ARMOR [New World Book 2] (13 page)

When Amy felt Dasks move away
from her, she knew he was about to come. He removed himself and she felt a
moment of disappointment until his hips pushed her forward even farther. Once
more Amy felt the soft substance make its way back inside her and she came
again as Dasks rubbed against her.

“Oh my God, that was so
incredible,” Amy whispered.

“I’m glad you liked it,”
Dasks panted. “Because we’re going to do it again. I want you to feel alive
every single second from now on.”

* * * *

For weeks, Amy woke feeling
like a princess. Dasks made certain her breakfast was waiting before he needed
to report for work. A single flower she learned was called an Effie waited for
her each morning. Dasks said she reminded him of the beautiful white flower
with the intoxicating smell.

During Dasks’ free time, he took
her on picnics in the treetops. The trees were amazing despite her fear of
heights. It was like entering into another world of intricate limbs.

Soon she was racing after
Dasks and Meg and Talsk on the branches and playing hide-and-seek under the
heavy leaves.

They went swimming alone in
lakes and streams where real elephants washed and frolicked. Cranes and herons
landed. Loons called to one another. Amy thought it sad that not many animals
had survived Earth’s devastation. Dasks was more positive. He said their
holograms of the creatures would last for thousands of years adding to the
enchantment of Dargon. Dasks said Amy added to the enchantment of Dargon.

Their lovemaking was sweet
and controlled and often. They returned to Dasks’ special cave a few more times
when he felt the need to mark her but knew he couldn’t.

To Amy’s amusement, Dasks had
taken to watching old Earth movies from the fifties. He called her ma’am
once—and only once.

Fire was forbidden on Dargon;
the spongy ground was too vulnerable. Dasks improvised and replicated
flashlights that looked like candles. He had taken Amy to the healing waters at
the community cleansing area and with a flourish tossed a handful of petals
into the water. Dasks had watched openmouthed and devastated as the water
attacked the foreign objects, desecrating them. Amy had howled with laughter
then kissed him until they were both breathless.

Every night, Amy went to bed
smiling because of Dasks. She would curl into his arms and tell him the best
part of her day and thank his great Lord of Dargon that Dasks existed. She
could see living each day as though it was her last was affecting him. She felt
it when he crushed her to his chest. Dasks would hang on so tightly it was
though he was defying death to take her. Amy would soothe him with a gentle
touch. And when she thought he slumbered, she would tentatively feel her breast
and try not to cry.

Chapter 8

Amy stood outside the tree
shelter looking up. Moments earlier a deafening warning alarm sounded to indicate
impending attack. Like a fire drill, Cobra had versed the new inhabitants in
the sound shortly after arrival. There was no mistaking the noise. This was not
a drill. Two ominous massive gray shadows hung over the sky darkening the
ground beneath. Dargon was under attack. The ships had materialized out of
nowhere. Their cloaking devices must have been changed to once more invade the
atmosphere undetected. The vessels hovered just above the tree line.

Amy could hear each of her
expelled breaths. She urged her feet to move and ran like the others for cover.
Everywhere she looked, Castian warriors were grabbing their female mates.

Armor closed around them
encasing the two together like fused metal. The women were safe from harmful
explosions that merely washed over Castian armor. Flashes of light from the air
set off a succession of small blasts to pummel the warriors. The warriors
walked from the balls of fire without a mark. Orders were issued and before
long another ship joined the two in the air…it was a Castian bird of prey. The
vessels engaged in heated battle.

Amy raced into the mushroomed
shelter hoping the shield was back online. After trying to reconfigure their
cloaking device, the Castians had opted to lower their shields for a day not
expecting such a swift assault.

Explosions surrounded Amy.
The Tonans were attacking with a vengeance. Somehow they had to have known this
particular area was vulnerable. That meant there had to be a traitor in their
midst. Whomever it was had to have been very skilled at his craft to penetrate
the all-sensing Castian warriors.

Behind her Amy could see the
muscular, gray-armored beings landing on the ground. A door opened and Tonans
made their way from tree to ground at a swift rate. Amy’s heart was pounding
when she entered Dasks’ room. She searched frantically for somewhere to hide.
There was nowhere. Dasks was with Cobra, Rask and Talsk. Leah and Grace would
be safe. The children would be shielded immediately by the closest warrior. Amy
worried about Meg.

At a small sound, she spun
about and was confronted with her worst nightmare.

A Tonan warrior began
approaching her with some caution.

Wide-eyed, Amy slowly
retreated back. Her mind cried for Dasks. She realized now if she were his mate,
he would know exactly where she was and how she was feeling. Dasks would have
been able to find her anywhere, on any world.

“No mate?” the Tonan asked.

Amy felt her skin crawl; it
was like the words slithered out of his mouth.

“Dasks is coming,” she muttered
without too much bravado and a whole lot of stuttering.

The Tonan breathed in a huge
gulp of air. “You aren’t breeding either. Interesting. Now why would a male
Castian leave such a defenseless prize alone?”

“I’m dying,” Amy cried out.
“I’m worthless to you.”

“To your male warrior
perhaps. But to me, you are invaluable. Our captive Castians will love having
you onboard. If you are unacceptable as a mate, they will feel no regret in sharing
you.”

Amy began shaking. The Tonan
stalked her.

“Go away,” she demanded.

“A human with spirit. How
refreshing.”

“A Tonan with no compassion,
how predictable.”

The Tonan chuckled. “Not all
of us have compassion bred out of us. A few have taken human mates. They find
us agreeable.”

“I’m sure you’re a real stud
muffin,” she said sarcastically.

“You’re an amusing little
thing. If you come willingly, I may even keep you for myself,” the Tonan said.
“Your Castian warrior doesn’t want you. Isn’t it obvious? How long have you
been in his care? Weeks? A month or more? He should know how dangerous your
situation is with no protection. They’ve even dropped their shield in
invitation. And here you stand so helpless and afraid. I smell your fear. And
they call us cruel. Poor little thing. I can scent your courage struggling with
each step I take.”

“Go away,” Amy said, only her
tone was quieter.

The Tonan sniffed the air
again. “You are intoxicating. Your fear is making me fill as we speak. I can
give you a child, a chance at four more years of life no matter what you suffer
from.”

“You lie,” Amy spat out. “Tonans
are too selfish. They won’t part with their armor even for their own child.”

“I might make an exception.”

He was on her then.

Amy couldn’t struggle. Talons
gripped her tightly. His tail curled around her ankles and pulled taut. She
slumped and would have fallen but he held her upright. The Tonan was almost as
big as Dasks. He too had a tattoo marking his face, but his was black—like his
soul. A clawed hand reached for her throat and exerted gentle pressure. Amy
could hear the being making clicking noises in the back of its throat. Its head
lowered to breathe in her scent.

“Such a pretty little thing,”
he cooed.

“Leave her,” a snarled howl came
from behind them.

“Dasks.” Amy wept with
relief.

The Tonan spun taking her
with him. “This one is unclaimed and mine now,” the Tonan growled.

Dasks didn’t even answer. He
moved forward and tried to snatch Amy from his grasp.

Amy screamed when both
armored males refused to release her. She felt like she was being torn apart in
a tug-of-war.

Dasks clawed at the Tonan’s
face.

The Tonan bellowed when part
of his armor failed and a jagged streak of red appeared for just an instant
across his cheek. His armor snapped back into place.

Dasks stomped down hard and
snapped the tail in half.

The Tonan howled again and the
part gripping her ankles dropped in a heap.

“More of Ulsy will be placed
under darkness,” Dasks raged. “Until not one of you can keep your armor up. I
can smell your weakness.”

“Castians continue to fight
with no honor,” the Tonan howled. “So be it. Take the woman—bury her.”

Amy gasped when four talons
slid up into her belly like a hot knife through warm butter. Her mouth opened
and closed as she struggled for breath. Her eyes settled onto the gray face
void of expression.
Why?
What had she done that he would do this?

The Tonan tossed her into
Dasks’ arms.

Amy looked at the blood
pouring from her wounds. Her fingernails gripped Dasks’ armor. She knew she was
bleeding, she knew it hurt, but she couldn’t say anything—nothing in her mind
registered.

Dasks bellowed his fury for
them both.

The Tonan swung a claw to
strike her again, but Dasks blocked the strike and with one arm, he threw her.
Amy felt herself sail through the air, over the Tonan’s head. Wind ruffled her
hair. Even as she remained airborne Dasks and the Tonan battled with a fast
fury.

Amy hit the healing waters in
the next room with a splash. She sank to the bottom with no energy to swim to
the surface. A circle of blood surrounded her. The water attacked her wound.
Round and round the pool swirled like a blur. Bubbles encased her. Amy could
feel the water inside her. The water waged war on her injury. It was disgusting
to have sensations weave in and out of her torn flesh, piecing her back
together in a mad flurry. All she could do was sit with her behind on the soft
bottom of the pool helplessly.

The pain began to lessen. The
attack slowed to a gentle caressing motion. A few wayward bubbles burst and
floated on a current. Just when Amy thought she would die from lack of air, the
bubbles stopped. A large object crashed into the pool rocking her. She felt
Dasks’ hands yank her to the surface. Amy gasped in huge gulps of air.

“Dasks.” He was void of
armor. She looked past him into the other room. The Tonan was gone.

“Let me look,” Dasks demanded.

Dasks lifted her high and
checked her wounds. Only four healed puncture marks remained.

Amy swallowed hard.

“Is she all right?” Talsk asked.

Dasks buried his head into
her wet hair. “She’s fine.”

“Meg?” Amy said with concern.

“She’s fine as well,” Talsk
said. His eyes were centered onto Dasks’ angrily. “She carries my babe, so nothing
can harm her.”

“Thank God,” Amy whispered.

Amy didn’t need to have scent
to sense the animosity radiating from Talsk toward Dasks. She knew why he was
angry. It was her fault, not Dasks’.

“I’m dying, Talsk,” Amy said
quietly. “Dasks hasn’t mated with me because I might kill him. This wasn’t his
fault. I refused him.”

Talsk looked stunned. “The
healing waters…”

“They won’t cure a disease
called cancer,” Dasks said.

Talsk looked devastated.

A throat cleared from the
doorway.

They all looked to see Cobra
standing there.

“Cobra, I can explain.” Dasks
struggled for a second, scooped Amy up and leaped out of the water.

“You should have come to me,”
Cobra said.

“I was afraid,” Dasks
stammered.

“You were afraid I would have
left her on Earth.”

It was a statement. Dasks
didn’t try and deny it. It was the truth.

“It’s my fault,” Amy said
quietly. “I’m dying, Cobra. I begged Dasks not to mate with me. The healing
waters won’t work. I don’t want to kill him.”

Dasks hugged her tighter to
his chest.

Amy felt certain he was
afraid she was about to be ripped from him.

“It’s not your fault,” Cobra
said. “I wish I could tell you if you mated with Dasks you would be cured. I’m
not certain. We couldn’t save our own women from the poison.”

“But, Cobra,” Dasks said, “we
don’t know what will happen. No one knew when the baby’s shield would wear off.
No one was certain when the women would stop lactating. If their mate had been
there at precisely that second, who’s to say the armor wouldn’t have taken over
and healed them?”

Cobra shook his head. “You’re
grasping, Dasks. It is still too uncertain. You could die.”