Page 35 of Offering Herself to Darkness

All of the Primiens around the circle patted the ground with their hands once more—clearly it was some kind of applause, Xarex thought. Then the One turned to him and Nora and gestured with both hands.

“Come—come up to the center of the circle and stand near the Holy Tangle,” they said, nodding at the square-shaped tangle of purple and green vines with the mound in the center. “Come and see if the Bloom will shine for you.”

Nora’s eyes went wide and Xarex smelled her fear. He knew she didn’t like being the center of attention. Nevertheless, she got up at once and he got up with her.

They walked together to the center of the circle and stood before The One who Cares for All.

“Very well—now the Holy Tangle contains vines that come to us all the way from the deep Jungle, where Syrilla’s Bloom grows,” The One told them. “You will stand upon it and perform your sexual sacrifice for the People to see if you can make the Bloom shine.”

“But what kind of sacrifice do you want?” Nora asked.

“Whatever brings about the strongest emotions,” The One answered seriously. “The more intense your emotions, the better. Those who truly need the Bloom will feel with desperate intensity. That is the kind of sacrifice the People most enjoy and the kind most likely to cause the Bloom to shine.”

“We will do our best,” Xarex promised. And he meant it. He had sworn to Nora that he would do anything he could to save her daughter and he was fully prepared to go through any trial to do just that.

19

NORA

Nora stood on the thick square mat of roots and vines. To her surprise, it felt pretty solid. She’d been afraid her feet might sink in, but the vegetation was so intertwined that it was quite firm, though slightly bouncy. It was a little like stepping onto a trampoline, she thought—though not a very giving one. She didn’t feel unsteady on it, which was good since she had no idea how they were going to get the Bloom to “shine” or even where the Bloom was.

Xarex stood beside her, holding her hand. Nora was surprised at how comforting it felt to be close to him and feel the warmth of his long fingers entwined with hers. She was glad all over again that he could feel and that his feelings for her were so protective. She was still feeling warm all over and also extremely turned on. Even the touch of his hand made her heart pound as she looked up at her new husband.

“Now then, let us get this started,” The One who Cares for All said. “Will someone please bring a request so that the emotions can start flowing?”

“I will bring one.”

Twilla stood and Nora stared at her new friend. Was she a little taller? And did her voice sound just a little deeper? Before Nora could answer those questions satisfactorily to herself, Twilla began to talk.

“Let us see and feel your love for each other,” she said. “We want to taste the flavor of your desire and devotion.”

Feeling a bit shy, Nora looked up at her new husband. She noticed with slight unease that his eyes were flickering back and forth from silver to molten gold. But when she reached up to him, he leaned down and took her in his arms at once.

“Oh, Xarex—” she began, but he cut her off with a kiss. His hot mouth covering hers as he bent her over his arm made her moan with need.

Xarex swallowed the sound hungrily and deepened the kiss. A moment later, Nora felt one of his big hands caressing up and down her body. And then he found the places where her nipples poked out of the dress and began to tease and tug her ripe tips.

Nora was definitely feeling the effects of the cinnamon drink because she didn’t protest or ask him to stop, even though they were in public. Instead, she moaned again and thrust her breasts forward, offering even more and hoping he would take it.

The big Kindred seemed to know exactly what she wanted because his lips left her mouth and he began trailing hot kisses down the sensitive side of her neck and towards her full breasts.

To Nora’s mingled amazement and chagrin, the leaf dress parted for him and he continued kissing over the swells of her breasts and then, as the dress opened wider, he captured one of her nipples in his mouth and began sucking long and hard.

“Oh! Oh, Xarex!” she moaned, writhing in his arms. It seemed she felt every deep pull of his mouth on her nipple all the way down to her pussy. She was getting so wet between her legs that she was afraid her juices might start wetting her thighs which would be so embarrassing! They shouldn’t be doing this in public—she was sure they shouldn’t! And yet she didn’t want to stop. She didn’t want to?—

The sound of everyone patting the ground again woke her from what felt like a kind of lust trance and then she heard the One Who Cares for All say,

“Behold! The Bloom arises!”

20

XAREX

Xarex was pulled back from the brink of no return by the sound of the Primiens all around them exclaiming.

He blinked and let the ripe nipple he’d been sucking slip from his lips. His W’rx side had almost come out. What was happening? Everyone seemed to be looking at him and Nora, who was still panting, with her breasts fully exposed. But no—not exactly at them—they were staring at something behind them.

Xarex turned and saw that the mound of blue and green and purple vines had split open. Rising from inside it was a milky-white blossom. It had a sweet, enticing fragrance and looked a little like a rose from Earth, only it was three times as big.

---