Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

S abrost helped Janet down from the small ledge, hiding his smile as she exclaimed over his wounds. They were painful, but not significant, and her concern for his welfare pleased him. Skirting the network of stone slabs in the center of the cavern, they crossed the wide floor. Stalagmites covered a good portion of the area, but the rock was smooth and level between them so the walking was not difficult.

Janet continued to speculate about the hot springs, but he was too distracted to really concentrate on her words. She hadn't seemed distressed when he told her that there was no way out of the cavern, but he was seriously concerned. The river they had been following disappeared through an opening on the far wall – an opening that left no room for them to follow it. The walls appeared to be unbroken.

He reminded himself to put his faith in Tetlana. She aided those who aided themselves. Once they had bathed, he would conduct a more thorough investigation. Perhaps another exit was simply concealed amongst the rock.

He tightened his grip on Janet's hand, determined not to fail her. She looked up at him and smiled, and the trust on her face made his heart ache. He would do whatever it took, but he would make sure that she would be safe.

As they reached the far wall, he came to an abrupt halt. Instead of the rock formations he had assumed they would find, water flowed through a series of three perfectly round pools, clearly formed by technology rather than occurring naturally. Despite the surrounding ruins, they were in pristine condition.

"I do not like this," he said slowly.

"I don't understand. If this is the remains of a city, everything else is in ruins. Why are these still intact?"

Not only intact, but each one was filled with water, steam drifting from the surface. At least it appeared to be water that trickled from the largest pool, then down to the other two, before escaping beneath a crack at the base of the wall.

"Do you think it's safe?" she asked, and he could hear the longing in her voice.

He stepped closer to inspect them, testing the air, but he could only detect the scent of water. The water was a deep purple, but it was absolutely clear, revealing the smooth interior surfaces. Before he could decide the best way to test the liquid, the avian fluttered down to land on the edge of the largest pool. It dipped its beak and drank, then submerged its head, shaking it playfully. Was the Goddess answering his doubts?

"Let me test it," he said slowly.

He probed it with a cautious finger, but it felt the same as any other heated water. Scooping up a handful, he brought it to his mouth, but he could still detect nothing other than water with a faint mineral undertone. There was a barely detectable effervescence, but otherwise it seems completely normal.

"Well?" Janet demanded.

"It seems safe enough."

She gave a relieved sigh. "You don't know how much I'm looking forward to this."

Unfastening the tattered remains of the kestava cloth, she let it fall to the ground. The soft pink luminescence highlighted the sweet little curves and valleys of her body. Even though he had already seen her naked, the enticing sight still made his kalu jerk and threaten to emerge.

She turned to climb into the lowest pool and he hissed as her back came into view. The scrapes she had received during her fall were worse than he realized.

"You are hurt."

"It's not serious," she assured him as she swung her leg over the side, then slid down into the water with a sigh of pleasure. "Oh this is wonderful. There's even a ledge here where you can sit."

He hesitated outside the pool until she shot him an undeniably seductive look. "Don't you want to join me?"

Thrilled that she had asked for him, he plunged into the water, splashing her in the process. She laughed.

"You're certainly enthusiastic."

"I always wish to be with you."

An odd expression crossed her face, but she didn't say anything. Instead her small hand patted his chest as he sat down beside her.

The water stung briefly as it covered his wounds but was soon replaced by a comforting warmth. The heat soothed even the deeper aches and bruises and he sighed with pleasure.

Janet's hand was still on his chest and he covered it with his own. They sat in silence as the water swirled gently around them.

"I should look at your wounds," he said eventually. "Turn around please."

"I'm fine," she insisted, but she obeyed.

His breath escaped in a low hiss as he saw her back.

"What is it?"

"Your back. It is healed." He ran a gentle hand over her pale, unblemished skin. Only the faintest trace of redness remained.

"I don't understand. I've heard of healing springs on Earth, but nothing that happens that quickly." She tried to peer over her shoulder to inspect her back. "Let me see yours."

He turned away from her and heard her gasp before she ran her fingers across his skin. "It's healed as well, although not completely. How did this happen?"

He ran his hand along the circular edge of the pool and then down the smooth inside. "Perhaps the technology that created these did more than shape them. Apparently it still works."

She looked up at him, green eyes huge in her pale face. "It's kind of creepy. These pools have just been sitting here for hundreds –"

"– thousands," he corrected.

"– of years." Her eyes widened even further. "You understood the number."

He had. He had corrected her without thinking, but now he realized that he fully understood everything that she said.

"Can you understand me as well?" he asked in his own language.

She tilted her head and frowned uncertainly. "Pretty much. Although I don't think I could speak your language the way you speak English."

"Perhaps that is because I was already acquiring the knowledge of your language."

"It's still shocking to hear you go from two or three words to full sentences," she said tartly, but he could see the concern on her face.

"It could also be considered a form of healing," he suggested.

"I suppose," she said doubtfully. "I wonder what happened to them – to whoever built this. I know we haven't explored much of the surface, but we haven't seen anything to indicate an advanced civilization – no buildings, no roads, no planes flying overhead."

"It is a mystery," he agreed. "It reminds me of the story from my home world of settlers exploring a new continent. When a second group went to join them, the original settlers had vanished entirely."

"We have a similar story on Earth as well." She looked around the empty cavern and shivered. "Do you think maybe they were settlers?"

"I don't know. But we should be grateful for the technology they left behind." He sent up a silent prayer of thanksgiving.

"I do feel a lot better," she admitted, settling back down next to him. He could feel the soft press of her skin against his side and was immediately distracted from thoughts of the past.

"A lot better," she repeated, and then she swung her leg over to sit astride him on the wide ledge. The water swirled around her breasts, the rosy tips appearing and disappearing. He could feel the slickness of her sitti against his abdomen and his kalu pressed against his slit, seeking to emerge.

"Janet." Her name was a prayer on his lips.

"Do you want me to move?"

Her eyes sparkled, already knowing the answer to her question, as his hands clamped down on her hips to hold her in place. He opened his mouth to apologize, but before he could speak, she leaned forward and kissed him.

Once again he was lost in the sheer erotic pleasure of her mouth. Her soft little tongue entwined with his as her delicious taste washed over him. The stiff peaks of her breasts brushed against his chest as her hands tightened on his shoulder. When they finally parted, her pink, swollen lips curved in a smile.

"You said that you should wait until I asked before releasing your kalu?"

"Yes," he groaned, knowing he was close to losing that battle.

She sat back a little and slipped her hand between the bodies, tracing the sensitive edge of his slit.

"I'm asking," she whispered.

His kalu surged through his slit with such force that he felt dizzy.

The pink in her cheeks deepened in color as it thrust upwards between her legs.

"Oh my." Her small fingers caressed him, sliding easily up and down the length of his shaft, but he wanted more.

"I… I want you."

Her eyes focused on his, glowing green in the soft light. "I want you too."

Once again his hands tightened on her hips as he lifted her over him. His tip probed her small entrance, hotter and slicker than the water surrounding them, gradually slipping inside the narrow channel as her body stretched to accommodate him.

"Oh my," she repeated. "You feel amazing."

He didn't have the control to respond. His whole being was focused on the sensation of entering her body. His instincts urged him to thrust upwards, to bury himself inside her, but the slow stretch as he worked his way inside her was too exquisite to rush. Never had he felt such heat, such a tight slick grip. He was shaking with the effort to control himself by the time she had taken all of him.

She had been watching where their bodies joined, but now she looked up at him, her face glowing. His control threatened to evaporate completely, but he forced himself to continue to move slowly. She was so delicate, so light in his hands. He lifted her again, her sheath clinging to every inch of his kalu as if she could not bear to be separated from him, then slowly lowered her. Her hands gripped his shoulders, and he could feel her channel fluttering around him. His tip separated, stroking the inside of her body as he repeated the movement, and she gasped. Her small nails dug into his skin.

"More," she demanded, and he obeyed, stroking faster, harder.

Lines of fire rushed down his spine and his kalu pulsed, but he refused to release until he felt her convulse around him as she called out his name. Unable to wait any longer, he thrust wildly, once, twice, then he was coming in a rush of ecstasy that left him limp and drained.

Her head dropped to his shoulder, and they clung to each other as the water swirled gently around them.

Finally, Janet sighed happily, smiling up at him. "In spite of everything, I'm glad we're here together."

He hugged her closer in silent agreement, sending up a prayer of gratitude to the Goddess.