Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

M ina awoke with a lazy feeling of contentment. She hadn't known she was capable of so much pleasure. Pleasing Mikel had been just as rewarding. Her first blow job and he had fallen apart, she thought a little smugly, remembering his reaction.

Mikel's arms were wrapped tightly around her and she tried to snuggle closer, wondering if he would let her practice her newfound skills again. But as soon as he felt her move, he lifted her free and sat up.

"We should leave soon. The morning air currents are best for flying," he said, not looking at her.

An aching hole opened in her stomach. She had thought they were so close yesterday, but it had only been an illusion.

"Leave?" she whispered.

"To journey to the white building. So you can return to Earth."

"I don't want to go back to Earth. There is nothing for me there."

"There is nothing for you here," he said, his voice hard, but when he flashed a quick look in her direction, she was sure that she could see pain in his eyes.

"But—"

"Does your planet have warm dwellings?"

"Yes, but?—"

"And mechanical transportation? Readymade clothing? Boots?" His big, warm hand cupped her small foot for a moment.

"Yes." She stopped attempting to explain.

"Then you are better off there."

He stood and went to the fire before she had a chance to respond. No use in fighting it , she thought, sagging in despair. How many times had she begged to stay, only to be sent away anyway?

Determined not to cry, she sat up and looked for her blanket.

"Here." Mikel handed it to her, and she saw it had been transformed into a simple dress with a woven bark ribbon holding it together.

A tear escaped despite her resolve, and he sighed and sat back down, putting his arms around her.

"It's for your own good," he said softly.

She'd heard those words many times before as well. She only nodded and let him dress her as if she was a small child. In addition to the dress, he had created some rough moccasins from the fur she had been preparing, and he knelt down to tie them in place.

"When did you make these?"

"While you were sleeping."

Even though he was sending her away, he had taken the time to create these for her?

Draco had been sleeping next to the fire since their activities of the previous night had driven him off the bed, but he hopped over to her now, squawking hopefully. She picked him up and cuddled him against her chest as he rubbed his head affectionately under her chin, his spikes prickling gently.

"Can you take him with you?" Mikel asked.

"No. He wouldn't belong on my world." She looked up to find him watching her, an inscrutable expression on his face. "Will you take care of him?"

"Of course." He hesitated. "You will have to leave him here. He can't fly well enough to accompany us."

"That's fine. I would rather remember him here."

She fussed over the little dragon a few minutes longer, then put him down and turned to Mikel. "I'm ready."

He settled Draco in the corner with a meaty bone, then placed a barrier of brush in front of him. The little dragon shot it a suspicious glance, but he was more interested in the bone.

Still, Mikel hesitated, then he sighed again and reached for her. She went willingly into his arms, determined to remember every moment. He carried her outside, one arm cradling her ass and the other secured tightly around her back.

"I won't let you fall," he murmured.

"I know." But she wrapped her arms and legs around him and buried her face in his neck.

His muscles tightened, and then he leapt into the air in one powerful movement. His wings snapped out and caught the air, and they were airborne. The world whirled and her stomach whirled with it, but she took a deep breath of his cool, clean scent and her body settled.

She cautiously opened one eye, taking in the wide expanse of sky above them. Encouraged, she opened both eyes, blinking dizzily as she saw the vast panorama of land below. Their mountain was already receding into the distance behind them.

It was beautiful in a strange and unexpected way. His arms held her securely, and she grew more confident about the flight. If he hadn't been sending her away, she would have loved to discover more of this world.

Trying to distract herself from her melancholy thoughts, she concentrated on her surroundings.

They were flying towards the ocean, wooded foothills gradually morphing into a lavender prairie. A herd of large ruminants, oddly reminiscent of big purple buffalo, grazed peacefully amongst the grass, and in the distance, a flock of colorful bird-like creatures took flight.

"You haven't seen any signs of people here?" she asked.

He bent his head to hers, the wind whipping the soft strands of his hair across her face. "Only our destination. Plus some very old ruins."

"I wonder what happened to them."

"Races die out. It is not uncommon."

"I suppose not."

They lapsed into silence until she spotted a white building in the distance. Their destination.

She wanted to scream, to cry, to beg, but all she did was close her eyes and cling to him. He seemed to be flying slower now, but he finally landed and gently placed her on her feet.

The white building was a short distance away. Now that they were here, she could see it was composed of two separate shapes—an enormous rectangle that rose high in the air and a much smaller rectangle along one side. It was absolutely featureless, the walls smooth and white, with no windows and only one door at the end of the smaller block.

Something about it terrified her, but she lifted her chin and refused to cower.

"I… I will leave you here," Myk-El said, his voice hoarse.

Mee-na turned to look up at him, her face pale.

"You aren't going to come inside with me?"

No. He couldn't bear the thought of watching her walk away from him. He needed to be the one to leave.

"I have to return to Draco."

Her eyes filled with tears. "Take care of him."

"I will."

"And take care of yourself, Mikel. Thank you for saving me." Her smile trembled.

"Thank you…" For being here. For easing the loneliness. For making me remember what it felt like to care for another being.

None of the words emerged. Instead, he dipped his head and took flight, telling himself that it was the icy breeze that stung his eyes and made his chest ache.

Despite the tears blurring her vision, Mina watched Mikel fly away until he vanished into the sky. She felt as if he had taken part of her with him, leaving a gaping hole inside.

Should she have tried harder to convince him that she wanted to stay? Even if years of experience had taught her that trying to prolong the inevitable only made it hurt more?

Not that it mattered now.

She turned back to the building. Nothing about it appealed to her. The stark white building had a sterile, antiseptic look that reminded her of some futuristic hospital. She shuddered at the thought, but it only reinforced her decision not to enter.

Why would she? She had no desire to return. There was nothing on Earth for her.

Instead, she would find a way to survive here. Even in the short time she had spent with Mikel, she had begun to learn how to make use of her surroundings.

She cast a glance over her shoulder at the tree line. Maybe she could find some supplies there. Like bark I can use to make a cup , she thought, and her mouth trembled. But she lifted her chin and marched away from the building the same way she had marched away from every one of the foster homes she had been forced to leave.

The landscape transitioned surprisingly quickly from prairie to a few scattered trees to dense jungle. There were signs of life everywhere here as well. Insects buzzed and twittered, more of the colorful avians darted amongst the trees, and she could hear small animals rustling in the undergrowth.

The vegetation was a startling array of candy colors, and a variety of flowers filled the air with perfume. It was beautiful, the air warmer than it had been since she arrived—and she missed her mountain.

Why had she even entered the jungle?

A wave of loneliness swept over her and she sank to her knees, finally giving in to the tears she had been suppressing since Mikel told her he was sending her back. She cried until her head ached and her eyes felt red and swollen, but when the tears finally ceased, she felt lighter. She leaned back against an enormous moss-covered tree and considered her options.

The jungle was beautiful and full of life, but she didn't feel right here. The air was too thick and heavy, the constant buzz of sound grating rather than soothing. She even had the odd feeling that she was being watched.

No, she decided, she would make her way back to the prairie, and then back to the mountains. To Mikel.

If he still rejected her, she—and Draco—would find their own cave.

She suspected the journey back home was going to take her several days, maybe even longer, but she didn't care. For once, she was going to go after what she really wanted.

Decision made, she started to get up but discovered she couldn't move. The moss that covered the tree was covered with small, sticky drops that had glued themselves to her clothes, her hair, and even her skin where her arm rested against the trunk.

Crap. Huffing a disgruntled sigh, she started slowly separating herself from the clinging stuff. She had just managed to work her arm free, leaving a little skin behind in the process, when a faint noise made her look up.

A huge spider-like creature covered with spiky golden fur was crawling down the tree, sickly yellow fluid dripped from a terrifying array of sharp teeth. Its bulbous, faceted eyes were focused directly on her.

She screamed.