Taboo (3 page)

“I have been blessed a second day.”

Ariana grinned. “I was only repaying my debt from last night.”

“Ah.” He chuckled. “Then we shall find ourselves in such debt every night.”

Her stomach clenched.
Every night
. Andreus still spoke as if she could stay with him. But how could she? He was a Marimar, a culture long since separated from her own. Too many years, centuries even, had passed since these two peoples had arrived on this planet together.

This moment she shared with Andreus was only that. A moment. She may not return to Hanken’s arms, but she would return.

Ariana moved off of him and changed the subject. “How is your injury?”

Andreus grinned. “After what just happened? I still can’t feel anything beneath my knees.”

“Good. Shall we have some breakfast?”

Without waiting for a reply, she retrieved the basket from yesterday and pulled out the fruit, nuts and berries. Back at the Dwelling, they often had eggs on the morning, but she was not in the mood to hunt for them now.

Andreus sat up and wiped his stomach off with a leaf he tore from the structure. “I want to rinse off in the water first. Care to join me?”

Her gut swirled into a knot. Though the gentle lapping of the waves on the shore appeared benign, she couldn’t shake the fear of the dangers lurking below. True, her fears may have derived from outlandish stories told to her as a child, but still she could not step where she could not see. Many more predators skulked in the shadows of the deep than in the open air or tree branches.

Swallowing, she shook her head.

Andreus shrugged, found his staff, then pulled himself to stand.

She ducked into the woods to relieve herself, then rinsed her hands in a bucket of fresh water he’d collected last night.

Ariana nibbled on berries as she watched him make his way across the glittering sand and walk straight into the water. No hesitation, no testing of the temperature.

Those strong legs moved forward into the waves until the wide expanse of his back disappeared. Only his head remained above water. The sun glistened off the surface, brightening his handsome face as he turned to face her.

He was breathtaking. Brilliant.

Her heart ached, lip trembled. When she was gone from here, she would feel the loss of him. But she knew—and certainly he must also—that there was no future for them.

Andreus moved along the shoreline until he reached an outcropping of rocks. He ducked below the surface.

Ariana held her breath, waiting for him to re-emerge. It must have been minutes before he came back up, a triumphant grin on his face. He waved his hand, showing her something she could not make out.

He hobbled out of the water and found his staff, but his limp was worse. As he approached, she noticed swelling on his injured ankle and a dark color developing below the skin.

“Is the pain worse?” she asked as he ducked inside the hut.

“Nah.” But the wince in his face as he lowered himself to the ground told the real story. He held out his hand. “I have more food for breakfast.”

Ariana wrinkled her nose at the slimy-looking creatures sliding in and out of the seashells.

He rekindled the fire then set about scraping the poor animals out of their homes and into a bowl made of wood.

She popped another berry in her mouth. “So how did you hurt yourself, anyway?”

Andreus stilled. His tanned shoulders tensed. Then he resumed cooking. “I am not quite sure you’re prepared to hear the answer.”

What could be so horrible? Had he killed a man? Unease slithered up her spine. Suddenly, she realized he was truly a stranger. A Marimar. She knew very little about them, except what she’d been taught in school. And she’d been taught to stay away.

Ariana recoiled, moving away from him. She reached for her wings, prepared to take flight in case he became violent.

He stopped frying the animal meat and turned to her. Sea green eyes changed from relaxed to alarm. “What is it?”

She should go. By the stars, she should have never stayed.

“Don’t leave. I’ll tell you what happened if it will allay your anxiety.” He rose again to his feet. “But you’ll have to follow me.”

Ariana hesitated, but then she saw the pain written in the tenseness of that strong jaw. Even if he were dangerous, he could do little harm to her in his present condition. She stood and followed him out onto the sand, keeping her wings securely on her back.

They crossed the beach to a small path leading into the thick forest. Andreus leaned on his staff, his limp more pronounced.

The muscles in his back rippled with each step. Thoughts of tasting his skin tumbled through her mind, pooling heat between her legs. Yes, he was dangerous to her, but perhaps not in the way she imagined.

The dense trees opened up to a clearing up ahead. The sound of rushing water filled her ears, until it was nearly a roar. And there it was. A sun-drenched lagoon with water cascading down several layers of rocks. Unlike the ocean, this water was crystal blue. In fact, as she edged closer, Ariana realized she could see all the way to the bottom, where brightly colored fish darted between rocks and plants.

She turned to look at Andreus, whose easy grin had returned, although his eyes remained guarded. “You injured yourself swimming here?”

“No.” His sigh was laced with sadness. She did not understand it in such a beautiful place. Although she still feared being in the water, even she appreciated the unique spirit of this hidden lagoon.

Ariana pushed aside flowering bushes and lowered herself to a large boulder. “Then tell me.”

Andreus hobbled to the line of trees and pushed aside a mass of undergrowth. Muscles straining, he pulled on something until he shouted a groan and let go. “You’ll have to come here. I cannot move it while injured.”

Her heart beating like the quickened flutter of wings, she slipped off the boulder and joined him in the shade. He moved aside more leaves and branches and stood back.

Ariana stared, her blood chilling. Lungs tightened in a frightening grip. It would have been better had he killed a man.

“This is why I did not want to tell you.” His voice was quiet, but not ashamed. “My foot twisted in the mud as I tried to move it.”

“You-you have broken our laws.”

“I know.” Then he slammed his fist on the wood. “But they are
your
laws.”

Ariana bit her trembling lip. She should not have stopped to help him, she should have never spent the night. “The laws clearly state you may not cut down trees for any purpose other than shelter or fire.”

Andreus carefully climbed inside the wooden vessel. “It is a boat, Ariana. It can provide shelter, if needed.”

She shook her head. “It is forbidden.”

His eyes darkened with fury. “Do you know why it is forbidden? Because they are afraid we will try to leave. They don’t want us to go across the ocean. Even after all these years. Tell me why.”

Her stomach clenched, tears blurred her vision. She could not tell him why. But he was right. They did not want anyone to cross the ocean. On the other side was the landing pad with the space ship that had brought their ancestors here.

She crossed her arms and turned away. And it was her people, the astro-archeologists, who caused the disaster. The space shuttle was destroyed, un-repairable. For centuries, following generations were trapped in an ancient dwelling—just to hide their shameful secret.

Oh hell, he was losing her. Just as he predicted, she was cut of the same conservative cloth as the rest of her people.

Although the feuding that erupted a century ago over finding a way off the planet had disappeared, the painful fall-out remained. Even without communication to Aerotaun, all children grew to learn the rules. And the most important one was not destroying the trees for any purpose other than shelter, food or fire. No one had dared to cross that edict.

Ariana could not question the restrictions or push for a new future. She, like the rest of her culture and many of his, had accepted this place as their permanent home.

He did not. Andreus promised he would take his brother across the ocean. And he would.

Without another word, he climbed out of the boat. Pain shot up his leg as his foot touched the ground. A low ache throbbed in his skull, deep in his joints.

Ariana still did not look at him as he passed by her. He could smell her, sweet like the nectar fruit. Only a short time ago, her mouth had swallowed him whole. His cock twitched at the memory. She brought him higher than any treetop. He felt weightless in her embrace.

Now she would leave him.

“Come have a drink.” He knelt before the lagoon and scooped up the clear water.

Wordlessly, she joined him. Her wings fluttered in the gentle breeze as she knelt. Her reflection shimmered on the water’s surface. Beauty did not begin to describe her. Large, bright eyes, straight nose and pretty, upturned lips. A curtain of silvery hair swept down from her shoulder.

She was an angel, a butterfly. And soon she would take flight.

Andreus reached out for her hand. She stared down at him, then bit her lip.

“I-I should go.”

“You don’t have to.”

Ariana swallowed more water then rose to her feet. Her long legs gleamed with the sun’s kiss. “This…you and I…” She turned away. “Can I get anything for you before I go?”

Her tenderness, her faith, her trust.

Andreus splashed his warming face, but the fire on his cheeks did not dim. He found the walking staff and pushed himself to stand, but could not put any weight on his injured leg. “I cannot force you to stay, nor can I lie and say that I do not care if you go.”

He hobbled to the path, but did not hear her follow. “You know where I am, should you decide to return.”

“You look as if you’ve fallen ill.”

The concern in her voice lifted his heart. She did care for him, but something prevented her from staying. Was it her lover or the restrictive teachings of her people? Either way, he did not want her here, no matter how much she tempted him, unless she truly wanted to stay.

Andreus wiped the sweat collecting on his brow. “I will be fine.”

“Do you have enough food?”

He turned back to level her with a stare. But despite the aching in his limbs, he wanted nothing more than to crush her against him. She’d stirred his blood like no one before. But he’d not abandon his dream to leave this place. Not even for her.

“Go, Ariana.”

She blinked then set her chin. Without a sound, she lifted into the air, her wings taking her high up over the trees. Then she was out of his sight for good. But not out of his heart.

Chapter Four

Ariana stopped for something to eat, then flew nearly ten miles before she realized she’d been a fool.

Still flying near to the coastline, she came to rest on a large branch jutting over the beach. Black birds squawked at her arrival and scattered into the air.

Typically she experienced peace, unwavering tranquility, at the long silent flight. But now she felt only emptiness.

She’d left Andreus all alone. And he was growing more ill.

Even without brothers or sisters, Ariana saw many others grow sick with fever. Glassy eyes, flushed face, sweating brow.

What kind of person was she to leave him in that condition?

By the stars, he unsettled her.

Every part of who she was. Her body had ignited in passion at his touch. Her mouth hungered to taste him. And now he made her question the very culture she was born into.

Who were her ancestors? What had they done to leave five hundred people stranded on an alien planet?

The Marimar did not know who caused the space ship’s destruction. Lies and half-truths concealed the true story of The Landing.

And yet Ariana never once contemplated leaving. Accepting her lot in life, her future as a wife and mother, she went willingly in Hanken’s arms. Now the thought of him left her unsatisfied.

But what of the rest? Was it possible for her to return to the top floors of the Dwelling to live the rest of her life as was expected of her?

Rolling, gray clouds crested over the horizon. If she were to get back to Andreus before the storm, she must leave immediately.

She did not make it in time. The rain drenched her skin, the winds blew her off course, but she landed at his beach before darkness fell.

Ariana found him in the hut, lying on the leaf pallet, his injured leg resting on a large overturned bowl. His ankle had swollen past the size of a sweet nectar fruit, his face shined with sweat.

Her stomach clenched, throat tightened. He was more ill than she assumed.

She knelt by his head and wiped the dampness from his brow. Rain blew in, threatening to extinguish the fire. She looked around for a blanket, but found none.

“Andreus?”

He turned his face toward her, his eyes slowly opening. “My angel has returned…”

She swallowed relieved tears. “You have a fever. I need to get you medicine.”

His lips curled as his hand found hers. “I prayed you’d come back to me.”

“I shouldn’t have left you.” Not when he was so sick. Her fear had superseded her compassion. “I’ll return shortly with something to revive you.”

Andreus squeezed her hand. “The seaweed is thick, grows near the rocks.”

Seaweed? She wasn’t going in the ocean. A concoction of berries and tree sap would lower his temperature.

“The-the leaves are long, you can wrap it around my ankle.” He winced, ground his teeth.

“But—”

“There are small pods on it, crush and mix those in fresh water for a drink.”

Ariana glanced out the waves, crashing on the shore. The storm whipped the gray, foaming water. Terror seized her heart. She couldn’t go in there.

No, there wasn’t a need. The trees would provide for her.

She brushed a kiss on his cheek, her lips burning from the heat on his skin. “I’ll return soon.”

Ariana brushed the wet hair from her face and stepped out into the cold rain. The trees she needed were close by. She’d be back with the ingredients and he would be well again.