Page 36 of Nixx
I put us on the platform in front of my house. There is no way she will stay with the other humans. She will stay with me.
“Come, I'll show you. You will be safe here, our dwellings are inaccessible to predators from the ground, because the only way to get there is by air, as you can see. If I'm not here, you can follow the bridges in any direction, to find another Erian. Lokk's house is there!” I add, pointing to it. “Rymm, my other trustworthy man, is staying in the Complex, as he is quite rare in the territory. You will meet him later. I asked him to be here tonight.”
“But how do I get back to the Complex to join my friends? Do the bridges go there? Why can't I stay with them?” she asks.
I look at her intensely. A pinkish color covers her cheeks. Slowly, I raise my hand and put it on her cheek. With my thumb, I caress her lip. She swallows and her breath catches. I bend over gently and put my lips on hers. I am struck by lightning. What's the use of fighting? I felt it intuitively from the beginning, this woman is destined for me. It is useless now to refuse the Link, I understood it and I admitted it. I just waited to be back on my land.
I raise my head to meet her eyes. She seems lost. Unlike me, she doesn't know that our story is inevitable. I put my lips on her forehead, the curve of her pretty nose. Then I finally take her lips gently, giving her time. I take them fully, with determination.
She returns my kiss hesitantly at first as if undecided about the relevance of what we are doing. Then she gives up too and kisses me with ardor. I feel her vibrate from head to toe as I take hold of her mouth relentlessly.
“Humm, I can see that the visit to your apartments goes well!”says Lokk.“I came to seek Sarah and to lead her to her companions.”
“Get out!”I order him coldly.
I end our kiss and bury my face in her neck to better breathe in her scent. She smells infinitely good. She smells like my Life Partner. My body reacts in response. A fresh smell now surrounds us both. Shit, the smell of union. If I had any doubts, they are now completely gone. I hear her take a deep breath and sigh softly.
“Hmmm, it smells good . . .” she says innocently.
Raising my head, I decide to interrupt the show we’d been giving to all those who had the curiosity to look in our direction and I do not doubt that there were some. Starting with Lokk.
“Come on, I'll show you around.” I say, taking her with me into our house.
We walk through the front door. I try to imagine how she feels about seeing my home. It's not as big or as well-equipped as the cave dwellings, but I prefer to be in direct contact with nature. I feel so comfortable here.
“Here we are in the living room. It is separated into two spaces. On the left, you can see big sofas and a coffee table. This is where I receive my friends, where we discuss and where we play. And there on the right, you have a dining area with a table and chairs. With the ladder that you see in the corner there, we have access above to our room and the hygiene room, where you will find a shower. Unlike the ones located in the troglodyte complexes, these showers are not equipped with hot water. The water comes from rainwater collected in cisterns above the houses. Since the cisterns are under the tree tops, they are not heated by the sun. The water is just at the same temperature as the air. If you prefer to use the hot showers at the Complex, just ask me. The same goes for if you want us to change houses for apartments in the Complex.”
“Here, it's perfect,” she says. “So, do you want me to live here with you?”
Her eyes are filled with questions. She must have doubts about the beginning of our relationship. However, this one is irreversible now that I have accepted the Link of Union, even if I have not yet claimed her as my Life Partner. But soon.
“I have one more question. While you're away, what do I do? How do I get back to the Complex to join my friends? In my world, I'm a healer. I can help your people, I'm sure. And I would also like to help in the kitchen.”
What a strange obsession with kitchens! I was already surprised by this in the south, but it seems to be very important to her. Yet, I don't understand the interest.
“I'll introduce you to our head healer, and I'll show you our kitchens. And when you're alone with us . . .” I add, noting the sudden flush of her cheeks at the word ‘us,’ “I'll call one of my men to come to your aid if you need it. I must warn you. Some of the creatures on the ground can be dangerous. There's a reason we're in the air and our homes are up high.”
“What kind of creatures? I should know what to expect.”
“There are several kinds. I'll make sure you and your friends know about them quickly. I remember that you have already met the most common ones, the vorks. The most dangerous creature you can meet is a gortach. This creature is huge, on four legs, about two meters at the withers and double from nose to tail. You can recognize them easily, their big head is framed by four horns on each side, long enough to skewer an Erian in one blow. And their jaw is hideous, with many razor-sharp teeth. You won't come across them here, the forest is too dense. They prefer the wide plains of the northeastern territories.”
“Nixx, our men are waiting for you to debrief them on our meeting with Azarr. They're wondering too!” Lokk informs me.
“We have to go, I am expected. Come on, I'll take you back to the Complex.”
I mentally warn Jaxx that I am assigning him to guard Sarah and ask him to join us on the set. I also inform Rajj, the kitchen manager, that he is going to have a visitor.
When we land on the plateau, Jaxx is waiting for us. I don't miss the questioning in his eyes, especially since no specific indication was given about the other humans. Let them all speculate about Sarah, they'll soon know what it's all about when I claim her, displaying my mark for all to see.
“Jaxx!” I greet him. “Take her to Rajj. He is waiting for you.”
Then I turn away and join my men. At the end of the meeting with the men of my territory, I keep Lokk with me.
“Stay,” I tell him. “Rymm informs me that he will be there in five minutes.”
“OK. What exactly did you tell him? Does he know about, uh, Sarah?”
“He's on his way, I'll update you at the same time and we'll see what decisions need to be made as a result.”
