Andrew rinsed off two days worth of dust and ash in the waterfall’s black water. Warm and clean, the viscosity varied from that of the water found on Earth. He discovered a new wonder with each passing day on Cinder. Lucas, an Icarus born on Earth, knew as little about the foreign world as he did.
A single thought of the man summoned him forth under the spray. He wrapped pale arms around the tanned blue-eyed Progeny from behind and rested his chin on his shoulder. The whirlwind of bad news before the mission to Cinder slowed down the development of their relationship. Two days on this rock surrounded by its errant star with none of it spent in post-coital bliss. With the strenuous nature of the mission at hand, another opportunity like this might not come along for some time.
“I’ll exchange something for your thoughts but not a penny. No pants. No pockets. No pennies. Can you think of a better substitute?” The cadence of Lucas’ smooth voice so close to his ear and the rumble of his chest against Andrew’s back, challenged his reason.
How safe was this location for this level of distraction? How long would they take and how much time would that give Celindria for her nefarious activities? They came here to spy on her and the ring of intergalactic offenses Tumu and The Brethren suspected she officiated.
The entire mess started with Xelan asking Andrew to look into the deaths of the First Wave Progeny. So many were presumed dead without much evidence to substantiate it. After Korac and Nox weaponized a limited form of Seamswalking at J.A. Fair, the Prince of Cinder wanted concrete proof as to the location of T.A.O.’s body. At the time he assigned the mission to Andrew, he fully believed Celindria died in some cataclysm on a planet called Thailea.
The rest of the Shadow went off to Enki for their nacre, and Andrew stayed behind to sleuth with Lucas. Tameka and Sagan’s encounter with Celindria proved at least one supposedly dead Progeny yet lived. All of Andrew’s leads, and the intelligence Lucas provided, brought him to Celindria. To Cinder.
To this campsite where he spent every waking hour distracted by the gorgeous golden-eyed Icarus currently knocking on his backside. Fuck it. He turned to catch Lucas’ gaze. “I’ll take you.”
A glimmer shone in the other man’s eyes. He pressed warm lips to Andrew’s shoulder and along tanned skin until he reached the bend in his neck. He swept aside the shoulder-length brown hair and flicked his tongue over his carotid, stimulating the nerves.
Only a second ago, he felt stifled by insurmountable tasks on his mission, now
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Andrew shivered and closed his eyes. He—they—needed this distraction. Too much sorrow. Too much at stake. Well, not right now.
He reached behind to tease Lucas. He found him more than prepared for this moment. Their desire delayed for too long. The waterfall washed over them both as a pale hand turned the Progeny back to face him. The Icarus panted in time to Andrew’s ministrations. Avarice from his ownership of Lucas’ pleasure, and lust evident in the increasing slickness in his palm. How many more sins would they knock out, today?
Their lips found each other parted and waiting, warm and yielding. Lucas gripped Andrew’s hip and dug in. He held on as if his life depended on it as the warm hand which gripped him tightened. He broke away from the kiss and grazed fangs over a throbbing vessel on Andrew’s neck. He groaned for the temptations assailing him.
“Lucas.”
He faced Andrew with Atramentous eyes: solid gold and his pupil narrowed to a teal stripe. The spicy aroma of ginger filled his nose. It was his favorite scent. He released Lucas, brought his hand to his mouth, and drew his tongue across his palm, slowly. Icarean eyes rolled back.
Without any further delay, Andrew took him in as promised. The unusual water assisted them. Every zealous advance, every slow withdraw, lessened the pain the past few weeks induced. He knew the same was true for Lucas as they kissed with tears in his exotic eyes. They sought asylum in each other’s arms.
Several hours later, they washed each other properly, exchanging light pecks and kisses. Andrew’s mood brightened, significantly. Finally, he got to know what it was like. He watched as Lucas dressed, committing the view to memory.
Caught in the act, the Icarus let out a soft laugh as he climbed into loose pants. “You’re such an adamant admirer.” He perched on a rock and used it as leverage to pull on hiking boots. “But I think it’s time we got back on mission.” As Andrew joined him, Lucas went on, “I’d give anything for some silk right now.”
The Progeny threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh. “You are such a diva.”
“No.” Lucas held up a finger in defense. “No, I’m not.” He stood and wrapped some soot-colored fabric around him as a shirt. “I’m a stranger in a strange land, and these clothes leave a lot to be desired. I am accustomed to a certain lifestyle.” He peered around the valley and at the star-scorched sky. “This certainly is not it.”
“How are we supposed to work with the Tritans when we know what they did to Cinder?”
The Icarus’ sandy-blond hair reached his neck these days, prompting him to tie it back from his face. “We don’t worry about that right now. We focus on our full agendas one mission at a time.”
They returned to the campsite and gazed over Celindria’s “continent,” as Tameka described it. Sagan’s convenient means of travel brought them here, and if they gathered enough intelligence, they would return the same way in three more days. That was incentive enough for both of them to gather the necessary dirt on the suspicious activities of the First Progeny.
Her people lived in an old cave system that resembled an ant hill. Celindria entered and exited through the same tunnel closest to the entrance of the village. That much they knew from Tameka, but no woman fitting her description surfaced from the conglomerate—dark skin, black braids, blue eyes. Until now.
“She’s on the move.”
Andrew vowed, “One way or another, we’ll solve this. For Xelan.”
“For Xelan.”