by Avery Rae
Marion rubbed at her brow, her lips twitching with a restrained smile. "I tried to warn you. They've grown very enthusiastic about human rights. And humans in general."
Their pouts gave way to bright, cheery smiles as they nodded enthusiastically at me. I stared at them with my mouth hanging open, not quite sure how to respond. They obviously meant well, but my only experiences with Korysti had been such polar opposites that I was struggling to see their intentions as anything but bad.
Marion once again came to my rescue. She moved in front of the maids and motioned toward the door. "Do you two think you could prepare some food for her? Something great. Show her what a real Korysti meal can be like, okay?"
The maids exchanged quick looks, as if unsure, but were soon smiling once more. They curtsied in their neat little dresses and scurried out the door.
"They're . . . a lot," I said, rubbing at the back of my neck.
"They can't help it. They want to make everything better, and I think it's getting harder for them as they see the resistance we're facing." Marion sighed. "Unfortunately, there's more and more with each day."
"So, you and this Rylos guy are actually trying to get Korysti to integrate humans into their society or something?"
"Or something. Anything, really. The Korysti have kept their society strictly homogenous though, so it's not exactly going over well."
"Because they're awful, snotty people who think they can do no wrong."
"Not all of them," she replied, voice quiet.
My thoughts fell back to Kolyr. No, definitely not all of them.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overwhelm you this much. I'm sure you're desperate for a shower." Marion linked an arm through mine. A mild fragrance with notes of honey and flowers surrounded her, and it made me all the more conscious of just how badly I must need to bathe. It'd been a very, very long time. The grotto didn't really count.
"I really appreciate all of this, even if I'm kind of being an asshole." I gave her arm a squeeze of thanks. "And yes, a shower sounds fantastic."
"Trust me, I understand. I wasn't exactly a peach when I showed up here either." She paused in the middle of the hallway, lips pursed. "You know, I could take you to the guest bathroom, but you need to see the ridiculous bathroom connected to our room. I wanted to cry when I first saw it."
"That bad?" I asked.
"That beautiful, more like. You know how the Korysti are."
"Dramatic? Full of themselves?"
She flashed me a grin. "Yes, and yes."
"Good to see sleeping with the enemy hasn't robbed you of your sense of humor."
"If anything, bedding a Korysti has given me my sense of humor back."
Her eyes sparkled with such happiness that it made me want some of what she was having. I'd nearly had it. Maybe if Kolyr and I hadn't been interrupted in the forest, I'd be floating around on air, too. That chance was long gone, though. Kolyr had come to his senses once we were back in civilization, just as I had expected. What we had in that forest was a fairytale, and I was glad he'd realized it.
As I followed Marion down the hallway, I pressed a hand to my chest and grimaced. I told myself I was glad, yet it made my heart feel tight and wrong, and my stomach kept on bottoming out on me. You're being dumb, Naomi. I knew I was the type to fall fast, but this was just ridiculous. Rationally, I knew I shouldn't be feeling this way, yet my body refused to listen to my mind. It was going to have to start soon, because I wouldn't let myself stay on Korystus, no matter how badly I might want to.
Marion left me to own devices in the bathroom after showing me where I could find a change of clothes, toiletries, and how everything worked. It wasn't much different from Earth, just slightly weirder and fancier. Par for the course on Korystus.
The bathroom was best described as cavernous. There was a lush tree shooting up from a fountain-sized indentation in the floor, which was filled with the white soil of Korystus. There were two of everything. Two showers, sinks, toilets. It was the perfect Mister and Miss ensuite, with added Korysti flair. Nothing shockingly unusual, but just enough to mark it as different.
It made me wonder about the rest of the universe. Was it a fluke that Korysti were so similar to humans despite our obvious differences? Or were creatures like us just a natural pattern throughout the universe? I looked forward to finding out for myself when I got off this planet. Hopefully the rest wouldn't give me the same terrible reception.
Undressed, I stepped inside the shower and tried not to think of Solys. But I'd already failed by trying not to think of him, hadn't I? This shower wasn't all that different from his. It was extremely wide, set deeply into the wall. The same pouring rain cascaded down from above when I pressed the button on the screen that Marion had shown me.
It was in a shower just like this one that I'd had my chance to kill Solys, and Marion had stopped me. I wished more and more each day that she hadn't. Did she still think about that day when she was in here? Did she picture me going feral, bashing his head against the stone?
I leaned back against the cool stone wall, letting the warm downpour cascade over me, soothing my aching body as my mind wandered. I'd been so, so close to ending him.
I knew she wanted to prove that we were better than the Korysti, but I honestly couldn't bring myself to care. There was nothing to prove. Solys deserved death because all he would ever bring into anyone's life was poison. Because that was what he was.
I showered in a methodical sort of way, walking over to the clear dispensers nestled in the wall to shampoo, condition, and wash my skin. It felt wonderful, of course, but my mind was constantly elsewhere. Dark places. The basement. Solys's room. It'd been so long since I'd been truly alone that I'd forgotten what it was like to get stuck like this.
It was in a moment just like this one that I'd chosen to eat those berries. Despite my denial, I'd tried them before. I knew they didn't make me feel well. I'd known what I was doing when I grabbed handfuls from that bush and shoveled them into my mouth, whether I wanted to admit it to anyone or not. And that was why I couldn't stay here.
I quickly rinsed and rushed out of the shower. As I was drying off, the door slid open. I ducked back into the shower and peeked out, my brow furrowed. I hope it's Marion and not those excitable maids.
"You'll find everything you need in here," a deep, rich voice echoed from the hallway. Rylos? "I'll speak to Marion later about her options, and then we'll talk in depth from there. Relax for now. You've more than earned it."
"Thank you, Senator. I appreciate all you've done for us."
I lifted my brows. That was Kolyr I heard. Rylos brought him here, too? Apparently both he and Marion wanted to show off their bathroom. I smiled, although it was faint, and it fled as Kolyr stepped inside seconds later. The moment the door slid shut behind him, the strong facade he'd kept up began to crumble. His glowing eyes dimmed, his posture slumped, and he shoved his hands into his hair. Exhaustion colored his expression and dulled his movements.
Kolyr started toward my shower and I stepped outside. In an instant, he was alert, looking like the strong soldier he was. For a second, he almost looked embarrassed, but just as quickly his eyes began to roam over my body, clad only in a silky towel.
"I'm sorry," he said as he bit at the inside of his bottom lip, eyes still sweeping over me, "I didn't realize you were already in here."
I shrugged. "You've seen it already, right? No big deal."
"Not nearly as much as I'd like."
The words were said underneath his breath, his lips barely open, but I heard them clearly in the quiet of the empty bathroom. A faint heat flared to life in the pit of my stomach, but I did my best to douse it with my thoughts. All the reasons why I shouldn't let him make me feel that way. Why I shouldn't get attached any more than I already had. They were as effective as a brisk shower.
"What was Rylos talking about?" I tugged the silky fabric wrapped around me a little higher, hiding the swell of my breasts—which were much s
maller than I remembered. "He said something about options for me?"
Kolyr managed to drag his eyes up to mine. "He says you don't have to go."
"Of course I do," I said with a laugh. "I'm not staying here."
His expression fell for a fleeting moment before switching to that unreadable mask he'd shown me in the forest before. "You won't even consider it?"
"Why would I?"
"There's no reason you would stay?" He took a step closer. "Not a single one?"
I shook my head, but I couldn't bring myself to say the words. Because any denial I spoke would be a lie. I'd entertained staying just so I could be in Kolyr's orbit, and each time he hinted he might feel the same way, I clung to his words. If that wasn't sad, I didn't know what was.
I expected him to come to me. Take me in his arms. Kiss me. But he simply stood there in front of me, staring. He wanted to do all those things, though; I could see it playing out in his mind. The conflict in his expression was clear. He didn't know what to do any more than I did, I realized. He was just as lost.
"Don't do this, Kolyr," I warned, taking a step back. "You're only hurting yourself."
His expression cleared, a faint smile curving his lips. "Would I really only be hurting myself?"
"Yes, you would." Liar. "Besides, you're the one who told me we couldn't—"
"I don't care about what I said."
"But—" I clamped my mouth shut, protest dying in my throat as Kolyr began to strip. Shirt cast aside, his pale purple skin gleamed in the soft glow of the tree at the center of the room. He tugged at his pants, revealing the V carved into his lower stomach. The hand I was using to hold my towel clenched. I should've left, but I couldn't bring myself to move. What had I just said? Something about hurting?
As Kolyr stood before me, naked and perfect, a small smile curling the edges of his lips, I decided he was worth the pain. I relaxed my hand and moved it aside, undoing the tuck in the silken fabric and letting it fall to my feet.
Kolyr was there before I could even blink, lips crashing against mine. He lifted me into his arms and I grabbed hold of his shoulders, locking my legs behind his back. Never breaking our frenzied, desperate kiss, he walked us back inside the shower and jabbed at the screen, turning it on.
The rain poured down from above, drenching us, the water running between our mouths as we gasped for air between feverish kisses. There was no teasing, no tenderness—we were speaking with our bodies, and we had a hell of a lot to say. I pulled at his hair, yanking his head back so that I could look him in the eyes.
Through panting breaths, I said, "You know better than this."
I didn't know who I was warning. Him, or me. Maybe both.
He took my lower lip between his teeth, hands digging into my backside, sinking me down against the hard length between his thighs. I shifted my hips just enough that he slid inside, and a surprised groan tore from his lips. I silenced him with an even harder kiss.
Pinning my back against the wall, Kolyr moved against me, each thrust hard and purposeful. I sank my fingers into his hair and pulled back, eyes boring into his through the cascade of water from above. Each of our gasps and moans fell against each other's lips as the rhythm built to a frenzied pace between us. Faster, harder—neither of us could get enough.
The ache in my shoulder gave way to the heat coiling tightly within me, ready to burst. I didn't care if it hurt. There was one thing I wanted in that delirious moment, and it was the sweet release Kolyr could give me. Just when I felt myself teetering on the edge, he suddenly slowed. I tugged at his hair and rolled my hips against him, but he held completely still.
Breathing heavily, he brought a hand up between us, brushing his fingers over my side, my stomach, my chest, then my collarbone. He was exploring like he was trying to make up for taking me so hard and fast, but that was what I'd wanted. It was what I needed. I shivered despite the hot steam clouding the air as his fingertips brushed my shoulders, neck, and jaw.
I couldn't keep the distance I needed if he didn't stop. It felt too good. Too sweet. Don't do this. Keep going. Don't make this harder than it has to be.
"Don't stop," I pleaded, a moan in my voice as I rocked against him. He flexed inside me but held strong, instead leaning forward to softly touch his lips to the line of my jaw, my cheek, then the corners of my lips.
I wound my arms behind his neck and crushed my lips against his. A kiss that told him to stop thinking. About anything. Just give in to it, my lips pleaded as I cinched my legs around his waist, grinding down against him until he hunched over. He slammed a hand on the wall behind me as a gasp tore his lips from mine.
His other arm barred across my lower back, he closed the miniscule distance between us, grinding his pelvis hard against where I needed it most. I rolled my head back against the wall with a moan, water streaming down my face and chest, rolling my hips in time with each thrust of his.
Kolyr's breaths were shorter, his movements more frenzied, careening toward the edge at the same frantic pace as I was. The sound of his gasps and moans alone was enough, but when he brought both hands to my hips, bit down on his lower lip, and slammed into me, I saw stars.
The heat coiled in my stomach exploded, bursting throughout every inch of my body as I bucked against him. Kolyr moaned low in his throat as he found his own release, buried deep inside me as he shuddered, still holding me tight.
Lightheaded from the steam, I slowly opened my eyes and gave him a lazy smile. He lowered his head to my neck, pressing soft, sweet kisses that I didn't deserve against my chest and neck. At last, he brought his eyes back to mine, touching a hand to my cheek. Alarm bells rang throughout my mind in an instant. Why was he looking at me like that? His expression was so tender.
"Naomi," he whispered, so low I could hardly hear him over the downpour. "I think—"
Don't say it. To distract him, I tightened my legs at his waist and rubbed a hand over his chest. He hissed and clawed at the wall behind me, but he wasn't deterred.
"I think I love you."
I went completely still as dread washed over me. I told you not to say it. Because I didn't want to have to be the one who had to speak the truth. I thought maybe, for a moment, we could relive that strange fairytale we were in. Finish our story. Nice and neat. This wasn't neat. So I had to make it that way.
I gave him a sad smile. "You can't love me, Kolyr. You don't even know me."
"I don't want you to leave."
He hugged me to him, head lowered. My eyes fell shut as he pressed his lips to the curve where my neck met my shoulder. Still hard, he moved against me. I inhaled sharply and pressed backward, using whatever leverage I could to match his movements. What're you doing, Naomi? Stop this.
Yet I didn't. Despite my guilt, I let him take me—no, he consumed me. Each touch and each kiss was slow and mesmerizing. He brought me to the edge and back until I thought I might pass out from the heat, destroying me from the inside out with every brush of his lips against mine.
By the time he set me down, my breath was ragged and hoarse, my legs hardly strong enough to stand. The bathroom was filled with steam, tinged pale blue from the tree in the center of the room, and it was so dense I could barely see. But I told myself I needed to leave, as if I wasn't already in too far. I started toward the edge of the shower and Kolyr touched a hand to my wrist. Not grabbing, not pulling, just a gentle brush of his fingers. And, for some reason, I stopped.
"Don't go," he whispered. There was a waver in his voice that took me by surprise. He wasn't talking about right now. He was asking me to stay on Korystus again.
I lifted my eyes, looking at him from beneath my lashes. My limited field of view didn't dampen the effect of his expression. The hurt I saw. Why was he doing this now? Why now, after he'd already done the legwork to push me away?
Contrary to my thoughts, his fingers hesitantly curled around my wrist, just his way of urging me closer. And I went. I let him wrap his arms around me and touched a hand to his
wet chest, admiring its beauty with a hint of sadness. Someone as good and perfect as him didn't have any business with someone like me. I was broken, and there wasn't enough glue in the universe to fix me.
"You remember back in the forest? You were right, Kolyr." I traced the curving lines of his tattoo, from his shoulder to his chest and back again. "We can't do this."
"We've already done this, Naomi. We're in this, and I know you feel it too."
"No." I bit at the inside of my lower lip. Hard. "This was more like a goodbye."
"Goodbye?" Kolyr shook his head. "But Rylos was telling me we could—"
"There's no way I can stay. None. I don't care how much protection he can offer me." A lump was forming in my throat, but I powered through. "Solys will find a way to get to me. He doesn't think like Rylos, you get me? He'll use whatever resources he can. I promise you he will. Besides, I couldn't stay here even if I wanted to. Everything and everyone on this planet reminds me of him."
Kolyr's chest hardened beneath my fingers as his body stiffened. "Everyone?"
I met his eyes, hoping he couldn't see the tears forming in my own. "Yes."
I saw the hope shatter in his expression, his posture—everything about him came crumbling down. It was like a spear through my heart, but at least I knew I wouldn't have to worry about Kolyr trying to keep me on Korystus anymore.
11
Marion was waiting for me, lounging on the bed and reading, when I thundered back into the bedroom. The moment she caught sight of me, she scrambled out of the bed.
"What happened?" she asked in a rushed voice. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"I really don't think you are." Her voice was gentle, as if afraid she might scare me away.
I glanced in the mirror and saw my eyes were red with unshed tears. I refused to cry because it would be stupid to do so. It wouldn't change anything. I'd done what Kolyr tried to do back in that forest. I'd put a wedge between us that would keep us firmly apart.
It was cruel. All those times he'd asked me if I thought all Korysti were the same. Or told me that I thought they were all terrible. He'd been trying to find out where he stood with me. And I'd used it against him. In the end, it was as good for me as it was for him though. This was the right choice. I bit down on my tongue, distracting myself from the stinging at the corners of my eyes, then smiled at Marion.