Harvest of Travel - Chapter 11 - A'mara Books

11

(Tharnday, cont.)

Hailu, X’lea

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“Apparently, Tilo is in Cooldown,” Iyan said as he sat down next to Espera.

“What did he do this time?” Espera asked.

“He was fighting with a man. Tilo thinks the man might be wanted by the Curator – especially given what he says happened at the Leya Club earlier.”

“Weren’t you going to be there?” Espera asked.

“I had planned to, but I didn’t get there. Anyway, we may be able to gain some favor with the Curator if we catch this group of five. Four of them seem to hold Death Edicts.”

“Do you know where they are staying?”

“There’s only one place I know of where people can stay without giving good ID,” he replied.

“Ray’s Inn,” Espera answered with a nod. “We’d better report to the Curator then – find out what he wants us to do next.”

“If they have Death Edicts, then the Curator wishes them dead,” Iyan answered. “I will go and ask the manager about them, then keep an eye on them overnight. We can swoop in on them in the morning and kill them as they come out. We will be the new #2 and #3.”

“Good plan,” Espera said with a smile.

♥

Buccaneer Casino

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Celna felt shy, but she couldn’t stand another moment without Yavin. She didn’t know what he’d done to her, but knowing she’d done something to him as well was unbearable.

She hurried across the road to Ray’s Inn. She wasn’t sure which room was his at first, but then she felt his leya imprint and smiled. She tapped lightly on his door, afraid of waking him, but not wanting to be without him.

He opened the door and pulled her inside.

“What are you doing? If you are seen, you’ll be in danger!”

She couldn’t answer without making a fool of herself, so she put her arms around him and kissed his lips.

His arms were around her instantly, feeling beneath her coat, perhaps surprised that she only wore a nightgown. “I can’t offer you what you need,” he whispered.

“I need you,” she replied. “Surely, you can give me that – I know you want to.”

“I do, Celna!” he breathed, pushing his hands under her gown. “I don’t want you to regret afterwards.”

“I will only regret if I don’t get to love you – to feel you,” she insisted. “One night with you.”

“I don’t have anything with me.”

She smiled and shook her head, understanding his concern. “Don’t worry. Almost all the casino dancers are on hormonal measures – it’s the nature of our job. I refused them until the whole thing with Tilo. I wanted to make sure he couldn’t...” she drifted off.

“I understand,” Yavin whispered with an answering smile. He guided her to the bed and pulled the covers over them. Then, he kissed her again.

Celna answered his kisses with ones of her own. She parted her lips at the merest prod of his tongue, then allowed her mouth to be filled with his scent and taste. His hands fondled her breasts until her nipples firmed for him. He left her lips to kiss and run his tongue across the tips of her rosebuds.

He found her moist desire below and she moaned with desperation. “Yavin!” she finally cried.

He rolled onto her to satisfy her longing, her thighs parted in invitation.

She cried out again, this time with pain as well as his hardness plunged deep inside her, opening her virginal body suddenly and fully.

“Sorry!” he whispered. “You didn’t tell me you hadn’t done this before.”

“I’d never met someone before… like you,” she breathed back. “Keep going, I’ll be fine in a minute!”

“I would have gone slower had I known.”

“It’s okay. Yavin… Oh, Yavin!”

“I’m not going to last long,” he warned her, thrusting hard and deep into her. The pain had already subsided and the longing to be filled by him took over.

“It’s okay!” she hissed with a smile, happy to be opened by this amazing man. She would take all that he had to give her, she knew.

Yavin’s hard body slammed against her a few last times before he stopped, releasing himself deep inside her before laying on her. Celna loved feeling his weight and found that she felt satisfied and surprisingly ecstatic.

“Was it okay?” he whispered. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

She nodded. “You didn’t hurt me,” she reassured.

“I would have treated your offering better had I known.”

“I’m happy – so happy,” she replied.

She lay in his arm, his hand playing with her nipple.

“Tell me who you are,” she requested.

He was silent for a moment, seemingly wondering what to tell her.

“We are wanted people. Not for anything bad. The Balan...”

“You didn’t do anything wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing. Except betray the Balan – at least, that’s what they did. I haven’t, but I’ve been with Zilan and everyone long enough that I may have a Death Edict of my own by now.”

“Zilan? Their real names?”

“We travel as a family. Elíaz and Iyva are meant to be siblings, but they really have married their spouses. They really do have children on the way. I’m supposed to be their caballus handler.”

“Okay.”

“The longer we stop anywhere, the more likely we will get discovered and they’ll try to kill us again. It’s not a very peaceful life in many ways.”

“But idyllic in others,” Celna said, thinking about the life on the road.

“That’s why I can’t promise you more than tonight,” Yavin said. “I live a dangerous life. I’d never ask anyone else to be a part of it.”

“I understand,” she said, trying to hold her heartbreak at bay – in a corner of her that Yavin wouldn’t be able to feel. “I have you for tonight.”

“Yes. You definitely have that.”

“Then let’s not waste a minute of it!” she replied, draping her body over him, wanting more of his passion.

♥

Ray’s Inn – Manager’s Office

The manager sat watching a holodrama on the HPS. It had been a dull day, most days were dull for him. Except the occasional police visit looking for some vagrant, he didn’t have to do much besides keep the books in order and make sure the housekeepers did their jobs when people left.

There was a knock at the door.

“I wonder who that could be,” he said, slowly getting up from his seat.

Before he could get halfway across the room, the knock came again, more insistent this time.

“I’m coming!” he growled, wondering who was so desperate. Couldn’t they read the “no vacancy” sign outside?

A third knock sounded just before he opened the door.

A man pushed his way inside his living area.

“This isn’t public property,” he growled.

“Shut up!” the man barked. “Ray’s Inn. Are you Ray?”

“That was my brother. I didn’t see any need to change...”

“Shut up!” the man barked again. “I need to know about some residents of yours. They reserved three rooms, have been here a couple of days already.”

“I’m not to give out any information about people unless you’re with the police. Do you have a warrant?”

“How about this?” he asked, grabbing his arms behind his back and holding a shazeknife to his throat.

The man shook with fright. He would be very happy for his dull life to return to him right now – rather than this nightmare who threatened him.

“Well?” the man asked holding the blade close enough to singe some hairs on his neck.

“Sh… sh… shadow..,” the manager stuttered. “That’s all I know about them. I’ve not even seen any of them except one. They paid in cash – three rooms for a week, no questions. The name in the book is Shadow. I can get you the book to show you.”

The man held a glove over his nose. The manager slid to the floor a moment later.