Forgotten Read online

  “I…guess it’s worth a try.” Hesitantly, she put down the scrub brush she’d been using and stretched out her hands to him.

  Rone took her small hands in his and brought them under the water rushing into the kitchen sink. At first nothing happened but then, when he began to rub her hands, the slime slowly began to wash away.

  “Look—it’s working!” Kate sounded excited. “Keep going!”

  “I’m not stopping until you’re all clean,” Rone promised. “Look—it’s coming off my hands too wherever you’re touching me.”

  “Here—let’s use some soap.” Kate squirted a dollop of dish soap from the bottle that stood on the edge of the sink and began rubbing it in. Rone used some on her as well and before they knew it, their hands were a soapy tangle—a clean tangle, Rone saw, smiling a little at the sight. It was good to have some of the black slime off of him—and even better to touch his mate again.

  “That’s better—a little bit, anyway,” Kate said when they finally turned off the water and dried their hands with some paper towels which hung in a roll over the sink. “At least I can touch my face without feeling like I’m spreading it all over.” She pushed some of her red, springy curls—the few that had escaped the gooey slime of the pool—off her forehead. “Now maybe I can get a glass and wash this taste out of my mouth.”

  She began searching the cabinets and soon enough, found a few plain glass cups. Going back to the kitchen sink, she filled one with cold water and attempted to take a drink.

  The water ran down her chin.

  “What the—?” Kate frowned and tried again with the same result. Though she tried and tried from all different angles, she couldn’t get any of the water to go into her mouth.

  “Kate…” Rone was trying not to laugh but she really did look ridiculous.

  “It’s not funny!” she exclaimed. “That stuff from the pool got in my mouth and it tastes horrible.”

  Rone was instantly contrite. “I’m sorry—here, let me try. She said we wouldn’t be able to drink except from each other’s hands, remember?” Taking the glass from her, he dumped out the water she had drawn and got a fresh glass. Then he held it out to her. “Here.”

  “Thank you.” Kate took it from him and prepared to take a big drink…but again the water ran down her chin. “What’s wrong this time?” She exclaimed in irritation. “I took the glass from your hand, didn’t I?”

  “Maybe I have to be holding it for you to drink from it?” Rone guessed. “Here—let me hold it for you.”

  He took the glass from her again and placed it against her lips. Kate tried again to get a mouthful of water…and yet again, the water ran right down her chin. She was still clutching her bundle of discarded clothes to her chest but by now they were soaking wet.

  “What’s going on?” Kate looked ready to cry. “I’m so thirsty and who knows when that horrible Shadow Madam is coming back. She made some kind of mistake and we’re going to die of thirst in this stupid place!”

  “I don’t think there’s any mistake,” Rone said, frowning. “This is on purpose—all of it. We just have to figure it out, that’s all.”

  Kate sighed and leaned against the sink. “Can we figure it out before I become completely dehydrated? God, why did we come here in the first place?”

  “To get the fear toxins out of you for one thing,” Rone pointed out. “The pool did that, at least. Even if it was about to drown you to accomplish the rest of its mission.”

  “About that…” Kate looked down at her freshly washed hands. They looked like white gloves on the ends of her arms, which were still coated in the black slime. “I never said thank you—for saving my life, I mean. So, well…thanks.” She looked up at him. “Thanks for jumping into that awful gook and saving me, Rone. I really would have died if you hadn’t.”

  His heart swelled and he longed to take her in his arms but he knew he couldn’t do that—not yet.

  “Of course, Lalli,” he said gently. “I’ll always be there for you, to protect you and save you. You know that.”

  “Actually, I don’t.” She cleared her throat and looked away. “But…I’m beginning to.”

  “A beginning is better than nothing,” Rone said. “And I think I have an idea about your drinking problem.”

  A surprised laugh burst from her lips.

  “My drinking problem? It’s not like I’m dying to hit the bottle—I just want some water.”

  “And I think I know how you can get some.”

  Rone turned the cold tap again. When the water rushed out, he cupped his hands together and caught as much as he could in his palms. Then he nodded at Kate. “Go ahead—drink.”

  “What? From your hands?” She looked at him uncertainly.

  “Well, Madam Shadow did say we wouldn’t be able to drink unless from our…” Rone cleared his throat. “From our lover’s hands. Maybe she was being literal.”

  “That is pretty literal.” Kate looked somewhat uncomfortable but Rone thought she might be just thirsty enough to try it. “All right,” she said at last. “Um…here goes.”

  She leaned over the sink and Rone brought his hands up to her mouth. It was a little awkward but she managed to reach the water and take a deep sip.

  Rone saw her eyes widen and she looked up at him excitedly.

  “It works—it really works! Quick—get some more!”

  Rone obliged her, catching more water from the faucet in his cupped palms. Kate drank thirstily and he filled his hands for her again and again until she stood back with a sigh.

  “Ah…that was so good. I don’t remember the last time I was that thirsty. Thank you.”

  “You’re more than welcome, baby.” Rone smiled at her. God, it felt so good to be close to her again without her jumping away. Even touching her in such a small way made him feel better—fed a small part of the hunger that was growing inside him. Of course, in order to truly satiate that ever burgeoning appetite, much more intimate touching would be required, but he tried to put that out of his mind. For now, he was just glad to be here with Kate.

  “Um…” She looked at him uncertainly. “Are you thirsty too? Would you…would you like a drink? I mean, my hands aren’t as big as yours but…”

  “I’d love one,” Rone said softly, looking into her eyes. “If you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not. Um…” She shuffled the clothing in her arms uncertainly, trying to find a way to hold it without exposing herself and still get her hands to the sink so he could drink.

  “Just put it down,” Rone advised, nodding at the bundle of soaked and stained clothes.

  Kate bit her lip.

  “But I’m naked.”

  “I know but I really can’t see anything past all that black slime we’re both still covered in,” Rone lied. Actually, her lovely, curvy shape was quite apparent but it wouldn’t do to tell her that. “And I won’t be looking anyway—I’m going to be bent over the sink drinking from your hands, remember?”

  “Well…” He could see Kate deliberating. She always had been shy and self-conscious about her body, he remembered, especially the scars on her back. After they’d been together a few years and he had showed her over and over how lovely every part of her was to him, she had finally begun to loosen up. But now they were back to the beginning and he would just have to be patient with her about it.

  “It’s okay, baby,” he said softly. “Look—would it make you feel better if I promised not to look at you?”

  Kate nodded. “I guess, maybe it would.”

  “Okay then—not looking. Absolutely not looking.” Rone closed his eyes tightly though he really wanted to see her. At least he was close enough to smell her sweet scent, under the bitter odor of the black slime. He heard water rushing into Kate’s small hands and then she said,

  “All right. I’m ready.”

  Rone kept his eyes closed and moved towards the sound of her voice. He had to duck low to get down to her small hands and he missed several times, maki