Dark Horizons

by Rae D. Magdon

  After a moment, Taylor noticed that Rachel was staring at her, and she quickly looked back up, trying to disguise the awkward pause. "Yeah. It would. At least then I’d have something to tell the families…I wrote all the letters of condolence yesterday."

  Rachel winced. "Damn. I don’t think any of them would have blamed you for taking another few days to get your head together, especially since you’re babysitting our ticket out of this mess."

  "It isn’t terrible," Taylor said. "She’s not bad company."

  Rachel set her gun down. "Did you just say that? Really?"

  Taylor avoided meeting Rachel’s gaze. "What? She’s a good person."

  "It’s the reason your crew is dead," said Rachel. She put a hand on Taylor’s arm. Though it was supposed to be a comforting gesture, Taylor had to resist shrugging the off the touch. "And even if one ikthian might have some proper civility, this one is going to end up either dead or traded away to the highest bidder. So don’t you dare tell me you’re growing attached to it."

  The callous words made Taylor back away. She hated to admit it, but Rachel was right. Maia was probably not going to get out of this situation alive. "I’m not," she said, trying to reassure her friend. "And she’s not an it. Just because she’s a political prisoner doesn’t mean we should treat her like dirt. We’d be no better than the bottom-feeders if we did."

  Her comrade’s eyes narrowed as Rachel considered what Taylor said. She crossed her arms. Rachel looked frustrated with her. "But there’s more than civility here, Taylor. I’m your friend. Don’t play me off like some fool."

  Taylor picked up her assault rifle and began disassembling it. "I’m not. And there’s nothing more to me and the prisoner than what you’re putting into it."

  Rachel put a hand on her shoulder again. "Are you sure? Taylor, look at me." The lieutenant looked up from her half-assembled rifle and met Rachel’s concerned stare. "I don’t want you getting in trouble, okay? Sometimes I worry about you."

  "Don’t worry, then. I have it under control." This time, Taylor did shrug off the friendly touch. She grabbed a rag and began wiping down the dusty parts of her weapon. She had not given it a proper cleaning in a while, anyway.

  "There shouldn’t even be anything to have under control," said Rachel. "That’s my point."

  "Don’t worry," Taylor said again, a little more insistently. "I have a job to do, and I’m going to do it."

  "Okay, okay." Rachel raised her hands in mock surrender, shifting back a little and turning to begin disassembling her own weapon for cleaning. "Just…be careful. Even though it—"

  "She," Taylor interrupted.

  "She," Rachel corrected herself grudgingly, "might not seem like the ikthians that killed your squad, she’s still one of them. You don’t really know her. And if there’s some way we can use her to protect Earth, it doesn’t matter how nice she is. We need to look out for our own people first."

  Taylor sighed. Deep down, she knew that Rachel was right, but her friend’s logic did not ease any of the conflict she felt. "Yeah. I know." Still, she could not help picturing Maia’s face as she resumed cleaning her weapon. Even though she was an alien, her expressions were so familiar. So human. For just a moment, Taylor’s hands shook over her gun. Thoughts like that were only going to make it even more difficult when Maia was sent away from Earth.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Maia's first instinct was to rush out to the living room when she heard the door open. She could tell it was Taylor by the way the human grumbled. A clattering noise filled the small apartment as Taylor began tossing pieces of what Maia could only assume was her armor.

  "You can leave. I’m capable of watching my own damn prisoner," Taylor growled at the armed guards. Unable to resist, Maia peeked past the bedroom door and watched. She almost laughed when she saw the identical expressions of confusion on the guards’ faces. Apparently, they had not been expecting Taylor to strip practically in the middle of the hallway. A piece of Taylor’s armor nearly hit one of them as she continued to pull off the heavy layers, and both of them turned and fled, wisely deciding that she could handle herself.

  As soon as they were gone, Taylor turned and shut the door, activating the lock code. "You’d think the whole base has no more confidence in me," she muttered, kicking aside her chest plate without bothering to pick it up. Maia cleared her throat, and Taylor looked up to see her framed in the doorway to the bedroom. Maia did not know how to respond to Taylor’s irate mood, so she chose to remain standing with her hands cuffed in front of her. She had not said a word to the guards when they had insisted on binding her wrists for the interrogation. They had not harmed her otherwise, but she was still relieved when Taylor stomped over and punched in the code to release her.

  "Why the hell did they bother restraining you?" Taylor asked, pulling the open cuffs away and tossing them onto the table. "What do they think you’re going to do while the collar’s on? Scratch someone’s eyes out?"

  Maia rubbed her wrists, massaging the place where the cuffs had chafed against her skin. "I think they were simply following instructions, Taylor," she said, unsure of how else to calm the human. She walked to the couch and sat down. Perhaps if she could get Taylor to stop moving, she would unwind.

  Taylor continued pacing in front of her. With no more armor to fling, she made sweeping gestures with her arms. "It’s the principle of the thing." Her hands balled into tight fists. "They act like… like…" Taylor’s pacing slowed as she searched for the words she needed. "Like you’re someone they can’t trust."

  Maia frowned. "Why should the guards trust me?" The couch sagged as Taylor sat down next to her, and Maia swallowed. She felt the heat of Taylor’s thigh press against hers, and the muscles in her core tightened.

  "I don’t know." Taylor seemed frustrated with her own response. "How did the interrogation go?"

  "More of the same. I am afraid I could not tell them anything useful." Maia had decided it was in her best interest to remain cooperative with the humans, but none of them seemed interested in asking questions about her research or what her standing with her people was. Even when she tried to interject, they simply silenced her and moved on. Apparently, the generals had decided they wanted her as a bargaining chip, not a war asset.

  Taylor’s forehead creased with concern. "They didn’t hurt you?"

  "No." Maia paused, considering her next words for a few moments before asking, "But why did the guards take me instead of you?"

  "I had a few hours of leave."

  "How did you spend your free time?" Maia was curious about what could have put Taylor into such a foul mood.

  "I went to the shooting range with Rachel." Maia nodded her head, urging her to continue. "I shot at practice targets with a friend of mine. It was supposed to be relaxing."

  "But it was not," Maia finished.

  Taylor groaned and slumped back against the couch. Her hands flopped down at her side, her fingertips inadvertently brushing Maia’s thigh. "We argued, mostly about you."

  Maia’s heart rate sped up. "Oh? Why is that?" She hoped she did not sound like she was prying, but she could not help being curious. Knowing that Taylor had been thinking and talking about her made Maia feel a little better about her own fascination with the human.

  "My friend thinks I’m crazy for trusting you, but I can’t help it. You’re…" Taylor’s words broke off as her gaze lingered on Maia’s eyes, then traveled south, to stare at… Was Taylor looking at her lips? Maia wished she knew. Instead, she felt a heated blush bloom over her face and neck. Taylor’s hand settled more firmly on her thigh. "You’re not a monster."

  Maia felt herself leaning closer to Taylor. For what purpose, she did not know, but she trusted her body’s instincts. For a moment, both of them held perfectly still. Maia’s hand moved slowly to Taylor’s thigh, and the human drew in a sharp breath before blinking and standing up. She cleared her throat and took a few steps back. "You know..." Maia thought she heard a waver in Taylor's
voice even as she rested a hand on her narrow hip in a gesture of confidence. "The bedroom is probably more comfortable. There isn't anything to do in here."

  Maia opened her mouth, but closed it again. She could not tell if Taylor meant to dispel the desire pooling between them or heighten it with her suggestion, but the way she blushed after the statement was telling. Maia stood up from the couch. She thought about objecting, but eventually decided that there was no denying the powerful draw she felt. She had to face it, one way or another. Hesitantly, Maia followed Taylor back into the bedroom.

  Taylor flopped down onto the bed instantly, lying back and resting her arms above her head while Maia took a hesitant seat at the edge of the mattress. It took all of her willpower to keep her eyes averted. For a moment, she wondered if she should just confess her insane attraction. Taylor would realize the immediate danger of their situation and hurry to put distance between them. Surely, she would be unwilling to cross the boundary of bedding a prisoner. Taylor’s sprawled position was already giving her dangerous ideas. Maia itched to lean forward, to pin Taylor’s arms together and remove her fatigues. She would have free access to study Taylor’s naked form, to explore every inch of her with her hands and mouth.

  "Maia? Was there something you wanted to talk about?" Taylor asked.

  Maia looked up, a little startled as she snapped out of her daydream. "What?" Her heart hammered with nervous energy and arousal pooled in her core.

  Taylor pushed up with her palms, adjusting herself into a seated position on the edge of the mattress beside Maia. "You keep staring at me like you have something on your mind."

  Maia tried to speak, but her voice stuck in her throat. This was not a wise decision. Logically, she knew that confessing her attraction was a horrible idea. Maia’s illogical side, the part of herself that she usually kept smothered with statistics, was urging her to say something. Taylor had proven herself to be a genuinely thoughtful person. So far, she was the only human who seemed to accept her. She deserved to know.

  "I must be going crazy," Maia murmured under her breath.

  Unfortunately, Taylor heard her. "Look, I know you're technically a prisoner, but if something is bothering you, you can tell me. I'll try and fix it." She gave Maia a soft smile. "You’ve already done the same for me twice." Maia had no ready reply to that statement, and her face heated with a deep blush. Taylor seemed to take her silence for hesitation, or perhaps even worry. She leaned forward; making Maia's heart beat even faster. "Is it because of the interrogation… or me? I can back off, you know, if you’d rather not—"

  "No. No, it is not that. I just..." She tried to explain, but her words refused to come when she needed them most.

  "Just what? Has anyone been treating you badly?"

  "No," Maia said, even more emphatically than the first time. With slowly growing dread, she realized that Taylor was going to keep guessing at what the problem might be until she either stumbled upon it or frustrated her into confessing. She sighed, staring down into her lap. Earlier, when Taylor had put her hand on Maia’s thigh, she had fought the urge to reach out and stroke the contours of the human’s strong fingers.

  "Then what is it?"

  Since Taylor would not be dissuaded, Maia decided to say the one thing that was guaranteed to stop her questions—the truth. Surely if she confessed her attraction, Taylor would see how very quickly their situation could escalate and go into the other room. At least that way she would have some peace, even at the expense of being lonely.

  "I find myself having strange reactions to your presence," Maia blurted out, wincing as she realized how awful her wording had been.

  Taylor blinked, not understanding. "Strange reactions?"

  Maia nodded and forced herself to continue. "When…well, it is probably the same for both species. It would not surprise me. Physical attraction plays a key role when selecting a person to mate with…er, that is…I mean…" Maia resisted the temptation to cover her face with her hand and hide her embarrassment. She had never been good at this sort of thing.

  She finally found the courage to look at Taylor and was surprised to see that her blush had returned. This time, it reached all the way to the tips of her ears. Maia had hoped that the human would be able to interpret her ramblings, but unfortunately, Taylor looked just as embarrassed as she felt. She would have to continue. "For reasons I cannot explain, I find myself drawn to you. I am sorry, and I understand if you wish for me to sleep in the other room tonight."

  Before Maia could react, Taylor cupped her face with a warm hand. She paused, seeming to wait for something. Maia met her eyes with a stare filled with longing and confusion. Taylor moved closer. She dipped her head and caught Maia’s lips, cutting off her soft gasp of surprise.

  Maia’s body stiffened at the unfamiliar sensation, but she relaxed when she grew used to the pressure of Taylor’s mouth. Soon, Taylor's lips overwhelmed her as they slid past her own. She brushed them with a few gentle pecks before pressing forward with her tongue. Before she even realized what she was doing, Maia kissed her back. She started hesitantly at first, but after a few moments, she grew bolder. She grabbed Taylor’s shoulders, pulling her close. They needed this. They just needed to get it over with so they could go back to being prisoner and guard.

  "By the ancients," she murmured when they finally broke apart. Their faces hovered less than a breath away. Taylor laughed and nipped the fullest part of Maia's lower lip, tugging slightly to coax her mouth open again. The tease was too much, and Maia practically pulled Taylor on top of her as they sank onto the mattress. "This is insane," she panted between the frantic press of their lips. Her hands were everywhere at once, running up and down the broad expanse of Taylor’s back, trailing over the dip in her spine, caressing her hips.

  Taylor broke away from Maia’s lips and started kissing down along the line of her neck. "Let’s not think about that right now," she whispered. Before Maia could respond, Taylor’s hand slipped under her shirt, trailing curiously over her stomach. Maia shivered and arched into her touch, her muscles flexing against Taylor’s palm.

  "We’ll just do this once," Taylor breathed against the heated flesh of her neck. Maia shivered at warmth of Taylor's mouth against her skin. She wanted to feel that mouth all over her body, even in places she had not imagined. "Once, and then we won’t have to anymore."

  Maia nodded, though part of her knew that they were making a terrible mistake. For once, the rational part of her brain had completely shut off. "Just once," she agreed before Taylor’s lips descended on hers again. When a soft, warm tongue slid between them, she tilted her head slightly and opened her mouth. Maia had very little experience with kissing, and she certainly had not expected it to be like this—all heat and smoothness and bruising force that made her long for things she did not understand. She whimpered into Taylor’s mouth, and her hips pushed upwards against the firm thigh that had somehow wedged itself between her legs.

  "This needs to come off," Taylor panted as their kiss broke. She tugged at the hem of Maia's shirt, trying to pull it up over her head. Maia raised her arms and sat up, trying to help. She had absolutely no idea what she was doing, but Taylor did not seem to care. Taylor was moving so quickly that Maia did not have time to do anything but make encouraging noises in response. She shivered as she realized that unless she said ‘stop’ or pushed her away, Taylor was going to continue until she had taken what she wanted.

  As soon as Maia’s shirt came off, Taylor tossed it aside. Neither of them cared where it landed. For a split second, both of them paused to catch their breath. Maia blushed as Taylor stared at her exposed flesh. She could not remember the last time she had been naked in front of someone else, aside from the embarrassing incident outside the shower.

  Taylor hurried to tug off her shirt and compression top, and heat throbbed between Maia's legs. Taylor's skin was wonderfully soft, and she knew that it would feel even better when they were both completely naked and tangled up in each other. Her
eyes widened as she watched Taylor strip to the waist. She was perfectly formed, all toned muscle and broad shoulders. The smooth expanse of her torso, her high, firm breasts, and the obvious line that bisected her abdominal muscles were all incredibly tempting. She would have to explore much more thoroughly when Taylor gave her a chance.

  Before she could study further, Taylor climbed top of her again, pinning her to the mattress and nipping at the column of her throat. In the middle of the string of kisses trailing down towards her chest, Taylor paused to bite her shoulder. Maia let out a cry of pleasure as she rocked down against Taylor’s thigh. When warm lips folded around the tip of her breast, she rolled her head back onto the pillows. She could feel Taylor’s tongue scrape against the stiff point as she teased it with the edges of her teeth, and she had the sudden urge to run her hands through the human’s hair and pull her closer. She gave in, sinking her fingers into the thick tangle of black and pulling a little too tightly.

  Fortunately, Taylor seemed too distracted to notice. She only grunted a little in response before kissing her way across to Maia's other breast. "Fuck," she murmured, pulling up just far enough to stare at Maia’s flushed face. "I need you. I don’t care what you are."

  Instead of offending her, Taylor’s declaration only made Maia’s desire grow. Even though she knew she shouldn’t, Maia let her hand run down the back of Taylor’s neck. She squeezed slightly, urging her to keep going. "Please," she begged, shocked by the need in her voice. Both of them fumbled to pull their pants and undergarments off, parting for a brief moment to kick their clothes away before coming back together.