Mahar Kesh. This majestic temple stood in the middle of the ocean on a converted square island, surrounded by breakwaters with a pathway to the harbour between them. In fact - the upper part of the temple was both a port and a spaceport, and in the centre of the island rose a majestic malachite spire. And right above that spire, literally just a few metres away, hovered To Yor.
The main part of the temple was essentially underwater. What kind of trials this place goes through during storms - I tried not to think, but apparently, somehow got used to it.
Since the locals were warned about our arrival, we were met by one of the temple masters. A Zabrak wearing a monk's cassock and with a kind welcoming smile.
«Welcome to Mahar Kesh, travellers. I am Master Sharif and I am to take charge of your group," the master said enthusiastically.
When we bowed back and introduced ourselves, he looked at Hadiya, who was not about to leave.
«'And you, young lady...
«I'm with them. Just for company. Or can't we? - she arrogantly raised an eyebrow.
«No, not at all. Of course you can stay, you're always welcome, as long as they come in one piece," Sharif chuckled good-naturedly. Hmm... Interesting humour in medics. - Follow me, please. I'll show you the guest rooms.
After picking up our things, we followed the master. As we walked to the lift, Sharif began to talk about the temple, its history and what they do here. Contrary to my expectations, they did not only train with the Force, but also quite ordinary medicine, which had nothing to do with the Force.
He told us about the rich history, about the methods of possession, asked us what exactly we were interested in and if there were those among us who were interested in medicine. Ramira, who had been silent, at first hesitantly and quietly said "I", and after only five minutes, she was already chatting with the master in her voice on the topics they understood.
«... but master, the flow of Force cannot be directed through the points "Ta" and "Gu", they will be torn!
«You are mistaken, young talent. There are no points in the body that can't receive the flow of healing energy, you just need to know how. In particular, the point "Ta" will easily respond, if you first put it in resonance with "Ti", "Tu" and "Te". Energy will be distributed evenly and as a consequence - it will prevent overload.
«And if--
«Listen, do you understand anything? - Zeng asked me as we walked down the corridor. I just turned my head and looked at the Zabrak. - Neither did I.
«Grui-ir-aur-r-r.
Unlike the temples before, the rooms in Mahar Kesh were smaller and kind of cramped, with all the furniture standing almost flush against each other. To my subjective eye, it was about nine to ten metres square. The toilets were separate, albeit in private cubicles, but in a specific area on the floor, as well as the showers, so that right in the corridor you could easily see a padawan walking with a towel on his shoulder and soap in his hand.
But there was a swimming pool. A large underground pool, designed for a hundred muzzies at a time. Nowhere had I seen such luxury as a whole pool before. There were also baths, but they were already used for medicinal purposes. Oils, special water with additives, that sort of thing.
«I didn't think there was a sanatorium on Tython," Hadiya commented.
«Do you have one? - I turned to the twi'lek in surprise.
«We don't. There's one on Kalimar. I went there once when I was very young.
«I see.
Except the "sanitarium" was only on the ground floors. When we got lower down, we saw the actual hospital. Sharif showed us, through a special window, the operating theatre, the sections for the sick, the rooms saturated with the Force for the really bad cases. There was a lot of stuff here.
And if you went down even further, there was a floor dedicated to study. Conference rooms, classrooms, a library, a second canteen. The first one is in the "sanatorium", here is the second one for lunches and snacks during studies. By the way, only now I noticed that in the kitchen there are quite ordinary xenos working, deprived of the Force. I'd never noticed that before.
But that wasn't the limit. There was another floor, the top floor. It could be called the production hall. Tools, consumables and dressings, medicines were manufactured there, and the finished kits were completed there as well. And also there was an industrial warehouse, where everything was stored.
«So, our excursion has come to an end. Did I interest you? - Sharif asked, folding his hands in a businesslike manner.
«Yes!" shouted Rami.
«In what way, lady?
«All of it! May I?
«Um...
«Shade," Wes tugged at me.
«М?
«That's the same way you pestered the teachers at Qigong Kesh," she nodded at Ramira's puppy dog eyes.
«No, I wasn't making eyes at them.
«But I wanted it all, at once, and more.
«Mm-hmm.
«Really? - Hadiya gave me a new look.
«You have no idea," Vessira grinned. - But how much trouble he's had with it, I can't count. Not a single technique in his hands does not work properly, everything has to be redone. He was particularly disliked for that.
«Hmm.
Remembering the past, I sigh sadly. That's just the way it is. Turning round, I look at the flaming Ramira, whom Sharif is trying with all his might to cool down and convey the simple truth that everything and at once will not work out at all, even with all the desire, zeal and talent.
«Look, Hadiya. Okay, we're on a pilgrimage, but what are you really doing here?
«Tell me about it, while I was in Akar Kesh I gutted the armourers there and learnt something new. Same here, pharmaceuticals are very lucrative, but I have no experience. By the way," she perked up and snapped her fingers. - Mr Sharif.
«Yes, yes? - The master turned round.
«Do you have a restricted facility, or can you move freely?
«What do you need it for? - The zabrak squinted suspiciously.
«I want to look at your equipment and preparations, and at the same time to talk about possible cooperation. You see, I represent an organisation that could serve as an intermediary, and ideally take on some of the responsibilities for your support.
«Really? - The Zabrak raised his eyebrows in surprise. By the way, just now I noticed how small his horns are.
«Yes.
«In that case, I'll introduce you to the man in charge of your supply, and he'll answer all your questions.
«Thank you.
«Ramira, stop it, control yourself," Zeng said.
«This is so interesting!
«Zeng, get over it, we knew we were taking her to Eldorado, - I hum.
«Where? - the twins turned round, and the others were interested.
«The Golden City. A fictional place cited as having the most valuable treasures.
«Ah-ah-ah.
«And you travellers, is there anything of interest to you? - Sharif addressed us.
«Yes, my brother and I are interested in first aid," Feng nodded. - And second aid, too, because it won't always be possible to get to the ship with a medical centre.
«We'll show you," Sharif nodded seriously.
«Aur-rg gri-e er-r-ae.
«We'll show you, too.
«I'm with them," Ves nodded at the twins.
«I'm in too,' I folded my arms across my chest, 'but there's something else.
«Huh?
«I've heard that Mahar Kesh has techniques that can put an object into stasis. And variations of it, where you can survive on radioactive land.
«Why would you do that?! - Sharif rounded his eyes. - This is already an advanced course, one of the higher techniques of the Force.
«I don't want to die if I suddenly find myself in space without a spacesuit. My mother is a hunter, and I'm going to follow in her footsteps.
«I understand," Sharif nodded gravely, returning his good smile. - But you realise it takes years to learn, don't you?
«I do. But since we are formally on a journey, I would like to ask you to show me the technique itself, how it is achieved, and then learn it on your own, and come back here with certain results. Because I won't be able to repeat it thoroughly anyway, and I'll have to adapt it to myself anyway. That's my speciality.
«That's commendable. But that's not what I meant," the master shook his head. - I wanted to say that it's not a problem to show the technique, even now. The problem is that you won't be able to learn it without prior training.
«I know. But my request includes it. The whole package, from start to finish.
«In that case, either you should stay here, or I could provide the holocron.
«While I'm here, I'll study at once, and then, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to take the holocron with me.
«Of course.
That was the deal. Hadiya went to make new connections, Ramira went to the library, and it was time for us to learn how to patch ourselves up. Master Sharif was surprised when he found out how I got such a beautiful tattoo on my arm, but he kept silent. But where he couldn't keep quiet was when he learnt how often we were injured and how Ramira treated us.
It would seem that how could a kind, sociable xenos, a master of his trade, who is always on a positive wavelength, be made to swear? Just show a big joint. A very big one. And right now, it had to do with Ramira.
In fact, our medic, every time, chiselled at once with heavy artillery, that's why we were so quickly on our feet, but what none of us knew was about the side effects. Turns out, the strain could have been bad for her. That's why she was the first to shut down when we were walking through the Wandering Lights trail. She needs rest and rest to clean herself up, not to chase the Force away for us fools, so that we don't die. And as it turned out, this process is not the most pleasant. After all, when healing with the Force, you kind of connect your aura with the aura of the patient, and you hear the echoes of their pain.
After that, I was ashamed to look into Rami's eyes, but the twins mentally added wings and a halo to her, taking the image of an angel from my stories. And she never once said anything like that, that shy little dandelion. I remember her clenching her teeth, biting her lip, with sweat on her forehead, putting us on our feet, but it turned out she was just enduring a series of not the most pleasant sensations. And that lightning bolt...
Yeah, even Irbis couldn't put me down like that, and he tried. And who would have thought that our weakest member of the squad would bite his teeth and pull the strain for the whole squad? Everybody's been through it. Everybody's had it. And it's all coming down on her alone. It's just--
My hands were clenching into fists all by themselves. I'd always supported Rami, helped her to believe in herself, but even I couldn't understand her, see what she was about. An invisible shroud of shame and guilt hung over our small group, and it was clear to all of us that we couldn't leave it like that.
On this basis, we all quietly and peacefully agreed to make a holiday for our dandelion. Hadiya wanted to participate, just for the company, but something happened to her, so the twi'lek locked herself in her ship.
A plan was made immediately. Catch Rami in the library and drag her to point X on any pretext. The twins grabbed some goodies from the kitchen, Gris rearranged the room to fit everyone in, and Wes and I arranged a necklace for Rami. The two of us went round the women's part of the temple and exchanged the jewellery with a surcharge. Many people just order what they need and wait for the next delivery.
The jewellery itself looked like two white pendley wings with a blue faceted stone inlaid between them. Naturally, Rami was unaware of all these preparations, so when Zeng elbowed her in tow to Gris's room, and when the door opened, the girl was a little shocked. And she wasn't going to come round, even when they put her on the bed and put a piece of cake in her hands. Alas, the boys found no cakes, but the pie will do too.
Our dandelion only thawed when she saw the present. And then she demanded an explanation, because we had very guilty looks on our faces. So we did, to which she called us all idiots, then thanked us, then called us fools who were always meddling, and then hugged each of us, and kissed one of us in a burst of emotion.
«Rami, we apologised before, and we apologise now," Zeng began. - We've already misjudged you twice. You are the strongest member of our small squad, and if I dare to offend you, just slap me in the horns, okay? As a preventative measure.
«Hee hee. I'll try. But I can't promise.
«You're too kind, Rami," I shook my head. - You're not a zabrak.
«Who is?
«An angel. Just an angel," I add after a pause. - With horns.
«Er-r-ra arg rue.
«Yes, yes, I agree," Feng nodded. - We're really lucky to have you.
«Are you going to embarrass me like this?! - Ramira puffed up.
«Yes," a snide chuckle went round the room in various manners and voices, and Gris rumbled obscenely as he hugged the zabrachka.
That's how, on a quiet beautiful evening we expressed our gratitude to one overly shy and reserved girl. And only at night, when it was already time to go to bed, we started to go to our rooms. Gris was taking his furniture from the corridor back to his room, Feng was returning his bed to his room, Zeng was seeing Rami off, and I was staying with Wes. Wes. You have to pay attention to your own girlfriend once in a while, right? Especially when you're constantly being seduced by someone else.
What I didn't expect was what I'd see in the morning. Turns out Hadiya waited for me in my room and I never showed up. I should learn to close the door behind me by now. Even if it is not customary to steal in temples, and even the natives of Chikagu do not think about it, not those conditions, but to avoid surprises, it is better to close it.
But back to Hadiya. Since I didn't show up, the logical question is, "where were you last night?" Well... Since I've never lied to Hadiya, and in principle I'm not very good with lies, it's better to understate than to lie. So I had to tell a sunburned girl the truth.
«Well, you know we made Ramira a holiday...
«All night? - she raised an eyebrow. The boys were working their jaws hard at that moment, pretending they weren't here. But why do I get the feeling that the three of them are watching us like a TV programme? Bastards.
«No, Hadiya, come on. When it got too late, we went to our rooms. And since Wes lives next door to Gris, I thought my room was too far away.
«Is that normal? - Sharif asked quietly, also eating breakfast with us. The sight of an angry Hadiya poking at me with sharp irons was driving the Zabrak out of his mind.
«Don't mind him, it's just mating games," Feng shrugged. Then he realised what he'd said and vanished. Interesting technique, I'll have to ask him where he learnt it, I hadn't noticed it before.
«Hmm. Hadiya, what else can I do with my girlfriend in her room?- R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r.
«You don't growl, you're more determined, more insistent," Wes intervened as if nothing had happened, attracting attention.
«Huh?" Hadiya raised her eyebrows.
«I'll tell you a secret, this guy won't make a move, believe me, I know. I took it into my own hands the first time and went straight to the bed. Otherwise, he doesn't understand.
«Eek.
«...
«Ooh, Gris.
«...
Hadiya instantly cooled down and looked at me with a different look. It's not a good look, but it's familiar. The same way she looks at her prey when she knows how to act.
«Weight.
«М?
«Why?
«I'm sick of watching you and her struggle. By the way, Hadiya.
«?
«You may be a talented schemer, politician, fighter, but you're not fit for ordinary life. For as long as you've been with us, you've always been silent, your questions always to the point, just like your answers. You talk like you're giving orders, or like you're negotiating. You can't even keep a conversation going... Well, just for fun, at least. But when it comes to work, you come out all the way. Seriously, is Chicago so bad that you can't even talk to anyone?
«Shade's the only person I've ever talked to about nothing. Just heart-to-heart," the Twil'lek admitted, taking a seat next to me. - It's hard for me to confide in someone, even if you're Shade's friends. It's not because you're bad, it's just that I'm already paranoid.
«It's okay. There's no other way with your life," Zeng encouraged Hadiya, and I put my arm around her.
«It's okay. Just try to relax.
«I am relaxing. As long as you're around, no one can touch me. It's the only way I can really forget myself.
«Okay, let's not talk about that. Not here, I'll put an end to the argument. - Master, what's the plan for the day?
«Ramira continues to study techniques in the library, I gave her the plan, - Dandelion nodded in agreement, - With you we will continue to study your organisms and methods of influence on them by means without influence of the Force. And you...
«I have a meeting with the Master of the Temple today, - Hadiya took the floor.
«You're not wasting any time," I hummed.
«I never waste anything, Shade.
«Heh.
«You don't believe me? - I've got a knife pointed at me.
«Faith won't hide the truth!
«Shade.
«Heh heh heh heh heh....
So, bantering and making plans, we parted ways. Me and the boys were learning to help, Ramira was hustling somewhere separate from us, occasionally taking private lessons from the masters, Hadiya was putting the bridges to the temple into perspective.
Time imperceptibly ran forward again, but stopped when my "wants" were added to the main programme. Sharif immediately gave me a holocron, on which there were simply indecent amounts of information regarding my request. Only the list of introductory topics stretched on several sheets, and each topic had its own content, and only then came the material.
«My mother Darkness and my father Light...
«I warned you. There's a lot of material.
«Master Sharif... There is a lot of material, a lot of material, and a lot of material," I squinted at the teacher.
«Well... I didn't pay attention when it's interesting.
«Do you know it? - Having turned the upper corner, I close the holocron in the form of a pyramid and squint at the teacher.
«Relatively. I can get into a hibernation trance, but I fall out pretty quickly. To maintain it, you have to be in balance at all times, it has to flow naturally, but when I personally fall into it, one side suppresses the other and I fall out. That's about right.
«Oh! Does that mean that with good self-control it will be easier to master?
«Exactly. After all, inner self-control is the basis for some techniques, such as: tutaminis, hibernation trance, Force amplification, doppelganger, and a number of others.
«Even ta-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ack.
That's interesting. So it turns out that I just went to a more advanced form of self-control and through that I began to comprehend the Force? As in, through myself? Why am I learning about this in a temple of healing and not meditation?!
«Yes. There are a number of preparatory exercises practised both here and in Akar Kesh.
«I hadn't noticed," I mumble, thinking back to Akar Kesh itself. - But it's good that self-control plays like that. My problem, oddly enough, is the opposite, to unbalance myself.
«That's the first time I've heard of something like that," Sharif shook his head.
«As it is. That's how unique I am," I spread my hands.
«And modest," Wes said with a fist pump.
«And modest," I nodded.
From now on, the usual training was supplemented with exercises in the Force on body strengthening techniques. Hibernation trance is a kind of one of the tops of such manipulations, when you can strengthen your body with the Force to such an extent that you can stop the processes without harming your body for an indefinite period of time. As it turns out, the better your balance is, the more reliable the trance will be. Taking into account that I was doing well in this respect, the first stages of immersion and strengthening were very easy, especially since I already knew some of them from my mother, and some of them I had learnt in Qigong Kesh.
Eh... And why are there so few hours in a day? Should I try to clone myself... Oh, right, we don't have such technology. We'll get it later. That's a shame. Now I have to sit alone in my room in the evenings in a meditation pose and learn the Force by means of point amplification of the body. It's not for the faint-hearted, I feel like I'm picking through a bag of grits with tweezers, brrrrr.
It's like that every day. I even started to see my own only at joint classes, or if we catch each other at meals. It's not uncommon for someone to be so busy that they don't even show up at the cafeteria.
«Knock, knock, knock!
Shit, who else is there? Wait... Hadiya?
«Come in, little one," I shouted without opening my eyes.
«You're the little one," she mumbled, pushing her way into the room.
«All right, big one," I opened my eyes, looking up at her.
With a turn of her gaze, as if to say 'oh everything', she walked forward and sat down on the bed.
«Is something wrong?
«Yeah. I was wondering, when are you going to tell yours that you want to go to the ruins?
«What makes you think I want to? - I got up and kicked the pillow under the bed. But Hadiya didn't even have to answer, just look at the look on her face. - Okay, you're right, I do. But I'm still just thinking about it. I don't want to drag the guys along with me. Okay, we go to temples together, but we have to. And there is purely my initiative, so to speak, personal fancies. I don't want them to get hurt because of my stupidity.
«So you're thinking of going alone?
«Of course not! - I put the chair down, sit down and put my feet up on the bed. - I'm not that crazy and I'm sensible about my chances. It takes a group. A trained, well-coordinated group.
«Which we have.
«Us? - I raise an eyebrow.
«I'll go with you. I'll just replenish my ammunition, call a special unit, and then I'll go. And don't you try to contradict me," I said, a sharp point in front of my eyes. - And if you try, I'll just take more men and arrive there in advance to clean up the ruins, regardless of any secrecy.
«Heh. Calm down, Hadi. Maybe something will happen in time to make me give up on this.
«I don't think so," I shrug. - What's the next temple?
«The next stop is the Temple of Science, Enil Kesh. I need to consult with someone about my own ideas. Hadi, by the way.
- М?
«I'd like to ask you a favour.
«You?!
«Yes, imagine that.
«Well, well, well," she jokingly tipped her ear.
«Don't be silly, I'm serious. I'm a bit strapped for cash, but me and my mates could really use some good armour. Closed armour, with filters in the face mask, in case of smoke or gas. Vul Tepe can make it, they have advanced equipment, but...
«We need materials," Hadiya nodded. - Shade, why are you asking for some bullshit? It'll happen. I'm ordering ships, what do I need a couple of kilos of iron for armour? - I raised an eyebrow," Okay, not iron, but still. It's a drop in the ocean.
«Thank you.
«You're welcome.
«By the way, how's it going in there?
«Well, how... Technically I've stayed on Chikaga, I've just gone underground temporarily. I'm being hunted, you know.
«What? I'm moving forward.
«It's just a routine thing, you know, stuff like that. So I give commands, and all meetings are video-conferenced. So everything works as it should and goes according to plan. Any unplanned situations that arise are dealt with immediately.
«Mm-hmm, you watch. If anything happens, you tell me who's offending, I'll cut him down right away.
«Of course, you're my bodyguard, - laughed Hadiya, and without a hint of sarcasm. - Listen, I was just stopping by. There's a pool here. Let's go, let's go, or we'll never have a swim?
«Mm-hmm.
«No, I'll carry you.
«You?! - I raise my eyebrows jokingly.
«Yes. I'll take you by the foot, and a couple of my guys will carry you by the handles, - smiled Hadiya.
«Yeah. Okay, I'll go willingly.
«Good, then I'll be waiting for you outside the door.
«And you?
«I'm ready to go," she unbuttoned her leather jacket, revealing her swimming costume. - The plan was not to refuse.
«Okay, I'll be right out. You guys always make a fuss when I just want to study.
«Yeah, that's us. You never ask me out. Wes already complained to me.
«Eek!
That's how they made me. Eh... Oh well, let's not get discouraged, if we can't stop it, we need to lead it! So we walked to the pool under my leadership.
«Shade, what do you eat all the time? - Hadiya asked, hugging my arm.
«"Sweet Joy."
«It's a baby bathtub.
«So?
«Well... It's for kids.
«И?
«Erm... I see, that's out of the question.
«It's good stuff, by the way. Wes and Rami steal it from me all the time.
«Yeah?
«Well, I'm not giving it to you to try! - I cut it off, cos I didn't want another leech on my blood supply. I don't have enough to spare.
«Even through please?
«Even through please," I nod.
«And if I kiss you?
«All the more reason not to.
Boom! - I got a fist under my ribs, and I got a look of righteous anger that....
«Oh. Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'll share, but don't fight.
«Boor!
«I totally agree.
«My boor.
«No, I don't agree.And so we walked along, poking and poking at each other. Since it wasn't even evening, but night, there were minimal people in the corridors, and consequently no witnesses, so Hadiya was able to relax and stop watching her tongue.
In the pool area, to my surprise, we weren't alone. There were still some late night swimmers, both among the students and a couple of masters, but they were just relaxing and covering their eyes to keep themselves afloat.
"Interesting way of meditating..."
The pool itself was finished in green malachite tiles, with diode lights burning on the walls and ceiling, and a light scent of spicy dried herbs wafting through the air.
As I looked around the spacious room, filled with the hum of running pumps and filters, Hadiya threw off her outerwear and walked over to the water. I knew she had a great figure, no worse than Wes, but now I could see the devil in all her glory.
«What's up, hunter? - She turned round.
«Just admiring, admiring....
"By the way, I've never seen any make-up on her, not even lipstick.
«Then look, - turning round to face me, she slowly lowered herself into the water, backwards.
«I remember, in my memory, the last person who saw you in your underwear is now lying bricked up in concrete at the bottom of the river, - I remembered a moment from her biography, nevertheless throwing off my uniform and removing bandages from my hands and feet. And the offender was, as it may sound now, a medical officer of a clan that Hadiya hated, who was "assessing the physical condition of the future wife of the clan head's son".
«Were you afraid I was going to drown you right here? - she stepped halfway in, where the first tier of the bottom was just right, and, slowly running her hands through the water, with an eyebrow raised, she retreated further and further away.
«Maybe I'm not such a good swimmer," I sighed and climbed in next. The water in the pool felt like room temperature to me, but to Hadiya it was warm, because we have different body temperatures.
When I was completely submerged in the water, when the bottom was no longer felt, I helped myself to swim with the Force. Like Hadiya had said, I'm not much of a swimmer. And she must have sensed something.
«You help yourself with the Force, don't you? - I nod.
«I haven't had much practice.
«Then let me teach you. Trust me, you won't drown.
Shit, I'm both afraid and eager. But still, overcoming my fear of going under (drowning in a pool... with a girl... I'll win the prize for the stupidest death!), I remove the Force's influence and, holding on to the side of the pool, look at Hadiya.
She, swimming around me, clearly showed me how the process was going on, what movements were being made, in the clear water it was visible very well. And then, supporting me morally, she unhooked me from the saving shore and pushed me to the depth.
Yes, it is better not to see it, of course, such a shame is not easy to wash away, but do I care? That's right, I don't care, so - face brick, breathe properly and row, row, row....
At one point, something went wrong, and I almost panicked, but Hadiya showed up before I could use the Force. And that's how we swam. Me with panic and nerves, constantly pulling myself back from the reflex to use the Force, Hadiya with giddiness, cheerfulness, and support for me.
At one point, looking around, I noticed we were alone, the last of the floaters having left the hall. Hadiya noticed it too, taking a quick look around and giving me a sly glance. I didn't like that look. I saw nothing in her emotions, though. Mischief mixed with calmness was still there. I don't understand.
«Hadiya, what are you up to?
«Nothing much, - she swam closer, - I'll just take what's mine.
Grabbing the side of the pool with one hand and wrapping the other around me, Hadiya kissed me. Again ineptly, but again very diligently. And this is where her emotions changed dramatically. There was triumph raging in them, mixed with desire for me.
At this point, my self-control gathered my things, and stood neatly by the door with the famous "Exit" sign.
«I... I don't know how to. Can you teach me? - She asked in a whisper, not the least bit embarrassed.
«Hadi, wait. You realise I'm not going to choose, right?
«?
«Listen to me. I respect you. I respect you as a person and I don't want to hurt you. I can. And I warned Wes about that back in the day. But now you're at the point where I'm gonna take matters into my own hands. And I'm gonna be greedy, and I'm gonna take it all, you hear me? - I'm taking her hand and giving it a little squeeze.
«It's about time..." she kissed me again, wanting to give herself over, to finally shift the burden of the relationship to someone stronger. Without a shadow of hesitation or doubt.
That was the trigger. A shot rang out audible to me alone and, sending everything to hell, I ran my fingertips up her back and, holding the back of her head neatly beneath her lekki, responded.
Only breaking away for another breath, I look into those happy and genuinely satisfied eyes.
«I did it.
«You happy, damn it?
«I didn't know you could growl," she ignored me, smiling victoriously. - And your eyes glow grey.
«They always glow at the peak of an emotional outburst. And I can only growl like that," I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close, holding the two of us together. Taking me by the face with both hands, the kiss was repeated, and the initiative passed to me.
In principle, this could be considered a training session, in which I was training Hadiya and enjoying myself. True, it's better not to go into details. How long such 'training' lasted, neither I nor Hadiya noticed. Just at some point we picked up our things and moved stealthily to my room.
Stupefied by the heat, and me still like a junkie by her emotions, I discreetly started caressing her neck.
«Just... It's the first time," I heard a whisper.
«It won't hurt, I promise.
«I know...
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