Page 25 of The Danger Kiss

The questions swirled in my head like a bottled tempest. Somehow, I knew I could not face this alone. Not with so many people around me. Not with my family’s reputation or billions of credits at stake.

It was in this moment of agitation that Dalek's presence now became an urgent necessity.

I excused myself and exchanged goodbyes with the Clover City couple. I moved around the room as fast as my high-heeled shoes, my dress and the crowds would allow without drawing unnecessary attention.

I found Dalek by the long table with drinks and finger food laid out on one side of room. He was biting into a tiny sandwich when I reached his side. I was quite sure I looked more pale-faced than normal, and shaking as if in the throes of yet another involuntarily Manifestation.

His eyes bored into mine with instinctive understanding and concern. “Blanca, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

For a moment, I hesitated, caught between the urge not to let him know anything more about me than necessary. But as I met his gaze, our history and his sincerity tipped the balance, and I found myself making a decision that would change everything.

I put my hand on his arm and drew closer to his warmth.

And I began to speak.

nine

The Thief

Iwatched as Blanca wove her way through the throng of partygoers, her face a pallid visage. The dim light of the chandeliers cast her in and out of shadow, emphasizing the vulnerability and innocence that I always saw in her eyes.

Her violet eyes met mine, their depths revealing what could only be fear and uncertainty. She trembled like a flower caught in a storm, her frail form swaying ever as if she was in the middle of a strong, irresistible whirlwind.

I was certain she had discovered something of great importance, something that seemed to leave her shaking in the wake of its discovery.

"Did you find anything?"

"More than I bargained for," she whispered, her violet eyes locked onto mine, imbuing me with the gravity of her impending revelation.

“Would you like to talk about it?” I could feel her hand on my arm turning as cold as ice.

She offered me a faint smile as she nodded. "Let's get out of here.”

"Let’s go, then.” I offered her my arm as we turned to leave the opulent confines of the venue. She took it without hesitation or misgivings this time, in sharp contrast to her icy behavior the previous day.

As we exited the villa, the cool night air of Asphalt City enveloped us soothingly. The moon and the city's pulsating neon lights guided our way.

We traversed the streets in search of refuge and perhaps escape, eventually finding solace in a small playground with benches, steel bars and swings. I realized we were at the school where most children from Project D usually went. It was a secluded spot nestled amidst the towering skyscrapers, where the din of the perpetually busy city seemed like a distant memory.

"Here," I said, guiding her gently onto one of the worn stone benches. "We can talk freely here.

"Thanks," Blanca replied, her eyes sweeping across the serene space. She took a seat on the bench, and I joined her, our shoulders brushing gently against one another.

We sat side by side in the dark, as if it were fifteen years ago and no time had passed. It was as if all hurt and anger had been forgotten.

Perhaps it was wishful thinking on my part.

We all had to grow up…and grow old.

“My family sent me to Asphalt City for the auction,” she began tentatively.

She told me things I already knew: using her poisons to buy her way into the auction and having to sell them during the Prime event. She told me about her real mission of bidding for The Danger Kiss, with the weapon meant to be turned over to Platinum City.

I listened as she spoke about the scope of her mission, absorbed every sordid detail and clandestine task she had been assigned to complete. As the words spilled forth from her lips, with increasing urgency and determination, my heart clenched at the true meaning behind her confession.

She trusted me enough to speak about everything.

“I found out something about The Danger Kiss tonight, at the party,” she continued. “I met a man and a woman from Clover City. They’re here for The Danger Kiss, too. They said it wasn’t really a weapon – it was a person.”

---