The Meeting Point by Tabitha Rayne Page B

the thought of being out in the open like this for much longer. Here,” he said, reaching into his robes, “share this. It should give you a boost.”
    â€œFood?” Mae sounded incredulous and snatched at the offered candy. “All this time you’ve had food?” She snapped a block of what looked like a tablet in two and handed half to Lena, whose mouth was watering.
    The crystallized sugar block was like heaven on her taste buds and Lena chewed through it, dissolving it quickly between her teeth and copious saliva.
    â€œI think that must be the most divine thing I’ve ever tasted,” she said dramatically to the indignant looks of her lovers. She blushed. “After you two, of course…”
    â€œI should think so too.” Mae laughed, her sense of fun apparently back.
    As the last of the sugar melted, Lena rose to her feet and stretched.
    â€œWell?” Angelo stepped forward and took her hand. “Shall we?”
    The threesome continued with renewed determination and headed to the woods.
    It didn’t take as long as Lena had thought, and soon they were scouring the springy forest floor in search of tinder for a fire.
    â€œI just don’t understand it,” she said, placing feathery bits of rotten wood into the pile beside Angelo.
    â€œDon’t understand what?” he asked, and Mae crouched beside them both to hear.
    â€œWhy has no one come looking for us?”
    The two just stared.
    â€œI mean, if they wanted to find us, it would have been easy. They would have done it by now.”
    â€œWhat makes you say that?” Mae stood up with her hand on her hip as if a little miffed.
    â€œMae, look to where we’ve come from.” She spread her hand over to the field they’d just crossed through the trees. “I’m no expert tracker, but even I can see exactly where we’ve been.”
    Mae’s pose softened. “Hmm, yeah. Angelo, she’s right. What the hell are we doing?”
    â€œLook, we’re doing the best we can, that’s what.” He struck his flint with a steel hoop wrapped in his knuckles. A flurry of angry little sparks dropped on the tinder and died. “Maybe it’s been luck that we’ve not been caught yet, or maybe we’re just not as important as we think we are. Either way, let’s just live in the moment.” His head dropped a little. “Please.”
    Lena felt suddenly very guilty. It was up to all of them to keep their spirits up. Keep the belief that they could do this and stay alive. She’d been relying on his motivation far too much. Carefully, she took the flint from his hand and unfurled the metal hoop from the other. “You’re right,” she said, smiling at her lovers with what she hoped was a confident air. “We have each other and we have now.” She struck the flint and the precious sparks cascaded onto the little pile of tinder. “What else is there?” And as a tiny flame took hold, she really believed it.
    Mae crouched down and blew gently on the smoldering materials, her lips a perfect pouting ‘o’. Angelo did the same. As the flame grew and licked at the scraps of twigs, gaining momentum, Lena felt like she was that fire. These two people who fanned the flames of her desire made her a creature of sexual desire and heart-wrenching love. It could easily get out of control and burn up everything she knew. It already had.
    Something about the way they both knelt, stooping forward, holding the hair from their faces as they blew, made desire well inside Lena. She imagined it was she they were blowing on, and she began to melt at the imagined sensation.
    â€œLena, quick, the kindling,” called Angelo quite sternly.
    Lena snapped to attention and gathered what she could, passing it over. Her lovers’ deft fingers worked together, nestling the twigs in the best places to ignite more flames. Poking and fussing at the heated