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"Five Hearts! This is a fantastic book. I found a lot of humor, as well action. With a healthly dose of suspense and lots of passion all rolled up into this story. Angel Lynn has written a book that will cover all the readers' emotions I really enjoyed this story and it will go on my keeper shelf. I hope Ms. Lynn plans to continue this story, several of the characters spoke up loud and clear and I can't help but wonder what happens to them? I recommend this book without reservations and give it Five Hearts. Enjoy!" Diane T., The Romance Studio
"Four Angels! Angel Lynn has created a fantastic and believable futuristic society, based on Greek mythology. After a steady beginning, the book becomes quite fast-paced and kept this reader enthralled. I believe that this is the author's first published book and I am very impressed with her page-turning writing style. Readers who enjoy Dara Joy's books should definitely give Angel Lynn a try!" Naomi, Fallen Angel Reviews
THE THIRD CORRIDOR
By
Angel Lynn
© copyright April 2004, Angela Bishop
Cover art by Eliza Black, © copyright April 2004
New Concepts Publishing
5202 Humphreys Rd.
Lake Park, GA 31636
www.newconceptspublishing.com
Prelude
~ Play Possum ~
"...to pretend to be asleep,
dead, or unaware..."
- Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third Edition
"What’s happening?" Garret pulled the reciprocator from his head, dropping it to the floor as he rose quickly from the cot. The standby medical team immediately began their protocol examination, drawing fluids, checking for physical changes, and a barrage of questions to determine his mental status.
"What’s your name? Where are you? How many fingers…"
Garret pushed them aside, and approached the habiliment, a large computer panel displaying rapidly changing numerical readouts. Just above a keyboard, a Kineto-Neural Optic Emission, or KNOE scanner, displayed a variegated, three-dimensional brain image surrounded by a near translucent skull.
Melissa turned her head to acknowledge Garret, allowing her eyes to momentarily leave the KNOE. "Your adrenaline levels were elevating and your heart rate was almost to a hundred and ninety. Your vitals were at critical levels. I had to reanimate you."
Garret bent over the console. He scanned the screen in front of him.
Melissa glanced upward again. "You’re bleeding."
Garret touched his forehead and looked at the blood on his fingers. "What happened? Did I hit my head?"
"You tell me. That wound formed just before I disengaged the signal." Melissa was calm and professional, her eyes scrutinizing the monitor, and her fingers rapidly tapping at the keypad.
"How badly is she injured?"
"She has a mild concussion." Melissa pointed at the screen, which now presented a cross sectioned scan of a brain. A series of numbers was registering at the lateral sides of the KNOE.
Melissa traced her finger along the brain composite, stopping at the frontal lobe. "These readings are puzzling, though. Her serotonin levels are elevated and steady, but only briefly did they correlate with the same desynchronized beta waves you were projecting during rapid eye movements. However, I am now receiving high frequency beta waves from the frontal and parietal lobes."
"A neuropathy perhaps?"
"No, all neuronal transmissions are functioning normally, but she seems to be creating memories we typically find during alert wakefulness." Melissa stopped tapping the keyboard to look at Garret. "It’s as though she’s in an altered state of awareness, the same readouts the scientists recorded when conducting this experiment before."
She turned back to the screen touching it several times until a full body-scan appeared. She pointed to a deeply reddened area across the figure’s left shoulder.
"What is that, a fracture?" Garret asked, touching an area on the screen.
"No, it’s a physical wound," the staff physician interrupted. "Odd though, it is disappearing almost as rapidly as it appeared,"
He reached over Melissa’s shoulder and tapped the screen to view the scan of the skull. "The concussion seems to be subsiding, also at a high rate of speed. Interesting." He rubbed an index finger across his lips. He then picked up his blunted stylus and began scrawling notes into his palm recorder. "She’s stable. I see no reason not to continue."
"Should I try some cortex manipulations, Garret?" Melissa asked.
"No. I don’t want to alter her natural thought formations. It may obscure the details of any data we collect." Garret fingered an intravenous line, now detached from its tubing, positioned over the inside of his forearm. Then he abruptly turned to Melissa. "Ah Melissa, it was invigorating. It was like being trapped in a vortex. We were accelerating, spiraling in a violent whorl. I thought my brain was going to implode. Then the ground came rushing through the blackness with such force..."
His expression grew smug. "Good thing you pulled me out or my body parts would’ve been splattered all over this room." He touched his forehead again and looked at the blood, mindful of the horrifying tragedy that took place, terminating the experiment twelve years prior to this. Garret managed to convince the Committee on Research Expansion, or the C.O.R.E., to resurrect the project, but he was warned to move forward with great caution.
"I only had enough time to initiate emergency shut down with your transmitter," Melissa informed him. She continued to work without looking up. "The disconnection between the two reciprocators must have nullified the event. When you became disengaged it caused an interruption in her brain patterns. A good thing too. Probably saved her life."
Garret leaned over the back of Melissa and pressed his lips to her ear. "You chose me. How touching," he whispered. "I believe you would have let her die. Nemesis does persuade you."
Melissa shrugged him off of her. She hated his frequent references to the Greek gods as though they controlled destiny. "I’m not jealous, Garret, and this is no joke. We need to re-examine this. If anything happens to either of you, the C.O.R.E will shut this study down for good."
Garret stood erect. "Coordinate my headset. I’m reconnecting with her."
"I can calibrate her readouts to your headset, but it may take you awhile to re-engage with her."
"Do it." Garret turned toward his cot, then stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Oh, and Melissa, don’t abort under any circumstance. Not until the full eight hours has expired."
"But Garret..." Melissa ceased her calculations to object.
"That’s an order Captain." He stifled her protest with his authoritative command.
Melissa snapped her teeth shut and jutted her chin forward. "Yes sir."
Chapter One
Hold tight Sera. The best is yet to come…
Sera was dizzy, and her vision was blurred. Her head was pounding, and she was sick to her stomach. She crawled to the top of a small, grassy hill to distance herself from the fire. Breathing heavily, she propped herself up on her forearms and knees. The top of her head touched the dirt and she looked beneath her body. She caught an upside down glimpse of smoke pouring out from the treetops in the forest behind her. Sera attempted to get to her feet, but couldn’t gather enough stability to rise. Her throat and her chest screamed with rawness as she gasped for air. She feared that if she tried to breathe deeply she might vomit. On her left shoulder, her military insignia had been torn completely off of her waist length, khaki jacket. She had no tags on her, and it occurred to her that should she die, it might be difficult to identify her corpse--if she was ever found. The tear revealed a hefty abrasion on her shoulder, not fatal, but it was bleeding. The others had not been so lucky. Before her egress from the craft, she had regrettably viewed the mangled flesh that had once been her crew. It was a ghastly sight, one that Sera would put out of her mind quickly.
A sudden explosion interrupted her thoughts. Sera’s body lurched forward. Flames savagely propelled upward, tearing a burning path through the tranquil sky. There would be nothing left but traces of ash. She felt a terrible pang in her chest. Her heart crushed with the agony of being stranded on an unknown planet. Yet, even in this moment of despair, Sera had the clarity of mind to realize her location on the hill placed her in plain view of any potential enemy, and that the smell of her blood might make her prey to some unforeseen creature. Her own safety was in question now.
Several yards ahead, and slightly to her right, there was a cluster of trees and bushes. Through it, Sera thought she could see a body of water. Forcing herself to her feet, she stumbled into the bushes. Once she was wrapped within the refuge of the thicket, she unzipped her jacket, removed it and collapsed to the ground. She used her crumpled jacket to rest her head, relatively sure that she was at least somewhat concealed from the possible dangers that lurked about. Sera looked toward the area she had just crawled away from. Smoke continued to billow forth in the distance. She watched despondently. Sera was alone. She needed to contemplate what her next course of action should be.
Sera lifted her head to survey the landscape, but because of her hazy vision she found it quite difficult. Squinting, she could see that the forest gave way to a horizon of far reaching, grassy lowlands, and she scanned the area, her attention suddenly drawn to a point in the distance. There was something moving across the land that looked much like a horse and rider. But her glimpse of it was a brief one, because the image vanished beneath the crest of the hill. With a steadfast gaze, she watched, and when it didn’t reappear, she assumed it was a hallucination.
The sun was positioned just above the trees and Sera figured that it was late in the morning. She closed her eyes and forced them open again. It was imperative that she stay awake for her own protection.
Don’t fall asleep, she warned herself silently, attempting to sit, but she was stiff with exhaustion. Her body wouldn’t move and her mind relented the attempt to make it try. She inhaled deeply, noticing the slight aroma of eucalyptus and magnolia. The scent, along with the tepid, clean smelling air was soothing. Unconsciously, Sera closed her eyes.
Just for a minute…only for a minute.
Her thoughts drifted and her body felt like it was being tossed around on an ocean surf, rocking and spinning, coiling up, then down, her mind snapping back to reality for fleeting moments. She fell asleep, and the truth of what was happening to her became a distant reality.
Sera had no idea how long she’d slept. What she did know, when she started to wake, was that her throat was parched, her lips were cracked, and she was unbearably thirsty. Rolling to her back with a groan, Sera forced her eyes to open and found herself staring directly into the sun. The intense rays were piercing, painful almost, and she squeezed her lids. Her head was still throbbing, and her thoughts remained clouded, and although the ground continued to waver beneath her, Sera knew she had to get up. Pushing herself onto one elbow, and shielding her brow with her other, she took a look around. Bursts of light from staring into the sun were still hindering her vision, but through them, much closer than the first image, she again spied the blurred image of a horse and rider. Sera sat upright, grunting with the effort it took to do so. She rubbed her face, and then vigorously scratched her scalp. When she looked up again, the figure was gone.
This bump to my head must be tricking my eye sight.
Sera tried to clear her mind. What she remembered was tumbling out of control before her fall was abruptly terminated by her collision with the ground. She attempted to recall the objectives of her mission, but it was to no avail. Her head held only fleeting pictures of where she had come from. She did not know the name of her ship. She could not visualize the faces, or recall the names of any of her crew. Even the images of their ruined bodies seemed to be disappearing from her thoughts with unusual ease. Her mind felt like an empty void.
Oh my god. I’ve lost my memory.
Sera rubbed her forehead and then rose to her feet, stretching her back and limbs. Every muscle in her body tightened and pulled in the opposite direction. She was incredibly stiff and sore. She took a deep breath. Her nausea was subsiding, but her brain was still banging against her skull.
Sera smacked her lips, looking toward the water, hoping it wasn’t noxious. When she bent to pick up her jacket, she heard a whinny, and froze in her bowed position, her sense of hearing perking to full alert. She heard it again. It was the unmistakable sound of a horse. Her eyes widened as she lifted her head only slightly without rising--four hooves. Her head tipped back and Sera looked up. There before her, a horse and its rider stood motionless.
Sera blinked.
Maybe it would disappear again.
It didn’t. This was not a mirage. Sera straightened apprehensively, unsure if the nature of the encounter would be passive or aggressive. She quickly put on her jacket, the sudden motion causing her to sway in her upright stance. An intense feeling of blood rushing from her brain overcame her, but Sera fought to sustain her equilibrium. She needed to maintain control. It was imperative that she not alert the stranger that her physical condition might make her vulnerable to capture.
There was no movement between either of them for quite some time. It was as though one was attempting to ascertain the other’s purpose. Sera observed that he was definitely male, or an unusually masculine woman. On his head he wore a black, cloth hood and a heavily meshed mask that hid his face. The bib of the hood draped his collar bones and was fastened in place by a leather gorget. The remainder of the hood protruded from beneath it. His gauntlet style gloves were thick and black. They, like the gorget, appeared to be made of leather, and were fastened with a single buckle. He wore a sea blue, hip length doublet, opened in front, and a tattered white shirt beneath. His colours were displayed on the left, upper front section of the overcoat. There was a darker blue crest of some sort, with a golden band angled across it. The band bore a lavender bloom that resembled a rose, and one of its pedals was pierced with an embroidered gold ring.
Sera slowly moved around him. His horse shuffled from side to side, and whinnied. There was a larger emblem, a coat of arms, centered on the back of the vestment, an oval frame entwined with ivy and a heraldic escutcheon centered on it. Three bands angled across it, one gold, one green and one red. Five blooms were positioned around its border. A lavender bloom, the same as the one on the front, was placed at the uppermost point. On the left point, the bloom was yellow, and a white one at the right point. Closer to the bottom tip, where the emblem bowed inward, there was a red bloom on the left, and an orange bloom on the right. Just below the bottom tip, there were three overlapping gold rings.
Around his waist, he wore a military belt. It was black and wide. An immense, double-edged sword and a smaller dagger, nestled in their sheaths, were hooked to the belt. His thickly woven trousers were ashen colored, and hugged powerful looking thighs. The trousers were tucked into heavy, calf length, black leather boots, buckled with three straps. More of the stranger’s equipment was hooked to the saddle. A loop held a lance, broken and splintered nearly to its handle. There was a sack, a canteen, a bow and quiver with arrows. A badly dented breastplate and metal shield were both embellished with his crest. The ensemble looked antiquated. It had a medieval quality, and was definitely worn for battle.
His horse was a mighty brown charger, with a dense flank that was supported by sturdy, robust limbs. Its back was higher than the top of Sera’s head. The bridle on the horse was trimmed in similar manner as the stranger’s clothing. The headband was blue adorned with a lavender bloom patch. An actual gold ring pierced the embroidered flower. The cheek straps were gold colored with fringe gracing their length. Beneath the saddle, the body of the horse was draped from shoulder to tail in an elegant, but frazzled blanket, colored in a lozenge of blue and gold.
Sera carefully considered her options. Should she try to communication, or should she retreat? Did he want something from her? At first, Sera found his stillness baffling, until she noticed that the knight was wounded. A large tear in the right side of his jacket was saturated with blood.
The horse neighed, and pounded its hoof into the ground, bucked slightly then pounded its hoof again. It appeared distressed. Sera was about to speak when without anticipating it, the horseman suddenly began to sway, and he fell, hitting the ground with such force that Sera was sure he had broken his neck. The stranger lay immobile, flat on his back. For several moments, Sera stood still. She couldn’t abandon him. Whether or not he was friend or foe, didn‘t matter. He clearly needed help. She approached him cautiously however, suspicious that his actions might be feigned, watching his chest expand and deflate. His breathing was rapid, but shallow, a clear indication he was in distress. Stooping, Sera started to remove the hood from his head, but his hand suddenly clasped her ankle, startling her. Sera shrieked and yanked away from him. She fell to her bottom and scuttered backwards, stopping when she was out of his reach.
"ydor to..." He held out his arm pointing toward his horse.
Sera understood his words but it was a language different from her own. She turned her attention to his horse and approached it.
Nice horsey. Now be still a moment. Sera stroked its mane cautiously, hoping it didn’t bite. When the beast shifted its head to merely look at her, Sera reached up and pulled the canteen from a clip at the side of the saddle. She yanked the cap and the corked cap sealing it popped free. She shook it and then tipped it sideways. The canteen was empty.
Well, I hope that water is safe.
With the canteen in her hand she started for the bank. The charger followed along side her. I’ll just have to assume it is. Maybe it’s why the knight came this way.
When they reached the water’s edge she found a rocky stream perhaps ten feet wide and about three or four feet in depth at its deepest part. The water was crystal clear.
It looks clean enough.
The horse dipped its head and started to drink, and Sera nodded, taking it as a sign that the water was safe, at least for the beast, probably for this land’s inhabitants, and hopefully for her, as well. She filled the canteen, catching water streaming over one of the rocks, and returned to the knight.
He was pale and his lips were chalky, and he wasn’t breathing.
Sera felt for a pulse.
There was none.
She dropped the canteen, and briefly began to panic. But then, without even realizing it, her reactions became automatic. She pulled off his hood, checked his mouth for obstruction and then sealed her mouth against his, pumping her breath into him. She then laboriously compressed his chest, counting…
One, two, three, four, five…and a breath…one, two, three…
Sera was quickly relieved when the stranger began to sputter, and then draw air into his lungs. The color slowly returned to his face.
"Ydor..." he repeated, after gulping a few breaths of air.
Sera hesitated, catching her breath. He’s probably dehydrated on top of everything else. He needs water.
"Ydor to," he continued to demand.
Sera pulled the cap from the canteen and lifted his head to give him a drink. He gagged, unable to swallow in his supine position. She tugged at his clothing and pulled him to a sit, but she couldn’t hold him upright with one hand and put the flask to his lips with the other. He attempted to take it from her, but his arm fell to his side, and his body toppled backwards. Sera slipped the strap of the container over her shoulder and moved behind him. He was nearly limp, and it took all of her might to maneuver and lift his trunk. Finally, she was able to hook her arms under his, and drag him to a nearby boulder, and she reclined against it for support, bracing him in front of her. His head dropped back. His copper colored, shoulder length hair fell across Sera’s shoulders. She brought the canteen to his mouth and he drank a modest amount of water. Sera remembered her own thirst and drank heartily. She was drenched from sweat and out of breath, but she held him tightly. His body was thick with brawn, and her arms barely reached completely around his broad chest. She felt his heart thumping furiously, as though challenging death. Sera too, could feel her own heart beating steadily against his back. She sat embracing him for a long period of time, using her bent legs and arms to hold him upright. He was silent and leaned heavily on Sera, crushing her chest. Blood from his wound soaked her sleeve and leg of her trousers. In her own weariness, Sera held no desire to move, but the muscles in her limbs began to burn so agonizingly, that she finally had to let go. Sera slipped out from behind him and managed to position him on the ground.
Several hours passed. The sun had begun to settle in the horizon opposite to where she first observed it. Earlier, while she had the benefit of daylight, Sera attended to the large gash in his torso. It was a long slash extending over his ribs from his midline, and ending at his right side. She saw no bone or internal structures, and no muscle appeared damaged, but she found herself picking pieces of what appeared to be the remains of chain mail from it. She thought that a small nick in a vein was the likely reason for its slow, but recurrent seepage, and Sera knew he could bleed to death if she couldn’t get it to stop. She removed his upper garments, washed out the wound, and rolled his shirt to pad it. She used part of his doublet for bandages, by tearing the garment into strips, with two of the strips tied together and wrapped around him to hold the bundle of cloth in place. Apparently he had made a hasty exit from wherever it was he came, for the wound didn’t look like it had received any treatment.
Now with that task finished, Sera had nothing much else to do. She glanced toward the area where her ship had crashed, and could no longer see any smoke. The fire must have died quickly. I was expecting more explosions. I wonder why the fuel hadn’t ignite?
Sera attempted to replay the events leading up to her arrival on the planet, but could only muster fuzzy images through her still throbbing head. She sighed, wishing she could remember something--anything significant, as she watched the last ray of sunshine take cover below the horizon.
Sera remained awake well into the darkening hours, fighting against sleep, not only for fear of unwanted aggressors, but also to care for the injured knight. The moon was now full and high in the sky, glowing bright enough to give some light to the darkness.
The air had become dreadfully cold, and Sera shook with its chill. Earlier, the knight offered her a piece of flint rock from a small sash tied to his belt. Sera had a vague recollection of engaging in survival training and recognized the mineral. She gathered some dry branches and successfully built a fire, using the rock and buckle of her belt.
Realizing the knight needed the warmth as much as she did, Sera managed to drag him closer to the flames. For the moment, she wasn’t afraid of him. He was of a little threat in his weakened state, even though he was awake and watching her, his eyes, nearly as dark as onyx--a stark contrast to his lighter hair and bronze coloring, followed her as she moved about. And despite his injuries, several times during the night he attempted to rise, but dropped quickly back to the ground.
Loss of blood could be very inhibiting.
It was late into the night when Sera eventually dozed off, no longer able to withstand the nagging need to sleep. When she opened her eyes again, the sky was beginning to glimmer with shades of red and orange, precipitating the release of an early morning sun. The magnificent colors outlined the massive clouds with shimmering borders, as though attempting to ignite them, but it had not yet warmed the air. The fire had settled to smoldering ash. Sera stretched and yawned. She had been sleeping sideways against the same large rock that she used earlier for support. It felt like a hard chunk of ice, and coldly slapped her body. She shivered and forced open her eyes. The pounding in her head continued. The clarity of her thoughts was improved somewhat, but not quite fully restored. How many suns had she seen rise? Was it one, or was it two? Then she remembered the knight, and cast her gaze toward him.
Something was not right with him. She moved quickly to his side.
His skin was cold and clammy. His lips were blue. His lids fluttered, and his eyes were rolled back in his head. His body shuddered uncontrollably, like a petit mal seizure, and it was more than apparent that his life was critically in danger. Sera ran to his charger and began searching for a blanket. A large woven sack, which hung around the pommel of the saddle, caught her attention. It was sealed shut with wax. Sera ripped it apart, thinking it might contain linen of some sort. The interior was also lined with a paraffin coating which enabled the putrid smell, now discharging from it to be preserved within, undetectable. Sera gagged with the sight of the bag’s contents, and she turned away with abhorrence.
The bag contained a head--a human head!--sodden with blood.
Sera shrieked and tossed it away. For the brief moment that she observed it, Sera was able to identify a nose and mouth. Dried blood matted the hair on the decapitated body part to its scalp. Frozen with disbelief, she had forgotten that the horseman was in dire trouble. She then turned to him, and for an instant, thought of letting him die. Sera could not let him die, despite what she had just discovered. Her revulsion was oddly overridden by her fear of being left alone. His presence gave her purpose.
Turning to the horse again, Sera reached under its belly, unbuckled the girth, and struggled to throw off the saddle. She pulled the blanket from the charger’s back, rushed to the knight, and threw it over him.
It had no affect.
Sera stretched out on top of him hoping in vain that this would provide him with warmth. It did not. She vigorously rubbed his arms and legs.
Nothing.
She had no choice. Sera unzipped her jacket and removed it. Then she removed her boots, socks and trousers. As uneasy as she felt about it, Sera removed her spandex camisole and underwear. Rationality convinced her that the warmest parts of her body would provide the stranger with the heat he so badly needed. Sera then proceeded to remove the rest of his clothes. She pulled his boots from his feet and trousers from his legs as she slipped beneath the blanket. She chided herself for neglecting to cover his unclothed chest during the night. Sera stretched out on top of him, exposing as much of her warm skin to his cold flesh as she could, her chest to his chest, her legs on his, her arms spread on top of his arms. Their intimate parts touched and Sera bit her lip.
He would be too incapacitated to notice, she hoped.
"Please, don’t die." Her words were in his language. Sera could not fathom how she knew them but they were spoken effortlessly.
After what seemed like an endless time, his convulsions quieted to a tremor and she could feel his chest, which was against her breasts, ease from rapid respirations to more settled movements. His skin began to feel warm. With much relief, Sera remained on him for awhile to be sure that his body temperature was stable.
Naked… female… flesh.
His awareness funneled down to that one single fact, and he was immediately aroused. He hardened against her thigh.
Uh Oh.
Sera attempted to rise, but he clenched her wrists. Then using her arms as leverage, he raised her from his chest. He rolled and she was beneath him, her arms outstretched with his. He did not let go. It felt as though he would rip her shoulders from their sockets, and she cried in distress. His strength was mighty and with every ounce of her being she tried to escape, but she was pinned and powerless. Sera looked up at him. His eyes were glassy and bloodshot. He appeared disoriented and seemed to be looking through her, not at her.
"My blood with your blood," His voice hoarse but fervid. Again she understood the foreign language and this time the words caused her to shudder with a fear so great she could not scream.
"Let me go!" Sera begged. Her body, her life was at his mercy. His lips came crashing down against hers as he pressed his hips to her pelvis. Cripes! The man was huge. She squeezed her legs tightly together as he attempted to nudge her thighs apart. A losing battle.
Shit! Teeth down there would be so useful right now.
She bucked upward but realized her mistake immediately. He merely pressed his weight harder into her and she felt his member thicken even more.
Sera willed her body to relax. Fighting it would only increase the discomfort. But when his mouth moved lower to suckle her breast, she seized anew, and released an escalating and shrilling cry.
Sera squeezed her eyes shut. Penetration was imminent.
But then, all movement stopped. He went still.
Was it over?
Sera did a quick analysis of her body. No, he hadn’t entered her. She opened her eyes. He was staring down at her, a stunned look on his face as he observed her terror stricken expression. His entire body shuddered as he fought for restraint. He blinked several times, then rolled away from her and onto his back, his chest rose up and down with great ardor. Sera wasted no time. She jumped to her feet and grabbed her clothes. She quickly put them on as she fled from him, running towards the stream, but her foot caught a rock. She tucked her chin to protect her face but was unable to bring her arms up in time. She stumbled into the trunk of a tree, slamming her forehead in the process.
"Ugh!" she bellowed. The collision was hard enough to cause her to rebound, and then fall forward again. Sera grabbed the trunk, and slid downward. The bark snagged the shirt she wore beneath her jacket. She scraped the skin on her face and chest as she slithered ungracefully to the ground. Sera continued to grasp the tree, dazed by the impact. She attempted to organize the chaos in her head, but the jolt that rocked her brain earlier, along with this new collision, only served to enhance her foggy thoughts. She was completely rattled and discomposed.
Sera twisted around and sat, leaning against the tree.
The stranger’s charger had followed her and kept pushing at her with its snout.
"Leave me alone." Sera pushed the muzzle of the horse away from her, but it annoyingly kept nudging her.
"Get lost." She shoved the snaffle of the horse even harder. The horse snorted, spraying her with snot.
"That’s just perfect," Sera grumbled while wiping the mucus from her face. "Thanks so much."
She rose from the ground and staggered to the stream. When she glanced back the charger was just behind her. She took off her jacket and leaned forward to splash her face.
Could this day get any worse?
Oh yea of little faith.
It could.
The horse bumped Sera’s bottom causing her to fall face first into the water. Sera pulled her body upright, gagging from the water that invaded her mouth and nostrils. Her wet hair was plastered in strands about her face. Sera angrily dragged herself to the bank, turned to the animal, and stood nose to nose with it. The creature licked her face, covering her with slime again. Sera stood defiantly with her hands on her hips.
"Ya know horse." She poked a finger at him. "I am feeling quite hungry right now...horse."
She leaned in closer. "In fact, horse, I am hungry enough to eat, well... a horse!"
The horse stood its ground, undisturbed by Sera’s threatening look.
Great, just great! She was being harassed by a horse now!
Sera dropped her head and almost smirked--almost. Her situation bordered on ridiculous. She could make an easy escape if she hopped up on the animal and took flight, but she had no idea where to go. Besides, the beast would probably return to its master and dump her at his feet with a mocking nicker and a snort. She stroked the horse’s mane, wondering if it would allow her to ride it bare back. The animal was very large. If it bucked and threw her, she might have to add broken bones to her growing list of injuries.
Not a pleasant thought.
Sera touched the area above her right eyebrow to assess the damage. The abrasions covered the corner of her forehead and the area around her temple. She knew a bruise was likely beginning to form. She stretched and flexed her back. Yep, scrapes there too, those from trying to wiggle from beneath the savage when he was on top of her.
Sera was a mass of abraded flesh.
She gazed through the trees again. There was still no sign of him, so she decided to wash. Wearing only her undergarments, she dipped into the cool, rushing water, but did not dare linger within its cleansing embrace. She was frightened at the moment, but not hysterical.
A regimen of protocol tapped along her brain.
Observe, anticipate, communicate, negotiate.
She was comforted by the simple detail of knowledge, a strand of hope that tied her to a life she could not recall. Sera was a military educated officer, conditioned to handle hostile situations. It was likely the reason why she wasn’t much offended by his attempt to rape her. She was exceedingly miffed at herself, however. It was a clear misjudgment on her part. True, he was incoherent, but she should have anticipated the chance for an attack. She was mostly disturbed that she had let down her guard in a moment of expedience to save his life. Blame that one on her present state of jumbled brain wave patterns.
I need to get a grip and think this thing through.
Sera emerged from the stream and sat in a small patch of sunlight peaking through the forest greenery. She combed her fingers through her hair.
Horse had deserted her. Likely, it returned to its savage master. Well, it was idealistic to think that she could get very far on foot. She pondered her unfavorable position, and concluded that she should remain with the horseman--if he hadn’t already abandoned the campsite. She convinced herself of several rationales as to why this was her best course of action. First, he was presently incapacitated by his injuries and for the moment at least, would be of little threat, as long as she kept her distance. Okay, so the head in the bag was a serious consideration. She was however, in a strange and obviously archaic world, and his possession of the thing did not necessarily correlate to evil doings.
Did it?
Sera would file that one under Review at a later date, and her latter thought, that he might be a coroner, she would store under Dumb rationales for having a head in a bag. Next, she regarded her momentary lapse in sensible thinking. It also could have been a gross misunderstanding on his part as well. After all, he was disoriented and near death with a naked woman lying on top of him, one who had just finished rubbing him. He did gain his wits before he lost complete control. That behavior was promising. Third, any threat that this stranger posed might not even compare to the dangers in the land beyond. Finally, her most definitive reason was that she did not know the terrain and she was stranded. Escape was an option only once she assured herself that she wasn’t going to end up in a bigger mess than the one she was in now. Sera stood and brushed herself off. What she needed to do was communicate with him, to negotiate a compromise about her situation, and convince him to help her. Sera rolled her head and shoulders in an attempt to throw off the humiliation, the pain and the isolation she was feeling. She returned to the camp refusing to be intimidated.
She decided that puffing out her chest in a demonstration of pride was not a good idea.
Sera found the stranger where she left him. He was sitting on the dirt leaning with one arm on a bent knee, and shaking his head as if he were attempting to regain his faculties. Her brave affront withered. She was suddenly very intimidated by his nearness, and his overpowering masculinity. He had a warrior’s body, large and finely honed by practice of his skills. Sera allowed her eyes to briefly flick to his muscular chest and rippling abdominal muscles, covered only by the wound dressing. Just the right smathering of coppery male hair graced the front of him, converging just below his rib cage to a straight, darker line that descended and plunged below the waist of his pants.
Sexy.
It was the first word that popped into her head. Her heart fluttered.
Oh god!
Appalled by her unexpected reaction, she mentally threw down her misplaced libido and stomped it into the dirt. She would not permit the notion to wander any further, and was relieved that he had donned his trousers.
She did not want to look at that part of him.
Their gazes met and locked. Sera narrowed her eyes.
Dare come near me and I will cut off your…
Her warning expression was unmistakable, and he was perplexed momentarily, at the look she gave him, until awareness of what he had almost done to her struck him. He shut his eyes and wrenched his face as he gripped the realization of his actions. He had no recollection of the sensation of it, though the imagery of the occurrence was clear.
It was an unspeakable act.
He opened his eyes, and watched her side step toward the dagger still in the belt he wore earlier. Her wary gaze fixed with his. She removed the blade from the sheath and took a position several lengths away from him, where she sat with her arms wrapped around her bent knees, dagger in hand.
She deserved the comfort of possessing the blade.
He would allow her to keep it for now.
The sun by this time had risen far above the horizon, but the air around them was still cool. A slight breeze chilled Sera and she began to shiver. Noticing her discomfort, the knight picked up the blanket that was lying beside him and stumbled toward her, still weak from his trauma. Sera sprang to her feet, nearly losing balance herself. She held the dagger with two hands and pointed it at him. He stalled, no closer than several feet from her, and dropped the blanket.
He warily backed away, hands outspread, keenly aware that this woman who had shown him nothing but good will, could possibly and rightfully be the source of his demise. He had lived through too much to allow his downfall to be at the hands of a lovely stranger. For the moment it would be best to stay at a distance.
During the remainder of daylight, they sat facing, eyeing each other, a piteous pair of wounded foes, each ignorant to the other’s purpose. Neither of them was well enough to move, but leery enough to forego rest. Finally, the knight rose unsteadily to his feet, staggered a bit, but found his composure almost immediately.
It was unsettling to Sera that he was regaining some of his strength, for as long as he remained physically weakened, her chances of protecting herself were greater. She worriedly watched as he made his way to the water. When he returned a short time later, he appeared slightly revitalized and clean and still wet from his bath. Sera’s eyes followed the droplets of water that dripped from his wet hair, and streamed down his half naked torso, as he stood in front of her. His nearness made Sera nervous, so she fretfully pushed to a stand and once again raised the dagger. He extended his arm and offered her a drink from the decanter he was holding, but Sera refused it by shaking her head. The knight recapped his flask and tossed it toward her. It landed at her feet. He stood watching her for a moment, realizing her reluctance was likely due to her fear of him. Sera glanced at the container then returned her attention to him. Slowly she bent to pick it up. He nodded and smiled slightly. Then he turned his back toward her and went to his horse, offering her a fragment of trust that she would not try to stab him.
The charger had taken to some berries and was now refreshed with water and nourishment. It bobbed its head and neighed playfully as the stranger patted its snout, and brushed it gently. He then occupied himself with repositioning the saddle, as well as the bulk of his supplies and weapons cast upon the ground when the woman removed the saddle.
He noticed the sack was missing.
After a brief search he discovered it in some nearby shrubbery. He picked it up and examined it. The hook was unlatched and the seal was broken. He knew immediately that she bared witness to what was inside.
She could not possibly understand the meaning of this.
He returned to the charger and replaced the sack on the horse’s pommel after wrapping it tightly with rope, a satisfactory attempt to avert the stench. He then turned toward her and wondered what she must think of him.
Sera was preparing to speak to him, carefully rehearsing her interpretation to ensure the words she used were correctly translated into his language. There was no room for error. But her plan had just taken a drastic turn for the worse. He was examining the woven bag that Sera tossed away after she viewed its contents. Now, he was looking at her, aware that she knew of his crime. From her sitting position, she watched him reach back, remove his bow from its clip, and an arrow from his quiver. When he placed the arrow in the bow and aimed it in her direction, the terror in Sera escalated. He could overthrow her with one shot of an arrow, and without ever actually touching her. Sera felt like the ultimate fool. Her life was about to end. He was going to kill her now. It had been a nice life she decided to presume. Sera said a little prayer and hoped he wasn’t a cannibal too.
Perhaps, if she returned the dagger, he would show her mercy.
This seemed unlikely.
Be that as it may, it really did not matter at this point for he plainly held the upper hand. She could attempt to run, but the thought of an arrow in her back certainly was no more appealing than one through her chest. She knew that death would come more swiftly if the arrow pierced her heart rather than a lung, which might collapse, leaving her writhing in pain. Before she could react with any plan however, he rapidly drew back the bowstring and released it.
Sera screamed, covering her head with her hands.
The arrow whirred by her.
With disbelief she looked up, amazed that he missed her. He came toward her. She sprang to her feet and raised the dagger, ready to defend herself, but the warrior merely passed her by, his attention fixed elsewhere. Completely confused, Sera wheeled around to see where he had gone. The stranger was crouched over a small animal, dead from the arrow that pierced its neck. It looked like an oversized rodent with a pink tail and elongated nose. Its fur had a yellowish hue.
The knight plucked the arrow and picked up the animal, dangling it by its hind feet. He faced Sera. Her grip tightened on the dagger.
"I require my dagger if we are to eat." His voice was concise. His palm was open toward her, as if he expected that she would surrender the weapon. When she hesitated, he shook his head, and tossed the animal on top of the boulder to his right.
"Then you will clean the beast, and we will eat."
Sera’s eyes swept from the creature to the dagger in her hand. The blade was her only source of defense, but it was true that the animal needed to be gutted. She was uncertain as to what she should do. He could have maimed her with the arrow as easily as he killed that animal. It was quite obvious he was capable of this, if that was what he wished to do. What use would the dagger be to her then? Moreover, Sera did not want to gut the creature, although she would if she was forced, but that was by no means, very appetizing.
Knowing that this went against all of her training and could possibly be her gravest act of insanity, she reluctantly turned the dagger, handle side toward him. She could see the headlines now. "Military explorer goes numb in the brain after crashing her craft into the dirt."
He moved closer to her. Sera’s heart pounded and her hand began to shake as he reached for the blade. In one swift motion he grabbed her wrists, shackling her with his large hands. Sera pulled back furiously. Then she tried to kick him.
It was like kicking a rock.
Nonetheless, she continued her effort to free herself, but she could not match his size or his strength. Outmaneuvering him was impossible, and the blade was pointed in the wrong direction. Sera dropped to her knees and he too, dropped with her. The dagger slipped from her grasp.
"Pos sas lene," he whispered softly. She said nothing, but continued to struggle.
Finally realizing that her actions were futile, Sera went limp, sinking further to the ground, her head dropping. Her energy was depleted. Her resistance fled. Whatever his intentions, so be it. How half-witted of her to think she could trust him. This savage had no honest intentions. Sera was angry, deceived, and so terribly afraid of him.
"Your name?" he repeated, his tone still gentle. Sera looked up. What was her name? Yes, she knew at least her first name.
"Sera," she answered between panting breaths.
Was this all he wanted? Why would he use such a forceful manner to solicit such simple information?
All he needed to do was ask.
No, it was a tactic to disarm her. That was his aim when he grabbed her. He probably thought she was going to stab him.
Maybe she would have.
"Sera," he repeated. His voice was low and beckoning. A shiver coursed through Sera’s spine. She shook the feeling away.
He released one of her arms to brush back a loose strand of her hair. Sera seized the opportunity and her hand flew to the dagger. With one turn of his foot, the sole of his boot flattened her hand, applying just enough pressure to immobilize it. He reached and grasped the handle of the blade, easing his boot enough for Sera to lift her palm from it. If she attempted to grab it now, one yank by him, and the sharp edge would slice her skin.
Sera stared at him. He caught sight of the purplish swelling on her forehead, and furled his brow attempting to recall the details of his transgression with her.
"You are injured." He sheathed the dagger and then gently ran his fingers along the bruised abrasions. "I did this?"
"No, but you were still the cause of it." Sera winced at his touch. Her eyes misted but she fought back the tears, releasing a single, stinging droplet that traced a path along her temple, anointing the scrapes on the side of her face. "When I ran from you."
Sera paused and took a deep breath, attempting to regain her composure. She did not want him to know how vulnerable she felt. She then defiantly stated, in her own language of course--no sense in provoking him, "You’re a loathsome barbarian. I should have let you die. I’m going kill you when I get the chance."
"Dialektos i Gaia." He released his other hand from her, held her at the shoulders, and stared at her steadfastly. "You speak the language of the Origins."
He pulled back from her slightly and studied her further, his eyes roaming her face. He inhaled sharply. "It is, as I had thought."
She had no idea what he meant, but at least she was free from his grasp. She did not move however. Sera was captivated by his closed lip smile that beamed with satisfaction. She desperately wanted to despise him for forcing her surrender, but the charming expression on his handsome, rugged face obscured the images of cruelty that she had been steadily gathering.
"Forgive me Sera. I meant you no harm." He moved his hands to cradle her head, intending on drawing her close, but then he noticed the discrepancy in the size of her pupils, one was larger than the other. He ran his fingers over the top of her head until he reached the lump in her scalp where she hit her head in the crash.
"The injury affects your alertness." He probed further. "Your skull is intact."
The pressure he applied to the swelled knot caused a surge of nausea and dizziness that consumed Sera. She swayed and then her body fell against him. It had been a valiant effort, but Sera could no longer maintain her stamina. He accepted her full weight on him.
"I need a nap." Sera reached for the ground.
He lowered her slowly. "Then have it. I will watch over you."
"Oh that’s reassuring," Sera mumbled. She rolled to her side and closed her eyes.
So much for military strategy.
He sat next to her, and watch her, he did. Her skin looked soft and tanned, complimenting her hair, a brown so dark it was nearly black. The clip that held it in a twisted bundle at the nape of her neck had loosened, revealing wavy locks that stretched to just below her shoulder blades. It shimmered with a satiny luster where sunlight danced on it. Layers of it fell across her face and gently kissed her full, peachy lips.
Would those lips taste as sweet as they looked?
In time he would know this and more, now that he could relinquish his oath. He reclined to his side and propped his head with his hand. He continued to visually explore her. She was quite exquisite, physically fit. Her clothes were precise on her body, revealing gentle curves and round but not large breasts. He watched them move up and down steadily as she breathed. At the moment her jacket lay slightly opened. He was tempted to lift it for a quick peek. He had caught a glimpse of the tops of her breasts, the rise before, when she bent to pick up her overcoat. He would have feasted his eyes longer on them if his blasted eyes would have stayed in focus. He had also seen the thin piece of cloth she wore beneath, how her breasts rolled and the nipples pushed through the material when she stretched her arms to slip the coat on. It was nearly transparent, or should have been, the way it hugged those delicious looking mounds of hers. He cringed as a fleeting picture of what he tried to do to her passed through his mind. He had attempted to force his way with her, albeit he was hallucinating at the time. Still, his actions were not a circumstance favorable for a good beginning. He would have to earn her favor. Sera was the progeny of Gaia, the Ptino asteri of the Edict. She had been sent to him. It was fated that they be together.
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