Grinnell made some great strides in his new creations. He wanted to test them out but had promised to walk Mehanna back to the ship. He didn’t feel any different, yet he found he wondered what she was doing. He also wondered what he could do to put a smile on her face, even more than usual. Her smile made his heart flutter. His focus was fractured where he normally could focus on the task at hand.
He came to the house to see Mehanna creating a bright blue ball, only to watch it disappear as quickly as she made it.
Lawaya came out of the house when she saw him approaching. She met him near the line of trees.
“How is she doing?”
“I think she’s doing great. I know she knew a lot of this when she was a child, but she is very impressive at how quickly she is moving through them. She doesn’t hesitate, even if she hadn’t done it in a few yepas.” Lawaya handed him a cloth bag. “I prepared an evening meal for you two.”
“You didn’t have to do that. You know we can get something on the ship.”
“Yeah, something prefabricated. This is homemade and fresh.” She held out the bag.
He took it and slung it over his shoulder. “Thank you.”
Grinnell watched as Tosci held up her hand and commanded Mehanna, who stopped working with the blue ball and create a fireball instead. He wasn’t sure how to interrupt, or if he could interrupt. He found he didn’t have to.
“It looks like your escort is here,” commented Tosci.
“Are we done?” asked Mehanna.
“Do you want to be done?” asked Tosci as she looked over at Grinnell.
“I want to kick your brother’s ass, so if you want me to work more I will.”
“Good answer.” She gestured to Mehanna to go to Grinnell. “Keep working on the lightning. You will master it if you keep at it. Just be careful where you practice.”
“Safety first.”
Tosci smiled. “Go, enjoy. I will see you nesdura.”
“Thank you.” She dashed to Grinnell’s side. Taking his hand, she led them away from the house.
“Are we in a hurry?”
“I just don’t want her to change her mind, and the longer we linger, the bigger chance we have of her suddenly remembering something she wants to show me.” She took his hand and led him away from the house. “We could be here for horas if I don’t take advantage of her releasing me.”
“I don’t think she would push you that hard unless you asked her. She wants us to succeed.” Grinnell helped her around a few overgrown roots. “I know she’s pushing you because she cares.”
“And when she realizes we bonded, she’ll be pushing you as well.”
“I can handle that.” He slipped an arm around her waist. “As long as I’m with you, I can handle anything.”
Mehanna gave him a beautiful bright smile that made his heart skip a beat.
“How much practice do you need to do?”
“I’m not sure. I’d need a safe space to work in.”
“I can set up a place on the ship for you.” He adjusted the bag on his shoulder.
She pointed to it. “Lawaya?”
“Yeah, she didn’t want us to starve.”
“I think she was bored. She started going through Tosci’s pantry and just decided to make a meal for us. She made too much. That’s why you got the bag.”
“Was it good?
“Delicious. I wouldn’t mind having more.”
The ship came into view.
“Then we’ll eat first.”
“Did you give them some of the food you made?” asked Tosci.
“I did,” replied Lawaya. “I thought instead of eating the food the ship can create for them that a good fresh meal would be perfect.”
“You didn’t know what to do with yourself and thought you could contribute by cooking for us.”
“True.” Lawaya filled a plate and handed it to Tosci. “There’s still plenty.”
“Figured as much.”
“You know they have bonded, right?” Lawaya picked up her plate.
Tosci nodded. “I could see it in her eyes.”
“I expected you to get mad.” Lawaya walked to the table and set the plate on it.
“It won’t do any good. What is done is done.”
“Are you going to say something?”
“I’m going to wait a dura or two. I want to see if she is going to tell me.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
“Then we’ll both know she’s not mature enough to face my brother.”
They entered the ship and received a greeting from the computer.
“Good to have you back, Mehanna. Grinnell missed you.”
“He did?” she turned to look at him.
Being caught, he shrugged.
“I hope he didn’t pine for me all dura.”
“I kept busy. Would you like to see what I’ve been working on?”
“Sure.”
He took her hand and led her to one of the cargo holds. “Since everyone is worried about the fact that I’m not magical, I have created my own magic.”
“Really?”
“Watch.” He slipped something onto his hands and then tapped a few keys on a keyboard. “I haven’t completed it to a point where I can take it off the ship yet, but I think you’ll get the idea.”
A target appeared in front of him. Grinnell pointed at it. Mehanna sucked in her breath when she saw fire shoot out of his fingers.
“How did you do that?”
“I created a glove that I can wear that will work as a weapon.”
“If he suspects you have a weapon on, he could use it against you.”
He nodded. “I know. That’s why I’m not ready to show anyone else yet. I need to make it seem like it’s coming from me. I plan on using technology to make Moorac think it’s magic.”
Mehanna found his weapon ingenious. She could remind him that he could access her power, but since she didn’t know how to teach him, she would wait for Tosci to do it. It also wouldn’t hurt for them to have some sort of backup that could confuse Moorac. “I wish I could master my lightning as easy as you created that.”
“Hey, that wasn’t as easy as you think. How are you creating your lightning?”
“I try to create a ball of it.” She worked on creating one while she spoke to him. “But I’m not doing something right.”
“I think you’re trying too hard. Just create a ball.”
She did that easily.
“Now catch it on fire.”
“Fire? But I want lightning.”
“I know, just try this. If it doesn’t work, you don’t have to try again.”
“Alright.” She focused on the ball and caught it on fire.
“Now all you have to do is turn the fire to lightning.”
She blinked. Could it be that easy? Using the technique Grinnell just showed her, she changed the fire from red and yellow to a blue color. That was what she thought lightning should look like. The fire turned blue, but it still looked like fire. She knew lightning arced. She had seen enough of that on the planet she grew up on. Maybe that was what she was doing wrong. That lightning frightened her, and she was letting that fear control her now. She had to get past that. She remembered how her hair stood on end when she was filled with static electricity. That was funny to see. Mehanna used that image to change the fire to strands of hair dancing around the ball. Then she widened them.
There in her hand was a perfectly round lightning ball.
“Blue, huh?”
“It’s the color I know.” She snuffed it out and made it reappear. “It’s not perfect, but it is better than what I was creating. Thank you.”
Her bright smile was all he needed.
“Should I change the fire to lightning?” He took his glove off. “Would that make my weapon look more like magic?”
“It might. It’s something we’ll have to talk to the others about.” She snuffed out her second ball as well. “Tosci knows this kind of stuff the best.”
“Do you trust her?”
“Shouldn’t I?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. She is related to Moorac. He’s still family to her, and that bothers me.”
“She does still love him. I can see that in her eyes. But I think she believes she’s lost him. Power does corrupt.”
“Okay. I get that, but what if she thinks she can save him?” He picked up the satchel that held their meal and led her back to the galley. “Or if he convinces her that he has changed only to get her to drop her guard?”
“There are a lot of ifs that we can’t predict.” She sat at the table while he brought out the food. “But I understand that I shouldn’t trust her completely.”
“Good. I hope she is trustworthy, but we need to be smart about how we handle this. If he can control minds, we have to prepare for the fact that he could turn us against each other.” He sat at the table next to her.
“I know.” She took the clay bowl he handed her. “Lawaya went out of her way to make sure we had everything we need.”
“I think she didn’t care for the rations I served us.”
“But she never had any. She was trapped in the mirror the whole time.”
“Yeah, but she saw them. I’m thinking she couldn’t get past the look of them. They don’t look very good, but they are nutritious and filling.”
“Maybe we should bring her a sample of your rations so she can see they’re not that bad.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
They arrived early the next dura, Grinnell carrying the satchel back. “I brought our morning meal.”
Lawaya’s face lost its smile. “I have prepared the morning meal.”
“And we thank you for that, but I would be remiss if I didn’t offer a sample of the foods stored on my ship. You never got a chance to taste it. We can save your meal for middura, right?”
“Of course,” she replied. But she didn’t look happy.
“I promise it tastes better than it looks. You didn’t get a chance to try it.”
“And she’s not sure she wants to,” laughed Mehanna.
“How about you, Tosci?” asked Grinnell. “Are you willing to try?”
“Someone else’s food? Yes. You never know what you’ll like unless you try it.”
“Good.” Grinnell laid the food out on the wooden table she had outside. “It’s designed to give us everything we need, and it doesn’t taste bad.”
“But you are used to the taste, right?” asked Lawaya as she eyed the food dubiously.
“I don’t find them too bad either,” chimed in Mehanna.
The four of them stood around the table and Grinnell watched as the two women took a bite.
“Okay, so it’s not that bad,” admitted Lawaya. “But do you think this is better than what I cooked for you nodura?”
“Of course not, but I wanted you to know that we’re not suffering through awful rations on the ship.”
“I knew that.”
“I’ve been working on a few things, too,” added Grinnell, changing the subject as he ate.
“Oh?” asked Lawaya
“I’m the only one who doesn’t have some sort of power so I’m making my own.”
“How?”
“I’m creating a glove that will give me powers like yours.”
“You’re going to use technology to have magic?” Tosci looked between him and Mehanna.
“Why not? Most people would come in with guns blazing, but you said he couldn’t detect the difference between technology and magic. If I give him something that looks like magic, he won’t know it’s technology.”
“What have you come up with?”
He looked at Mehanna. “I think she should show you what she worked on first.”
Mehanna stepped forward. “Grinnell helped me master the lightning ball.”
“Show me,” said Tosci.
She created a perfect lightning ball.
“Good. Can you make it move?”
Mehanna had it moving in a figure eight above their heads.
“And what do you have to show us?” asked Tosci, turning to Grinnell once she was happy with the control Mehanna had on the lightning.
Grinnell held his hands out, having one palm on top of the other. As he opened his hands, a small ball of fire danced in them. It grew as he opened his hands more. Even though he was using technology, he hoped it looked like magic.
Tosci came close to look at his hands. “How have you mastered this so quickly?” she asked.
“Mastered?” asked Mehanna. Then it dawned on her. “You knew.”
“How could I ignore the way you two act around each other? I just waited for you to tell me.”
“And I wanted to enjoy our bonding a little more before you could berate me for making such a decision.”
“I would never berate you.” Tosci gestured for Grinnell to create the fire again. “The decision to bond can’t be taken lightly, and you were doing it to protect Grinnell. You didn’t say you loved him, or you wanted to spend the rest of your life with him. I didn’t want you to make a rash decision.”
“I didn’t.” She walked to Grinnell’s side and took his hand. “We didn’t go into this for a temporary fix. I do love him, and he loves me. I do want to spend the rest of my life with him.”
“I hope you two are ready for the fight of your life.” Tosci looked from Mehanna to Grinnell.
“We are,” said Grinnell.
“Then I will train you best I can. You will need to learn how to borrow her power.”
“No need. I’ll use my technology to defeat him.”
“Don’t be arrogant. Moorac is intelligent and powerful. He will figure out you don’t have magic within you quickly.”
“Perhaps it would be wise to learn what she can teach you,” said Mehanna. “It wouldn’t hurt to have a backup plan.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist. “And what if you need that power?”
“She won’t,” replied Tosci. “We don’t run out of power. Our energy is infinite. The more we use, the more we create.”
“Is that why you’ve been pushing me?” asked Mehanna.
“Of course,” the older woman replied. “You haven’t used it in yepas. My brother knew what he was doing when he gave you amnesia and blocked your powers. He knew if you didn’t know how to use it or how to make it stronger, he would be able to defeat you easily.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“What would you have done if I did?”
“Practiced.”
“But would you have pushed yourself? You mastered the lightning in one dura. Why?”
“Because you said to?” She wasn’t sure what she was getting at.
Grinnell squeezed her waist. “I think Tosci is saying if you knew that your power could replenish itself, you wouldn’t have tried your best. You would have expected your power to do what it should. And you need to continue to push yourself.”
“As do you,” Mehanna said.
“Promise.” He looked at Tosci. “I’m ready to learn how to use her power.”
“I hope you have a strong learning ethic, because this won’t be easy for you. You’re not used to having the power. For us, it’s second nature, but not for you.”
“Believe me, I know.”
“Then let’s begin.”
Tosci pushed him. There were a few times when he wanted to snap at her, but he knew she was pushing him for a reason. Drawing Mehanna’s power to him was hard. In the beginning, he couldn’t figure out how to tap into it, but he kept trying. His head hurt and his nerves were fried, but he had been able to create a small spark.
“How do you do this?” he asked Mehanna as they headed back to the ship.
“It’s natural for us.” She took his hand. “It will become natural for you too.”
He rubbed his head with his free hand. “You sure? Right now, I’m thinking it will never happen.”
“Grinnell, you can do anything you put your mind to. You’ll get this.”
“When did you become such a supporter?”
“When we bonded. But I’ve always known this about you. You came to my home knowing what you wanted, and when you found a problem, you used it to your advantage.”
“I wasn’t that bad, was I?”
“I saw it as a good thing.” She hugged him. “You are tenacious, and that is what you need to master what you have to.”
“Are you going to make me work on this toduro?”
“Only if you want to.” She smiled up at him. “Is there something you’d like to do instead?”
“I have a few things I’d like to do, and you would be involved.” He picked her up in his arms. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“As long as you’re focusing on me, I don’t have a problem with it.”
“Good, because that’s what I’d like to do.” He carried her up the gangplank and didn’t put her down until they were inside the ship. “Are you hungry?”
“Only for you.”
“Oh, good answer.” He captured her lips with his as he backed her toward his chair, which he had converted into a bed for them. “I can’t seem to get enough of you.”
“What does that mean?” She stopped moving when her legs touched the frame of the chair. “I heard it in the stories, but never quite understood it.”
“It means that no matter how many times we make love, I still want you.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back down for another kiss. “Because I feel the same way.”
Grinnell lowered them to the soft mattress. “How did I get so lucky?”
“It wasn’t luck. It was destiny.”
He removed their clothes quickly. The desire to feel her body take him in was overwhelming. How fast could he arouse her? Grinnell pushed himself up and found Mehanna smiling up at him. “Everything okay?”
“Oh yes.” She wrapped her arms around him and flipped them over. “I know you want to make sure I’m ready. Believe me, I am.” Mehanna braced her hands on his chest as she eased herself down on his shaft.
Grinnell groaned as her heat surrounded him. That was what he wanted, too. He helped her set a pace that had them sucking in their breaths. They didn’t talk, but they didn’t have to. Each seemed to know what the other wanted. What felt good. They moved together, their pace picking up speed as they got closer to their releases.
Grinnell flipped them back over so he could take control. He drove into her, and she met him thrust for thrust. Quicker and quicker they moved, each reaching for that perfect moment of bliss.
“I…need…my stars…Grinnell…that…” A groan escaped her as her as her muscles clamped down on him.
Her body tightened around him, sealing him in an exquisite vise that sent him over the edge with her. The moment he could move again, he pressed kisses along her hairline. “That was wonderful.”
“I didn’t think it could get any better, but you just proved me wrong.” Mehanna brushed a few strands of hair out of his face. “You made me see fireworks.”
“Fireworks, huh?” He turned so he could take her into his arms. “I wish I could give you fireworks.”
She settled in his arms, resting her head on his chest.
“That’s a nice touch.” He pointed above them.
“What?” She looked where he was pointing. Above them, fireworks exploded. “Oh, my. Um, I didn’t do that.”
“You didn’t?” he brushed his fingers along her arm. “Then who did?”
“I think you did.”
“What?”
“You tapped into my power.”
“I don’t know how I did that. I was just thinking that I wish I could give you fireworks all the time.”
“Try something else.”
“Like what?” He pushed himself up on one elbow so he could look at her.
“I don’t know.”
“I don’t either.” He looked up at the fireworks. “I guess I should think about something else I could give you.”
She turned her head and looked at him. “When you need to use this ability, it won’t be to please me.”
“I always want to please you.” He brushed his fingers along her jaw. “I also want to protect you from Moorac. Something I’m not sure how to do.”
“I have faith in you, Grinnell. You have proven to be quite resourceful when you need to be.”
They walked back to Tosci’s house hand in hand the next dura. Grinnell hadn’t been able to recreate anything except for the fireworks. Hopefully, Tosci will be able to help him do it again.
The two ladies were busying themselves getting the morning meal ready for them.
“How did we alert you we were coming?” asked Grinnell.
“Oh, you didn’t. But you have arrived about the same time very dura. I watch the sun and I knew you would be arriving soon.” Tosci set a bowl of fruit on the table. “There is still a lot of training to do.”
“Grinnell manifested something last duro.”
“Way to ease into the conversation,” mumbled Grinnell.
She laughed as she tugged on his arm. “He’s not sure how he did it, and we were hoping you could help him do it again.”
“How did you do it the first time?” She gestured for everyone to take a seat at the table.
“Um, I wanted her to see fireworks.”
“Oh.” She was quiet for a secur. “I’m assuming you two were having sex?”
“It was more than that, but yes.” Grinnell accepted the bowl Lawaya handed him.
“Then it is your love for Mehanna that allows you to tap into her power.” She handed him the fruit bowl. “You need to think about your love for her, then think of something you want or need.”
“Like what?” He spooned some of the fruit onto his plate and then passed the bowl to Mehanna. “That was one of the problems I had. I did the first one accidentally. When I tried to do it on purpose, I couldn’t do it again.”
“How long did the fireworks last?”
“Um, about half an hora?” said Mehanna. “It was quite beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Grinnell popped a piece of fruit into his mouth. “I wish I could do that again for you.”
They ate for a few securs before Lawaya moved. She didn’t say anything, just pointed up. Fireworks were going off above their heads.
“You did it again,” said Mehanna as she wrapped a hand around his arm.
“How far away can that be seen?”
“Don’t worry,” Tosci held a piece of fruit. “I’ve kept it from being detected. But we’re pretty far out from any village. This is good progress. When you learn to tap into it all the time, my brother will think you have your own power.”
“I don’t feel right about this.” Grinnell looked at Mehanna. “I didn’t bond with you to use your powers, and I’ve created some weapons that I could pass as magic, rather than borrow from yours.”
“And you should use them. I believe if you do, my brother will dismiss you as a normal. Then when you do use magic, he will be caught off guard.”
Once Grinnell figured out how to tap into Mehanna’s power and control it, he spent horas learning to manipulate it. His head hurt and his body ached, but he made headway.
For the next few cycles, he and Mehanna worked hard at mastering anything Tosci gave them. She pushed them as hard as she could, making each task more elaborate than the one they had just learned.
“You two are a good pair,” said Lawaya as she laid out another wonderful meal. She had found a love for cooking while there. It was her contribution, and she clearly had fun doing it.
“Thanks.” Grinnell was the first to join her. “What delectable dish have you created this time?”
“A hearty stew that will put some meat on those bones of yours.”
“There is nothing wrong with the amount of meat on my bones.”
“You are thin, like a young pumat.”
“I don’t see that as an insult. A pumat is quite regal, with its large antlers and long legs.”
“That is, after it is full grown,” Lawaya teased. “The young one is not sure on its legs and has no antlers.”
Mehanna laughed as she joined them. “Grinnell can’t be a pumat. He is quite sure of himself.”
“Hey!” He wrapped his arms around her. “Are you teasing me too?”
“Maybe.” She wrapped her arms around him as well.
“Then what animal do you think I am?”
“Hm, that is a good question. I’m not sure. You are proud. Strong. Like a sorki. They fly high in the skies of a dozen planets. I saw them in the feeds. You are like them.”
“I hate to tell you this, but the reason sorkis are on so many planets is because they are pets.”
“Oh.” Mehanna smiled. “Then they obey their masters.”
He narrowed his eyes at her in mock anger. “What are you getting at?”
“Nothing.” She paused for a moment. “My pet.”
“Your pet?” A gleam entered his eyes just as he moved toward her. A squeal escaped her as she took off.
“You disagree?” she shouted behind her.
“Do you think you are my master?” he asked as he chased her.
“Do you think you’re mine?” she questioned back.
“I think we have an equal relationship,” he responded. “But if you wish for me to dominate you, I can.”
She stopped in front of a tree away from prying eyes. “And what if I want to dominate you?”
He stopped in front of her. “I don’t have a problem with that. As long as we’re both happy afterwards.”
“Are you happy, Grinnell?”
“With you?” He braced his hands against the tree on either side of her. “Yes. With us? More than I thought I would be.”
“And our bonding?”
“Never been happier.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss against her cheek. “You?”
“The same.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I wish we didn’t have to face Moorac. I’m excited to start our lives together now.”
“Me too.” He wrapped his arms around her and led her back to the clearing where the other two ladies were waiting. “But we have a lot more training to do.”
“And we do need to master that before we master each other, don’t we?” Mehanna teased.
“Exactly.”