The Fall by Christie Meierz Read Free Book Online Page A

his own language.
    The rest of what the two men said dissolved into a babble of syllables. She recognized a word now and then, until the Paranian word for beloved came out of the Paran’s mouth and Meilyn went still.
    So, he hadn’t heard the news of their planned bonding. She pasted another bland smile on her face. Oddly enough, the annoyance cleared from Meilyn’s presence, leaving him tinged with a sort of resigned acceptance. After a further short exchange, Meilyn bowed to the Paran. Then he bent another slight bow toward Laura, turned, and left without another word. The Paran’s eyebrows lifted, but he said nothing until after the healer disappeared into the hall.
    The Paran leaned forward, eyes glinting. “My apothecary informs me you desire an heir of me.”
    She giggled. Like a girl. Laura, you silly goose, grow up. She bit her lip, but she couldn’t get control of her grin.
    “Shall I show you how this is done?”
    “It’s not… you know. What we usually…?”
    “I have work to finish before I may retire for the evening. If you care to wait in my quarters, I will join you there later.”
    She nodded, toying with the remnants of her meal as the Paran rose and left. Thoughts of Meilyn’s change of heart wiped away her grin. Shaking her head, she grabbed another roll. Being an empath involved more than just empathic awareness. It had a whole etiquette of its own. She hoped she could get the hang of that.
    She’d never been all that good at etiquette.

Chapter Five
    “Ye gods,” Laura whispered to the ceiling of the Paran’s sleeping room.
    She’d fallen asleep on a divan in the sitting room of his quarters, waiting for him. When she woke, the moon shone in her eyes and the Paran crouched beside her in its clear light, his gentle fingers stroking away the hair that had fallen across her face as she slept. Her half-awake murmur of appreciation brought a press of warm lips against hers, and then—
    Being young again improved with age.
    “It’s a wonder you Tolari do anything else.” She tossed off the blanket.
    The Paran, who lay half-asleep beside her, woke enough to chuckle.
    “How will it be different after we’re bonded?” she asked, groping about in the darkness for her robe. When she found it, she fumbled through the pockets until she located a coldpack.
    He remained silent for moment, then said, “I do not know.”
    “Well—” She cleared her throat. “No, I suppose you couldn’t.”
    “I know only what I have read, my love.”
    “Hm.” She draped the coldpack across her forehead and closed her eyes. His warm, golden glow shone in her senses. “So what have you read?”
    He rolled onto his side. “No one seems able to put it into words, but all who have written on the topic maintain it is transcendent. The descriptions leave me wanting to experience it for myself.”
    “Then how can you be two hundred sixty-four standard years old and never found anyone before now?”
    “You are the first woman I have ever truly desired.”
    “That can’t be true! You’ve… you know. Fathered heirs.”
    “On occasion.”
    “Then you had to find a few women attractive, at least.”
    He snorted.
    “Didn’t you?”
    “There was no need.”
    Her eyes flew open. “Huh?” She rolled onto her side toward him. The coldpack dropped onto the mat between them.
    “Lights, low,” he said. A torch on the wall behind them flickered to dim life. “When I must couple with a woman I do not know, to give her an heir, I use this.” He reached under the mat’s top edge and pulled out a small, transparent vial containing what looked like a dried leaf.
    “What is it?”
    “ Samoteka leaf,” he said. “Its oil has an effect you call, I think, aphrodisiac.”
    “Truly? It’s an aphrodisiac? A real one?”
    “Of course. Would you like to try it?”
    Her heart thumped. “How does it… um… work?”
    He opened the vial. A dark, musky scent wafted from it. He tipped the leaf out of the tube and