The Gypsy Queen (24 page)

  She clenched her teeth as she could feel her pleasure building, her thoughts slipping, her muscles tensing, and burst into a scream of climax like she had never known before. She rode the wave that crashed into her, and relaxed and let it sweetly wash over her, as he slowed his motion.
Yana
’s face was one of shock- she had never, never felt anything lik
e that before, never experienced
where he took her just then.

  She began to squirm and struggle, as Bastion began moving again, finding that rhythm once more.
Yana
’s mind tried to adjust to the fact that he was not done with her at all, and indeed, had not finished. She was determined to take everything he had, and fought her own pulse to try and take him.

  Bastion was perfect, seeming to know exactly how to touch her, exactly when to adjust, or drive in deeply.
Yana
plunged into a swirl of pleasure and pain, as it hurt when he pushed hard, but somehow she loved it, and over and over, he took her to heights she had never known.

  Bastion delighted in her screams, letting it draw forth the animal from hi
m the way she had on the ship
. He went from wildness to gentleness- a
mastery of her body and
her sensations. He could feel what she wanted by instinct, and paced her perfectly. Finally he could hold back no more, and roared into her scream, into the pitch darkness, into their secret place.
Yana
lost herself, almost lost consciousness, and had no awareness of anything except the
exquisite
feeling of him.

  They held still, Bastion letting her drift back to comfort, letting his own breathing slow. He pulled his cloak over them, setting her in the curve of his body, as they had so long ago. They rested, exhausted from the intensity of their pleasure, and the release of their desire. Their mission was finished, and their night was complete. They drifted off to sleep, as their fire at the cave’s entrance glowed in faithful embers.

  Bastion and Yana awoke the next morning, the dew and chill prompting Bastion to cover them with the other garments they had with them. They stayed curled up in them a while, enjoying the darkn
ess the cave provided, den
ying
the b
right morning sun its intrusion
.

  “Bastion,”
Yana
spoke quietly, “I love you.”
Bastion squeezed her gently where they lay. She said it so dearly, Bastion reveled in the feeling. He began thinking of the coming days, longing to have her in them. He wanted her to be his.

  He wanted to keep her. More than anything in the world.

 
Yana
leaned up on one elbow, towards him. Her jaw dropped open slightly in stunned surprise. Bastion was utterly glowing with energy. His aura seemed to illuminate him, so that she could see the features of his face, even in pitch dark. Red and gold emanated from his edges, like an aroma. She could see his eyes, as he looked into the pitch black, unable to see her in return. There was something in his eyes. A feeling, an emotion. It drew her in, so she reached out to touch him. She could feel that faint hum of vibration, just as she did from their first moment. She had never known such a sensation. As she touched him, the aura seemed to flow to her, red and gold tendrils, easing its way up her arm like smoke in a silent, alluring dance.
Yana
was fascinated.

  “What are you thinking of?” she asked him. “What are you feeling?” She wanted to understand.

  “You,” he answered.

 
Yana
was not satisfied with that answer. She knew it was more than that, but did not press him. She moved in to kiss him, indulging herself in red and gold, taking in Bastion’s energy as they kissed. She cl
osed her eyes, and savored the
last moments in their secret cave.

  When they could stall no longer, they exited the cave, gathered their things, and loaded up the horse. They traveled the road to
Jedikai
.
Yana
had so many things on her heart, but did not know how to say them. There was one thing she had to ask, as she sat behind Bastion on their horse.

  “Bastion… last night… what did you do? What did you do to me?”

  “Whatever I wanted,” Bastion replied.

  “I have never felt anything like that. Really- what did you do?”

  “I loved you.”

  “I have never known anyone like you,” she said. “I have never felt anything like what I feel with you. There is just something about you.”

  Bastion smiled. “I feel it too,” he said. “I love being with you.” Bastion had never spoken truer words. He still wanted more of her, but was reluctant to ask
it
of her. She had already given him the finest moments he could imagine. He would never forget their night in the cave, or any other moment spent with her.

  Up ahead they spotted
a gypsy caravan, a
ways off the road, friendly smoke arising into the cool morning air.
Yana
counted nine wagons, though they did not look familiar.

  “Can we stop to eat?”
Yana
asked, pointing toward the wagons.

  “It does smell good, doesn’t it?” he said. He was eager to prolong his time with her. “We’ll stop.”

  Bastion and
Yana
pulled up to the caravan, and Bastion helped her down. Gypsy children came to greet them, as the adults looked up from their meals.

  “Oi gitana
s!”
Yana
greeted them, stooping low carefully to hug them all without troubling her wound. The people all had welcoming smiles on their faces, and Bastion was glad for it. He hoped they would be able to be safe and thrive without the threat of capture, since they had burned down major elements of the slave trade. These were the very people they had been fighting for.

  “Oi!” the gypsies greeted them in return, inviting them to come sit with them.

  “We have coffee,” a gypsy man said, holding up a tin cup.

  “Coffee? What’s that?”
Yana
asked. She had never heard of it.

  “We traded for it from some city folk that came through here yesterday heading for
Jedikai
,” the man replied. “Name’s
Vigo
,” he said, extending his hand.
Yana
took it in gypsy fashion.

  “Pleased to meet you,”
Yana
said. She decided not to use their names. “We were just traveling there ourselves.”

  “Did you hear what happened?” the man said, wide-eyed.

  Bastion and
Yana
looked at each other.

  “What happened?” Bastion said.

  “Well,
first of all, we aren’t sure
,”
Vigo
said, “but we heard that the black riders destro
yed a castle in the Lower R
each and killed a horde of slave traders!”

  “Did ya
,”
Yana
said. “The black riders? I thought they were just a campfire story for the villagers.”

  “No one knows for sure,”
Vigo
said, “but we heard that there was a gypsy girl with them who saved them all and killed the horde!”

  “
Dinlo
,” she said. “That sounds foolish.”
Vigo
nodded, handing them a tin cup.

  “This is coffee,” he said. “It is hot like tea,
bar valo
,” he said.
Yana
took a sip, recoiling from the heat and bitter taste. She let it go down, warming her throat and sharpening her appetite. She took another sip, and passed it to Bastion. “I like it,” she said. “Where did it come from?”

  “Somewhere across the
Black Sea
,” he said. “We traded for it.”

  “We have had coffee in
Jedikai
, but it is rare,” Bastion said, sipping from the cup.
Vigo
slurped more coffee from his own cup, handing them warm biscuits the children had brought as they talked.

  “We think they are real,”
Vigo
continued with his rumors. “The man we met yesterday said that a Romany girl named
Yana
rode with them and saved them all!”

  “Well, if that is true, then I hope we will all be safe from the slave traders from now on,” Bastion said.

  “We have many problems traveling the country,”
Vigo
said. “But
Yana
is our hero! She fights for us all! She is the hero for all Romany!”

 
Yana
smiled. She was overjoyed that their mission had not just saved many captives, but made the countryside safer.

  An old woman got up from where she was sitting, and approached them.
Yana
did not recognize her. 

  “You are
Yana
,” she said. “I have sat with you before, with Lyubov
.
”

 
Vigo
eyes widened. “You are
Yana
?!”

  “Yes.” 

  “Did you ride with the black riders of
Jedikai
and destroy the slave traders?”

“Yes.”

 
Vigo
burst into dance, hopping up and down, and shouting with the children. “
Yana
! Hero of the gypsies!”
Yana
was embarrassed, but was caught up in their celebration, and danced with them
a little,
as the drums and flutes spr
ang up instantly. Bastion joined
in
, dancing gently with
Yana
and the music. He was just as pleased as any of them.

  They laughe
d and hugged her and
danced some more. They brought forth gifts and
more
food, and lavished attention on
Yana
. She did not want praise or glory, but she did want her people to be happy. She let them express themselves, and celebrated
humbly
with them.

  Finally they sat down, and
Vigo
dismissed the children to be quiet.
  “Tell us your story!”
Vigo
encouraged her.

  “I cannot tell the story, not today,” she said. “I must get back to the west meadows of
Jedikai
.”
Vigo
turned to Bastion.

  “Do you know the story? Can you tell us?” he pleaded. Then his
expression changed completely.
“What is your name?”
Vigo
asked.

  “My name is Bastion.”

 
Vigo
’s face dropped. “You are the Prince of
Jedikai
.”

  “Yes.”

  The entire camp went silent. Bastion became alarmed. What could have possibly caused such a terrible swing in their demeanor?

 
Vigo
said nothing more, unsure what to say. The old woman that had recognized
Yana
approached them again.

  “You must return to the city right away,” she said gravely.

  Bastion was immediately flooded with dread. He stood up and went to his horse, his hands fumbling with the leather straps.
Yana
stood with him, ready to ride.

  “It might be better if you stay here,” Bastion said sternly as he mounted.
Yana
bowed slightly to him.

  “Please Captain,” she said. “My place is with you.”

  “Help her up behind me,” Bastion directed the gypsies. They did as he said, and
Yana
mounted, gripping him as tight as she could, trying to reassure him. The gypsies all surrounded them and their horse.

  “Travel well,” Bastion said to them. Each of them bowed, and dropped to one knee. Every single one of them. Bastion and
Yana
had never seen anything like it. Gypsies bowed to no one. They were even more disturbed by it than when the happy mood had vanished so suddenly. What could possibly be so wrong?

  Bastion moved the horse forward through the small crowd, as they parted to let him pass. The horse seemed to feel anxious, sensing her riders’ angst.

  “Can you ride?” Bastion said.

  “I can.”
Yana
steeled herself.