PRISONER OF LOVE

and

VIOLET LOVE

by

Elizabeth Batten-Carew

© copyright March 2004 Elizabeth Batten-Carew

Cover art by Eliza Black, © copyright March 2004

New Concepts Publishing

5202 Humphreys Rd.

Lake Park, GA 31636

www.newconceptspublishing.com

PRISONER OF LOVE

One part of Elaine’s brain screamed at her to wake up — to escape the gripping nightmare that held her prisoner — while the other warned her to remain in the relative safety of her subconscious. But reality couldn’t be worse than this.

A vile, pungent odor settled around her, dragging her back to the waking world, gasping for breath. As her eyelids popped open, the tattered, fraying images of her dream parted to reveal black eyes glaring into her own. It felt as though someone had injected a stream of ice water through her spine as the dream melded into reality.

A collection of broken parts coalesced into a face. A misaligned nose, teeth crooked and yellow, pock-marked cheeks, and black, greasy hair. Harsh hands groped at her body. She felt his heavy, foul smelling body lower onto her own, suffocating her, crushing her. Panic stripped her of the calm that shock had wrapped around her these past few days.

"No!" she screamed.

Summoning a strength she’d believed long since drained, she jabbed at him with her palms, clawed at his face, corkscrewed beneath him. All to no avail. His strength dominated her own. He tore her sodden gown from neck to waist, his guttural laugh searing away her last fragment of courage. Whimpering protests tore from her throat. His eyes glazed over as he stared at her naked breasts. She cringed as he reached for one untouched peak. Suddenly, his hand, only a breath away from her vulnerable flesh, stopped. Growling in a language foreign to her, he pushed himself away.

Gasping in relief, she tugged at the tatters of her robe, covering herself. The dreadful beast exited the cell, the barred door clanging shut behind him. Keys jingled as he fiddled with the lock. He clomped away and she remembered the mark on her shoulder.

Of course. The first day here she'd been examined and marked as a virgin.

Still quivering in fear and revulsion, she heard another cell door open and a woman cry out. Elaine buried her head under the pillow to block out the shrieks.

* * * *

The next evening two guards dragged Elaine from her cell and herded her, along with a dozen other women, into the back of a decrepit old truck. Too many of them, crushed into too small a space, they all sat docile, carried away to an unknown fate. They left their fears unspoken, each woman sunk in her own private hell.

Perspiration streamed down Elaine’s face in the sweltering heat of the enclosed space and her gown, held together with a tie torn from the hem, stuck to her soaked body. Her gaze wandered over the trembling women. Is that what I look like? Dirty faced, dressed in threadbare rags, eyes empty of emotion or hope.

When the wagon finally stopped, the guards prodded them down a narrow back alley, toward a splintered wooden door. It creaked open and the prisoners straggled inside. A bulky woman with a scowling face ordered them to wash, then provided them each with a clean white robe. Elaine watched the grime and sweat rinse from her body and swirl down the drain on the concrete floor. If only she could wash her mind free of the soil of these past few days.

Even though Elaine had guessed what would happen next, she watched in horror as a gigantic man dressed in black urged them onto a stage. Hundreds of ogling males cheered. Drooling, the potential buyers watched as the guard dragged each woman in turn onto center stage to be stripped of her robe, then hung on a hook by the bindings at her wrists. Every one screamed and fought against the humiliating treatment.

Elaine’s stomach knotted and she gagged, knowing if she had eaten in the recent past she would have thrown up. Seeing how the barbarians enjoyed the writhing terror of the female flesh displayed before them, she resolved to get through this with some level of dignity. Being a victim didn’t mean having to act like a victim.

When her turn came she steeled herself against engulfing terror. Walking onto the stage with her head held high, her eyes focused beyond the crowd, she disassociated herself from her body. From the happenings on the stage. From herself. She didn't flinch when the hook pulled up and the ropes cut into her flesh.

Dimly aware of the auctioneer’s voice bellowing over the clamor, she felt like a detached observer, ignoring the riotous whooping as he pointed out the mark on her shoulder. Even in her hazy mental state, she sensed the excitement in the room soar as individuals shouted over the din, one after another, the volume increasing with each bid. Then one voice, loud and clear, dominated the others. Silence claimed the room and Elaine’s attention focused on a white robed man who stood among the throng, but somehow apart from it. The others gaped as he strode onto the stage.

She felt his strong hands grasp her waist and lift her from the hook. His ice blue eyes stared at her from a hard, angular face covered by whiskers. Was this her owner? Her naked body slid down the front of him, the feel of his course cotton robe rough against her skin, her gaze held captive by his own. Fear lanced through her as his huge hands slid around her frozen form, sending shivers radiating from every point of contact. Aware of every hard inch of him against her skin, from shoulder to ankle, she gasped, her lungs suddenly incapable of drawing enough air in one breath. His lips took hers in a hard, forceful kiss, the crowd roaring encouragement.

"Don't worry. You'll be okay," he whispered against her mouth in English. Her gaze darted to his, then flickered away. What did he mean? Would he help her? No, probably worthless words uttered to gain her trust. Hadn’t she learned by now that she could trust no one?

He flung a robe around her shoulders and, his arm around her, led her from the building. Outside a long white limousine gleamed in the brilliant moonlight. Placing one hand on the small of her back, he opened the door and eased her inside. The cool conditioned air made her tremble, even while she welcomed the relief from the stifling heat.

Elaine didn’t notice the house the car stopped at, nor anything about the inside as the man led her through the main entrance and up the spiral staircase. He pushed open a door and gestured for her to proceed him inside. Upon entering the chamber she froze, her gaze shooting to the bed then fastening on him and she backed away, her head swiveling back and forth in denial. He closed the door behind him then strode toward her and put his hands on her shoulders. She felt her heart pounding against her rib cage as though it were trying to escape.

"Elaine, I was sent here by your brother, Roger, to bring you home. Don't be frightened of me."

She searched his eyes. How did he know her name? And how did he know about her brother? Could he be telling the truth? A fragile hope flared within her.

"Roger sent you?"

"Yes. He’s frantic with worry."

She squinted at his face as she raked back some errant blond tendrils.

"But who...who are you?"

"I'm Jakura Agda. I was a friend of his in college."

He pulled off the howli and false whiskers that had covered most of his face. She gasped in recognition.

"Yes," she whispered. "Yes, I remember you."

Relief washed over her. She had never forgotten this man. They'd met a couple of times several years ago. He and Roger had attended the same university and Roger had brought him home to meet their family. When Elaine had met him, he had taken her hand and pressed it to his lips. She still remembered the feeling of heat that had spread throughout her body at his touch. He’d paid her attention, always interested in what she’d had to say. Not like Roger’s other friends who had treated her like a child. Jake had taken time to talk to her, had treated her as though she was special. She'd formed a king-sized crush on him with many romantic fantasies about herself and this devastatingly handsome man dancing through her dreams over the years.

Her body started to shake in reaction to all she'd been through and she clutched at him for support. Great sobs shook her slender frame. He pulled her into his arms and absorbed some of her pain, passing back strength and reassurance.

When her tension eased and she had control over her roiling emotions, he pressed her back, his hands on her shoulders.

"Elaine, listen to me. We can't leave here for a few days. It would be too suspicious, but while we are here you are still in danger. Everyone must believe that you are my slave. You do understand, don't you?"

Her gaze darted to his face but his eyes remained steadfast and she knew she could trust him.

"Yes, I...I think so."

"If the slavers find out we’re other than we appear, they wouldn’t let us leave here alive. We must keep up appearances in front of the servants. That means we'll have to share this bedroom."

"But—" An edge of panic had crept into her voice.

"I won't take advantage. You must believe that," he said softly.

She nodded, unable to draw her gaze away.

"Good. We'll be away from here in no time."

He untied her bound hands and put ointment on her raw, bleeding wrists, his touch gentle, his eyes compassionate. He then settled her in the bed and made a place for himself on the chaise lounge.

* * * *

In the darkness of her nightmare she clung to a rope, swinging naked over leering, laughing demons. Screaming and kicking, she tried to scrabble up the rope but couldn't. She felt herself slipping...slipping… Suddenly, she fell, and screamed....

"Elaine, wake up. It's only a nightmare."

Strong arms embraced her and she started to squirm, fighting against the grip. Her eyelids sprang open and a pair of dark eyes pierced her confusion. She cried out and immediately, the hold loosened and a gentle voice murmured soothing words.

Jake’s voice.

She stilled and her eyes focused on him. Jake, a man she’d secretly loved for years, had come for her. Had saved her.

She grasped onto him like a lifeline, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him to her in a grip of desperation. Her lips met his in a tumultuous frenzy. Her hands raced over his body, stroking, arousing. She wanted him. Desperately.

"Elaine...Elaine, no! Stop it." He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away from him, gently but firmly.

"No, no!" she whimpered. "Please. I need...I...."

"I know sweetheart, I know," he crooned, stroking her hair. "But not now, not like this."

"Why not?" All her frustration carried in that cry.

"You're too vulnerable. You want this for the wrong reasons."

Maybe the hurt and shame she felt showed in her eyes, because he went on to say, "Elaine, I want you just as much. Believe me." He pressed his body against her and she felt the truth of his words. "But not now."

He pulled her firmly against him, stilling her feverish movements, stroking her into calmness, into sleep.

* * * *

Elaine awoke slowly, aware of being wrapped in strong, warm arms and held against a broad, firm chest. The heartbeat close to her ear told her in a steady, reassuring beat that she was safe. A feeling to be savored. But why?

Suddenly the horror of the past few days came screaming back at her. Her breath caught and then accelerated, replaying those days, forcing her to think about what might have happened if... if....

Jake must have felt her anxiety because he crooned to her, all the while stroking her back.

"It's all right, Elaine. You're safe now. You're with me."

His calming words evoked other memories. Memories of her nightmare, and her response to the safety of his arms. Her skin flushed in shame and embarrassment. She rolled away from him, onto her side.

"What is it, Elaine?"

"Last night...I...." She shook her head, unable to continue, wondering what he must think of her.

He put his hand on her shoulder and pressed her flat onto the bed. His gaze captured hers.

"Elaine, listen to me. After what you’ve been through, it's only natural you would reach out to your protector. Don't be ashamed of that."

She averted her eyes but then brought them back, knowing she had to face him.

"How...how will Roger and I ever repay you? The amount you paid to...buy me...must have been astronomical. And you've put yourself in danger...."

"I did this out of friendship. I owe your brother much. He saved my life once and no amount of money can compensate for that."

"I see," she said slowly. "But I didn't save your life. And I owe you more than Roger ever could."

He smiled at her, his eyes glinting in mischief. "I see. What do you have in mind?" His finger stroked her cheek and intense desire burned through her.

"I...." She flushed, amazed at her own wanton thoughts.

She had been attracted to him ten years ago, when she had been a gangly kid. Now she was all grown up and the attraction had turned to full blown desire. She wanted him and she knew he felt the same way. Would it be so bad to give herself to this man? He had shown himself to be a man of great compassion and worthy of her trust. Why shouldn’t he win the prize she’d saved for so long…and would have lost if not for his intervention?

The glitter of amusement in his eyes ignited to full-fledged desire as he watched her. Her breath caught as his mouth approached hers in a slow descent. His lips, tender and persuasive, awakened deeply hidden needs. She responded with a wildness she’d never known before, arching to him, pressing her body to him in abandon.

She pulled at the buttons of her robe, pushing it off her shoulders, letting it billow to the floor beside the bed. She lay beside him naked and eager. His gaze ravaged her body until she felt warmth on every inch of her skin.

His robe followed hers to the floor and their bare skin met in a fireworks of passion. He moved slowly, touching her, igniting her, then turning up the flame so she burned brightly. Soon she begged him to take her further, to make her a woman, and he entered her, bursting open the gates of innocence and replacing them with the pleasure of fulfillment.

They rode together across the rainbow of passion, pulsing higher and higher until they reached the ultimate heights together, then, crying out in unison, they slid down the other side to glowing clouds of slumberous contentment.

She laid in his arms and sighed. "I didn't know it could be like that."

He pulled her closer and stoked her hair. "Little witch. You're pure magic."

He rolled her on her back and kissed her gently...and then with more passion...and soon she felt a throbbing between her legs.

Wide-eyed, she asked, "Again?"

"If you're willing," he murmured, nuzzling her neck.

She smiled impishly and feigned indifference. "Well, if you think you've got the strength."

He growled and showed her how strong his desire was.

* * * *

The next few days they ignored the savage world around them and wrapped themselves in each other. She found herself fully immersed in this man. As she came to know him, the crush she'd had on him grew into love, the desire into an emotional and physical need. She wanted this to last forever but tomorrow they would leave here. What would happen after that?

The next day they left Aberdan. Elaine was surprised to find that Jake's home was a palace and that he was the sheikh of his own small kingdom. She was more than a little daunted. Royalty. Could there be anything between them beyond this brief affair? Or must he marry someone of royal blood? Or of his own culture and religion?

Jake insisted she stay and rest for a while before going home. She agreed, savoring the time they had together, wanting to put off their parting as long as possible. She knew she loved him but she didn't know how he felt about her.

Days turned into weeks and he'd made no mention of making their situation more permanent. That seemed answer enough. Her vacation would be over at the end of the week and she had to get on with her life so she decided to broach the subject with him after dinner. She hoped that making him realize their sojourn must come to an end would force him to tell her how he felt.

"Jake, I think it's time I returned home. Roger is anxious to see me and I have to go back to work next Monday." She watched his dark gaze fix on her, apprehension stiffening her muscles.

His hand crept over hers. "No, Elaine. Stay here with me."

She waited, her heart thumping louder with each passing second — but he said no more. Her heart constricted as she realized he wasn’t going to tell her what she needed to hear. He was asking her to stay but with no word of commitment.

"I can't, Jake."

"Why not?" His eyes, like black smoldering coals, burned into her.

"I...I have responsibilities...people who depend on me."

The features of his face tightened. Silence stretched between them, chilling in its intensity. She really had believed the thought of losing her would prompt him to proclaim his love, but now that slender hope slipped away. He couldn’t love her. If he did, he’d say something.

Unless marriage between them was impossible.

She felt tears well up inside her, but she refused to shed them. Either way, he didn’t deserve guilt. She gazed at his features, so strong, yet carved so deeply by emotion. If only she could tell what he really felt.

The realization that she would never know cut deeply. Drawing in a deep breath, she tried to convince herself she would find a way to go on with her life. Somehow.

She entwined her fingers in his and spoke gently. "Jake, I really do have to go."

"No!" He jerked to his feet and glared at her. His wine goblet tumbled over, the dark liquid soiling the white tablecloth with a growing, crimson stain.

"What?" His explosive outburst shocked her. Her eyes sought his but they would not be captured.

"I said no. You will stay here."

She watched him pace in long, angry strides. "Jake, you can’t seriously expect me to—."

He stopped and turned toward her, hands on hips, his fierce expression stopping her mid-sentence. A breeze from the window caught his voluminous robe and sent it billowing out around him. "I've never been more serious."

She stood up and stepped toward him. "I’m sorry, Jake, but I’m leaving tomorrow."

He grabbed her arm in a painful grip. "You won’t leave until I allow it."

Her eyes widened and she tried to pull away but he held fast.

"But...but you can't just keep me here against my will."

"I can and I will. I am the law here. If I say you stay, you stay."

Her chest tightened and her breath caught deep inside. "You mean I'm...I'm your prisoner?"

He released her arm. "If that's how you think of it, so be it."

"No, Jake. Don't do this. It won't be the same between us...it can't be."

He turned away from her and stalked out of the room without another word.

* * * *

A guard took her to her suite. He tugged the phone from the wall then locked the door after he left. She waited anxiously for Jake to come to his senses and release her, or at least to come and talk to her. But he didn’t show up that night, or the next.

What was Jake’s purpose in keeping her here? Was she to be his...concubine? An old-fashioned word for an old-fashioned position. Staying here meant courting insanity. Clearly, he wasn’t ready to face her yet, but she couldn’t just wait for him to come to her, to force her to give what she had so willingly given until now. She knew she had no choice but to escape.

Summoning her courage, she came up with a plan. The first step would be to get out of the palace, but she would need money to buy her freedom after that. She pilfered pieces of gold cutlery from the trays over several meals, praying they would not be missed. She observed the guards outside her balcony, keeping track of their routine.

On the next moonless night, she tucked her treasures into the deep pockets of a black robe she’d shrugged on and waited for the guard to stop for his inevitable cigarette and chat with the guard on the other side of the fence. She gathered her courage and dropped the rope she’d fashioned from bedclothes over the balcony on the side farthest from the guards, then shimmied down to the ground. She slunk along the edges of the palace wall, keeping to the shadows, heading for the stone fence. Grabbing at any handhold she could find she climbed the fence, scraping arms and legs as she slipped over the top. Dropping the last couple of feet to the ground, she quickly scanned the area, assessing her situation. Her heart leaped in fear as she saw two huge four-legged shapes bound at her, teeth bared, making vicious growling sounds. Fear tearing at her insides, she backed against the stone wall. As she slide to the ground, she threw her arms in front of her for protection from their teeth.

* * * *

Rage consumed Jake. Elaine had tried to escape! How could she do such a thing? He stormed into his sitting room where she sat on a stiff-backed chair, waiting for him. He dismissed the guards with a curt nod.

He glared at her. "How dare you try to escape?"

She glared back in defiance. "What choice did you give me?"

His hands clenched at his sides. "How can you deny what we have together?" Anguish scraped the words from him.

"'We' have nothing. There is no 'we'. Not any more," she flung back at him.

Pain sliced through him at her words. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"How can you say that? Of course there's a 'we'!" He scooped her up and carried her the few steps into his bedroom, then dropped her onto the bed. "I'll show you there's a 'we'."

She tried to scurry away but he grabbed her by the hips, then covered her with his own body, determined to convince her of how right they were for each other. As soon as he felt her soft curves beneath him, desire thrust through him like a sword.

His mouth descended on hers, demanded her response, forced her to succumb to his will, his body pressed the full length of her. His lips moved on, scorching her cheeks, her throat, her neck, her shoulders. She wanted him, too, he could tell. She quivered in his arms, her breathing coming in short puffs, her nipples rising, trying to push through the light cloth of her robe.

"Please, don't."

The note of desperation in her small voice cut through his haze of passion. He pulled back and saw her eyes glazed with unshed tears. She looked vulnerable and frightened. Of him. His heart clenched at the realization.

"Why?" he asked, a little too harshly.

"Don't take away what we've had. I...I loved you."

Shock vaulted through him as he realized she had just said the words he’d longed to hear from her, but with no joy in her face. Only fear and pain. Tears rolled down her cheeks, streaking her soft, white skin.

He released her and backed away, stumbling a little, stopping only when his back pressed against the wall. There he stood, watching her.

She was so beautiful, and he wanted her so badly. Right from the first, he had intended to keep her here until he could prove his love, hoping she would learn to return his feelings, but when she’d announced her intention to leave he’d gone crazy. He’d kept her here against her will and now she was actually afraid of him! He’d been a fool.

She sat up and returned his stare, her hand pressed to her chest trying to recover her breath. Tears spilled from her eyes and she averted her face, as though looking at him had become painful. He wanted to reach out to her, to pull her into his arms and comfort her, but he knew she wouldn't allow that.

It was agony watching her.

"Don't you know how much I love you?" he asked, shaking his head.

She glanced at him, then quickly turned away again, but during that instant he’d seen her eyes widen. Yes, she found his words hard to accept. Grief washed over him like a cold, gray wind. She would never accept his love now, never willingly be with him, not after his incredible blundering.

She peered at him from under her lashes and, after more pounding heartbeats than he could count, she slowly got up and took a tentative step towards him. As she got close, she raised her right hand, her long, slender fingers curled slightly.

Would she strike him?

If that’s what she had to do, he would not deny her, but instead of swinging her hand back to hit him, she rested her fingers on his cheek, and stroked it. The delicate touch, full of tenderness, sent his stomach tumbling in somersaults. He couldn’t move, held by a force older than time itself. She raised her left hand to his other cheek and brought her lips to his, straining to reach. Her kiss was gentle, stirring, as delicate as she was. He held himself still, suppressing his desire to crush her to him, to pull off her robe and bury his face in her supple curves. It took more strength than he thought he possessed, but he didn't want to frighten her again. Now or ever.

She pulled back to look into his eyes. His heart stopped beating under her appraising look. She was deciding whether to believe him or not. His whole future hung on this decision. He opened his soul to her.

Reaching down to the tie at her waist, she pulled open the knot, then parted the robe and slipped it off her shoulders. It floated to the ground, forming a satin ring on the floor. She stood before him naked and glowing. Bringing her lips to his, this time she parted them, caressing his lips with her tongue, inviting him to share that special intimacy with her. Her hands clung to his neck, pulling him down to her.

He slipped his arms around her and gently caressed her back. Her nipples, fully erect, pressed into his chest through the fabric of his shirt. He longed to touch them with his hands, to give her exquisite pleasure by kneading them with his fingers, by teasing them with his tongue…but he held back.

"Do you really love me?" she asked.

"Yes," he breathed.

"I love you, too. Make love to me."

He thought he might die of joy as he took her in his arms and held her close, like a fragile gift he couldn't quite believe was his. But a spike of reality pierced the clouds of hope swirling around him.

She didn’t want to stay here. And he couldn’t abandon his people. A sick feeling gnawed at him as he realized it was even possible she’d made her declaration of love only to convince him to free her.

"I won't force you to stay, Elaine. I’ll take you home as soon as you like."

She smiled. "Tomorrow will be soon enough."

So she would give him one more day. His joy at her offer was overshadowed by the knowledge that the memory of this night must last him a lifetime.

"We can stay there for a week or two and see Roger," she went on, "and then, if you want, I could come back and stay here for a while. I’ll work something out with my job...a leave of absence maybe." She watched his expression. "You do want me to come back, don't you?"

He blinked at her as her sentences fizzed through his brain, then erupted into his consciousness as understandable words. "Want you...? Of course I want you to come back. I want you to stay with me forever. I want you to marry me and bear my children and love me always...."

"Marry you?" Her brow crinkled in confusion. "But I thought...I'm not royalty, I'm not of your culture...."

Suddenly, a deeper understanding burst through him. He crushed her to him. "Were you worried about that, Elaine?" No wonder she’d held back. "I choose whom I marry and none of those things are important. I want you to marry me. I want you by my side."

A smile spread across her face, dousing him in golden sunshine.

"Oh, Jake. I want that, too," she whispered. "I want to stay with you forever."

"Forever," he agreed and took her lips in a burst of passion, bringing to life the dreams of love and happiness that only she could fulfill.

THE END

VIOLET LOVE

Her eyes fluttered open as I kissed her lips.

"What are you doing?" Silana asked, putting a steady but firm pressure on my chest.

"Do you have to ask?"

Her large luminous eyes looked into mine. "I don't understand. Why do you think I would want this?"

I stroked her cheek. "After last night I thought...."

"You thought wrong! Look...I saved your life but don't make more of it than it is. What I did was as much for my own survival as it was for yours." She looked at me intently. "I do have a choice here, don't I?"

"Of course you have a choice." I sat up on the cold ground beside her wondering how she could ask such a question. Surely by now she knew me better than that.

"I am your prisoner." She pushed herself out of the sleeping bag and moved over to the fire. "Nothing will change that. You must take me to prison and I must try to escape."

I was taking her to the nearest base where she would be imprisoned and sent to the world of Berlo for trial and I would acquire another ship and go on to my next assignment.

We were on a wretched planet called Signel V. There were several Terran bases on this desolate world with little in between. The planet was mostly tundra. There were some natural animal life, small plants, and a minimal amount of available water. It wasn't much, but it was in a strategic location, relatively near the main wormhole used to travel to the front lines, yet inconspicuous enough to be hidden from the Magentans. Or so we had thought!

It was vastly different from Tenett III, my home, which was a small farming planet too far from any civilized world, as far as I was concerned. I left to find adventure. When the war started with the Magentans about four Earth years ago, I became a soldier. My specialty was tracking down terrorists and saboteurs.

Silana was a Magentan. Her race had originated on a small planet circling a star a few hundred light years from Earth. They had spread out from their home planet, colonizing worlds as they went. Their planet was called Magenta by humans because of the color of its sentient inhabitants. Their purple blood gave their skin a reddish-purple hue, though it varied in intensity and depth among individuals

Silana was also a saboteur and she was their best. Single-handedly she had taken out two of our bases on this planet alone, before I had caught up with her. My mission was to stop her. I had followed her movements for the past two and a half years, learning her technique and analyzing the almost random choice of her targets. The language of mathematics is universal, however, and I finally unraveled the pattern of her selections. My patience had paid off when I had caught up with her here. In the ensuing battle, both our air ships were destroyed, forcing us to travel by foot.

I knew she wouldn't kill me. She needed me too much. In this vast desert, you could get lost and wander aimlessly, with no hope of finding one of the few islands of civilization on the planet. I had a direction finder implanted behind one ear, which would always tune in to the nearest base. It would only work if I was alive and, regardless, it would not work with her physiology.

Killing must be easy for Silana, I thought. I had killed no one during this war...yet. It would have been easier to kill her than to travel with her across this world, but I couldn't bring myself to do that, to kill for convenience.

At first I had hated her, but as we traversed the barren landscape and got to know each other, my feelings had changed. I learned that she was a person with hopes and fears just like anyone else and that the only differences between us were superficial: the purple hue of her skin, the gleaming indigo of her hair, the large violet eyes. We had no choice but to work together to survive against the elements, then yesterday she had saved my life.

While checking an outcropping of rocks for water, I had turned to see Silana with a miniature laser weapon trained on me. Anger had flashed through what I thought were the last few moments of my life as she pulled the firing device. Pain had ripped through my upper arm and only then was I aware of the dark and devious creature that had been stalking me. Its vicious teeth had tasted my flesh before her shot could stop it. In that act, she had revealed the weapon she had kept concealed from me, a weapon she could have used to escape once we reached civilization. Afterwards, Silana nursed my wound with tenderness and compassion. There was love in her touch...and need...or had I only imagined that?

I had been drawn to her for some time, almost as if her mind were calling out to me. The intensity of it was like a living thing, pulling me to her. After her rejection this morning, however, I decided to keep my distance.

I was in that state between waking and sleeping where dreams came and went. It was impossible to know where one started and another ended. Something cool and soft moved against my chest and I draped by arms around it, dozing again. Some time later I felt softness moving against me, snuggling and stroking. I felt urges rising up and slowly became aware of a warm body enfolded in my arms.

Her skin was deliciously smooth, like satin sheets, her hair was like silk on my neck and face. I ran my fingers through her hair and felt it slip between my fingers. The scent of exotic herbs and wildflowers aroused my nose and the feel of luscious curves aroused my body. Is this a dream, I wondered?

She raised her face to look at me and I searched the depth of her twilight eyes. In the blue light of the moons, she looked unearthly, her eyes luminescent. Her starlight beauty took my breath away. I remembered a snippet of a very old poem, 'she walks in beauty, like the night' -- how apt -- but she was the night, or rather the twilight time between day and night where dreams are made.

Her lips came to mine, sweetly sharing their warmth. I kissed her gently, tenderly, enjoying the feel of her. She caressed my body with hers as she flowed against me, her skin almost liquid.

She set the pace, arousing me with her hands, her mouth, her body; a delicate flower needing attention, wanting love. I gave her both. We joined in love and passion, taking each other to a special place of hope and dreams, and afterwards we lay together, my maleness still buried in her feminine warmth. Purple velvet.

I awoke the next morning happier than I'd been in eons, but then I noticed something was wrong. Her warm body was not beside me. Had it been only a dream? I sat up and looked around for her. She was sitting by the fire facing the sunrise. I went over and sat down beside her. The sky was painted with the crystal colors of joy and memories.

I couldn't bring myself to disturb the serene silence so I just stroked her silken hair. She dropped her face and closed her eyes, then got up and busied herself at the packs, pulling out food supplies. I followed her then took her in my arms and kissed her. She surrendered, responded, then suddenly turned away.

"What's wrong?" I whispered to the back of her neck. She twisted her head around and glared at me.

"How could I have done it? How could I have fallen in love with you? We are enemies!"

I caressed her shoulders. "Out here we are just two people."

She swung around to face me. "And what happens when we get back to your base? You will turn me in to be sent to prison, or worse. You will still do that, won't you?"

It was my turn to pull away. Sitting down by the fire, I draped my arms over my knees and stared at the faraway mountains. Their jagged peaks tore at the tortured sky. So recently it had seemed to shine in joy, but now bled, red and purple intermixed.

I didn't want to answer her. I picked up a small stone and tossed it away, then another, then another.

"Yes, I will turn you in. I am a soldier and I must do my duty." Would she understand? Could she? "Out here we may be just two individuals, but back in civilization, it is between our two people."

She stared at me, knowing this would be my answer, then turned her back to prepare our meal.

But the days passed and I became surer of my feelings for her. Finally, I tried to talk to her about it, telling her I had fallen in love with her.

"No." She shook her head sadly. "They are not your feelings." She squirmed out of my arms and pushed me away. "We've been so close, for so long...my feelings are superimposed on you. I project them. I have no control over it."

"That means you love me then?"

"Yes." She looked into my eyes with a longing I could almost feel. "You have such strength of will, yet you are so sensitive. You are so warm and caring – I can't help but love you – but you don't love me." Her eyes were glistening. "You must believe that." She was very convincing but I still had my doubts. "Anyway, we are enemies. We kill each other."

"I haven't killed anyone," I said, then saw the tortured look on her face.

"But I have!" She dropped her head, putting her hands to her face.

I put my hand on her shoulder. "You were trying to protect your people."

She looked up at me. "Is that enough to justify what I've done? I'm not sure any more."

Suddenly I was possessed by her emotions. I felt the red blood of her victims sweep through her soul, eroding the edges, consuming it – soon she would be an empty shell of pain. The sensation was staggering.

She looked at me intently, clutching at my arms. "I can't change the past but I promise you, I will never kill again."

I knew she was telling the truth. She would die before breaking that promise.

"Silana, we'll find somewhere to start a life together, just the two of us."

She laughed, a bitter sound. "There is no place. Don't be a fool."

"I love you. We'll find somewhere."

"I told you, you do not love me!" She was angry now, her eyes flashing blue fire. Then she looked at me and they softened. "I'm sorry. I know you think your love is real, but I can't take advantage of that." She walked away from me and settled down to go to sleep.

By the time we reached base Epsilon II, I had made my decision.

"Silana," I said as I put my hands on her shoulders, "I can't turn you in. You must go."

She looked at me uncertainly. "You can't do this. You must do your duty."

"No, I am more than a soldier. I am a man, with feelings beyond the war."

"After I'm gone and your feelings become your own again, you will hate yourself for what you've done."

"Not as much as I'll hate myself when I find I really do love you. Anyway," I justified, "I know you will no longer kill my people."

She nodded in understanding, then kissed me. "Thank you. I will never forget you." From a pocket in her coverall she pulled out a small amulet and pressed it into my hand. "Please, carry this with you and think of me sometimes."

Tears glistened at the corners of her eyes and she quickly turned away. Pulling up the hood of her coat and wrapping a scarf around her face so she wouldn't be so conspicuous, she walked into the flow of people and quickly disappeared.

The next two days blurred by. During my debriefing, I lied, an act previously foreign to me, telling my superiors that Silana had escaped, using the weapon she had concealed. It was the way things probably would have gone if...well, better not to think about that.

Once the interminable questioning was finally complete, I checked into a hotel, dropped off my gear, and went out looking for a drink, wondering where Silana was, if she'd found a way off the planet, if she was all right. Those thoughts were still echoing through my mind when I heard a commotion and looked around to see the sight that would be forever imprinted on my mind.

Silana and a station guard held weapons on each other, each poised and ready to fire. I knew she would not break her promise to me; even in self-defense she would not kill. She let go of her blaster. It fell and clattered on the floor.

He might have been startled or maybe he wanted to be the one to kill the infamous Silana, but as I screamed out, the stream of energy leapt from his weapon, taking her from me with a finality that was shattering.

Horror overtook me. I loved her, God help me, I still did. Maybe I shouldn't have let her go. At least now she'd still be alive. The world careened around me in a steadily spinning carousel of confusion. I stumbled back to my hotel room, feeling ill. I pushed open the door and made my way to the bathroom to retch.

I should have convinced her to come away with me. There must have been a way; I just didn't try hard enough! Minutes or hours passed, I don't know how many, as I relived the painful scene over and over again. Sitting there with the toilet on one side and the shower on the other I looked up and realized I was hallucinating, seeing what I wanted to see more than anything in the universe.

"Silana. Oh, God, Silana, you're dead!"

"No, I'm not." She came forward and took my hand, pulling me up to my feet. "I told you I could project my feelings. I've learned how to control it...and use it. What you saw was a kind of mass hypnosis. Everyone there saw me die. They believe it. Your superiors will believe it." She stroked my cheek and held my eyes with hers. "That means you and I are free to be together."

Shaking my head I looked down at her, still in shock, still not believing. "But...but I thought you said we couldn't...we...."

"We'd have been fugitives, always on the run. I couldn't put you in that kind of danger, especially when I knew you didn't really love me."

"What changed your mind?"

"The amulet I gave you allowed me to read your feelings. I was wrong. You do love me."

She pressed her lips to mine in a sweet joining of two people. "Come with me. Let's leave the war to those who hate. It's no place for us."

THE END

Elizabeth loves to hear from readers, so feel free to email her at ElizabethBatten-Carew@sympatico.ca. Please check out her website by accessing her author’s page from the New Concepts Publishing website at http://www3.sympatico.ca/markb-c.

Here is an unedited excerpt from Elizabeth’s next release, VIRTUAL LOVE, a futuristic novella which is part of CAPTURED: a Romance Anthology coming in APRIL 2004 from NCP.
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A muscular arm clamped around Captain Jerette’s waist from behind, knocking the wind from her lungs as she collided with a hard male chest. A wicked laugh sounded behind her, barely discernible over the roar of the storm. Rain and wind clouded her vision. She struggled to keep her feet beneath her on the slippery deck as her captor dragged her away from her post. Where was her crew? Had they abandoned ship? The pirate vessel had caught them off guard in this hellish storm and the blast from their cannon had ripped a huge hole in the hull of "Fearless Virginia".

"Get your hands off me, you villainous devil," she screamed.

"Not this time, my pretty," a deep voice rumbled in her ear. "You, Captain Jerette, terror of the high seas, have inflicted too much damage on my people. You’ve escaped too many times. I believe it is high time you pay your debt."

"And who are you to extract this debt?"

"I am Phantom. King of the Pirates."

She gasped. Captain Jerette knew all about the pirate king. He had gathered together a motley collection of buccaneer ships and forged them into a formidable fighting force. She had vowed to free the ocean from his tyrannical rule.

"You call me terror when it is you people fear."

He spun her around and pressed her against the mast. Long tendrils of hair had escaped the ribbon binding it and whipped wildly across her eyes. But she took no notice. Not with those pair of cutting blue eyes staring into her own.

"And what about you, Captain?" He leaned toward her, his words more chilling than the icy rain assaulting her. "Are you afraid?"

She felt her pulse quicken, knowing the danger he represented. "Never."

A lazy smile spread across his face at her resolute stand.

"We’ll see."

She stood defiant in the face of his amusement. A shudder beneath their feet, and a great wooden groan, made it clear that the "Fearless Virginia" would not be afloat much longer. How had things gotten so out of control?

Before she knew it, he had thrown her over his shoulder. She struggled, pummeling his back with her fists and kicking in a desperate attempt to escape. Her howls of rage merged with the wail of the wind and the rumbling thunder. She grabbed onto the railing as he attempted to carry her across to his own ship. He easily tugged her free. A strange fear surged through her, as though the danger he represented was far worse than it appeared. He pulled her below deck and pushed her into a cabin. The door slammed behind him and he locked it. Laughing, he pulled off his hat and shook his head, sending droplets of water flying through the air. She stood firm in the centre of the room, eyes narrowed, watching him.

"You’ve destroyed my ship. That should be enough revenge for you," she spat. "It’s a captain’s duty to go down with her vessel. At least that you should respect."

He stepped forward, his heels stomping on the wooden floor. He reached out a finger and stroked it down her cheek with an insolent grin. She refused to flinch and stared boldly back at him.

"No, I wouldn’t waste such beauty on shark food." His gaze traveled leisurely down her body and up again. An unwanted awareness shot through her. "There are too many interesting… duties I can think of for you."

Her control momentarily shattered. "I am a captain in the Queen’s fleet. An officer."

His amusement increased. "That should make it all the more interesting."

With a suddenness that caught her off guard, he shoved her onto the bunk and ripped open her shirt. The storm had soaked her to the skin and the thin cotton chemise she wore underneath clung to her shamelessly. The cold made her nipples erect and horror spiked through her to see that the garment offered no protection from his eyes. In fact, the way his gaze seared her, she felt she’d be better off without it.

As though reading her thoughts, he knelt down beside the bunk, brought his huge hands to her shoulders and tore the limp fabric from her. Conscious that her breasts, glistening wet, heaved up and down with her labored breath, she tried to cross her arms to cover herself. Too fast for her, he grabbed her wrists and pinned them over her head with one strong hand. He used his free hand to push the wet, clinging hair from her face with a tenderness she had not expected. Then he trailed his fingers down her neck and across her quivering chest. As he cupped her breast, her skin molded to his palm and the warmth gave her exquisite pleasure. The nipple thrust into his hand. Then his lips warmed her other nipple and she gasped.

This is not how it’s supposed to go, her thoughts screamed. I’m supposed to be in control. To her utter shame, a tear of frustration escaped her eye. He lifted his head and focused on that tear, then lowered his lips to kiss it away.

"Don’t be afraid, sweet Jerette. Let yourself lose control."

His double edged meaning cut through the gauzy pleasure that held her hostage to his touch. She would stop this right now.

His eyes narrowed as though he knew her thoughts. "No, Jerette. Don’t–"

Her voice cut across his as she cried out.

"End session!"

The scene around her dissolved and she lay gasping for breath in her game lounger, arms wrapped around herself. The dark-eyed pirate had also disappeared but she could remember the look of frustration on his face when he faded away. Slowly, she focused on the familiar walls surrounding her. Her leisure room was small but that didn’t matter, since the time she spent here was typically in a virtual reality simulation where she was totally unaware of physical surroundings. Like the one she’d just fled.