Finding the Jewel Read online

  “Ch-Chloe is sh-sh-shy,” Tark said, speaking for the first time. His deep voice rumbled and resonated against the rock walls of the cavern.

  Chloe looked up at him gratefully, glad for his help.

  “As I said, we have no use for false modesty here,” the monkess repeated. “Strip right now, the two of you, or leave the resort!”

  Again Tark gave her that questioning look. Do you want to leave?

  Chloe bit her lip. She hadn’t counted on having to get naked in front of the big Kindred but really, he had already seen her in some pretty skimpy outfits. The black baby doll nighty was practically see-through and his t-shirt, which she was still wearing as a dress, wasn’t much better. Plus, though she hadn’t lost much weight at the weight-loss house, she was better toned than she had been in ages. If there was ever a time to parade around naked, this was it.

  “It’s okay,” she said under her breath. “I’ll be okay.”

  He looked at her earnestly for a moment before nodding and turning considerately away to start taking off his clothes.

  Chloe turned her back to him as well and pulled the long white undershirt she was wearing off. Then she held it to her chest, shivering a little—more with embarrassment than cold. The caverns, though deep underground, remained a comfortable temperature—neither too hot or too cold. Tark had told her they were heated by natural hot springs which bubbled up from deep in the heart of the planet and surrounded the cavern’s structure like veins threading their way through a body.

  “All right, very good. Now let me see…” The monkess was staring at Chloe intently like she was measuring her with her eyes. Then she nodded once, turned her face upwards, and began to sing.

  Chloe couldn’t understand the words of her song but the notes were high and soaring—they rang and echoed in the chamber until they seemed to fill her head and vibrate every part of her body at once.

  Wow—what an amazing voice! Chloe couldn’t help thinking. She had been in show choir herself in high school and had taken a semester of choir in college too. It wasn’t much but it was enough for her to recognize a truly unusual talent. The Monkess Laroni would have put any Broadway Diva to shame—she was that good!

  And as Laroni sang, Chloe gradually became aware that her song seemed to be having a visible effect on the room they were in. First the light began to grow stronger until a golden glow filled the cavern and illuminated the domed ceiling, which had been in shadows before.

  As Chloe looked up, she saw there was something up near the ceiling—hundreds of somethings, actually. They looked like sparkling, transparent white cloths swirling and circling around and around, about fifty feet up, ducking and swooping like birds as though in answer to the monkess’s song.

  After a moment, one of the cloths seemed to be coming lower. The monkess sang louder and reached out a hand, as though she was beckoning a shy woodland creature to come to her. She stopped singing for just a moment to turn to Chloe.

  “The robe is reluctant to come to you for some reason. You must add your voice to mine.”

  “I must?” Chloe asked. “But…what should I say?”

  “Sing what comes to you—sing!” Laroni commanded. “Lift up your voice—let the robe know it is safe to come to you!”

  It had been a while since she had sung on command—though she still did her best diva routine in the shower—but Chloe felt compelled to do as the monkess demanded.

  Since Laroni wasn’t singing any words, she didn’t either. She just tried to match the other woman’s melody and let her voice float outward. After a moment, they somehow began to harmonize and she found she was singing the melodious riff from The Little Mermaid.

  “Ahh-ahh-ahh…ahh-ahh-ah-ah…”

  It’s the part where the Sea Witch is telling Ariel to sing so she can capture her voice in the seashell and give her legs, Chloe thought.

  She had always loved that Disney movie and she found herself really getting into it—holding out a hand to the fluttering robe as though she was coaxing it down.

  Come on little robe, I won’t hurt you. Come to Chloe…

  Suddenly words popped into her head. Simple words but they seemed to be appropriate.

  “Come to me now…come to me now. Come to me, come to me, come to me now,” she sang.

  The robe flitted and fluttered indecisively about a foot above her head. Then it apparently decided Chloe was okay because it suddenly came down and wrapped itself around her neck and shoulders like a shawl.

  “Drop that other garment,” the monkess demanded. “You must allow the robe to cover you.”

  Reluctantly, Chloe did as she was told, dropping Tark’s undershirt, which she had been holding against her breasts. As she did, she felt the robe unfolding. Soon it dropped like a shimmering, translucent curtain down to her ankles. For a moment she wondered how she was supposed to do anything with her hands since her arms were trapped inside the robe. But then the material somehow rearranged itself into more of a dress configuration with a V neck and flowing sleeves. It was really quite lovely, Chloe thought—apart from the fact that it was almost completely see-through.

  “Um…” She looked at the Monkess Laroni who was nodding in approval, like a seamstress who has gotten a particularly good fit for a client. “Um…” she tried again.

  “Yes, what is it?” the monkess snapped. “Say what you wish and say it quickly. I must call down a robe for your mate.”

  “It’s just…I thought we would have robes like the kind you’re wearing,” Chloe said. “Don’t get me wrong—this is just gorgeous…” She stroked the shimmering material—it was feather-light and softer than silk. In fact, it almost felt like she wasn’t wearing anything at all, she thought uncomfortably. “But does it have to be so, well, see-through?”

  “Just wait for a moment to it to adjust to you,” the monkess advised. “It will change as soon as it reads your tones.”

  “My tones?” This didn’t make any sense to Chloe but before she could ask anything else, Laroni had raised her face to the ceiling and was singing again.

  A larger robe came floating down from the swirling mass circling the ceiling but this time it was Tark she called on to sing with her.

  “Come,” she said, frowning at him. “Join your voice to mine, warrior.”

  He frowned and took a step back.

  “I c-c-c…” He shook his head, unable to get the words out.

  “It’s okay, Tark.” Chloe stroked his big, muscular arm, being careful not to touch any of the rest of him, which was mouthwateringly bare. “You don’t have to say any words at first—just let the melody come out,” she told him. “And then the words will come.”

  He looked at her doubtfully but Chloe nodded at him encouragingly.

  “Go on,” she urged.

  Tark took a deep breath and opened his mouth…and suddenly, a deep, gorgeous baritone filled the cavern.

  Chloe looked at him in wonder. From the little she’d heard of his speaking voice, she could tell that his singing voice would be nice but this was gorgeous.

  The robe began to flutter closer and suddenly, the big Kindred began to sing words.

  “Come to me now…come as you are. Come to me, come to me, fly not afar…”

  As he sang, Chloe could see the look of surprise come over his face. The robe responded to him at once and came to settle around his broad shoulders, just as hers had. However, on Tark it drifted downwards and became a pair of loose fitting trousers, kind of like pajama pants which left his broad, muscular chest bare.

  The big Kindred seemed to hardly notice how the robe was dressing him, however. He looked at Chloe, his golden eyes shining.

  “D-did you h-hear?” he demanded excitedly. “I d-d-didn’t st-stu-stutter!”

  “No, of course not.” She smiled at him. “The part of your brain that controls singing is different from the part that controls talking. Didn’t you know?”

  He shook his head, his eyes still shining.

  Chloe