“I wonder how the Burgon is handling histransformation,” Shanee commented.
“Unlike my mother, Bakari has seen Reapersin full Transition,” Ailyn said. “It was he who stopped the making of new oneswhen he became Burgon because he didn’t want that evil foisted off on men whodid not ask for or want it. Vengeance was his motive for becoming one of us andI am sure he is dealing with the change as he has dealt with everything in hislife.”
“Like the powerful man he is,” she said.
“Aye.” He released a long breath. “Enoughof such talk.” He got to his feet and reached for the breechclout he haddiscarded earlier. “I want to go out to the stream and dive in.” He strapped onthe abbreviated strip of material. “I want to go over Mount Korak to thevillage and dive off that gods-be-damned waterfall that taunts me in my dreams.I want to pit myself against Tariq and see which one of us can swim the fastestand the longest underwater.”
Shanee grinned. “Men are such simplecreatures,” she said, holding her hand out for him to help her up. “It is thetruly important things in life that they contemplate.”
“It is important to me,” he said with asniff. He raked his eyes down her, his gaze hot and possessive. “Despite thefact I prefer you bare to my gaze, ionúin, I would rather no other mandoes until our Joining. I believe we should cover you so I can begincontemplating other important matters.”
Shaking her head, she walked over to therock where she had left her tunic and trousers. As she reached for them, shefelt a strange sensation flitter across her body, and when she looked down, wasamazed to see she was wearing a black blouse and matching short skirt. She gasped,swung her head toward Ailyn. “How did you do that?” she whispered.
“Reapers can rearrange molecules,” he saidwith a shrug. “It is an easy thing though it takes energy.”
She fingered the material that was soft andpliable. “That is a handy trick, Reaper,” she laughed.
“Don’t call me that,” he asked, and whenshe met his gaze, she could see he meant it.
“All right, ehemann,” she said.
Ailyn asked her what that meant.
“It means ‘husband’ in the Amazeenlanguage,” she said, “and since Joinings are very rare on my world—almostnon-existent—it is a term of honor whereby a warrioress relinquishes some ofher freedom to mate with a male.”
His smile was as bright as the sun and hestrode to her, lifted her into his arms and swung her around. “How do you say ‘wife’in Amazeen?” he asked.
“Oh no,” she said, shaking her head. “It’san ugly-sounding word and I much prefer ionúin.”
He lowered his head to claim her lips andthe kiss he gave her made her toes curl again. It was a promise of things tocome and her entire body practically melted into his arms. When he released hermouth, he winked at her like a little boy.
“Let’s go play,” he said, and startedtoward the chamber entrance with her.
“Are you going to carry me all the way tothe village?” she asked.
“All the way to the stream perhaps,” hesaid. “It’s a long way to the village, ionúin, and you are nolightweight.” He shifted her against him—tossing her up in the air as thoughshe weighed no more than a feather.
Her arms were laced around his neck. “Nowyou insult me, ehemann,” she said. “I might decide to flirt with the menin the village.”
“You do so at their peril, wench,” hegrowled as he carried her out of the cave and into the moonlight.
The jungle was still but insects weremaking noises she’d never heard before. There was a sweet scent in the air,which he told her was jasmine. As he strode purposefully toward the meanderingstream with its waters silver-shot from the full moon overhead, he told herabout his desire to swim the length of the stream one day.
“It winds down past the village and intowhat the people of Theristes call the painted desert where it empties into awadi at the base. I’ve walked there but next time, I’d like to swim.”
“I am curious about something, Ailyn,” shesaid as he lowered her to the ground.
“What?” he asked. He was haphazardlybraiding his long hair. He frowned. “Would you cut this for me when we go backto the cave?”
“No,” she stated emphatically thencontinued speaking as though that matter was settled. “Why do you keep toyourself up here? Didn’t you get enough solitude when you were onRiezell-Nine?”
“But it gets in the gods-be-damned way, ionúin,”he complained.
“If you cut yours, I’ll cut mine.”
“No!” he nearly shouted. “You’ll do no suchthing! I love your hair.” He reached out to touch it in the moonlight. The glowfrom the heavenly body overhead seemed to catch in her white tresses and gaveher a mystical look that turned his cock hard as stone.
“Then don’t mention cutting yours again,”she warned. She tugged on his braid. “I find it very sexy.” Before he couldargue anymore, she ran out into the stream, laughing.
Ailyn watched her backstroking her waythrough the water and closed his eyes.
“Ehemann!” she protested as she felther clothing vanish.
He opened his eyes and grinned at her. “Youdon’t need them in there,” he said then dropped his breechclout to dive inafter her.
She whooped and struck out in the stream,swimming as fast as she could but she was no match for him even if it had beenover twenty years since he’d been an aquatic champion. He easily overtook herand wrapped his arms around her, bringing her up against his naked body, hishard cock sliding between her legs so she was straddling that powerful rod.
“When it is safe to thrust into you, ionúin,”he said, “you are going to make me one very happy man.”
He was supporting them in the water, hispowerful legs scissoring to keep them afloat but she clamped her thighs tightlyaround his shaft and ground her hips against his.
“You have no idea, ehemann,” she whispered,and slanted her mouth over his. She thrust her tongue
