Guardian [New World Book 6] Page 5

  A number of animal skins littered the floor. Crude furniture made of wood such as small beds, tables and a few logs that passed as chairs were situated out of the way. Water bags made of a large animal bladder or stomach hung slowly dripping. On a shelf unit where Jinx stacked the jars and cans she found were other food stuffs. It was organized clutter really. Not a bad little place. Taz had done well with what he had.

  Before long Roam heard the gentle breaths of slumber. Only one other was awake. He could sense Taz. He could sense Taz battled emotionally. Roam kept his emotions as even as possible, not wanting to confuse the Tonan further. Tonans were cousins of the Castians. Normally evil creatures who lost their way in an effort to be better and stronger by dangerous drug enhancements over thousands of years. Tonans only became soulless in their greed for power. When a Tonan mated a human female he seemed to regain the soul he lost. It was said a human female had overwhelming emotion, too much for a Tonan to handle and stay cruel. Roam was happy for the discovery of human females. Perhaps in time the Tonan cousins would wander home, the way it used to be.

  It was plain to see everyone in the cave trusted Taz, loved him. It would be interesting to learn how it came about. Roam’s eyes drooped, it wouldn’t hurt to regenerate through sleep mode for a little while. His armor would warn him if it detected anything dangerous.

  * * * *

  “Where are you going?” Roam had been watching Jinx out of the corner of an eye, he was pretending to be asleep until she headed for the cave entrance. Jinx pulled up short.

  “You should be sleeping; the sun isn’t up yet.”

  “You should be sleeping too,” Roam countered.

  “I’ll be back before Taz wakes up, I always am.” Her whisper was more warning than desperation. Roam could scent her determination. She was a free spirit, marched to her own beat—as long as Taz didn’t find out.

  Roam sighed as she slipped from the cave—without him. Yeah, right. Roam was up and after her. It took mere seconds to stash his clothing and put his shield up. He was then on the move. Her attempts at stealth were laughable. Jinx moved through the underbrush like a wounded Tonan. Roam hovered above her, high within the treetops. Jinx seemed to have a specific destination in mind.

  Soon enough a clear pond appeared. Jinx glanced around. Seeing no visible bystanders, she shucked off her t-shirt and pants. Before Roam had his fill of her naked body, she dove into the water. Roam counted out seconds in his mind, anxiously perched on a branch. After one hundred seconds passed, he made ready to dive in after her. Jinx surfaced gasping for breath. Her body sluiced through the clear surface. Roam suspected this had been a morning ritual for a long time. She seemed perfectly comfortable being alone.

  Roam settled back to watch her. Her pale long legs were a contrast to her tanned arms. Her snow white ass looked luscious. Roam wondered what it would feel like to take each ass cheek into his hands and squeeze. His armor steadied his heartbeat while he fantasized. He wondered at his attraction to her; they really had only met. He then remembered must was approaching. Although, after his encounter with her last night, he guessed he was no longer approaching must—he was in it. Roam would have to be cautious. Must was a hard emotion to control.

  Roam plucked a stick from a branch and rolled it in his taloned hand. He wouldn’t mind swimming with her but knew it would be too intrusive. Plus, she was buck naked. No doubt she’d be perturbed by his appearance. Also, he’d have to swim with his shirt on, which he didn’t have; he wondered how Taz handled situations like this. Roam couldn’t lie to her; he wouldn’t be able to tell her it was a birth defect. Just because human males had nipples didn’t mean a Castian warrior had them too. They were a separate species after all. Roam preferred his nipple-free hairless chest. He preferred that most of his entire body was hairless.

  The gentle way Jinx sluiced through the water was hypnotic. The surface looked like glass until she rippled her way along, making tiny waves to mar the water’s perfection. Jinx enhanced the perfection. Roam tilted his head, watching the gentle sway of her hips when she strolled casually from the water to sit on a bank and sun herself in the morning warmth.

  Her breasts bounced slightly when she leaned over to retrieve her t-shirt. Her sweet ass tapered to shapely legs. Her feet were perfect with perfect toes. Her hand rose to gently tuck her wet wayward locks behind an ear. Roam’s shield readjusted to once again control his pounding heart while expanding to make room for his erection. He sighed in contentment. The scene was picture perfect. Serene. Roam could stare at her forever.

  Jinx screamed, her high pitched tone shrilly breaking his calming thoughts. She jumped to her feet. Roam was so startled he fell out of the tree, arms and legs flailing, to land on his ass. He was in motion seconds later. Just before he came into her line of vision his shield came down. Jinx was dancing around holding something long in her grasp.

  “What the hell?” Roam shouted.

  “Run, Roam. I can’t hold it, I can’t hold it. It’s a rattler.”

  She was right, the long thing made a furious rattling noise with its tail. Perhaps the rattle was significant in some way. Fangs protruded from its mouth. Part of it curled around Jinx’s arm. Roam wasn’t certain what it was, but he knew one thing, Jinx was scared shitless. Her terror-filled scent invaded his nostrils. That alone had him reaching for the slithery creature.

  “No, Roam. It will bite you.”

  Roam grabbed her wrists, both of her hands were wrapped around the top part of the snake’s body, back behind the head. Roam grabbed the rattler’s mouth and squeezed it shut. He then yanked the thing out of Jinx’s hands. Jinx fell backwards onto her naked ass with a thump. Roam walked a few feet away and curiously studied the creature.

  “Throw it Roam, as far as you can. Rattle snakes are mean. Don’t you know their bite can be deadly?”

  Actually he’d had no idea. This tiny little thing sent humans into hysterics. Why? Roam released its mouth; the snake immediately bit his arm. Ouch. Roam chuckled, it was a mean little thing, but Slay’s daughter could bite harder. He was turned in a way Jinx couldn’t see. The reaction was instantaneous; his armor came up, oozing from within his skin, to cover over the bite, down his arm to his wrist. The venom was fast, his shield was faster. That never happened when Scarlet bit him. Must be something in the venom. His shield remained up.

  “Oh shit,” Roam whispered. Thankfully, Jinx couldn’t see what had transpired.

  “Roam?” Jinx called. Her tone was frantic.

  “I, uh, I’ll go throw it and be back.”

  “Be careful.”

  “Sure.”

  Roam once again had his hand wrapped around the snake’s mouth. He walked a ways into the jungle where she couldn’t see. Shifting his grip Roam studied the snake’s fangs. It had soulless eyes. The rattle sound it made was cute; he sounded like one of Scarlet’s toys.

  “Well buddy, what do I do with you?”

  The creature wanted to live. It was no doubt only protecting itself. Roam’s shield was already down, he felt fine. To him the snake was harmless, but it was frightening to Jinx, and he didn’t think Jinx was the kind of female to scare easy. He hoped the snake didn’t mind flight. Roam tossed the snake as far as he could. It sailed away until he lost sight of it.

  “Roam,” Jinx called. He heard desperation in her tone; she was just shy of becoming hysterical.

  “I’m coming.”

  Roam took a step then stopped in his tracks. He was without a shirt. Shit. No nipples. Thankfully she had been too scared to notice before; he wouldn’t be as lucky this time. Glancing frantically about Roam grabbed a double handful of mud sitting in a large pile and rubbed it over his chest. His nose wrinkled. He hoped it was mud. The smell was putrid. When Roam emerged from the foliage Jinx was dressed, standing, wringing her hands. She was worried about him. She searched him with her gaze, obviously looking for any hurts. Her eyes then narrowed.

  “What are you doing out here?” she asked.


  “I went for a walk.” It wasn’t a lie.

  “You followed me.”

  “I admit I was concerned for you. When you screamed I had to get to you. Earth is a dangerous place for a female…a woman. Earth is a dangerous place for a woman. Especially when she’s alone.”

  Her demeanor changed immediately. “You lost someone. Didn’t you?”

  “In my travels. She wasn’t known to me, a pity really.”

  “If you didn’t know her why do you look so sad?”

  “It was the situation I found her in,” he replied.

  “Oh.” Jinx looked thoughtful, as though comprehending his meaning. There are times when a stranger dies that can hurt one’s heart.

  Roam went to lean against a tree, looking back through his troubled thoughts, his wounded memories. She wasn’t known to him, but her essence had invaded his. Her sorrow touched him in a way, reminding him of his own losses. When she died, he grieved again.

  Jinx perched on a small boulder before him, her long legs curled to her chest. Her chin rested on her knees. Her expression was inquisitive, thoughtful. Perhaps it was the genuine concern she felt for him. Warmth radiated from her personality. Roam hated to speak about the night which consumed his thoughts for months. Jinx wasn’t only curious, she wanted to share his hurt, he sensed it. What she wouldn’t understand was the depth of his feelings.

  The female’s essence had mingled with his when he had touched her. Roam felt all of her emotions; he lived them through her touch. He breathed them in with her expelled breath. The taste of her despair coated his tongue. A warrior could taste death. Sometimes so many emotions weren’t easy to put up with. She was inside of him within seconds; such was the cross to bear being Castian. Jinx wouldn’t understand such emotions unless she mated with him.

  “It was a dark night. There were no stars, no moon. I heard a sound in the storm that was raging. It was a strangled cry, not banging or the pounding rain, a voice calling for help in the despair of the gloom-filled surroundings. I found a tiny woman in a small cave-like cement hole curled into a ball, much like you are now, except she was on her side. She was shivering from lack of food and the cold. In her last moments, she wept her sorrow when I held her to my chest.

  “You see, she had been with other people, but the Tonans had come.”

  “They killed her family like they killed my dad and Haven and Skylar’s parents, didn’t they,” was Jinx’s small whisper.

  “Yes. Somehow she managed to get away. She was small enough to fit through a tiny hole in the back of the cave and gain her freedom. But what is freedom when you have no one and nothing except terror-filled memories? She couldn’t find food; the storms in that area ravished the lands. Everything she had was left behind. She wandered alone and afraid through the rubble that was once home before stumbling into the cement cave hole—waiting.”

  “To die?”

  “Yes.”

  Roam was feeling uncomfortable. He hated the memories that night provoked. The smell of death hung heavily in the air. Roam had never seen such aloneness in someone’s eyes. He damned the rogue Tonans over and over, hating them. The poor little female was so tiny. Roam felt her sadness, her hurt. Her grip on him was weak and so Roam had crushed her to his bare chest. He went to her unshielded. She deserved nothing less. Afterwards Roam buried her; all the while the rain beat down on his shield. He had spent only moments with her before she died; she had thanked him for his kindness. It was pitiful.

  “I thought I’d die when my father was killed and my sister stolen.”

  “What happened? Unless you can’t talk about it.”

  “I hurt inside when I talk about it, think about it. The nightmares haunted me for a year after. I’d wake screaming but Taz was always there; he seemed to know I was trapped in a bad dream. The sky had been lit by fire. Smoke was everywhere. My sister, Jade and I were separated when the Tonan attacked me. I guess it was male because of its size but no sex showed. Hideous black tattoos glowed bright on his grey face, the bulbs covering his soulless eyes were like looking into black holes; he was laughing. Two fangs dripped saliva. I couldn’t breathe when he slammed me against a building.

  “He called me his pretty little plaything. He tortured me with hateful words of things he would do when he got me alone. I thought I’d die of fright. I was barely nineteen, just a kid really. My dad was suddenly behind the creature. He slung an axe at him. The axe bounced off the grey armor or shield, whatever it was—skin maybe, I don’t know, but my dad had the Tonans attention. I was dropped to the ground, able to crawl away. My dad was swearing and swinging the axe. My dad was my hero; he was so strong, but the Tonans are indestructible. Weapons have no effect on them. I watched one throw a tank, a tank for God’s sake.” Jinx stopped for a moment and Roam felt her battle with tears, she didn’t succumb. She swallowed hard a few times and continued.

  “Their hands are talons, their feet claws, just like Castians except Castians are ebony not grey. Castians have no tails, but Tonans do. I hid under a broken piece of roof. I watched my dad die. The Tonan shook him like a rag doll. Once he was dead, he went after Jade but a Castian appeared. Jade was screaming; I couldn’t move, couldn’t make a noise. I guess it was shock. The Castian beat off the Tonan. He grabbed Jade and took off before I could even react. He disappeared into what resembled a black hole. The hole closed and it was as if it never existed. My entire family was gone. I did nothing but watch. My world fell apart. I passed out for a while; the rest of the night is a blur.”

  Roam knew the Castian would have had strict orders to return any human female immediately to the ship. If the warrior suspected Jinx’s sister to be in grave danger it would explain why he had left so abruptly. Jinx’s recount of the night made Roam think. If he had caught Jinx in the same situation he would have done exactly what his fellow warrior had done. Though it would be no consolation to Jinx.

  “There was nothing you could have done,” Roam said. He could scent her emotions reliving that horrible night. She blamed herself for her father’s death. She didn’t blame herself for her sister’s kidnapping, but she was torn because she had done nothing. Poor little female had no idea there wasn’t anything she could have done. There was no way for a female to protect herself from warriors. Roam felt every fiber of his being strain toward her. If he mated her, he could keep her safe. If she were his mate her essence would mingle with his, she could never hate him, their bond would be too strong. Roam battled the urge. He wanted her, but he would have her the right way.

  “Before I went unconscious I began to cry and begged for my family back.” Jinx began again. “Into the night sky I begged and begged, I cried an ocean of tears, but they were gone and I was alone. I stopped crying and haven’t since. I hurt so bad inside I was certain I’d be dead before morning. I didn’t care. When I woke, Taz was smiling at me. He was holding my hand. I needed someone so badly I put my arms around him. When he hugged me back he promised he would take care of me. He’s a man of his word.”

  “You were lucky he found you.”

  “Now he’s found you.”

  “I’m pretty sure I can take care of myself.”

  “Oh, tough guy, huh? Well I can take care of myself.” Roam raised an eyebrow and made a pointed glance toward where he had taken the snake. She smiled sheepishly. “Well, most of the time.” She studied him for a moment, her gaze turned curious. “Those are the oddest pants.”

  Her statement caught him off guard. Roam looked down and swore silently. In his haste to cover his un-nippled chest, he completely forgot about the pants. He was in his tight-fitting black pants, wearing his shield-sandals. Jinx looked like she might comment further until her gaze settled onto his thick cock outlined by the tight material. He couldn’t control his hard on for her. Her entire being was driving his senses wild with wanting to have her, protect her, take care of her—mate her. She went red and clamped her lips shut. Spinning abruptly she strode away.

  “You might want to wash
,” she tossed over her shoulder. “You have lion shit on your chest.”

  Roam looked at his chest and grimaced. Well, if nothing else, she wouldn’t be getting too close. The must in his loins subsided as she moved off, but it was still too high for comfort, this way she would keep her distance.

  Poop—Jinx repellant.

  Chuckling Roam was happy to follow after Jinx as she wandered deeper into the jungle. She pointed out trees, giving them names. A few birds chirped and Jinx smiled at them; she claimed there weren’t many left. She then, with annoyance, smacked a bug on her arm; apparently, there were more than enough bugs. Roam was bug proof. A toxic smell emitted from his shield under his skin to keep the little noxious beasts away. Mosquitoes were dangerous.

  “Hey, this root’s edible,” Jinx was saying. She stooped down and began gathering a small armload near a murky pond. “I’ll pick some for dinner.”

  Roam watched her for a few moments until he sensed they weren’t alone. His shield was warning him of imminent danger. Roam saw the gator out of the corner of his eye. Jinx had her back turned to it.

  “We try and make a lot of pemmican when we get a chance,” Jinx continued oblivious of the danger she might have been in—as long as Roam was near nothing would touch her. “You know what pemmican is right?”

  “Not a clue.”

  The gator moved closer. Confident of easy prey. Jinx was yanking on the bottom stalks; she fell back onto her ass, recovered and yanked again. Her mind was completely engulfed in her task.

  “Pemmican is made by mixing rendered tallow, or melted fat to other ingredients. When Taz gets a kill, we dry some of the meat to mix with either berries or nuts then mix it all together after the meat is pounded. It lasts a long time. It’s not half bad, especially if you’re hungry. These reeds make decent baskets to gather food as well. If I weave them tight enough it can be made almost waterproof. We have a few pots we always have boiling and cooling. As well as animal organs that hold water. Clean drinking water is always a necessity.”