Chapter Twenty-Seven

Sunny

 

Two skimmers had arrived. My heart thudded. Romando and who else? An accomplice from his tribe? I cocked an ear, listening hard. The voices were too indistinct to make out, but I thought I heard my name. No doubt Romando had discovered I was missing.

Damn, I wished I’d gotten loose sooner.

Outside the latrine, footsteps drew closer.

I dropped to a crouch and huddled into a ball just as the door flew open, flooding the outhouse with light. “Sunny!” Romando called.

I held my breath and squeezed my eyes shut. Please, don’t look down. Please, don’t look down.

The door slammed.

Holy crap! I stood up, my legs shaking. That was a close one. Thank goodness he hadn’t thought to look into the pit.

A skimmer fired up and hummed away. Had Romando left to look for me? Or was it the visitor who had departed? Maybe somebody was out there who could help me. Shouldn’t I take a peek?

“Sunny! Sunny!” Romando’s voice filtered through the walls of the outhouse.

Well, that answered that.

From the sounds, I guessed he was stomping across the clearing. His shouts grew louder, and then I could hear his footsteps again. He was coming back to the outhouse! If he did more than glance inside, he’d see me. Sooner or later, he would look inside the pit. It was the only place to hide. But I ducked down again.

“Sunny! I’ll take you back to Darq,” he shouted.

Yeah, right. He probably had some tropical real estate he wanted to sell me, too. Fat chance, buddy!

Mmmm…

Another snow skimmer!

He headed away, probably to meet the visitor. I heard voices again then the pounding of feet. Closer, closer. Sunlight flooded the latrine.

“Sunny!” That voice. That familiar, wonderful voice.

“Darq!” I jumped up.

He peered down at me. “What is it with you and latrines?” he joked, but the relief on his face was heart-attack serious.

I laughed and cried at the same time. “I don’t know.”

“Let me get you out of there.” He knelt, grabbed me under the armpits, and hauled me out. Damn, he was strong! He pulled me into his arms and hugged me hard. His face was scraped and bruised.

“Are you all right? What happened?” I wanted to examine his injuries, but my hands were dirty.

“I’m fine. Romando and I had a little talk.”

“He kidnapped me!”

“I know.”

“I heard skimmers, but I was afraid to come out. Romando called my name. He said he’d take me back to you, but I didn’t believe him.”

“I think he realizes the seriousness of you wandering alone in the wilderness. I watched him look in the outhouse and accepted his word you weren’t there. I had a hunch you might have followed the skimmer tracks, and left to find you, but I got to thinking, what if he had lied? What if you were inside? I came back to check for myself. I didn’t expect to find you in the latrine. Again.”

“I was going to follow the tracks, but when the skimmer came, I assumed Romando was returning.”

Darq pressed his lips together. “That was me. Are you ready to go home?”

“Yes!”

Romando’s jaw dropped when we emerged from the outhouse. “I looked in there!” Then he sniffed and wrinkled his nose with disgust. I would have punched him, except it looked like Darq already had. His lower lip had doubled in size, and his left eye was starting to close.

I stuck my nose in the air and swept by him without a word.

“How did you know to look for me here?” I asked. “Did you just assume Romando had me?”

Darq shook his head. “We only knew you had disappeared. Since we’d all agreed to the reparations, it never occurred to me Romando would have taken you. Your producer told me.”

“Apogee did? You’re kidding!” I recalled how the last camera had been with me before it had fled.

“Your producer was worried about you.”

“Worried about the ratings,” I muttered. What if the star of Apogee’s number one show had died? Stormy for sure would sue for wrongful death, viewers would be aghast, the government might investigate—especially if women got scared away from the exchange program, and Terra had nothing to trade for illuvian ore—and the show would fold. I’d figured out Romando didn’t intend to hurt me, but Apogee hadn’t known that. Besides, what played better than a rescue? The hero riding in on a silver skimmer to save a damsel in distress?

Even though I was no damsel, I’d succeeded in freeing myself and eluding Romando. I deserved a big pat on the back. And maybe a Nettie for best reality show star. I’d been nominated twice for a ’Net Vid Award but had never won. Maybe this would be my year. I could end my reality-show career on a high note.

“I knew who had you, I just didn’t know where,” Darq said. “The camera crashed before your producer could tell me.”

“So, there aren’t any more cameras?”

“None.” He shook his head.

This was the end of the show, then. It had been my livelihood and life for years. I felt…not sorry. Not sorry at all. Elated. And curious. “So, how did you find me?”

“I went to Romando’s camp. Your friend Gretchen got her mate to tell me about this place. I’m supposed to tell you hello.”

Gretchen! My buddy from the SS Deception. I needed to meet up with her and thank her. But later—after Darq and I had a proper reunion.

We were about to leave when Torg and Enoki rode into the clearing, and I remembered a pendulum still swung over Darq’s head.

“You found her! Thank the fates,” Enoki said.

No, thank Darq, thank Gretchen. Hell, even thank Apogee. I didn’t see the fates helping out.

“Are you all right?” Torg asked.

“Please don’t banish him,” I said. “He only left the ward to rescue me. He has a good excuse.”

“A matter to be addressed at camp,” Torg said.

“And by the council,” Enoki insisted. “Two tribes were involved, a mate was stolen, agreements were breached—on both sides.” He looked at me. “I’m greatly relieved you came to no harm.” Then he glowered at Darq and Romando. “For you two, the matter is not over.”

* * * *

“Obah! Obah!” Men shouted as we arrived at camp. The entire tribe lined up to cheer for my homecoming. “Sunny! Sunny!”

The warm welcome choked me up. Like Miss America, I waved and smiled through tears of happiness. This was my home; I hoped I wouldn’t have to leave it, that we wouldn’t be banished, but Darq and I would remain together no matter what. If Torg forced him to leave, I would go with him. I would stick to him like snow to an icy planet.

After leaving Romando’s hideaway, we’d made a pit stop at his camp so I could clean up. Even frozen, effluent left a nasty odor. Other than from Gretchen, who’d been thrilled to see me, I’d received no “obahs” there. The reception had been decidedly cool, but Gretchen had set me up with a bath and given me one of her kels.

I owed her a lot. She and I made a date to do lunch at the meeting place. We’d have to bring the meal, but we could grab some ales at the tavern.

Darq parked outside our cave. We dismounted, but instead of heading inside, he grabbed me to him and kissed me.

“Obah! Obah!” shouted our clan.

I was blushing when he released me. “I have to return to the warding cave,” he said.

“I understand.” I nodded, but I wanted to cry. I needed to be with him!

Torg, who had pulled up behind us, cleared his throat and motioned. “Forget the warding for now. Go inside,” he said, and glanced at the crowd. “I’ll be back soon with a decision.”

We needed no further encouragement to amscray, as they say in Pig Latin.

Starr latched onto me. “I was so worried about you. Everybody was frantic. Thank goodness you’re home. Can I get you a cup of tea? Are you hungry? What happened out there?”

I laughed and hugged her. “I’m fine. I don’t need anything except a little rest.” I didn’t want to waste a moment alone with Darq in case he had to go back into warding or we got banished. “Can I fill you in later?”

“Of course!” Starr embraced me again. “I kept the fire going in your chamber for when you came home,” she said. Until they’d learned Romando had me, they hadn’t known if I was dead or alive. For Starr, the fire had been a refusal to admit defeat. Fire represented life, and as long as it burned, I would be okay. It was superstitious, and very, very sweet.

“Thank you.” Emotion clogged my throat. These people cared about me. They loved me. They had become family. I hadn’t wanted to come to Dakon. Apogee and Devon’s condition had forced me to, but it had turned out to be the best thing that had ever happened to me.

Darq tugged on my hand, and we headed for our chamber. Great minds think alike. We weren’t halfway there when we started disrobing. We littered the passage with clothing.

Naked, we tumbled onto the bed of kels. His big, warm body blanketed me, and we meshed mouths. His leg slid between mine, and I clung to him, trying to absorb him, to make him such a part of me that nobody could separate us.

I touched him everywhere, his neck—mine—his back—mine—his ass and thighs—mine. His erection—oh, yes, mine. Those horns, definitely mine. With frantic, almost-rough caresses, we pleasured each other, claimed one another, reassured one another.

“Don’t leave me,” I said.

“I won’t. Don’t leave me,” he said.

“Never.”

“I love you.” I buried my face in his throat. “So much.”

He cupped my cheeks in his big palms and stared into my eyes. “I love you, my mate.”

With his mouth, he anointed my throat, my shoulders, my breasts, abdomen, thighs, my needy center. He brought me to the peak of pleasure, and he then claimed me with a hard, sudden thrust.

The union of our bodies was physical and symbolic. What Sunny and Darq hath joined, let no tribe put asunder. He growled, and I groaned at the sheer bliss of our union; we rocked, meeting thrust with thrust, in a passionate, satisfying coupling. We hit the peak of ecstasy in a shower of sparks. I swear, for a moment, I saw the light.

We floated back to our bed of kels in a cloudy haze.

Literally. Starr’s fire had begun to smoke and fill the room. Darq got up to poke at the logs before diving back into bed and poking at me for round two.

Finally replete and complete, we rested. Some people spoon post coitus. We were like a gnarled tree, limbs twisted around each other.

We dozed, but then Torg’s voice boomed from the main chamber. Darq kissed me hard. “Whatever happens, it will be okay, I promise. I will make it okay.”

“If you get banished, I’m coming with you,” I said. “Don’t even think of leaving without me. I may not know everything about wilderness survival, but I’ll learn. I’ll have you to teach me.”

He nodded. “Let’s go find out.”

We slid out of bed and dressed.

As soon as we entered the chamber, Starr gave everything away—she wasn’t just beaming, she was jumping! I’d never seen a pregnant woman bounce like that before. The baby must have been getting quite a ride. Darq squeezed my hand. A whoop rose in my throat, but I stifled it, waiting for the official announcement.

To Torg’s credit, he got right to the point. “You’re not going to be banished—the tribe consensus is that you both should stay. They are very fond of Sunny and recognize the extenuating circumstances. We are a clan, and we stick together—their words not mine. ‘A chit is a chit, but nobody takes our mates!’”

The tribe had spoken!

“In light of the trauma Sunny has suffered, and the tribe’s goodwill, I commute your warding to time served.”

I let out that whoop, Darq grabbed me, swung me around, and we kissed. Starr clapped and bounced, and Torg grinned.

Then, he sobered. “Enoki intends to address the tribal leaders about changing the selection process. The disagreement between two men spread to both clans, which stirred dissension in other tribes as people took sides. We must cooperate and get along. We belong to our tribe, but we are one Dakon. Depending on what the council decides, you might still be required to pay reparation to Romando’s tribe.”

“Beyond the five kel he owes now?” I asked.

“As far as I’m concerned, the abduction voided the need for recompense,” Torg said. “However, the council may issue a judgment.”

“Fair enough.” Darq kissed me again and swung me around the room.

Marrying an alien had turned out to be my most excellent adventure.