Escape From Zulaire (19 page)

Too late, she remembered how her tear had vaporized the instant it had touched this same surface during the healing process. The glow was dying away deep inside the immense gemstone, however, and there was nothing but a mild, burning tingle in her fingertips.
 

Tom snored.

The prosaic, normal sound made her laugh.
 

Rahuna moved to Andi’s side, wrapping a quilt around her shoulders. Tleer did the same for Wilson. “You’ll be tired.” His Serene Holiness bent to retrieve her discarded sandals, sliding them onto her feet. “Try to fight the exhaustion until we get out of Sanenre’s corridors.”

Tugging, pushing and prodding, Rahuna and Tleer managed to coax Andi and Wilson from the healing chamber, through the two mystical portals.

Chapter Six

Deep into the middle of the next afternoon, Tom finally stirred, kicking the quilts half off the bed and muttering as he dreamed. Andi woke, uncurling from the comfort of the large chair where she’d been napping since lunchtime. The encounter with Sanenre’s healing device had left her exhausted. Since
she
was so lethargic, she wasn’t worried when Tom didn’t awaken as the day wore on. Wilson’s diagnostics also confirmed reversal of the captain’s condition. His liver, kidneys and other systems functioned now within the norms in all respects.

As Tom continued to show signs of regaining consciousness, Andi smoothed out the wrinkles in the simple peasant dress she’d taken from the village. Pulling her hair back, she crossed to the bed. His forehead felt normal to her touch. She rubbed his bare shoulders, massaging the well-defined muscles. Half naked, he wore no shirt because he’d kept pulling at the fabric in his sleep, finally taking the robe and pajama top off without ever fully wakening. Mitch and the monks had given him a bath and a fresh change of clothing after the healing ceremony, while Andi changed the sheets.

She stared at his chest, lightly dusted with hair. A line of darker hair ran from his belly button down below the waist of the pajama pants. Andi realized she was following that enticing line with her eyes—
again. Well, I can’t help it. He’s got the sexiest body I’ve ever seen.
Tom shifted on the pillows, and Andi lifted her fingers from his skin. A drowsy sigh escaped his lips, and he blinked a few times before focussing on her face.

“So, you
are
here. Not a dream?”
 
His voice sounded raspy. “A good dream.”

“Not a dream.” She smiled, happiness warming her. “Let me get you some juice.”

With surprising strength he clasped her wrist, detaining her at the bedside. “Wait.” Tom rose on one elbow. “Don’t leave.”

Regretfully but gently, she peeled his fingers from her wrist. Walking to the table, Andi spoke to him over her shoulder. “Mitch said you’d need liquids when you woke. He stressed the point. I have the juice pitcher right over here, cooling in a bowl of ice from the mountain. Let me get you a drink, rearrange those pillows.
Then
we can talk. A little. You’re still pretty weak.”

“Where are we? I’ve never seen anything like this on Zulaire.” He glanced at the tapestries and the view out the window.

Andi poured juice into a large mug. “It’s the Monastery of the Clouds, in the upper ridges of the eastern mountain range. I think we’re safe enough here. For now. And, no, you’re right, this isn’t a typical Zulairian facility.” Returning to the bedside, she leaned over to help him prop up while he drank from the glazed green ceramic cup. “Take it slow.”

“Tastes good.” He licked his lips and grinned. “Tangy. Is there more?”

“A whole pitcher full.” She got him a refill. He’d been drinking it for the past few days, but obviously didn’t remember those earlier, half-awake encounters.

Taking the mug from her, he sank into the pillows without further protest after she fluffed them as much as she could. He’d apparently lost interest in the history of the building for the time being. “A bhengola attack?”
 

“Yes. You passed out on the trail, a few hours after we rescued Rahuna. Remember?”
 
Andi sat cross-legged beside the bed, so he wouldn’t have to keep looking up at her. She clasped her hands in her lap against the nearly irresistible urge to touch him.

“How long…” He frowned, apparently trying to remember the onset of the attack.

“Four days now,” Andi said. “Mitch told me you’ve had this for years, taking some black-market medicine to keep it in check. How can you still be on active duty with a chronic condition like this?”

“ ‘Mitch,’ huh? You and my sergeant got to first-name basis while I was out of it? Should I be jealous?” Raising one eyebrow, he gave her a teasing smile before taking another swig of the juice. He tipped the last drops onto his tongue, then handed her the mug. “Command didn’t have to know I had bhengola. The condition never affected my ability to do the job.”

“That’s hard to believe. How could it not?” She set the cup on the floor. “I’m not trying to be judgmental. It’s none of my business. Mitch explained about how Command would have just kicked you out if they knew the truth. But weren’t you risking your life every time you went on another mission?”

Reaching out, he took her hand, twining his fingers through hers, stroking his thumb across her skin. Andi stilled at his touch. Electricity ran through her nerves, and she shivered ever so slightly.

Wordlessly Tom urged her to sit on the edge of the bed, moving over so she had enough room but maintaining the contact between their bodies. His expression was serious, his gaze steady on her face. “The first attack came while I was on Panamilla 2, after we secured our objective but before scheduled evac. Aliquinalone is easy to get there, of course, so Mitch dosed me through it with liberal quantities. The attacks weren’t too frequent. Doesn’t show on the medscanners for some reason unless I’m having an attack. I made sure never to be available for the annual fitness-for-duty certification if I had symptoms.”
 

“I’m sure you had your reasons to hide it.” Andi looked away.
Who am I to judge what he did or why he did it?

“This assignment was unusual, having a squad under my command. Mitch and I work alone ninety percent of the time.” Tom reached out with his other hand to gently turn her face back toward him, cupping her chin. “Hey, I would
never
put my guys at risk. I get about a week’s warning before an attack comes on, which gives me time to lie low.”

“What kind of warning?”

Green eyes intent on her, he stroked her cheek softly with his hand. “The whole visible spectrum of colors shifts on me, enough so nothing looks normal. Like an aura. And for sure nothing smells or tastes right. I know an attack is coming and I know what I have to do. The first bhengola started the day the orders changed, which was another reason I wasn’t too pleased to be diverted to the Obati summer compound. I thought we’d have time to get back to the capital anyway. I wasn’t counting on all hell breaking loose.” Releasing her, Tom stretched, yawning. His joints and tendons popped as the kinetic stress in his body released. “Can I get some real food?”

“The monks offered to prepare special broth for you, and bread made of
healing
herbs.” Raising her eyebrows, she winked.

“Lords of Space, stuff probably tastes like sawdust. I’d rather have something more substantial.” Tom stretched again, frowning. “That’s odd. I always feel like I’ve been worked over by five guys with clubs the day a bhengola attack ends.”

“Not this time?”

“No. And I’m not complaining.” He laughed.

She rose to adjust the quilts, shifted one pillow to better support his back against the urabu headboard.

“I have to say you’re a definite improvement as a nurse. Mitch never fluffs the pillows.” Tom watched her efforts with a broad smile. “The attacks have been getting more severe the last few years, although not more frequent. But he always hangs in there for me.”

“We’ve been trading off the nursing duty,” Andi said. “He’s devoted to you.”

“Been through a lot together.” He reached out to her. “Sit down? Please?”

As soon as she perched on the edge of the bed he wrapped one arm around her waist, gently drawing her closer. Andi could feel his semierect cock against her lower back. Delicious heat pooled in her most-intimate parts, reacting to his nearness.
But he just woke up, we can’t get carried away until he’s fully recovered.
Shifting a few inches, she nervously moistened her lips. “Mitch said—he said you were dying. Your kidneys and liver had shut down.”

Toying with her hair, Tom asked, “Then why am I still here? I assumed he’d found one or two more injects of quine at the bottom of the medkit.”

Andi shook her head. Those frightening minutes before Rahuna and Tleer had escorted them to the healing chamber were going to be fresh in her mind for quite a while. “No, all out of quine. Even Mitch lost hope.”

“What aren’t you telling me?” Tom took her hand, watching her face, his voice softening. “It’s all right. Whatever you and Mitch did for me worked. I’d just like to know.”

Stroking his arm at her waist, she sighed.
This explanation isn’t going to be easy.
“Rahuna and Tleer offered to treat you…their way.”

He frowned. “What do you mean ‘their way’?”

“The god Sanenre, or whoever built this place, left a few ancient devices running, reserved for planetary emergencies. Rahuna convinced Tleer to save
you
. He believes we’ll never reach the capital unless you lead us there. He thinks your survival is essential to ending the inter-Clan war.” She smiled. “Mitch and I weren’t about to argue.”

Tom exhaled in a quick whistle, shaking his head. “I’ve a lot to live up to then. Have to justify his faith in me…although I’m at a loss. My part in what’s happening on Zulaire is pretty small. I’m just a soldier trying to get his squad back to base.”
 

“You’re being too modest.” Andi fell silent for a minute, toying with the green mug, making it twirl around on the rug with her big toe.
Here comes the hard part.
“Before I explain the rest, you have to promise me something. Rahuna had one mandatory condition before he would help you. Mitch and I already agreed.”

“I can’t violate my Soldier’s Oath to the Sectors.” Tom’s gaze was level, his lips set in a straight line. “Although it would be hard to refuse Rahuna anything.”

She shook her head a little. “Mitch didn’t think it was a problem.” Keeping her gaze locked on his eyes, she said, “You can’t talk about what happened here, not ever. Rahuna doesn’t want the Sectors authorities to learn about Zulaire’s ancient sites and devices.”

“No problem.” His response was prompt and firm as he relaxed against the pillows. “I
have
no memory of anything.”

Andi drew up her knees in front of her and clasped her hands around them, lowering her head to rest on her arms. Looking at him sideways, she said, “Mitch believes the healing device did more than stop this one attack. The indications are that the treatment eradicated the whole bhengola syndrome.”

Closing his eyes for a moment, he was obviously thinking through the ramifications of the revelation. “So
I
may be cured, which would be a terrific thing for me. But the millions of other bhengola sufferers in the Sectors can’t come to Zulaire for treatment. There’s probably no way for anyone to duplicate the device used. Therefore, no one is harmed by my silence. End of subject. Agreed?” He held out his hand.

Andi uncurled and shook on the meeting of the minds, not surprised to note that his grip was firm.
The old Tom is definitely coming back again
.

He studied her face, his eyebrows drawn together in a frown. “You look tired. Tell me you aren’t sitting in the chair all night. I’ll have to reprimand Mitch for letting you pull hard duty.”

“I’m fine. I insisted on helping. Neither of us wanted to leave the monks in charge because we didn’t want you waking up with only a stranger in the room.” Andi put her hands on the mattress, bracing herself on the bed, ready to stand up. “In fact, you should probably try to get some more sleep.”

“I’ve
slept
enough.”
 
His voice was deep, caressing. He leaned toward her, his eyes moving down her body then back up to her face.

 
Every nerve inside her thrummed. There was an intimacy about being so close to him now that he was over the illness, a sense of possibilities in his body touching hers, even casually.
 

“Thank you for taking care of me.” He rested his hand on her thigh, laced their fingers together.
 

 
“You’re welcome.” She wanted to touch him, settled for stroking down the length of the tattoo on his bicep with her forefinger. “I like this. Special Forces?”

“Yes. I have a couple more in other, more interesting places.” He shifted his hips on the bed, and his increasing arousal became even more apparent.

“I know, I’ve seen them.” She blushed and stammered a bit. “Mitch and the monks did most of the—well, the personal nursing care for you. But I—I helped. Well, you were sick.”

“I’m not sick now.” He studied her face. His hand left hers, to massage her upper thigh through the tights, stroking in circles that moved ever higher toward the vee between her legs.

“No, you’re not.” Meeting his eyes, she shook her head, wet her lips with the tip of her tongue.