Abased - The Exiled Warrior

Chapter 18.3 - Language

Bouk walked next to Tajar who carried a flickering torch in his hand. They were holding an animated, if hushed, conversation in dargu.

Three paces behind them Alam and Clarisai walked in silence. Their arms brushed against each other and Alam found himself wondering what it would feel like to hold her hand. They had already held hands many times, but after the kiss a mere hour or so earlier, everything seemed changed. Before, it had been functional - such as the time he held her hand while she melted Sapphire's bracelet in the fire - but now the desire to hold her hand was purely to feel the softness of her skin and see if she would return the gesture.

The secrecy of darkness strengthened his resolve. He reached out and brushed the back of her hand with his fingers. She responded immediately and entwined her fingers with his. Any thoughts of thrill were instantly extinguished as his life force began draining into her. With willpower he was able to stop the leaching of his essence, but it put a quick stop to his affectionate thoughts.

If she was aware that she was trying to steal his life force she gave no indication.

If it's this bad holding hands, what would it be like if we kissed again?

Ahead of them, Bouk looked back over his shoulder and glanced back and forth from Alam and Clarisai's hands to their faces. He then pulled on Tajar's sleeve and resumed their urgent, hushed conversation. Once they had run out of words Tajar also glanced over his shoulder at Alam and Clarisai.

She subtly disengaged her hand from his. With the pull on his life-force gone, relief washed through him and his thoughts were clearer.

"Well?" Alam whispered.

"Well, what?" Tajar whispered back.

"What have you been talking about."

"Don't worry about it," Tajar said dismissively. "You wouldn't want to know."

"Now I really want to know," Alam replied quietly.

"Fine," said Tajar. "But you're not going to like it and then you'll say I shouldn't have told you."

"Try me," Alam said. "You're acting suspicious now."

"Bouk thinks you're a demon, Clarisai," Tajar started.

"Oh," she said and dipped her head to hide her eyes.

"She's not a demon!" Alam hissed.

"That's what I told him," Tajar insisted, "But with glowing, fiery eyes, crazy magic powers, and covered in blood, he won't believe me."

"He hasn't even seen her do magic," Alam argued.

Tajar stopped walking. "I had to explain the dargu corpses back there, so now he knows. He has also decided that you, Alam, must be her mate since you are always looking after her and touching her."

Alam was thankful for the dark which concealed his face turning red. He stole a quick glance at Clarisai at the same moment she glanced at him. He had a hard time reading her expression in the dark.

"In the dargu world," Tajar continued, "if a male that isn't a queen's chosen mate touches her - chop! Off with his head."

"And what did you tell Bouk in response?" Clarisai asked.

"I told him that humans aren't dargu and he shouldn't assume that we'll behave the same way they do."

"Wise," Clarisai whispered.

Alam thought, rather than causing complications by commenting on Bouk's assumptions, that he would change the subject.

"How far are we from the next guard room?" he asked.