A karthans kiss, p.5
A Karthan's Kiss, page 5
part #1 of Harmonia Series
Elle fingered the soft scarf and draped the jacket over her legs. That was rather thoughtful of him. Was he being especially nice because he’d found her in his trunk, traumatized? Or was it another reason? Better not think about it. He was Nightshade and she was a nobody. “May I ask what your plan is?”
He started the car and pulled out of the firkin ferns. “Why?”
“I want to see the genius at work.” Some of the things he’d accomplished couldn’t be explained and she was dying to hear his first-hand accounts. He was notoriously tight-lipped in his interviews.
He cleared his throat. “It’s not as exciting as you think. None of my plans are, if you can even call them plans. Most things I either did by luck or because I had the right tools.” She smiled at him. So modest. He turned away from her with a slight blush on his cheek. “Take this car for example.”
“Your flying car.”
“It glides above the ground.” He gave her a flat look. “We’ll resemble a breeze in the dunes. No vibrations. The sand sharks won’t be a threat and we shouldn’t wake any roksans.”
“Clever. What about the Parched Ones or the snake clans or the cactians?”
“Parched Ones are smart. They don’t mess with air elegion things for fear of invoking the wrath of Cloud City. Snake clans are on the opposite side of the dunes, and the cactians only attack flying things, right?”
Elle nodded. “Their eyes only look up so they wouldn’t know we’re here, yes. What about getting lost in sandstorms?”
He tapped a canvas bag next to her. “Sky chart. Plus, this car can create a kind of wind shield to protect us from the worst of the sand.”
“That sounds great.”
“You don’t sound impressed.”
“No, I am. I just, well, I thought you’d use your powers or Ka’rin.” She glanced back, Ka’rin winked and reached out to touch her. Her hand went right through Elle’s face like she was made of mist. Elle frowned. Hadn’t Ka’rin lifted her into the car trunk last night?
“The less I have to depend on my powers, the better. My creations lose substance in the day.”
That’s right. Light and dark bonded were similar in that regard. That explained why she’d lifted Elle into the car last night but Elle’s hand passed through her now. “How long until we reach the dunes? The sun is setting soon.”
“An hour or two, then another hour or so to get to the oasis.”
Elle cocked her head. “But we’re still hundreds of miles away?” Blake tapped the speedometer. Her eyes bulged. “One hundred and sixty miles an hour! Have we been driving that fast this entire time?”
“Yep. We passed the earth elegion canyons a few hours ago while you were sleeping. Where exactly is this root thing you wanted?”
“The crisavis bulb is found in rock outcroppings. I’ll point it out when I see one.”
“What disease does your sister have, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Lena has Droxen’s Disease.”
“That sounds familiar. What does it do?”
“It’s eroding her DNA.” Blake whistled low.
“She would have died a while ago but you found the hibenicus mushroom the doctors used to put the disease into hibernation mode.”
“But?”
“I didn’t say ‘but.’”
“You implied it.”
Elle picked at jacket on her lap. “But the disease appears to be fighting it. She’s growing weaker. I’m so worried. I’d been saving up to hire a karthan, but the snake clans had the flesh-eating worm scare and prices soared well above what I could pay.”
“And it’s not like you can get it yourself.”
Elle nodded. “Neither of my parents can afford it either. That’s why I have to get this bulb.”
“Your sister must mean a lot to you.”
“Of course. She’s my sister. I’m the oldest, it’s my job to protect her.”
“Even at the expense of your own life?”
She’d have a life if not for me. I have to do all I can to make up for what I did. The words rested on the tip of her tongue like burning coals.
“Elle?”
Her eyes hardened. “Yes, even at the expense of my own life.”
He gave her a thoughtful look. “Well, okay. Get ready, because there are the dunes.”
Chapter 7
Blake bit his cheek as Elle leaned forward to catch a glimpse of the dunes and put his jacket on. Her slender neck drew his attention. The scarf was a lovely shade of gold and brought out a rosy tint in her cheeks.
Blake hadn’t driven this far north in a while but he knew there was a small spillover ramp on the top of the cliff in between the air elegion drop off and the earth elegion’s canyon that would lead them up into the sand dunes.
Blake turned the wheel and they started their ascent. Elle gasped as they crested the top. Even Blake whistled low. Nothing but sand for miles around them. Dunes of all sizes constantly growing, shrinking, disappearing, and reappearing. The light from the setting sun would have cast a fiery glow across the dunes. Blake wished he would have seen it. As it was, the moonlight in the darkening sky still cast a soft glow across the dunes, giving it an ethereal look.
Glancing away from the beauty of the dunes, Blake glanced at Elle again. She looked adorable in his oversized jacket. He watched as she pulled the scarf up over the lower portion of her face and rolled the window down. She stuck her head out for a moment before breathlessly saying, “Smells like the paper that diaries are made out of. It’s one of my favorite smells.”
He waited until she rolled the window back up. “Listen. I want you to stay in the car, all right?”
“But what about the bulb? I’ll need to dig it out of the ground carefully so as not to damage it.”
That’s a nice way of saying she doesn’t trust you to dig a plant out of the ground. Ka’rin chuckled and played with her flowing hair.
Blake flexed his hands. “Fine, but after Ka’rin and I do a sweep to make sure nothing dangerous will attack you.”
“Aren’t you concerned about your own safety?”
“It takes a lot to bring me down.”
You’re every bit as vulnerable as Elle, you know. You just have me to clean up your messes.
Elle looked skeptical. “So why are you so worried?”
“Because I’ve never had to worry about someone like you before.”
“Someone like me?”
Ooo, she doesn’t sound happy about that.
“Don’t look at me like that. I meant breakable. Half a punch would bring you down.”
“My uncle taught me to defend myself.” She straightened her shoulders in a futile attempt to look tough.
The one she said was a karthan?
Blake glared at Ka’rin. Her commentary wasn’t helping him. “Against a sand shark?”
Elle deflated. “Well, no.”
“Exactly. Look, you did an amazing job getting away from that rev earlier but a teapot won’t protect you out here, so I need you to stay in the car unless I say otherwise, all right?”
She pointed at something on Blake’s right. “What’s that? Is it a rock outcropping?”
“Ka’rin?”
I’ll go check.
The shadowy elemental opened the window and shot out.
It is an outcropping, and my initial search didn’t reveal anything hiding in the crevices that we can’t handle.
Blake turned the car toward the rocks. “She said it is.”
“Ask her if there’s a dark red plant with broad leaves and thorns on its stem.”
“She can’t see color, and I can’t ask her that right now any more than you can.”
“Your telepathy doesn’t work both ways?”
“No, unfortunately. I’ve gotten it to work in the dark elegion, but that’s it.” Blake stopped the car and stuck one foot out onto the rock. “Stay here. I’ll fetch you when it’s safe.”
He figured she’d follow him as soon as he turned his back so he needed to hurry and secure this place. The rocks, still warm from the sun, had been worn smooth from the wind and sand. He found little more than a few beetles and lizards, none of which he believed were poisonous or aggressive. There was the slight chance a dark pit held something more sinister, but the plant she’d described wasn’t located anywhere near it so he left it alone.
He slid down the boulders, expecting to see Elle scrambling up them, but she was still in the car. Shocked, he opened the car door.
“You stayed put? Really?”
She frowned at him. “Well, yes. You told me you’d come fetch me when you were done.”
“Wow, you’re not like Alexia at all.”
Her brows furrowed. “Who’s Alexia?”
“No one. It’s safe. We’d better hurry. I want to be out of the dunes by the time the sun rises. Oh, and before I forget, grab one of the freeze-dry pouches in the door. You can store the bulb in there.”
“Oh, thanks. I hadn’t even thought about storing it.”
“It’s up and over this ridge. I’ll give you a leg up.” He boosted her up. She missed the ledge and fell with a yelp. Blake caught her legs. Unfortunately, this meant her bottom connected with his face. Blake’s face burned. Thank the stars Ka’rin was on the other side of the outcropping and Elle couldn’t see well in the dark.
“Sorry. I wasn’t ready. Do it again. There we go. I’ve got it.” She scrambled up in her dirty slippers.
“You’ll see the plant a few feet above the next boulder, nestled in between some rocks. I’ll wait down here for you. There’s not much room up there to maneuver.”
“I found it. Give me a second. It’s a perfect specimen.”
Blake turned to look out at the sand dunes. The wind threatened to rip his hood off. Maybe Elle had the right idea to have her hair so short. The sand bit into his skin with every gusts. He could see the glowing lights of the Parched Ones’ stone shelters. He’d ask Elle what they looked like later. Blake only knew they didn’t mess with air elegion things because of Whirlwind.
“Got it. I’m on my way back down.”
“Great. There’s something about this place I don’t like.”
“The quiet maybe? Most people don’t like the general lack of animal or insect life here.”
It clicked. She was right. In all his time spent on the southern half of Harmonia, he was never far from the buzzing of insects or chirping of birds. The lack of it here unnerved him. He relied on those little things to alert him to danger. Elle slid off the ledge and waited till Blake told her to let go. He caught her again, this time with no awkwardness. He whistled and Ka’rin sped over. They entered the car and drove off.
Blake breathed a sigh of relief. That was the one time Elle would leave the car. He didn’t have to worry about her getting hurt now.
Elle sat next to him, staring at the bag on her lap with a bright smile. “I got it. I can save my sister. Thank you so much, Blake.”
“I didn’t really do anything.” Dang. All she needed to do was flash that smile and he or Glacius or any karthan would do anything for her. Blake frowned. He would never introduce Elle to Glacius.
“You could have insisted on taking me back to Arava. I don’t have much, but I can pay you what I’ve saved.”
“Don’t worry about it. I already have more money than I know what to do with.”
“Then why do you keep taking contracts?”
He shrugged. “Adventure. Excitement. Experience. I enjoy this kind of thing.”
Elle turned away and looked out the window towards Cloud City, which they could see in the distance as a glowing smudge. “My uncle used to take me on trips, too. He taught me to use his eleweapons.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
“I did.” Blake detected a hint of longing in her voice. He didn’t blame her. Traveling was addictive.
“Do you regret becoming a knowledge keeper?”
She fiddled with the bag. “Of course not. I love learning about the elegions.”
Blake snorted. “Learning about them and experiencing them are completely different things.”
“I can experience them through other people, can’t I?”
“It’s not the same. Think of it this way: reading about food verses eating food. Which would you rather do?”
She bit her lip. “Eating food, of course.”
“Exactly. Why did your uncle stop taking you on trips?”
“He died.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. He did write down his adventures for me to read,” she added, lightening the mood. Ah, Blake thought. That explained why she didn’t mind reading about adventure instead of experiencing it.
What about the fire? Ka’rin reminded him.
Oh no. “Were his journals at your apartment?”
“Luckily, no. They’re stored in my parents’ attic. My bag broke three times before I had them transferred to chips so I could read them without hauling all twenty volumes around.”
Blake smiled dryly at the image of her trying to lug a bunch of thick books around.
“Do you know what happened to your uncle?”
“He tried banishing a wraith.”
Blake felt a chill run up his spine. Wraiths were the one thing he wouldn’t do.
“Sorry. This isn’t the happiest topic. Do you have family?”
“I have a sister,” he said. What possessed him to say that? He was jeopardizing Alexia’s safety. Fate had his back when he spotted something past a dune and the topic changed. “Look, is that the oasis? Is it supposed to be glowing?”
Elle looked. “Yep, that’s a good sign. The lyli bugs are still glowing, which means the bellabud hasn’t shed its petals yet.”
“Good. Let’s get those petals and get out of here.”
Chapter 8
Elle tried not to glare at the oasis as they drove towards it. She’d been enjoying her conversation with Blake until he’d spotted it. She wanted to know more about this man. He was an utter mystery. Very little was known about his past before he’d just appeared at the karthan university holding a severed mimic’s head.
She’d even shared some of her secret desires with him and he’d understood. Something her family or friends never had.
“All right, so the bellabud flower should be sheltered near a tree or bush, right?”
“Correct. It protects the fragile leaves from the worst of the sandstorms. I suggest you avoid the water as there will be mosquitoes.”
“Noted.” He reached down and grabbed a bottle. He spritzed his body and put the bottle away.
Elle sniffed. “Garlic spray?”
“Among other things. It kept the worst of the bugs away in the Sanka swamp. Local mix.”
Elle smiled. “Yes, I know. My father helped develop it.”
“Really? You don’t look like the typical water elegion native.” Ka’rin whacked Blake over the head. “What? Why was that so bad? It was just an observation. Why can’t I say that? I know the elegion peoples have been mixing more the last few decades but that doesn’t change the fact that most water citizens have darker skin from all the sun exposure. Okay, I’m sorry, Elle. Forget I said anything.”
Elle’s mouth twitched as she held back a smile. “You should know the bellabud flower when you see it. It glows and looks like a ball of petals.”
“Right, I saw the picture of it, but didn’t read that it glows. Ka’rin, perimeter check please. Elle you stay here and keep a lookout. I’ll be right back.”
Elle nodded. She appreciated his trying to make her feel better by assigning her a fake job when they both knew he just wanted her to stay out of the way. “What do I do if I see anything?” she asked, playing along.
“Roll down the window and yell. Then roll the window back up and push this button.”
“Okay. Good luck.”
“You act like I’m going to slay a dragon. I’m just walking into an oasis and grabbing a flower.”
“With the elegions, it’s never that simple.”
Blake paused. “To an unbonded, I could see how that would be true. I’d forgotten how harsh the elegions can be to the defenseless. Anyway, don’t worry about me. I’m indestructible, remember?”
“Are you referring to that article about you a few months ago?”
He scowled. “As much as I hate to admit it, I am.”
“So, you’re saying it’s true? Is everything else they write about you true as well?”
“No comment.”
Elle scowled at her hands. Broken chips, she’d been so close to learning if the theories swirling around him were true.
“Wait here. Ka’rin says it’s safe.”
Elle watched him get out of the car and swagger over to the oasis. Okay, so he didn’t swagger, but Elle didn’t like how nonchalantly he was taking this. She turned away from him and gazed out into the shifting sands. There was something soothing about watching the wind swirling around them. The sand shifted near the car. Elle rubbed her eyes and looked harder at the nearby ground.
Nothing. She was just being paranoid. There was nothing out there. Wait, what was that? Something definitely moved out there. Should she tell Blake? What if it was just a kono lizard looking for beetles? Elle bit her lip and rubbed her hands on her legs. Blake told her she should tell him if she saw anything, but he’d implied that it should be dangerous. A kono lizard wasn’t dangerous.
Elle turned back to see Blake leaning over near a tree. He was almost done. It was fine. Everything was fine. Wait, had something moved in the shadows? Something large passed through the trees again.
He didn’t see it. Elle held her breath as the shadow jerked closer to Blake, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what moved like that out in the dunes. She couldn’t think of anything and that was wrong. She needed to warn him. Alarm bells pushed her body into motion. Elle’s hands shook as she struggled to push the button that would lower the window. He was alone. Ka’rin wasn’t there to watch his back.
Elle gave up and just opened the door, stepping out. “Blake, in the trees!”
He turned to her. “Elle, what are you doing out of the car? I thought I could trust—”
