Second Heart: Bones of Eden Read online

  “It’s only fair I hear what you have to say,” Charlie said. “No one wants war. There has to be some kind of communication between us.”

  He said it accusingly, as if he were throwing Sugar’s threats from their last meeting back in his face.

  “You’re right. All I want is peace. And I heard about Juliet. I’m sorry.”

  Charlie flinched, looking wounded by the mention of his brother. “It was an animal attack.”

  “I heard. But it’s a loss for all of us. We are one people, right?”

  “We are two tribes,” Charlie said firmly.

  He sighed. “Yes, but can we talk in private?” He was too aware of Bravo and Mike, Fox and Maria. Their eyes, their stance—he could feel their judgment, and it was making it hard to find the right words. If he was going to win Charlie over again, he might need to say something embarrassing. Something he would hesitate to say in front of the others.

  Charlie scowled, but motioned him toward the Varekai canoes. Away from the safety of his own tribe. But Charlie had promised no more kidnapping. He had said he didn’t want war. Sugar followed, trying not to let his apprehension show.

  “What?” Charlie waded out knee-deep into the water and started digging for pipis with his toes. Sugar stood on the shore, scanning the water for dangers, as if they were brothers.

  “We need to breed.”

  “You and I?” Charlie asked archly.

  He flushed, wanting to say yes. “No, the Varekai and Elikai. We need some sort of system or trade that allows those who want to, to come together and have sex. Perhaps fall pregnant. We’re running low on numbers.”

  Charlie nodded grudgingly. “You have a suggestion?”

  “We could—the Elikai—we could keep you fed while you can’t hunt. But only if you gave us the Elikai babies.”

  “How kind,” he said, giving Sugar a sour look. He tossed a handful of pipis into the bottom of his canoe. Even angry, he was so pretty.

  “I mean—” He stumbled over his words. “I know you would need that. More food. So you didn’t have to hunt. And we can hunt. There’s plenty of food for everyone. We need brothers too, so...”

  “So you think it’s a fair trade.”

  “Yes. Don’t you?”

  “Not really. We only need one Elikai. You need more than one Varekai, or you’ll only be getting three or four brothers at a time.”

  He wondered if that was true. Varekai were larger than dogs, and dogs could have seven, eight, even ten puppies at a time. But then, goats only had one or two. Crocodiles had hundreds. Who knew how many Varekai would have? But Charlie seemed confident. Maybe he knew something he didn’t.

  “So...”

  “So maybe we can offer something that one of your ‘brothers’ will want. Maybe I can convince one of your sisters to come to our village and be a Varekai.”

  He swallowed. He wanted to be outraged, but he’d already told Tare to try to convince India to come and live with them. If that was a possibility, then surely it was a possibility that Charlie could do the same. Maybe it would even be Tare, if India refused to become an Elikai. Then they would never get any brothers. The Elikai would die out, and the Varekai would grow and spread to cover all the islands.

  “Please don’t,” he said, feeling a helpless sort of panic.

  “I haven’t done anything yet,” Charlie said. “I saved all our people, you know.”

  He looked down. “I know.”

  “I gave myself as a hostage to stop my sisters from waging war against you.”

  “I know.”

  Charlie glared, and he waited for him to make his point, but he didn’t. Sugar tried to think of something, anything, he could say to make him smile.

  “I want this to work. I want a solution that works for everyone. There’s no reason we can’t both thrive here. The tribes can be at peace. The islands give us all we need. We never need to fight again.”

  Charlie scowled some more, and he sighed, wishing he could just...touch him. Why had he been so stupid? Why had he pushed Charlie away when he’d kissed Sugar? If he could go back in time, he would do it differently. If he’d just forgiven Charlie, then maybe they would be together by now.

  “I’ve heard your offer,” Charlie said. “It’s best you go. I’ll think about it.”

  “Okay, I hope we can come to an agreement. Before it’s too late.”

  The Varekai said nothing, and Sugar padded sadly back to the others.

  “Tare,” he called. “Come on.”

  Tare shook his head. “Later.”

  “There’s only one canoe. Are you going to swim home?” Fox demanded. “Ride a shark maybe?”

  “India will give me a ride. It’s fine.” He gave them a pointed look.

  Fox took a few steps toward them, as if he was going to drag Tare into the canoe himself, but Sugar stopped him with a hand on his arm. “It’s okay.”

  Fox frowned. “Are you sure? If they kidnap him...”

  “I don’t think they will. He’ll come back when he’s done. That might be tomorrow. It’s okay.”

  Fox looked doubtful, hesitating a long moment before shrugging and getting back into the canoe. Sugar glanced at Tare again, arm around India’s shoulders, deep in conversation. It was a risk, a dangerous tug-of-war. He had to have faith that Tare could win. Maybe then Charlie would see reason. Or maybe he’d have no further use for him at all.

  Chapter Six

  “It’s for the good of everyone.”

  William could hear Fox at the edge of camp even before he stepped out of the trees. William had been collecting fruit, and the basket on his back was heavy and full. Most of it would be sliced up and put on hot rocks in the sun to dry. Dried fruit was an important staple in the wet season, and the drying and storing process was vital to make sure the food didn’t turn bad in the damp. Today would be the last day they could collect fruit to have it prepared in time for the rains, and if the storms came unexpectedly early, all of William’s efforts for the day would be wasted.

  “Leave me alone.” Romeo sounded irritated. Maybe more than irritated, somewhere closer to rage. William quickly pushed his way through the bushes, half running to the nearest hut and stowing the basket inside so he could get to Romeo.

  Romeo was making a bone knife from the thigh of a pig, and Fox and Maria were looming over him, blocking his light.

  “I don’t care who it is,” Fox said. “It doesn’t have to be one of us, but pick someone and do it already. India is staying with the Varekai for now, and Tare’s been with him dozens of times. Maybe more. Whiskey kidnapped me. They might have two litters of young on the way, and we have nothing.”

  “Why does it all fall on me?” Romeo snarled. “Tare could do something about it. He could convince India to come here. It’s not my responsibility.”

  “Yes, it is,” Fox said, eyes flashing with irritation. “You’re the only Varekai here.”

  “I’m not a Varekai!” Romeo snarled. He was clenching the bone knife so tight his knuckles were white. He genuinely looked like he was going to stab Fox with it.

  “Stop it!” William stalked up, trying to put himself between Fox and Romeo. It wasn’t easy. He almost had to stand on top of Romeo to do it.

  “Go away,” Maria told him. “We’re talking to Romeo.”

  “Yeah, well, now you’re talking to me.” William sounded a lot braver than he felt.

  “William.” Fox sighed a little. “We want what is best for the tribe. And that means Romeo has to stop being such a stick-in-the-mud and just get it done.”

  “He doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to!” William snapped. “Sugar said. It’s our law. You leave him alone, or I’ll...”

  “Or you’ll what?” Maria pressed. “Anyone else would do it.
If someone refused to hunt or cook or do anything useful, we’d throw them out. Make them fend for themselves. Everyone has to help.”

  “Romeo does just as much work as everyone else!” William snapped.

  “Yeah,” Fox said, “but he’s the only one of us who can do this. We need this. If I could get pregnant, I’d have sex with anyone in the tribe. We’re going to die out. The Varekai are going to outnumber us and kill us all off. Romeo is going to let us all die because...because what? He doesn’t want to? And we’re all supposed to be okay with that?”

  “Yes,” William said firmly.

  “Go fuck a tree,” Romeo snapped.

  “Hey.” Maria gave Romeo a shove with the flat of his foot. “Don’t make me beat you down.”

  “Beat this!” Romeo snarled, then jammed the bone knife into the top of Maria’s foot. The knife wasn’t finished, but it was sharp enough to leave a shallow gash, and Maria howled in pain. For a moment, he was distracted, hopping around on one foot, clutching the other with his hands in an awkward, but rather alarming dance. Romeo scrambled to his feet, and Fox stared at him incredulously.

  “I’m gonna jam that bone in your eye!” Maria snarled, lunging at Romeo, rage overtaking pain.

  “You leave him alone.” William barreled into Maria, shoving him backward, then tackling him to the ground.

  “You’re a goddamn idiot,” Fox told Romeo.

  William tried to roll to his feet, but Maria grabbed hold of him, rolling him onto his back and punching him in the face. William brought his arms up to shield himself, and Maria socked him in the gut instead, over and over.

  “Enough!” Fox tried to drag Maria back, but he was too big. He hit William three more times before getting to his feet and shaking Fox off as if he was little more than a fly.

  “You—” he pointed at Romeo, “—are a giant waste of space.”

  Romeo made an obscene gesture, and Fox dragged Maria away.

  On the ground, William gasped. He was winded, and every breath was agony. For a moment, he was certain he was suffocating. It was like being underwater and burning for air. White and red spots danced in his vision, and he grabbed at nothing.

  Romeo kneeled down beside him, looking concerned.

  “You idiot,” he said softly. “Just breathe, William. You’re okay. Well, you’re bleeding, but...”

  Air finally seemed to be filling the empty places in William’s lungs, and he struggled to sit up. His lip was split, and he could taste blood.

  “Are you okay?” he croaked.

  Romeo blinked. “William, you’re the one who got beat down. Can you stand up?”

  He held out his hands and pulled William to his feet.

  “They were bullying you,” he said. He still sounded like a frog.

  “I can handle Maria, you know.”

  He led William to his hut and guided him inside. “Sit down.”

  He did, feeling dizzy, and was grateful when Romeo sat down beside him, close enough for their shoulders to touch. “Why did you do that?”

  “I promised you I’d protect you,” William reminded him.

  “Against our own brothers?”

  “Against everyone. No matter what.”

  Romeo sighed, then gently cupped William’s cheek and kissed him on the lips. William’s heart started to pound so hard he was getting light-headed. All the pain seemed to fade away until there was only the gentle pressure of Romeo’s skin on his.

  When he pulled back, Romeo’s lips were stained with blood, though he didn’t seem to notice. “I should spend more time with you.”

  “I’d like that,” he croaked.

  “You should move in with me here.”

  “I’d like that too.”

  Romeo smiled a little. “Lie down. You look like you’re about to faint.”

  Obligingly, William stretched out on the furs. Romeo unhooked the flap of leather over the door, and suddenly the hut was a lot cooler and darker. William was relieved; the sunlight was starting to give him a headache.

  Romeo stretched out beside him, studying him. Gently, he rubbed away a line of blood from William’s chin with his thumb.

  “I don’t expect anything from you,” William told him. “You know that, right? I just like being near you.”

  “I know.”

  “If I want sex, there’s a whole tribe of brothers. And we’ll find another way to get baby Elikai. It’s not on you.”

  Romeo rolled his eyes. “Fox does kind of have a point.”

  “Yeah, but you said you’d lie with Sugar, and he refused. If he can refuse, you can refuse. He’s our leader; he should be willing to make bigger sacrifices than you.”

  Romeo wriggled close to him on the furs. “I don’t want to make a sacrifice.”

  “So don’t.”

  “I only want to be with someone for the sake of being with them. Because I want them and they want me.”

  William nodded. “And I’ll punch anyone who annoys you in the face.”

  Romeo grinned. “I mean you, you idiot.”

  “What?” William blushed. “Oh. Oh!”

  “Do you want me too? Or do you just want to protect me and have sex with everyone else?”

  His cheeks got hotter still. “I want you. I’ve always wanted you. Since the first day we found you. But you never wanted to be touched and...” He trailed off. His eyes traveled down Romeo’s body, and he felt a sudden sense of panic. “I, uh, don’t know what to do.”

  Romeo chuckled. “Me either. But Tare’s talked about it enough that I get the general idea.”

  Tentatively, he slipped his arms around Romeo, and Romeo leaned in to kiss him again. It was hard to imagine anything would ever be better than this. Just this, right now. Holding Romeo, kissing him, having him say he wanted William for the first time. The idea that they could be together like Tare and India and have offspring seemed too big and vast to be a possibility. William was certain he could never be that lucky, because this was far more than he deserved.

  Romeo’s hands ran down his side, and he flinched as his fingertips passed over the hot, forming bruises.

  “Are you okay?” Romeo asked, pulling back a little, concerned.

  “Yes.” William would have said yes if all his limbs were broken. “I just want to be with you.”

  “I’ll be careful, then.” Romeo kissed him again.

  He was careful this time, keeping his hands on William’s hips and thigh, touching his neck and shoulders and arms. Every caress sent an exquisite tingle through William’s skin. He was wanted, after wanting for so long, loved after loving from afar.

  Romeo’s fingers caressed between William’s thighs, but he was still too unsure to do anything but hold Romeo close. Romeo’s fears about sex with an Elikai had seemed so valid not so long ago, and as much as he wanted this, he was terrified he would do something wrong. He couldn’t have lived with himself if Romeo had been hurt because of him. He would have died before he let that happen.

  “What?” Romeo said, pulling back to look at William with confusion. “You’re trembling.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Romeo made a faint sound of exasperation. “William, you’re the wounded one. I’m not going to break. Stop worrying about how fragile I am and be with me.”

  He took William’s hand and guided it down between his legs. “Here.”

  It was soft and warm. Folds of hot flesh in a complicated maze of burrows and crevices. He explored tentatively, still concerned, but Romeo gave a little groan of pleasure and kissed him again.

  He found the slick opening that Tare had bragged about—tight, wet and welcoming. Romeo groaned again, pushing down onto his fingers, and William slipped one inside. Romeo gasped, and William kissed his neck and chest. He w
anted to feel Romeo come. He wanted to make him scream with pleasure. All the other Varekai and Elikai had done this before, but Romeo had always abstained, and William wanted to show him everything. How wonderful it could be.

  If Romeo had been an Elikai, it would have been easy. Knowing another Elikai’s body was as easy as knowing his own, but this was all new for the both of them. He was so focused on Romeo that he was only vaguely aware of what Romeo was doing to him, his hand firmly around William’s shaft, working with relentless vigor.

  William’s lips worked their way across Romeo’s chest, and he was surprised when Romeo gasped and arched as William’s tongue caressed his nipples. Most of the brothers were not sensitive there, but when William’s lips closed over the hard little nub of pink flesh, Romeo shuddered.

  That was all the encouragement he needed, and William sucked and licked, working two fingers inside him now. Romeo’s breath was coming in whimpers, his hips rolling in involuntary bucks every time William pressed into him.

  “Enough,” Romeo begged.

  William stopped. “You want us to stop?”

  “No.” Romeo pushed him back on the furs. “I want you inside me.”

  Moving with a kind of animalistic urgency, he straddled William’s hips. His efforts not to bump William’s bruises were not entirely successful, and William winced, only to go slack with shock as Romeo guided the head of his shaft into the opening and sank down.

  Both groaned together, then Romeo began to rock back and forth, panting with need. Inside he was slick and tight, with unfamiliar muscles that clenched and gripped.

  Romeo guided William’s hands to his chest, and obligingly he rolled his hardened nipples between his fingers, gently tugging and pinching. Romeo’s whole body shuddered, and he arched his back. Inside, there was a savage clenching.