5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Isla’s guide to The Twelve Nights of Halloheen (Excerpt)

The Night of Joy is all about laughter. It’s about filling the room with the sounds of tangible happiness.

Isla

Isla stared at the information square in her hands, frowning at the blank screen. Tonight was the Night of Joy and she needed more jokes to make the King and Queen laugh, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t come up with a single thing.

It was the same problem she’d been dealing with for the last two days! Every time she gave herself a quiet moment to think, the only thing that popped into her head was Tisuran.

During the Night of Fire, he’d sat on a short stool next to her seat and fed her the food he carefully roasted over the open flame. As he fed her, he asked her questions about growing up on Wimol and all the hijinks she, Zia, Lasha, Nura, and Corin had gotten themselves involved in. The five of them had been high- energy, creative children and teenagers, always finding ways to entertain and amuse the adults after long days of laboring. Then there’d been Alsi, the quiet one of them who preferred to stay inside reading but was always interested in hearing about their adventures.

She didn’t realize until later that recounting all those stories had diminished the hold Yesith cast on her memories of Wimol. She hadn’t considered that he had overshadowed all thoughts of the past; Tisuran’s questions were pouring light onto her memories. He was helping to rekindle all the warm and enjoyable moments.

And then there was the touching.

He was so careful with her that, when he was feeding her during the Night of Fire, his only touch was when his fingers occasionally grazed her lips as he brought food to her mouth. That slight contact had been enough to make her skin buzz and her breath hitch. None of it in a bad way.

But to her disappointment, that’s all he did! She’d expected him to pull her aside as everyone wandered home after the light display, but he hadn’t. He’d escorted her to her domicile, then left her at the door with a purr and promise of fun for the Night of Sweets.

She’d been so eager to see him the next day, she’d gone searching for him. Again, he spent the day making sure she enjoyed herself, but he hadn’t pressed her for anything except to hold hands. It got to where she’d taken his hand and placed it on her waist, silently inviting him closer.

Why wasn’t he pushing her? What was his plan?

He helped her find some of her favorite candy hidden around the compound, and he’d gotten her a slice of brightly decorated cake with a small candle in it so she could make a wish before blowing out the candle. He’d done everything right, yet she wanted to scream with frustration by the end of the evening’s festivities.

Could she make him touch her more? Would that trigger her fear or make her feel empowered?

The chime of her door display brought her out of her thoughts. “Open,” she called to the door, and it slid back to reveal Tisuran standing there with several bags clutched in his clawed hands.

“Are you ready?” he asked eagerly. “I’ve collected many things that will cause a great deal of amusement.”

Leaving the information square on the table, Isla hurried to the door. “I’m ready, but I don’t think I’m going to be earning any beads tonight,” she admitted.

Tisuran stepped aside to let her pass. “I doubt that. You’re always making people laugh or smile. Why would tonight be any different?”

Walking close so her shoulder brushed his arm, Isla grinned. “Trust me, tonight is different.”

She could hear the laughter of the humans and the marbles-clinking rumbles of amusement from the Talins before they entered the communal building. Isla couldn’t wait to see what Talins considered funny.

The first thing she saw after stepping inside was the tall dais set up with Zia and Palforma sitting on two brightly decorated chairs with a large container of beaded necklaces on a table between them. They were the King and Queen of Joy for the night, and every time someone made them laugh, they threw them beads. At the end of the night, the person with the most beads was declared the winner and given the title of Bringer of Joy.

Isla had never won, but she’d never tried very hard. She considered this the one night of the year she didn’t have to make others happy. Tonight she got to sit back and enjoy herself.

“…and the second Volner said, ‘but that’s your job!’”

She couldn’t see who told the joke, but the raucous laughter from the humans meant she wanted someone to repeat it to her. Both Palforma and Zia threw beads at the person. She and Tisuran moved deeper into the crowd as she saw Markos step up to tell a joke. Although Isla had heard the joke before, she still laughed and applauded with everyone else as the King and Queen threw Markos’ beads.

The crowd shifted and she found herself pressed in on all sides. The panic hit her fast and hard. She knew she was surrounded by friends, but it didn’t matter. She was hemmed in on all sides. She wasn’t sure she could get her voice to work enough to ask anyone to move, and more touching right now might send her into a full meltdown.

All she could feel was old terror building. It was getting hard to breathe. Was there even oxygen in the room?

“Isla, I need help with my props,” Tisuran said. He nudged people aside so she could follow him. “Come with me please.”

Gratefully, she followed him on wobbly legs. She knew Tisuran didn’t need any help. Her observant warrior knew she was drowning and had been quick to get her out of the crowd without making a fuss.

No one paid them any attention, and soon the two of them were alone in an empty storage room. The moment the door slid shut behind them, she sagged against a wall as he dropped his bags to the ground, kneeled in front of her, and started up a soothing purr.

“ Loreline , talk to me.”

Taking in big gulps of air, Isla held back her tears. “I’m sorry I’m so… broken.”

An angry rattle sounded briefly, overshadowing Tisuran’s purr. “You’re not broken, and I won’t have you saying such things about yourself.”

Tisuran inched a little closer. Isla moved her hand to rest it on his head; it was a familiar and comforting gesture. He leaned into her touch, his rumbling changing pitch slightly. Her hand slid down to his cheek and warm oil coated her skin. The smell of sweet maple filled the room.

“We can stay here for as long as you need,” he reassured her as he nuzzled her palm. As usual, when she touched him, he kept his hands resting on his thighs.

“Thank you, Tisuran,” she whispered.

“Would you like me to distract you?” he asked.

“Yes,” she agreed readily. She expected him to open the sacks he’d brought and try to make her laugh. Instead, he reached out to grab the bottom half of a leg broken off a walking-torch on the floor next to him. It was about the length of her forearm and as thick as her pinky finger.

“Hold that.”

Thoroughly confused, she took the leg from him, holding it straight up and down by the middle. “What am I doing with this?”

“If you drop it, everything stops,” he explained. “You don’t have to say anything or move. Just let go of the leg.”

As he spoke, he slowly lowered his body until his chin was so close to the top of her slipper that she could feel his warm breath ghosting over the flesh of her ankle. Knowing the communal room would be crowded and hot, she hadn’t put on a heavy omnie. All she wore was a light unisex wrap that was common attire for the humans during leisure times. Hers was a bright yellow because she adored cheerful, vivid colors. Most everyone else went with more muted blues, greens, or maroon-colored wraps.

As she watched, Tisuran nosed the hem of her wrap out of the way and laid his lips on her shin. “I’m going to touch you with my lips.” His breath felt warm on her skin. “Drop the leg now.”

She obeyed without thinking. The moment the leg hit the floor, Tisuran was moving. With speed that made her gasp, he put himself against the far wall. He was on his knees, bent at the waist, with his arms behind his back, and his head arched down.

This was a position of supplication. With his head down like that, his protective neck plates separated, making his spine vulnerable to attack. “Tisuran?”

“Ask me to come back,” he requested. “Or I’ll stay here all night. My stellian is strong, even faced with the pleasure of touching you.”

Oh, now she understood. Swooping down, she picked the leg back up. “Please come back,” she requested breathlessly. “I think, um, I want to do more of what you were doing.”

She expected him to rush back to her with the same speed he’d used to cross the room, but he didn’t. He was slow and deliberate, putting himself on his belly and his lips on her ankle.

“Remember,” he said. “You drop the leg, and I move away.”

She gripped the walking-torch leg tight. It didn’t feel like a piece of broken tech now; it felt like a powerful scepter. “I’ve got it.”

His kiss was feather light before he moved fractionally higher and placed another kiss. He kept doing this until he reached her knee, then he switched legs and worked his way from ankle to knee again.

Isla wasn’t sure if she was disappointed or relieved that he hadn’t gone higher.

When he repeated his kisses, she decided she was disappointed. She wanted to feel his kisses all over. His mouth set fire to every bit of skin he touched. When he reached her second knee, she bent her knees to sink down a little. He waited until she stopped moving, then he started kissing the middle of her thigh.

Her breath hitched as he moved higher. When he was close to the apex of her legs she stopped breathing all together, only to have him sit back and look up at her.

“Would you like to lie down?” he invited before she could wail out a protest. Her legs were shaking from the strain of half squatting against the wall. With a nod, she slid to the floor with a muffled thump.

Then she remembered the walking-torch leg in her hand—no, resting on the floor next to her. When she held it up so it could be dropped, he made a sound of protest. “That will become uncomfortable. Instead of dropping it, tap it on anything. The wall, the floor, even me. And you’ll get the same result as dropping it.”

Mutely, she nodded her head.

“Would you still like to lie down?” he asked.

Again, she nodded her head. Where were her words? Her brain felt pleasantly foggy and all she could think about was getting his mouth on her skin again.

His deep, thrumming rumble filled the room as he moved back. The space he provided allowed her to scoot forward until she was lying on her back. She spread her legs shyly, and her wrap bunched at her waist. The cold floor made her shiver, and she was acutely aware of the heat radiating off of Tisuran.

Isla should be embarrassed, or at least a little self-conscious, right? No one had seen her naked since Yesith. What if she wasn’t pretty enough? She’d eaten so well since coming to Sorana that she had curves and her thighs had gotten thicker. Would that disgust the muscled Tisuran?

“You’re beautiful,” he breathed, washing away any doubt with his praise. “Don’t forget, tap and I’ll stop.”

“Right. Yes. Tapping stops everything.” Wow, she’d gotten an entire sentence out. Good for her!

Tisuran moved slowly, giving her plenty of time to tap. Rubbing his cheek against her thigh, he carefully hooked his teeth in the waistband of her panties. He dragged them down her legs and over her feet, leaving a trail of hot bonding oil on her skin. Her slippers ended up being pulled off with her panties, but she barely noticed.

Still only using his face, he nudged her legs further apart. Cool air hit her sex as she exposed the most intimate parts of herself. She whimpered with anticipation and not a little trepidation. But the sensation of cold was quickly replaced by the heat of his tongue. Long swipes of his textured tongue left trails of pleasure from her back hole all the way to her clit. Her entire body tensed as he kept doing it, his licks getting more intense with every pass.

She expected him to start kissing her again. She hadn’t thought he’d treat her like a lollipop!

When he focused his attention on her little bundle of nerves, she cried out, and her entire body jerked, banging the walking-torch leg on the floor.

In a flash, Tisuran was across the room in the same position as before, his rumbling stopped as he became perfectly still. She wanted to weep for reasons that had nothing to do with fear!

“Did I hurt you?” His voice sounded close to panic.

“You didn’t,” she gasped. “I banged the leg by accident.”

He looked up. “Truly?

Clearing her throat, she tried for a little more composure. “Umm, you can keep doing that, if you want to. If I don’t, you know, taste bad or anything.” Her words ended with an embarrassed squeak.

“You taste like perfection,” he assured her before returning to his previous position.

“Oh, uh, good?” She could swear his bright amber eyes darkened with lust. He licked his lips, his eyes focused on her sex. She forgot how to talk again.

When he started lowering his head between her legs, she carefully set the walking-torch leg aside. Her fear had long since been superseded by lust, and she wasn’t going to have any accidental tapping interrupt them again!

As his textured tongue stroked over her sex, she moaned and found her hips moving of their own volition. When he sucked the little nub of nerves into his mouth, she gasped and stuffed her fist into her mouth to stem her cries. His tongue felt even better than when she rubbed herself with her own fingers.

Reaching down, she held his head in place, desperate for him to stay right there. A loud rumble of amusement came out of him before being replaced by his deep, thrumming rumble. It was stronger than before and felt like the rumble was even vibrating in his mouth and onto her clit.

Oh god! So good! She whimpered as pleasure blasted through her.

She wanted his hands on her too, but couldn’t make her brain form words. Every muscle felt unbelievably tight; she was a force waiting to be released.

And then it all unraveled.

Intense sensations caused her arms to flail. She didn’t realize she’d let go of Tisuran’s head until she felt her hands hit the wall. A wave of bliss hit her hard, sending electricity down her spine and making her back arch. She opened her mouth in a silent scream as her body shuddered. The pleasure kept going as he worked her with his mouth. She didn’t know an orgasm could last this long.

It was only when she became too sensitive that she pushed at Tisuran to stop. He moved out from between her legs and sat up immediately, rattling out the repetitive whooshing-hatch sound of worry.

“Did I hurt you? You smelled and tasted so good, and you didn’t tap.” Then he saw the walking-torch leg on the floor and his voice was a combination of panic and pleading. “You let go and I didn’t hear it! I’ve failed!”

“No, no. I’m good,” she reassured him, her voice husky and her brain buzzing. “Really good.”

Good. What a horribly mundane word to describe experiencing pleasure so intense her body was twitching from aftershocks. But her brain was mush at the moment. She’d shower him with praise later, when she could think again. She clumsily patted the floor next to her.

“Lie down,” she requested. “Right here.”

“Anything you wish,” Tisuran vowed as he flopped down on his back. She pushed his arm out so she could snuggle up against his side. Throwing a leg over his belly, she rested her head against his shoulder and draped her arm over his chest.

“I can do that for you anytime you want,” Tisuran said after she’d gotten herself settled. He lifted his head and awkwardly leaned over to rub his cheek against the top of her head, purring loudly the entire time. Maple filled the air, making her sigh with contentment before he dropped his head back down to rest on the floor.

“I know I want to do that again,” she promised him.

Her leg was a little high for her hip joint, so she lowered it slightly and encountered Tisuran’s erection straining the front of his pants. Clumsily sitting up, she frowned down at his crotch.

“I’ve been selfish. I can use my hand or mouth on you,” she offered.

Tisuran placed a gentle hand on her arm and urged her to settle back down. “No, loreline. Don’t concern yourself with my wants and needs right now. This time and place is for you.”

“I think that’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

“You’ve already thanked me,” he responded with a gentle rumble. “By having faith in me.”

Isla

Much later, they returned to the party after a quick trip to a cleansing unit. Even with a wash up, Isla knew she smelled strongly of maple and got a few knowing looks. She didn’t care. They wouldn’t judge her, and some might even pat her on the back for picking one of the Talins. Besides, so many people were already partially or mostly drunk, they probably wouldn’t even remember the evening.

Everyone was encouraged to imbibe during the Night of Joy because everything’s funnier when you’re intoxicated!

Akra was standing in front of the dais, her neck covered in beads and being presented with an elaborate drinking cup. She was grinning from ear to ear and everyone was cheering.

“Looks like Akra won!” Isla said as she clapped. “I’m not surprised. She’s really clever!”

“Are you disappointed you didn’t get to compete?” Tisuran asked.

“Not even a little,” Isla said as the applause and rattling died down. She looked up at Tisuran. “In fact—”

“Isla!” The sound of Akra calling her name stopped her mid-sentence. She looked over to find everyone had cleared a path so she could see right to the dais.

The entire room was staring at her. “Uh, what?”

There was a tittering of laughter and a few amused rumbles as Zia motioned her forward. ‘The king and queen have something to give you,’ she tapped with an imperious expression.

Highly intrigued and only slightly nervous, she moved to stand next to Akra in front of the dais, Tisuran right behind her. Zia stood tall and tapped, addressing the entire room.

‘I wanted to take this opportunity, on the fourth night of Halloheen, to acknowledge someone important. Every human and Talin on Sorana brings important skills and knowledge to the colony. Every single one of you makes this place better, but sometimes we forget that a place isn’t buildings, roads, paths, and tech. Those things are important, but they are here for the inhabitants, not the other way around. We’ve all been so busy building that we’ve forgotten why we’re building—for each other. Every day, Isla makes sure there is laughter and love. She’s the one who guards our hearts and happiness. It’s because of her we’re celebrating and reconnecting as families, friends, and a cohesive community. I’m afraid that most of her efforts have gone unnoticed until now.’

Tears filled Isla’s eyes, and she blinked hard, trying to keep them at bay. She wasn’t sure she deserved such praise, but Zia looked adamant and when she glanced around, everyone was nodding their agreement.

‘I would like to start a new tradition on the Night of Joy,’ Zia continued as Palforma reached under his seat to retrieve a box. With effortless grace, he jumped off the dais. Opening the box, he drew out a tiara, very similar to the one he’d gotten Zia not long after they’d arrived on Sorana. It was beautiful, filled with gold and amber colored gems that glittered in the room’s artificial light.

‘I declare you Princess of Joy!’ Zia tapped, and everyone roared their approval.

Palforma placed the tiara on her head, and Zia spoke to the audience. ‘I invite everyone here to speak up and show Isla that she’s seen. Show her how she’s impacted this community, both on Wimol and here on Sorana.’

Only seconds after Zia said this, someone stepped forward to speak. Then another person. Then another. It seemed everyone had something to say, and all Isla could do was watch it unfold because her powers of speech had completely fled.

Between her earth-shattering orgasm earlier and the tremendous amount of goodwill she was receiving now, Isla felt overwhelmed. But not in a bad way. She felt a little lightheaded, but she refused to find a seat.

A warm, solid presence was at her back. “Lean against me,” Tisuran whispered in her ear. “I won’t put my hands on you, but borrow my strength to enjoy the accolades. You deserve everything said about you!”

Isla didn’t think the evening could get any better, but Tisuran proved her wrong. How did a girl get so lucky?