6. Jade

6

JADE

When Zeleck suggests taking a break, I readily agree, grateful for the chance to catch my breath and drink some water to cool down. The Rakui tea did wonders for my mead hangover, but I still feel dehydrated from my drinking and puking adventures.

"Here." He hands me his water flask. I have a canteen in my pack, but since he's offering, I drink from his.

The water taste good, cool and refreshing, and I gulp it down. "Thanks. I guess I was thirsty."

"Do you need food?" he asks. "I have dried kerboo and ryn flower."

The kerboo jerky isn't bad and the cream found in the center of the ryn pods, which taste like nut butter, is delicious. But I'm not really hungry. "I'm good for now. How long until we reach the search area?"

Zeleck examines the position of the suns through the treetops and assesses the surrounding terrain. "A bit longer. When the suns reach here." He points to a position in the sky to indicate mid-afternoon.

I'm kicking myself for getting a later start than planned. Can't say I wasn't warned about the mead.

I drink a bit more water, then we resume our walk through the dense, humid forest. Zeleck's strides are quiet and confident, his presence both comforting and uncomfortable .

He hasn't said anything about my behavior last night, and I'm sure as hell not bringing it up. But I can't stop thinking about how we almost kissed…or how his hands felt as he helped me undress. Strong, gentle, sure.

And don't get me started on the incredible sensation of his bare, muscled chest pressed against my breasts…or the way his hard, alien cock nudged my belly when I licked his neck. It's a good thing he's a good guy who didn't take advantage of what I was offering.

Zeleck's totally my type. Or he would be if we had met at a different time and in a different place. A little older, a bit wiser, a man who carries himself with confidence. If he had a bit of gray at his temples, my panties would probably self-combust. Luckily for my panties, Rakuis don't physically age as fast as Terrans.

Even though I agreed with Lukka that he'd make a good mate, if I was content on UD237, Zeleck would be the one putting a Rakui bun in my oven. Thinking about that makes my face flush from a different kind of heat.

"So," I say, trying to clear my mind by striking up a casual conversation, "is there anything more you can tell me about Rakuium?"

Zeleck's dark eyes narrow slightly, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. "It is dangerous, Lukka was not wrong about that. The truth is, we do not know all that it is capable of. Since our ancestors had bad experiences with Rakuium, we have not tested its full potential or gone in search of all remaining remnants."

I wipe the sweat from my brow on my sleeve. "If it's so dangerous, why did your ancestors bring some along when they fled your home world?"

"My understanding is that it was used to power their giant, wingless flyer."

That makes sense since it appears to be an energy source. If we find enough of it, maybe it could power a small ship so we can leave. "When we get to the search area, how will we find it?"

"It will not be easy. Much time has passed since our ancestors arrived here. We will need to search the ground beneath the underbrush. The remnants will look like small pieces of shiny, jagged rock the color of the night sky. Some pieces might be as small as pebbles. Others might be large enough to carve into a ring, like Remmel did for Jill-ee-un."

Great. We're looking for tiny black needles in a dimly lit, forest-filled haystack. "Think we'll find any larger pieces?"

Zeleck shakes his head. "Unlikely. The larger pieces from the crash site were retrieved long ago and are used to light the village caves. Just because a piece of Rakuium is small, though, do not assume it is not powerful or destructive."

"But Jillian's ring didn't destroy the rock that flew toward her," I say. "It protected her instead."

Zeleck nods. "Some say Rakuium has a mind of its own."

"Like it's sentient or something? That's crazy." I laugh at the possibility, but Zeleck doesn't laugh with me.

"My people tried to control it once, and it destroyed us."

"Maybe your people abused its power."

"That is likely." He's clearly bothered by our conversation. "I am trusting you not to do the same."

"I won't let you down," I vow.

"I understand your desire to find more Rakuium, and I am willing to help you in that quest. Yet, it is important for you to understand that Rakuium is more than just a tool. It is... alive in ways that defy reason. You must trust me on this."

I almost roll my eyes, but the look on his face tells me he's serious. Deadly serious. "If it is alive, I'll learn how to communicate with it and how to use it for good rather than destruction."

Zeleck nods slowly, a reluctant agreement passing between us. "Why do you wish to leave this world when the Terrans are adapting so well to the Rakui way of life?"

"I see the progress being made." To help him understand why I want to leave, I choose my words carefully. "Terrans are adaptable, and some of my friends are even thriving here. But adaptation isn't the same as choice. We didn't choose to come here. We were brought here under false pretenses, manipulated by our government for reasons we still don't fully understand."

"My people did not choose this place as our new home, either. Yet we made a new life here."

I stop walking and turn to face him. "This planet, your world, is beautiful and full of promise. But it's not what I signed up for. Technology is my passion, Zeleck. My dream is to live a technology-driven life in space."