril put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close so that she was surrounded by his natural warmth. The exchange of energy between them was fluid now, a constant process without beginning or end.

They were bound together in an eternal loop.

A low parapet ran along the edge of the courtyard, and beyond it was a spectacular three hundred and sixty degrees view of the shimmering ocean. There was not a single cloud in the sky, and no land in sight.

Everything was shades of blue.

Just inside the parapet, low shrubs with leaves of deepest green grew amongst stout-trunked trees that seemed designed to withstand the formidable ocean winds. Violet flowers bloomed amongst the bushes, and underfoot, a carpet of silvery moss caressed her bare feet.

“This is… magnificent.” Surrounded by the waves and the wind and the intoxicating scent of wild blooms with her mate standing beside her, his arm curled protectively around her shoulders, Esania stared out at the world below.

His world.

Their world.

Unbidden, tears pricked her eyes. How different this place was from the cold, sterile environment she’d been raised in. How different she felt, as if her true self had been awakened.

“This is Khira,” Imril whispered, his warm breath feathering her ear. “I was supposed to rule over this planet, to build a great new civilization.” A soft, bitter laugh escaped his lips. “I failed. I was a fool. We Drakhin did not know it, but at the time of our inception, Acheros’s grand plan was already doomed. That is just our nature. To fight. To destroy. To exist without meaning. But now I have you, Esania.”

“I’m not so special,” she murmured, leaning against him, closing her eyes. “I’m just an ordinary human.”

“No,” he said gently, taking her into his arms. “You are exceptional. You are brave and righteous and perfect for a fiend like me. I need you, Esania. I will rebuild my world—our world—but this time I will do it right, and when the void in me threatens to take over, you will be there to keep me in check. Your people are my people now.”

Faced with the magnitude of the task ahead of her, Esania wasn’t fazed. The warmth and love flowing from Imril through their bond obliterated any doubt in her mind. “I trust you,” was all she said.

He leaned in and kissed her, his scent, his warmth, his intoxicating power engulfing her completely. She was totally consumed by this powerful, seductive creature. “I will not disappoint you,” he whispered, and he sounded so earnest that her heart melted all over again. The wind dropped momentarily as he held her tightly, and they simply stood there, reveling in each other’s presence. “Welcome to Khira, my lukara.”

Knowing the full weight of what that really meant, Esania didn’t shy away from the responsibility. Somehow, it was as if every event in her entire life had been in preparation for this. She leaned into him, putting her arms around his neck, embracing her future. “I’m home,” she said, then kissed him fiercely.

Not once did the thought of leaving Khira enter her mind. Even if they found the means to escape, she would never go.

Not now. Not when she’d found Imril.

Her heart was here, with the Drakhin who had shown her what it meant to be human.

To be alive.

* * *

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