Enslaved by a King [Sold! 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (17 page)

“The gods can be harsh, but be assured that a new water bearer will soon emerge.” She glanced up at the mountaintop. When she looked away, her gaze connected with Noah’s. Her eyes were stunning, reminding him of how beautiful Mingor’s were. “He told me something…strange.”

Her voice was very low. It was clear she was trying not to be overheard by those around them. But since they were higher up on the layered platforms, they were essentially alone.

“Did he tell you that you and your fellow Thandlings have the power to do what he did?”

The stunned look on her face said it all.

“He told you the truth.”

“It can’t be true.”

Noah looked up at the top of the mountain where a new water bearer was being anointed. “How do you think they are creating a new one right now?”

“Mingor’s passing caused him to return his ability to the gods. The advisors are calling upon the gods of the ocean to imbue a new chosen one with the ability to purify the water.”

“An ability he or she already has.”

Furrows of concern wrinkled her brow. “You only say these things because you are overwrought with grief.”

“I say these things because Mingor told them to me and I believed him.” Noah finally reached out and grasped Mingor’s hand. He was cold, so very cold it almost hurt to touch him, but then he realized there was warmth left in his flesh. And then, a slow sluggish heartbeat. Noah was so shocked he almost let go. But then he pressed his fingers into his wrist. A long time ago, Noah had learned to take someone’s pulse from a CPR class. Mingor’s was there. Very faint but still present.

Without thinking too much about what he was doing, Noah climbed up onto the block of ice, turned Mingor’s head to the side, ensured his mouth was clear, and then he set to work performing CPR.

The Thandlings edged back, watching him with horrified gazes and gaped mouths.

“He’s not dead.” Noah performed chest compressions and then breathed into Mingor’s mouth. He struggled to remember if it was one breath for five beats, or one breath for four, but then he decided it didn’t matter so much as him just keeping on. Mingor had been technically dead for only a handful of minutes. And during that time he’d been in cold water and then on ice. Hypothermia slowed the systems of the body. Noah was positive he could revive Mingor.

From the shocked expressions on the faces around him, Noah figured he probably only had another minute or two before someone pulled him away. They probably thought he was expressing some kind of alien grief and not desperately trying to save the life of the man he loved.

“Come on. Come on. Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me.” Tears were streaming down his face as he kept pumping and breathing. Just when he’d given up hope, Mingor coughed up a tremendous amount of water. Noah jumped off him, slid off the ice, but he was back on his feet in a flash. He helped Mingor sit up and then pulled him off the ice as he continued to gasp and spit up water.

“Cold.” Mingor’s teeth chattered as he shivered.

“I know.” Noah’s knees were frozen from kneeling on the ice, but the rest of him was warm. He stripped off Mingor’s sodden robe, then his own. He covered Mingor with his clothing and then pulled him close.

The woman who had touched his back to offer comfort was staring at him, mouth agape, her hands clasped against her chest.

“Please come and share your warmth with him.” Noah pulled her near and several others soon followed her example. Collectively, their body heat warmed Mingor as Noah held him tight. He could not remember a time when he had felt such gratitude and relief.

As the full import of what happened rippled through the crowd, a cheer started softly, almost quietly, and then rose until it must have been heard on the mountaintop.

Noah looked up to find all the advisors and some of their children looking down. Some of his joy slipped away when he wondered what they would do now.

“You saved me.” Mingor was clinging to Noah while his fellow Thandlings pressed in close. An enormous cheer had gone up but then faded away as they set about getting items for Mingor.

“I had to.” Noah kissed his head. “I swore that I would be your shield.”

Mingor laughed and then spit out more ocean water. “Why didn’t you tell me that you, too, could perform miracles?”

“All I did was CPR.”

“There is no translation for that.” Mingor listened as Noah explained. “You are lucky that my circulatory system is very similar to yours.”

“I didn’t even think about that.” He looked a little embarrassed.

“I was dead, so it is not as if you could have hurt me with what you did.”

“Good point.” Noah kissed his forehead before pressing his forehead to Mingor’s. “But I don’t want to talk about you being dead anymore.”

“Yes.” Mingor puckered up, and Noah kissed him even though he’d been coughing up ocean water. “But what of them?”

Noah didn’t bother to look over his shoulder at the advisors on the mountaintop. “I don’t know. I was told they were anointing a new water bearer.”

“I do not believe there has ever been a time where there were two.”

“But your powers would have gone to the new water bearer, wouldn’t they?”

Mingor looked behind him and realized that it was Nirrab, the soul he’d tried to teach his magic to. He realized he had a grand opportunity that he shouldn’t let slip away. “When I passed into the arms of the ocean gods, I gave my power to all Thandlings.”

“You did?” She looked down at her hands, utterly spellbound.

“Go on and try.” Mingor pointed to the vats of ocean water that were used to sluice down the fish gutting area.

As Mingor was offered blankets and food by some of the worshipers, others went with Nirrab to see if she could now transform the water.

“Oh!” She jumped back from the vat and spun. “All the salt is in a pile at the bottom of the water!”

“You see? I told you that you could do it. So can all of you.” Mingor watched with gentle pride as dubious Thandlings scooped cups out of the vats and then experimented with their newfound powers.

“Oh, you are so damn smart,” Noah whispered directly into Mingor’s ear. “Did I tell you yet today that I love you?”

“You did just now.” Mingor looked up into Noah’s beautiful blue eyes. “As I love you.”

As they settled on the cushions offered, swaddled in blankets so Mingor could regain his normal body temperature, they watched the Thandlings realize that they were no longer tied to the advisors or their god.

“But you. What will happen to you?” Nirrab had the courage to ask the question that was clearly on all the Thandlings’ minds.

“I will be just another soul like all of you.”

“And the advisors?”

Mingor looked up to them, smiled, then turned his attention to Nirrab. “They will have to do the same.”

“I think they will not like that very much.”

“That is unfortunate.”

An impromptu feast of celebration was planned, and then Noah said he had to return to the mountaintop to tell Honor Vengeance that he could go if he wished since he was staying here.

“How did you ever convince him to return you when he was so adamant that you go?”

“I can be very persuasive.”

“I would say it’s one of your magical abilities.” Mingor grinned.

“I’ll get you something to wear, too.”

Mingor had a feeling that what little he owned was now taking up residence in Aido’s quarters, but it wouldn’t hurt for Noah to see. As he walked over to the lift, Mingor watched his proud stride. He was so beautiful. What made him even more so was the fact that he was barely covered by the blanket slung around his hips, but that didn’t bother him in the least. Apparently, his time nude at Hindur’s had made him completely comfortable with his body.

Mingor found himself surrounded by curious and kind Thandlings who thanked him profusely for sharing his gift. He wanted to tell them the truth, that they had had the ability all along, but Nirrab hadn’t believed him then when she did now. Rather than quibble over that tiny detail, he let it go. Mingor had never lied, and even in this he didn’t feel that he really had. By his death he had awakened them to their inherent gifts. What mattered more was that now he’d taken the power away from one and given it to many, things would change. There was no way for the status quo to remain the same.

All through the rest of the day and long into the night, Thand became a small island of celebration. Most of the advisors eventually joined in when they realized there was little to be done about the situation now. What was done was done, and it was pointless to pout. All but for Aido.

It was Aido’s youngest son who would have become the newly anointed water bearer. Since Sege was not used to his lofty position, he didn’t understand his mother’s anger. To him, he felt that
he
had somehow shared his gift with everyone. Mingor didn’t try to tell him any different. Having everyone know the exact down-to-the-final-detail truth didn’t matter so much as having all of them embrace their gifts.

Noah stayed by Mingor’s side throughout the festivities. He was constantly touching him, nuzzling him, or kissing him. Mingor felt very cherished. When the night grew long and the revelers began to go off in pairs, Mingor and Noah stayed in the courtyard.

“Come. I wish to show you something.” Mingor took Noah’s hand and drew him over to the edge where the land met the ocean.

“Whoa. It’s quite a drop.”

“Since there is so little land, there are actually three layers of living area.” Mingor looked down to the rock facing. “Up here is for growing things and working. The next layer is for living areas and the last is for storage.”

“Your people are fascinating.” Noah looked out at the endless ocean. “Your ability to adapt is nothing short of phenomenal.”

“We are a good people. Now that the issue of having a living god has been dealt with, I think we will see even more amazing things.”

“I think so, too.” Noah kissed Mingor’s hand then kissed his way up his arm to the open collar of his robe. “Now, about our bedding area for the night.”

“Soon.” Mingor pointed out to the ocean. “Watch.”

Slowly, a small, misshapen moon rose over the water, casting a wavering spill of pure white light. There was a ripple against the water. Then another. And another.

“What are those?”

“Keep watching.”

Eventually, the ripples grew across the surface of the ocean then ceased. And then, slowly, seemingly as one, hundreds of ocean turtles floated to the surface, their shells gleaming in the moonlight.

“Whoa.” Noah watched them with intense curiosity. “That’s what you were comparing my eye color to.”

“Yes.” Mingor gripped Noah’s hand a little tighter. “They only do this once every ten days when the moon comes up.”

“What are they doing, exactly?”

“Mating.”

“Ah.” Noah grinned. “So there was a double meaning in comparing my eyes to the ocean turtles.”

“Yes.”

Noah turned and looked at Mingor directly. “Back to that one word answer thing, huh?”

“Yes.”

“I’m going to lay you down and make wild love to you.”

“Yes.”

Noah proceeded to do exactly that.

“We would not be opposed to such a trade.” Mingor discovered he was quite adept at negotiating agreements between his people and outsiders. What amazed him was how in demand the Thandlings’ skill was. Hundreds if not thousands of worlds needed purified water for their souls. By trading money and goods for the services of his people, everyone was happy.

“We would like a contract for at least—”

It took a moment for all the soul’s translators to specify the increment into their own unit of time. Since it would be Nirrab going to assist them, Mingor ensured she would be willing to devote that many turns of their moon to such a project.

After activating the privacy shield, Nirrab indicated that she would like to stay longer for more payment. “I wish to travel afterward and see the rest of the universe.”

“I think that is a wonderful idea.” Mingor was happy to help with the arrangements. Once the deal was cast, he turned his attention to the next contract. What made him doubly glad was that he didn’t fear for his people’s safety, not since he’d taught them all how to mentally push others if they found themselves in danger. It was not to be used lightly, but it did give the Thandlings an added measure of security.

Initially, the advisors had found themselves at a loss, and frankly, so had Mingor, but it was Honor Vengeance who suggested that they possessed a unique and highly marketable ability. Aido had objected strenuously until she realized that this gave her power. Not here on Thand, but in other areas of the galaxy she would be revered as almost godlike. Mingor feared that she would enslave some hapless race of beings, but he realized he was not in control of what Aido did. And honestly, having her go was probably the best for all of Thand.

“Are you done wheeling and dealing for the day?” Noah was swimming around in what once was the area where Mingor changed the water. Noah had wanted to fill it in since it was also the place where Mingor had died, but Mingor had no ill feelings toward the pool. In fact, without events unfolding as they had, he would not be where he was today. Reluctantly, Noah said it was the perfect size and shape for a swimming pool, so a pool it became.