Angel in Bronze

This is a conclusion to Angel in Bronze, and it picks up right where the last chapter left off. I recommend reading that before this, or it might be confusing. Also, there aren't many sex scenes, so if you're looking for a "quickie" read, this isn't it.

Thanks again to RNebular for editing!

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy it!

Guinevere A. Hart

*****

"I promise you, my queen, I will not be fooled again. Let the Chosen think they are mighty, but they will know the true wrath of the Tenkaru."

Trex's sincerity and passion overwhelmed Eva for a moment. The men she'd known before him had only defeat in their eyes, that or willful ignorance, a byproduct of life under the Order of the Chosen's regime. Rupert at least had his wit and his humor, but he'd been just as cowed as everyone else. In Trex's eyes there was a spark of hope, and it renewed a fire in Eva's heart.

Eva put her hands on Trex's waist, and she stepped closer. "Trex, my love, what do you say we overthrow an evil empire, and save an old friend of mine?"

Trex smiled with her and nuzzled her nose with his own. "I like the way you think, my Eva-Nevvari."

After a brief and gentle kiss, he stepped back from her. "There is much to do before we can leave. I will wake Anuk. He is Science Caste, and an engineer. He will make an exit for us, while I assess the damage to the ark. This ship was never meant to fly again after touching down, but we may be able to dig it out of the dirt somehow."

Eva blinked at him several times and said, "Ok, so what's an ark? And what ship? We have a ship? A

flying

ship? That's..." She shook her head and explained, "No, see, ships float on water. They don't fly. It's just not possible."

Then again, she was a queen, and her king had wings and a built-in crown. He walked around stark naked, and glowed in the dark. He'd been a bronze statue for two hundred years while his army slept in a hive beneath his feet. Who was she to decide what was possible and what wasn't?

Trex smirked at her while she worked things out. He said, "I have work to do, Eva."

She asked, "Are you going to wake the army now?"

"No, not yet. The garden will not provide enough food. I will need to establish resources. On step at a time, my love."

Eva volunteered, "The village! They're not fond of the Order. Though they're superstitious about the Tenkaru, I'm sure we could gain their trust and their help."

She was impatient, and not just for Ru's rescue. Eva wanted to put an end to the Order of the Chosen, and that end was within her grasp. She'd waited her whole life to have such an opportunity, and now she was expected to wait even longer. Trex, however, had waited for two centuries, and Eva felt ashamed of herself.

He seemed to sense her mood, and he offered an encouraging smile. "You should look around. Even if Nevvari's memories do not surface right away, is that not what you do? Study things so you can better understand?"

Eva smiled then, because Trex was right. Study was what she'd come down there for in the first place. She climbed back up into the subterranean garden to retrieve her backpack. She grabbed the clothes she'd hung up to dry and thought about getting dressed. It surprised Eva to be so comfortable while naked, and she wondered if it was Nevvari's influence.

It was warm and humid in the garden and not much different in the halls beneath it. It wasn't like she needed clothes, and the only one to see her nudity was Trex who seemed to prefer it. Tenkaru didn't wear clothing, and Eva had begun to accept she was, in some part, Tenkaru. She shoved the clothes in her bag and thought about trying to figure out where she'd thrown her bra. "Hell no," she said aloud. "That damned thing can stay where it is." She tossed the bag down the entrance to the ark, then jumped in after it.

Eva discovered there were more doors and halls than she'd originally thought. Not wanting to get lost, she followed Trex as he checked on his ark. The glowing, blinking, humming techno-magic was beyond Eva's scope. Absorbed in her work, she stopped asking questions for a while and just started making notes. Trex fiddled with his things, and Eva concentrated on deciphering the Tenkaru runes marking everything.

Eventually, she drifted away in her own studies. With her notebook and pencil in hand, she started truly exploring. The central part of the ark was dominated by a hive of glowing pods, each containing a dormant Tenkaru. She learned the hive was organized by castes, of which there were seven. She turned to ask Trex about their significance.

"At fifty years of age, every Tenkaru is assigned to a Caste based on his or her talents and skills."

She may not comprehend techno-magic machines, but culture captured her interest. She asked, "You're king and warrior. Can only a War Caste be king?"

He shook his head and smiled at her. "All Castes are honored among the Tenkaru. Monarchy involves bloodlines and elections. I am king for so long as I am capable of leadership, and only of the Sitxuné ark." He affectionately patted the machine he was working with. "All aboard this colony ship are Sitxuné. We are not all blood related, but we are all one clan, one colony."

"If this is a colony ship, where are the Tenkaru from?"

"Our home world is Arcadia, but our gods call us to explore and to ally with other sentients. This world is Sitxuné's mission."

Eva was quiet while she tried to process what he told her. A million questions raced through her mind all at once, and she didn't know which to ask first. The environment of the ark was enough in itself to overwhelm her. Some doors opened at a touch, while others required a runic code before they would open. Nevvari's memories came to the fore again, and Eva discovered she could open most of those doors herself.

She stopped at one door and waited for Nevvari's code to rise to the surface of her thoughts, but it didn't come. Eva could feel Trex's eyes on her, but when she turned to look at him, he quickly looked away. She didn't miss the bemused expression on his face. Finally, she asked, "What's this room? Why is it locked, and why can't I get Nevvari's code to open it?"

Trex came up beside her and opened the door. "It is the armory. And Nevvari never had the code because she did not want it. My wife desired peace."

"She wasn't War Caste, like you?"

"She was Faith Caste, a teacher, a peacemaker, and an ambassador. Nevvari believed in a shared community between Tenkaru and other sentients. That is why she tried so hard with the Order of the Chosen."

Eva wondered how a pacifist like Nevvari could've picked someone like her to channel through. Eva was no peacemaker. If she could have the means to do it, she'd bring the entire city of Regulum down around the heads of the Synod; and she'd sleep sound having done it. She regarded Trex for a moment, then said, "I'm nobody's peaceful ambassador."

Trex grinned and nodded, "Nor do I expect you to be. You are Nevvari, but you are also Eva. The Order of the Chosen failed both the Tenkaru and their own people. The time for peace was over long ago."

Eva stepped into the armory and gave a low whistle. The large chamber was filled with racks of objects that Eva would call magical artifacts. There were recognizable weapons, like swords and shields made from an ivory material. She also saw rods made of wood, bone, and crystal. What caught her eye and her breath were the rows upon rows of Shatter Stones. "Oh, my gods," she whispered. "You, the Tenkaru, made these things? Do they still work after all this time?"

Trex shrugged and nodded his head. "The ark was sealed, the armories locked down. These weapons appear stable. I see no reason for malfunction."

"'Armories'?" she asked, "Plural? There's more like this?" Walking among the rows of weapons, her excitement increased. She looked at Trex and drolly commented, "So much for peaceful community, huh?"

"Community is preferable, but once grounded, the ark cannot go back to the stars. When peace fails to the raging stupidity of a prejudiced and superstitious society, the only option left to us is violence. If I had failed to prepare for this contingency, I would be unfit to lead my people."

Eva picked up a rod and turned it over in her hands studying it. She must've touched something, for the thing lit up and hummed to life. She drew it closer, trying to read a tiny series of runes carved in the surface. Trex winced and gently took her hands in his, lowering the object away from her face. He made the lights dim and the hum stopped. There was laughter in his voice when he said, "I have grown fond of your face, Eva-Nevvari. I would like you to refrain from burning it off."

Eva didn't think it was funny. "Well, then teach me!"

"Yes, but there is work to be done, love." He started trying to herd her out of the armory. "I will teach you later."

She grabbed a cestus as he nudged her toward the door. Eva planted her feet and insisted, "You will teach me

now

."

Trex muttered, "Crazy, stubborn..." There was more to it, but his tone dropped below his breath. Sighing, he took a sash from a nearby rack and sized it up to her waist, then cinched it around her. The sash had several pockets and loops, convenient for carrying all sort of things. Trex took her sword from her and strapped it into her sash. "There," he said. "Carry that if you want to, but I will show you how to wield it

later

. Just try not to cut yourself, please... my queen."

"Fine," she snapped. "You don't have to be an ass about it."

He just grinned at her and said, "Clearly, I do." Then he raised a finger and pointed at the exit. "Out. I want to wake Anuk and a few others. Then we will formulate a plan to save your friend."

Trex knew exactly how to divert Eva's attention. They had weapons, and the Tenkaru had wings. Her mind started racing around a plan to save Ru. "You can fly faster than Ellsworth can travel overland. If we act quickly, we may be able to overtake him before he gets to Regulum." She followed Trex from the room, and he locked it again behind them.

"That is the idea. Now, I think it would be best if I speak to the others alone. I want to explain what has happened before you meet them. Our private quarters are aft and two decks below. I will join you shortly, love."

Eva didn't know "aft" from "daft", but she'd grown more comfortable during her brief tour of the ark. While Trex went to wake his people, she continued exploring on her own. With Nevvari's help, she found the quarters Trex had mentioned. The door opened at her touch, and Eva went inside.

The room was tiny, but not quite cramped. The bed, just big enough for two, dominated the space. There were a few recessed cabinets in the walls and what looked like a small closet. Curious, Eva opened the closet door and found the bathroom.

The toilet and basin were obvious, but the shower was new to her. She stepped in the narrow space and passed her hand over some faintly glowing runes. Suddenly, an ice-cold mist sprayed from the walls of the tiny space. Eva shrieked and leapt out of the water, striking her shin on the edge of the commode. She swore and rubbed at her leg while she glowered at the innocent chamber.

She then watched, stunned, as a miniscule metallic creature crawled from the drain hole. At first, Eva thought it was vermin, but she realized it was some sort of techno-magical thingamajig. The drone quickly buzzed along the floor and walls of the shower, drawing the water droplets into an expanding bladder on its back. Delighted by the spectacle, Eva forgot about her bruised shin and laughed.

That is, until the thing started coming for her. "No, no, no!" she squealed. "Get back! Sit!" she shouted, like it was a bad dog. "Stay!" She quickly backed out of the bathroom, but her wet bare feet slipped and she fell on her rump. Still the drone followed her. She screamed, "Stop!"

The thing stopped in front of her, and seemed to patiently await further instruction. After a moment, she realized it was only doing what it was made to do. It was reclaiming the water she'd spilled and trailed behind her as she left the shower. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She said to the drone, "Sorry. You're just tidying up, aren't you? Ok, well, go on then."

If a machine for sucking up water was capable of a baleful look, Eva was sure she got one. It circled around her, going about its business of cleaning up her mess. She opened the nearest cabinet, found the towels, and finished drying her feet and legs. Wrapping the towel around herself, she watched the little machine drop back into the drain it crawled out of.

Eva occupied her time by going through the other cabinets. She found some jewelry: necklaces, bracelets, rings, and pieces she thought might adorn the Tenkaru antlers. Another cabinet had a few sashes, like the one Trex had given her, only fancier. Those items must have been for formal occasions, Eva thought.

Part of her felt irreverent, rifling through Nevvari's belongings that way. Another part of her though,

was

Nevvari. The ancient things in those cabinets were hers, and they were also not hers. She sat on the edge of the bed, and let the spirit of the other woman come through. Nevvari had appreciated pretty things, but to her, these were only just

things

. The Tenkaru woman cared as much for those material items as Eva did for the shirt and pants she'd wadded up and shoved in her backpack. To Nevvari,

life

was more valuable than anything else.

Eva lay back on the bed, and the diffuse light coming from the ceiling automatically dimmed to half its intensity. Her mind was a jumbled mess, and her struggle to sort it all out was in vain. She noticed the room was entirely too silent. Eva had a sudden fear she was dead, and the small dim space was her tomb. She knew the feeling was completely irrational, and she considered running the water again. Even the drone's company was preferable to the silence.

When Trex opened the door, both the ceiling and Eva's spirits brightened. He smiled and greeted her with a kiss. He briefly tucked his fingers into her damp hair. When he stepped back, he took her towel with him. He cheerfully said, "A shower sounds good."

Trex left the bathroom door open, and in seconds, steam billowed out into the bedroom. Eva stood in the doorway and gaped. She called over the hiss of the misting shower, "There's

hot

water?"

He gave her a funny look, then he laughed at her while pointing at the rune she needed to warm the water. When he was through teasing her, Trex asked, "Join me?"

"You barely have room to turn around in there."

His mouth curled up in a delicious smirk. "Well, if you are too fragile to accept the challenge..."

"Fragile?!" Taking the bait, Eva tossed her sash and sword to the floor and rushed her Tenkaru.

He was braced for the impact, and he put his arms around her in a hot and wet embrace. With the both of them in the tiny shower, there was no room to move, but they didn't need to. His hands roamed her back and shoulders, finding taut muscles and a few sore spots left over from her fall. With her cheek pressed against his chest, the thump of his heartbeat, the hiss of the mist, and the heat lulled her to drowsiness.

Eva didn't know how long they stood there like that, nor did she care. When the water automatically stopped, she barely noticed it. In the moment, everything she needed was right there. Trex gently maneuvered her back out of the space and passed her a towel. She dried off again, while watching and admiring his body. She wondered how he would dry his wings in the small space, but he simply opened them partially and twitched most of the water off.

Trex took Eva's hand and drew her down onto the bed with him. After their moment in the shower, she wanted to make love with him, but poor Ru was still in Ellsworth's clutches. "Trex," she asked, "What about the others?"

"I have awakened a few Tenkaru who can help us save your friend. They are revived and recovering from stasis, all except for Anuk. He is stubborn and already at work on our lack of an exit. For now, love, relax." He pressed her back onto the mattress and kissed her.

Eva wasn't sure she could relax, but Trex's skilled mouth and hands quickly convinced her otherwise. He was tender and patient with her, lovingly shifting her body's energy from nervous tension to passion with every slow caress. The lights dimmed until there was only her lover's soft glow. His wings unfurled and sheltered them both in light and warmth.

His fine hair veiled their kiss, and he encouraged her thighs to part. With his fingers and then the head of his penis, Trex stimulated Eva's clitoris. Pleasure ignited, and Eva's body came up off the bed. She cried out her joy as her climax reached its peak. He penetrated her, his own pleasured moans mingling with her cries.

He took his time, slowly loving her towards one intense wave after another. By the time he allowed his own release, Eva was pleasantly exhausted. In body and soul, she felt completely sated. Trex held on to her, remaining inside of her even as his member began to soften. Neither of them wanted to part, to break the oneness they shared. They held on to one another, silent and content, until he naturally slid free of her.

He folded one wing and lay on his side, while he covered her with the other wing. She absently twirled lengths of his silken hair between her fingers, taking pleasure even from the warmth of his breath on her face. His arm was her pillow, his wing her blanket, and Eva had never been more comfortable, more safe, in her entire life. Logic demanded that she hardly knew him, but logic could bugger off. She murmured, "I love you, Trexien."

She heard the smile in his voice, and the sleepiness, too. "Good, my Eva-Nevvari, because I love you. For all of time."

Eva thought "all of time" was quite a long while, but she realized she was fine with it. She hadn't given any thought to marrying anybody until Ru had asked her. She'd refused her friend's offer, and thoughts of him troubled her. "Trex, can I talk to you?"

With a drowsy chuckle he said, "I certainly hope so, love."

"Just before you and I met, Ru asked me to marry him." She felt Trexien tense slightly, but he said nothing, encouraging her to continue. "I told him no. I just don't love him like that. Like this..." She gave Trex's arm a squeeze to let him know what she meant. "But I do love him, though. He's my best friend, and I feel bad."

Trex sighed and asked, "And you think it is your fault he is in the hands of the enemy now?"

"It

is

my fault, Trex."

He sighed again and leaned up on an elbow to frown at her. "So,

tomorrow

, we will begin to make it right. We go and get him, you tell him you are sorry, and he tells you he forgives you." He explained this to her as if he spoke to a child. Then he lay back down and concluded, "This is the way of heart-brothers and heart-sisters."

"Trex?"

He was growing irritated with her, "What?"

"What's a heart-brother?" She was smart enough to know what he'd meant by the term, but the fact she could get on his nerves was a kind of wicked fun.

"Eva, for love of the gods," he snarled at her, "go to sleep."

She found it amusing that she was Eva-Nevvari when Trex was all lovey-dovey, but standing on his final nerve, she was just Eva. She tugged on the corner of his wing, tucking her chin under it. Spooning against his belly, she eventually drifted off to sleep.

*****

Eva woke up when Trex did. He sat up, taking the warm comfort of his wing with him. Though it wasn't cold in the ark, the sudden removal of her cover chilled her sweat-damp skin. "Come on," he said. "Let's go up and get some food. Then we'll see what progress Anuk has made."