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  "It is wonderful. I can understand Hyfor's rage. He must have worked on this for years."

  The elder blushed, his feathers lifted and flicked in agitation. "It was a mistake and I would be appreciative if you could smooth things over with my clan and the Monolith."

  "I want to see it close up. May I walk in the ruins?"

  He didn't know what to say, so he gestured to the small walkway that led down to the mining floor.

  Oil, dust and metallic residue flavoured the air. She moved slowly and carefully from step to step, her booted feet giving her purchase on the slippery walkway.

  Once on the floor of the cavern, she walked directly to the ruins of the citadel that could have been her home. It was crafted of blues and lavenders with the occasional highlight of thick gold banding. The rooms were spacious and not furnished, but lovely all the same.

  The elder was scuttling along behind her. "You see how we could have thought that it was a natural formation?"

  She gave him an unbelieving look and shook her head, touching the wall with reverence, mourning the beauty lost.

  "I have other caverns to show you. We have found a number of deposits that we would like the Monolith to assess for us. They are lovely stones, but we have never seen the like before." Ben Ordu was wringing his hands.

  She mentally sighed. He obviously wanted Hyfor's opinion but was too nervous to approach the Draikyn himself. "I will see what I can do. Do you wish to show me the stones now?"

  He straightened and grinned, his feathers fluttering happily. "Of course, this way. We have been blasting in the space and are unsure whether to continue deeper into the deposit."

  They walked to the small hall and with everyone out on a meal break, there was nothing but silence in the cavern. They carried lights into the deposit and when the path opened into a wide cave, she sighed in admiration.

  This was a naturally occurring deposit of a most beautiful mineral. It shifted its colour depending on the light that struck it and when she let out a soft whistle, the echo was clean and clear.

  "This is really lovely."

  A light started on the far end of the cavern.

  "What is that?"

  Elder Ben Ordu took one look at the blinking light and ran for the exit before Nya could do more than turn and watch him run at full speed.

  The realization that it was an explosive came an instant before the flash of light and she threw herself behind an outcropping to hope for the best.

  The thunder that ripped through the cavern was a mining explosion and it rolled over her small hiding place in waves until Nya gave up consciousness.

  Nya! Nya! Wake up, please wake up!

  She tried to move and coughed to clear her lungs. I am awake.

  Where are you, can you move?

  She took stock of her situation and the burning pain in her right leg made things unmistakeable. She was wedged, in the dark, under the most beautiful crystal she had ever seen.

  The rest of the cavern was completely dark, even her hand light was nowhere to be seen.

  I am in a cavern, trapped under rock. I am fairly sure that my leg is pinned or crushed, I can't worm out of here.

  I am on my way.

  She got the impression of flight, of worry and a nervous rage that rippled through his mind at intermittent intervals.

  Hyfor? She was nearing tears.

  Yes?

  Will you sing to me?

  He immediately started a soothing song in her mind. She closed her eyes and let the psychic sound wash over her.

  It calmed her, soothed her and took her mind off the pain that was building in increments.

  I am almost there, sweet. Just stay calm and it won't be long now.

  Time dragged in the darkness. She heard her own breath and nothing else. None of the Evian were coming to her aid, that much was clear.

  Above her, she saw a pinpoint of light. It widened rapidly, but not one stone fell down into the cavern where she lay. It continued to widen until a huge silhouette filled the space and the heavy beat of wings brought fresh air to her face.

  I am here, sweet. Just lie still and I will remove the stones holding you.

  I am not going anywhere without you. She tried to inject some humour into her thoughts but knew that pain was all that she was radiating.

  His claws moved delicately, plucking the smallest stone carefully before moving it aside. The rocks remained solidly linked together until he lifted the final stones from her in one rush.

  His large muzzle sniffed her from head to toe and she felt the wet heat of his tongue running across her leg. As he licked her, the pain first flared and then faded.

  Easy now, I have to lift you with my claws. The medical centre is waiting for you.

  You can do whatever you want with me. Just get me out of here. His claw scooped her carefully and he cupped her between his right and left appendage for protection.

  I will remember that when you are feeling better.

  He flicked images of her tied to a huge four-poster bed through her thoughts and she laughed. As a distraction, it was very effective.

  His wing beats were heavy and deliberate, scooping air and pushing them to the medical center in minutes.

  A stretcher was waiting on the roof and Hyfor draped her over it, letting the staff members rush her into the facility.

  The next few hours were a blur of lights and Hyfor looming in the corner, watching every move of the attendants and physicians.

  Her right leg was broken in three places, her left arm snapped at the wrist. Regeneration of the tissue was partial and she would have to walk with a cane and keep her arm in a sling for a few weeks, but nothing else was damaged beyond a few nights of rest.

  The doctors insisted on keeping her for a few days and the moment that they put her in a private room with Hyfor standing guard within, he was at her side.

  "Ah, Nya, I was very worried about you."

  She chuckled, her painkillers making her lightheaded. "You and me both. Did Elder Ben Ordu make it out?"

  "No. He was crushed just feet from the entrance. Until I arrived, no one knew that there were folk inside the cavern." He knelt next to her and pressed a kiss to her right palm. "After I brought you here, I told them to look for your guide. You are not the kind of woman to wander around a live mine without letting folk know where you are going."

  She analyzed the emotions she was registering. "You are glad he is dead."

  Hyfor sighed, "If he was not, I would have had to kill him for putting you in that kind of danger. As it is, the Ordu are not a clan that I will be doing favours of any nature for in the future."

  His implacable tone did not encourage her to plead on their behalf. Ben Ordu had been from a greedy, stupid clan and this was just desserts for him as far as Hyfor was concerned.

  "You are going to be off work for a few weeks. No one will pursue minor issues until you return. Those who require immediate mediation will have to turn to Berenghetti. She will be occupying your office until you return."

  Sleep was creeping up on her but she asked, "How could you arrange all that while I was seeing the doctors?"

  "Sweet, you were underground for an hour and in surgery for sixteen hours. The entire city knows what happened by now."

  "Oh. That is longer than I thought. Pretty crystal though."

  "Less pretty with your blood on it." He took in a shuddering breath. "Don't ever do that to me again."

  She chuckled and stroked his silky hair. "I make no promises. Now, sing me to sleep. I like to feel your voice."

  With him kneeling at her side, she let the soft lullaby in her mind carry her off into a healing sleep. As she faded, she felt his lips in her palm and the plaintive whisper, Don't leave me.

  I won't.

  Chapter Ten

  Her recovery was assisted by every Evian she ran across. All were appalled by the blasting incident and helped her in every aspect of her life.

  A housekeeper was paid for by the O
rdu clan, Berenghetti sent a new seamstress and now the clothes selected were from designs chosen by Hyfor. He scheduled himself for every appointment she had and once she was able to walk without too much discomfort, she walked about in a wardrobe made of exotic fabrics and amazing textures. The Venzi clan brought her boxes of jewellery. Belts, necklaces, earrings and bracelets were all arranged in sets and fantastical patterns. The jewels were as finely fitted to her body as were her new clothes.

  The housekeeper prepared her meals, did the dishes and the half hour of housekeeping that was required per day. It was odd to have another person in her home, but Dahzhi was cheerful with a good will and quick hands.

  Each day, Hyfor came to her home and had breakfast with her at the new table he had brought in, then he left to work on their city home.

  Dahzhi was also a champion at keeping the clans away from Nya, a service that was more appreciated than any other. When she came into the study where Nya was working on researching some ancient treatise, her grin told her employer that something was afoot.

  "What is it, Dahzhi?"

  "A present for you, Mediator. I think you will like it."

  "Who is it from?" Nya got her cane and moved slowly to the door.

  "The Haldis Imperium. It arrived this afternoon and customs cleared it immediately once they realized who it was for."

  It was common knowledge that one of the Terran Champions was now Empress of the Haldis Imperium and she enjoyed sending the occasional item to other Terrans as they wed.

  A two-person skimmer sat on her front lawn. Sleek and elegant, it could manage inches above the ground or hundreds of feet. "Oh, it's beautiful."

  "Take it for a spin, Mediator."

  "You can call me Antonya."

  Dahzhi cocked her head, her red feathers a vibrant halo. "No, I really can't."

  She laughed and swung astride the skimmer. It was similar to a very large scooter from Terra and the controls were similar. She tucked her cane away safely and powered up her new toy.

  There was no doubt as to where she was going to go, but she kept her mind carefully blank so that she could maintain the element of surprise.

  The skimmer handled like a dream. She was over the city and approaching the city home that Hyfor was building for her.

  Her astonishment at the site in front of her must have leaked through her barricade, because Hyfor sauntered out to greet her. "I see you have become mobile, sweet."

  "It is a gift from an old friend." She smiled and dismounted a little awkwardly. "I can't believe you did all this in just two weeks."

  He hugged her and then wrapped an arm around her waist for support. "I was motivated and had to work off some of the frustration I was feeling."

  She winced at the mention of frustration. Her dreams had been getting more and more vivid as time passed. On the mornings when he came to breakfast, she had ruthlessly kept herself from lunging at him and ravishing him on the citrus platter. She didn't have the outlet that he had, so she had thrown herself into studying Evian treatise and old agreements.

  The city house was made of what seemed to be a denim lapis. Wide windows made of a translucent quartz let plenty of light into the interior. And a huge onyx door let her into the enormous bungalow.

  The flat roof was large enough for Hyfor to land on and she was quite sure that that was the idea.

  The shock of the place came when she entered the foyer and she noted that it was comfortably furnished.

  He walked her slowly down the hall. "This is your office, your assistant's desk and your private consulting room beyond. There is a boardroom-styled room just across the hall for larger mediations."

  Hyfor moved quickly about, showing her the hidden com unit, the secure connections to the Alliance and the expansive filing system that automatically scanned and backed up off world.

  "This is…very thorough."

  "Thank you. Do you like it?"

  His little-boy eagerness was unmistakable.

  "I do. It's lovely and sophisticated."

  "Would you care to see the rest of the house?"

  She laughed. "Of course."

  She got the complete tour. The dining room, living room with huge fireplace, the kitchen and finally the bedrooms.

  Nya came to a complete halt when she saw the four-poster bed of her dreams in the middle of the huge room. "Oh, wow."

  Moisture surged within, seeping outward as she replayed every image and remembered touch.

  She shared her sudden lust with him and he lifted her off her feet, carrying her to the bed.

  Before he covered her with his body, he asked, "Are you sure that you are well enough for this?"

  "Be careful and be thorough. Aside from that, you are free to do as you will." She smiled at his hands sliding her full skirt up to her thighs, the delicate scrape of his claws in contrast to the pads of his fingers were enough to create a moan that had his kiss swallowing it in an instant.

  She groaned as he parted her legs, moving between them with only a cursory examination of her readiness. The first thrust widened her. He pushed into her with a harsh groan and she reciprocated, arching up and leaning into him with as much force as she could muster.

  He lifted her legs, draping them over his shoulders and driving into her with as much care as a man driven by lust could manage.

  The noises they made as they thrust and retreated, slid and pumped were animalistic, primal. Nya blanked her thoughts and simply felt, waiting for the moment when she could claim release as her own. She reached out and pushed aside the bunched fabric, sliding her fingers around her clit until the tension from the constant friction broke her scream free and Hyfor was with her with a wrenching groan.

  The reaction to his semen was more violent than the last, starting a secondary orgasm with no more than an arrhythmic thrust from him.

  Nya welcomed his weight on her as he slowly pressed her back onto the bedding. She nuzzled his neck with her lips and simply enjoyed the feeling of being with him. Her arm twinged and she dropped it to her chest, stroking his hair with her good arm.

  A tangle of emotions rippled between them, the greatest of which was relief.

  "I am guessing that building and furnishing a house is not the same as masturbating. You were a little tense." She rubbed her lips against him, inhaling the scent that they had created and enjoying it immensely.

  He chuckled. "Apparently, it was less effective than I had thought. It seems all I need to make me into a ravening beast is you in a welcoming mood."

  She laughed. "You and many men in the face of their women."

  "Not just a woman, the woman of my dreams." He pressed kisses along her clavicle before rolling to one side.

  He propped his head on a fist and trailed his other hand over her body in a slow mesmerizing motion. "I am guessing that I got very lucky when the Evian built their city and mined my house. If they hadn't, I don't know that I would ever have demanded my match. If I didn't speak up then, you might have lived out your life in a tiny corner of the Alliance and we would never have met."

  She looked at the intensity of his gaze, the slight tremor in his hand as he stroked slowly over her breast and across to her hip. He was imagining a life without her and he didn't like it one bit.

  Reaching out with her hand, she grabbed his hand and wove her fingers between his. "You did demand your match. Arcros did send the Alliance looking. I did get posted here and more than that, I dreamed of you."

  Those words had an impact on him and tears of relief formed in his eyes. He pulled her to him and cuddled her close. "I dreamed of you, too."

  The traditional words of a Draikyn courtship had been spoken and now their lives together could start.

  * * * *

  Two months later…

  In the bright light of dawn, Nya watched the sun rise over her nesting house for the first time. The castle made of daylight-coloured crystals almost danced in the growing brightness.

  "Oh, Hyfor, you outdid yourself on
this one. This is…simply beautiful." She exhaled and shifted astride her soon-to-be husband.

  Thank you. It was quite the journey toward completion, but I believe the effort was worth it.

  His words were a reference to the previous evening and the ties on the four-poster bed. "Tease."

  Every chance I get. Would you like to see it close up?

  She remembered the spicy taste of his cock on her tongue while he gripped the wooden posts hard enough to crack them. She shared the thought with him while she said, "Every chance I get."

  Her squeal as he launched them skyward ended in laughter as they circled their new home. They each had their own forms of revenge and Nya had to admit, that Hyfor was far more inventive. Lucky her.

  Author's Note

  The Drai or Draikyn made their first appearance in a Sector Guard story, Hael's Fury. This was also the first mention of a Terran named Cynthia from our time going back to theirs. Cynthia's story has not yet been told…but there is time for everything and even more time when time travel is involved.

  Confused yet? I am.

  Viola Grace

  [email protected]

  http://www.violagrace.com

  http://www.extasybooks.com

  About the Author

  Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.

  Viola's fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.