Viola Grace Read online

  “No, screw the crystals. Just tell me. I have always loved talking to other travellers, and now, I know that there was so much more out there. It is slightly frustrating to be wedged in place.”

  Oshuan blinked at her comments and giggled. “Why don’t I start with the ancients that are here? There are twenty-six of us, and once folks get curious about you, they are going to ask for you.”

  “I will deal with them as I meet them, but if you know of any that are trouble, I would appreciate a warning.”

  They ate and discussed the other ancients, what to watch out for, and how to avoid issues.

  When the afternoon light was moving, Oshuan smiled. “If you want that memory, come on.”

  Libby drank some water and got to her feet, following her host out to a stone garden with a large rock in the centre. Oshuan sat on the stone, and Libby followed the gesture and knelt at her feet, taking the smooth and scaly hands with her own.

  “The first time I saw the sun, hm?”

  “Yes.” She watched as the ancient turned her face to the suns, and the memories started flowing. Libby sat and absorbed the memories of light, warmth, the feeling of strength and energy. It was a memory of complete wellbeing and hope. Joy. There was so much joy in that memory.

  She took the memory and placed it in the crystal.

  Oshuan looked serene. “Anything else?”

  “The first time you saw a night sky, if you can remember.”

  Oshuan closed her eyes again and left the happy memories take her to the first time she saw the stars. They sat quietly together as the memories of the stars drifted through her mind.

  When the transfer was completed, the sun was setting. Libby asked, “Do you want to see the outfit before I go?”

  Oshuan smiled. “Save it for next time. I think I am overdue a trip to the monastery.”

  Libby nodded. “If you are there and want to have some bad tea, ask for me.”

  The woman hissed and giggled. “Thank you for your visit.”

  “Thank you for your hospitality.”

  Oshuan chuckled deeply. “You should ask Yelfon for his hospitality. The sparks would fly, I am sure.”

  “Why?”

  “Ask him, and you will find out.”

  Libby snorted and was walked to her disk. When she was back in the air and heading for the monastery, she smiled. The ancients weren’t all going to be so much fun, but Oshuan had been a great way to start.

  Master Kiol greeted her with his scanner when she landed. “Have you brought a memory, Master Elizabeth?”

  “Yes. Two.”

  Mathla walked up and crossed her arms. “What are the memories?”

  Libby smiled. “The first time she saw the sun, and the first time she saw the stars. The emotions behind the images are hope and wonder.”

  Kiol took the crystals, and he took in a deep breath before stiffening his shoulders and slipping in the next memory where he smiled, and Libby could see that he wanted to spread his arms wide.

  She put her disk back on the charger and stretched. The suns were down. “So, I guess I missed dinner.”

  Mathla linked arms with her and walked her toward her private quarters. “I think we can have something made for you.”

  “As long as it isn’t bug-related, I will eat anything.”

  “Ah, she tried that with you.”

  “Of course. They weren’t bad. I think we cleared most of the plates. I hate those big beetles, though.” She made a face.

  “You ate them?”

  “Of course. She was my host, and it was what was offered. I ate it, and I would eat it again.”

  Mathla hugged her close. “You are quite the excellent investment.”

  Libby knew she was, but she really wanted to look up Yelfon and hospitality, but she didn’t know what he was. “What species is Yelfon?”

  “His people turned into the Dremarai. I don’t know what they were originally called.”

  “Ah. Can I look up Oshuan’s people?”

  “Of course. But that will have to wait. You have been getting quite a few requests in the last hour. Most do not require a costume if that is better. What did Oshuan think of your outfit?”

  “Nothing. I explained my reasoning, and that was that.” She chuckled. “We talked to each other like people, not like I was trying to bribe her into an experiment by highlighting a moment from her past.”

  “Well, based on Kiol’s expression, you got a usable memory. Did you enhance it?”

  “No, and I didn’t blur it or put music over it either. They are just moments. Pure moments that people forget about. Oh, and the one of Oshuan’s first night sky can be used to pinpoint exactly how old she is if you are good at stellar cartography.”

  Mathla laughed. “You are definitely worth every credit.”

  Chapter Seven

  The next three ancients that she saw were all polite and enjoyed her visits. She ate a number of things as it seemed that it was the benchmark for how capable a person she was, and all of the ancients had signed on for it. She had a bit of trouble eating the raw meat, but she cut it into slivers and got it down.

  Today she was meeting with Aloth, the Hirn. She had been able to do some research on the species, and to her amazement and amusement, there appeared to be at least one human involved with a member of the descendant species. It was rather funny if a strange coincidence.

  Aloth was one of the two males that Oshuan had warned her about. She stood up from the disk and looked into the forest. The shadows moved, and he stepped forward, dark mahogany coloured, huge rack of horns, and deer-like features. He was tall and had all the charm of a rutting stag. The nudity didn’t help. His erection was large and weeping, so she said what she was thinking.

  “Did you just finish jerking off?” She used her disapproving teacher voice.

  He paused as if he was shocked that she hadn’t shrieked or tried to get away. He titled his head. “You are the new novice?”

  “I have been upgraded to Master. I am Master Elizabeth of the Alliance Protectorate of Terra.”

  He bowed gracefully. “An honour to meet you, Master Elizabeth. I am Aloth of the Hirn.”

  “I would shake your hand, but I think there has been plenty of shaking already.”

  His mouth twisted, and he laughed. “Fair enough. You aren’t wearing the clothing I sent.”

  “Oh, I am, but I have also done some research, and this outfit is not for historical memory but for your own titillation. So, you will speak with me first, and if we can make an agreement, I will remove the outer robe.”

  He clapped in delight. “This way.”

  She knelt and picked up her disk. He paused. “Why don’t you leave that here?”

  “I don’t want to, and I don’t want you so overtaken with memory that you can’t lead me out, so this way, I can leave you in peace when we are done.”

  He frowned, shrugged, and led the way further into the woods.

  Their destination was a good distance into the woods, but she could see the sky, so her disk could take her out of there. He was fairly close to the monastery, but it was still a long walk.

  There was a pool with a small waterfall, moss-covered rocks, and a set of seats with a table that had been carved out of the native rock.

  She sat on the stone seat that was across from him, and he had nuts and berries as his lunch.

  He smiled. “Go on, help yourself.”

  She took a few of the berries, bit them, and spit them out. “Bleah. Bitter.”

  He frowned. “They are sweet and in season.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know what it is, but since I have been on Mathlu, my sense of taste has been taking tremendous swings.”

  “How long have you been here?” He cracked open a nut and handed it to her.

  “Six months or so? Not long.” She took the nut, and her mouth burned.

  Something else was going on.

>   * * * *

  Yelfon contacted the avatar. “Where did you send her today?”

  “Why, Yelfon, so happy to hear from you. Who are we talking about?”

  “Elizabeth. Where is she today?”

  “Oh, we finally had to send her to Aloth. Why?”

  He cursed and lifted his arms up, embracing the other form that he hadn’t summoned in centuries. He flew skyward and used his contact with Elizabeth to pull him to her as quickly as possible.

  The link that he had created while she slept near him was getting fuzzy, and he flew faster.

  * * * *

  Libby frowned, and she tried to stand up. Her legs were weak. “What is going on?”

  “You have partaken of my favourites. It is a pity that you haven’t tasted more, but you have had enough to take on some of my memories.”

  He moved around and knelt in front of her.

  His mind pressed into hers, and she saw herself bathing and laughing in the water, turning slowly in front of Aloth and wearing the miniscule straps that comprised the outfit. She mumbled, “These are not memories; these are fantasies.”

  He stroked a hand down her cheek to her neck and shoulder. He could not undo the clasp at her shoulder, so he tore it.

  She slumped to one side while he played his little fantasy porno in her mind. The images went white when she slammed the disk across his face. She picked it up and hit him again and again, working through her rage at what he was attempting.

  When he was out, she threw the two pieces of the disk onto the ground next to him so he would know what hit him.

  She felt a tremendous warmth approaching and looked up. “Holy...” A huge crimson and silver bird was hanging above her. It was larger than a three-story building, and curls of mist or smoke were coming from it. If she was on Earth, she would have called it a Simurgh, but here... she had no idea.

  The bird moved, and a talon shot out and caught her, pulling her snugly against a warm and feathered belly. The bird flew away from the forest, from the monastery, and along the plains. Libby didn’t know what had her, but it was either going to make her a snack or keep her safe. She was really trying to come up with a third choice.

  On the edge of a mountain bordering the plain, the huge bird gently set her down. There was a whirring of smoke and mist, and Yelfon was kneeling next to her. “You are all right?”

  She blinked. “Yelfon? That was you?”

  He nodded and looked at her shoulder where the clasp had been torn. “Did he injure you?”

  “No, but he was working up to it. That guy is a serious pervert. I wonder how many novices he has used that psychic seduction on?” Her hand shook as she tried to put the side of her robe back in place. It kept falling.

  He touched her hand and put the clasp in his hand, repairing it with a bit of focus. “That should do it.”

  She put it back in place, and it held. “Thank you. So that... uh... big bird is you?”

  “Simurgh, and yes.” He smiled, crouching close to her.

  “How did you know where I was?”

  “I asked Mathla, and I could feel that things were not comfortable for you, so I arrived to defend you, and you had already taken care of it. What did you hit him with?”

  She grimaced. “The disk. I was about to start walking home as soon as I pried this leather webbing off.”

  He cocked his head. “What?”

  “Well, instead of the actual leather tunic and skirt that his people use, he likes to dress up the novices in weird leather lingerie. It is definitely uncomfortable.”

  Yelfon nodded and got to his feet. “I will turn my back if you would like to remove it.”

  She shrugged and got to her feet. She was about to unclasp the second side of her robes, and he was staring. “Um, you said you would turn around?”

  His blue skin darkened, and he turned his back to her. She quickly unclasped her robes, untied the straps, and after a bit of fumbling, she started cursing.

  “Having trouble?”

  “Do you have a knife?”

  “I wouldn’t put it past Aloth to rig the clothing for him to undo only.”

  She winced and mumbled. “Great. Do you have a knife?”

  He turned and held a knife toward her, paused as his gaze flicked over her, and then he said, “I can see the releases.”

  “Really?” She looked at him, and he nodded.

  “May I?” He hesitated while he waited.

  “Please. I just want this stuff off.”

  He nodded and reached out to the bands that were under her breasts. She couldn’t see them, but he jerked on the tabs, and the laces unravelled. She clasped the mess against her and blushed. He did the same on her hips, but the tabs for that were behind her and just below her hipbones. He jerked the closures, and the straps slithered loose again. He remained facing her, and she slowly looked up at him.

  She exhaled slowly, and she asked, “What link between us?”

  “You were remade with Dremarai genes. That makes the link easy.”

  “Ah. So... you made the link?”

  He nodded. “While you slept that first night. This is a difficult world to adapt to, and many of the ancients are unpleasant.”

  “I have been warned against two.”

  She stared up at him and bit her lip before she asked, “What would happen if I asked you for your hospitality?”

  His smile was slow as his eyes lit up. “This.”

  He cupped her jaw with one hand and pulled her against him. Her hands were trapped between them as he kissed her.

  She gasped and opened her mouth to his. Three times in her life—before this moment—she had been kissed by a man who made her want immediate privacy and room service. None of those men had been her husband.

  She pulled her hands out from between them and wrapped one arm around his back, and the other mirrored his as she cupped his jaw.

  When he lifted his head, he smiled. “This is the hospitality of my body. It will continue until you are satisfied.”

  Libby could feel the rest of what he had to offer pressed against her abdomen. “Do you object to the request?”

  His response was to pull her against him. “I do not. It has been a few centuries, so please, bear with me. I might be a little over-excited.”

  She smiled. “After being around the monks, a little excitement is welcome.”

  He grinned, and she could see the sharp edge of his canines. He lifted her and swung her into his arms. The tangle of leather had shifted from coverage into knots around her waist and thighs.

  He stepped off the edge of the steep ledge, and they dropped straight for about fifty feet before he landed lightly and walked into a cave that lit up as he entered it.

  “This is where you live?”

  He shrugged. “I sleep here when I need to. It is a piece of my history. I had a home like this once.”

  He walked toward a set of sheer black curtains and elbowed them aside as he carried her inside. He set her on her feet and stripped the leather off her. “How is that?”

  “Better. It was like he was breathing on me.” She shuddered.

  He slipped her robe off her shoulders and smiled. “You are polished pearl all over.”

  She blushed.

  He wrapped his hands around her ribcage and thumbed her nipples. “Well, not here.”

  He dropped to his knees with a thud, and he licked first one and then the other before wrapping his arms around her and holding her against him.

  The strong sucking was sending lightning through her clit. Her breasts had always been her Achilles’ heel. She moaned softly and gasped in time to the suction. When her knees gave out, he took her weight with one arm while sliding his fingers between her thighs.

  She bit her lip when he discovered that she was wet. He released her nipple from his lips and slowly looked up her body; his eyes were glowing white-hot.

  With their eyes locke
d, he slid his fingers inside her and then added a third. He pressed her clit with his thumb, and she gasped, and her body bucked and shuddered while her inner muscles fluttered around him.

  She was blinking as her vision swam, and he came back into clear focus. There was a hot smoulder in his gaze.

  “You go off easily.”

  She opened her mouth and closed it with a snap. “I know.”

  He pulled her down to her knees and threaded a hand in her hair, kissing her softly. “What do you think about Dremarai hospitality so far?”

  She whispered, “I still have a need.”

  He grinned. “It is a matter of honour that I take care of your needs.”

  “Well then... what are you waiting for?” Libby grinned.

  Chapter Eight

  She wrapped one leg around him as he thrust into her. There was silk sliding under her and the hard velvet of him over her. She moaned and sighed with every slow stroke.

  She dug her nails into him. “Deeper.” He thrust into her hard, and she felt him going deeper.

  Four hard thrusts and she moaned and shuddered under him.

  He pressed a kiss to her neck and thrust into her, holding himself against her as he jerked.

  He braced himself on his arms, and sweat coated them both. Yelfon kissed her softly, and he raised his head. “Satisfied?”

  She sighed. “For now. Ask me again in five minutes.”

  He withdrew and moved to one side, pulling her into the curve of his body. “This is not how I saw the day going.”

  She snorted. “You and me both. I wonder what Kiol would say if I shared this memory?”

  “I think it would cause a very un-monk-like reaction. Mathla-Luon would laugh their ass off.” He pulled her tight against him as if trying to merge them together.

  He cupped her breast and rubbed one mound with his thumb. She shivered and tried to be casual. “Has Luon been in contact with you?”

  He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “No, but they had a good idea that I was going to get you.”

  “Why?” She turned toward him, and he kissed her again, continuing until she was limp.