Page 8 of The Devil in the Details

“I like her,” Malgraxon announced once they were on the street. “She’s spicy.”

“What did you tell her?”

“The truth.”

All her blood drained away, leaving her cold. “The truth?”

“Relax. A tailored version of the truth.” He snagged two apples from a fruit vendor on the corner and tossed a credit chip to the merchant. “It’s always easier to tell the truth than spin a lie.” He crunched into an apple. “Lies have so many details to remember,” he said, mouth full of apple. Juice dribbled down his chin, and his long tongue flicked down to lap it up.

She might have been staring.

“What? Did you want one? You claimed you were not hungry.” His eyes swirled black and blue, and he looked thoroughly amused at catching her staring.

“I might be a little hungry,” she admitted.

“Ah, I see you understand the art of telling the partial truth.” He grinned and tossed her the other apple.

Zelda muttered very rude things before eating her apple.

A vehicle stopped at the curb and a door opened. Malgraxon gestured for her to enter. Mouth too full of apple to protest that she didn’t accept rides from strange demons, she climbed in. Her feet hurt too much for walking anyway.

The richly appointed interior smelled like money. Lots of money. The driver—a real person and not an AI driven car—confirmed wealth.

Malgraxon munched on his apple, watching her with his oddly swirling eyes. Whatever he was getting out of this arrangement, it wasn’t money. He had plenty already.

The vehicle glided through the tunnels. Buildings huddled close together. None were taller than two stories. Moss clung to the rock ceiling, embedded with lights that were either too bright or failing. Despite the controlled temperature inside the vehicle, her hair stuck to the back of her neck thanks to the humid, warm air. Between the heat and the suffocating feel of the tunnel about to collapse, it was no wonder that people built outside as quickly as possible.

“Where are we going?” she asked as the vehicle exited the caves. A murky pink sky spread out over them. She hardly noticed the dome or the structural supports anymore. It was all part of the scenery.

“To procure appropriate clothing for the auction.”

“I have a dress.”

“No,” Malgraxon said.

“You haven’t seen it?—”

“No,” he repeated. “You clearly do not have the ability to dress yourself.”

“Hey! There’s nothing wrong with what I’m wearing.” She wore a draped front cardigan with a hood. The drape of fabric was generous enough to be wrapped up and affixed to the hood to protect her face. It was a wardrobe staple. Mars was dusty, eveninside the enclosed environment. Traffic stirred it up from the ground, and the air circulation system spread it throughout the city.

Her outfit might not have been fashionable, but it was practical. Everyone wore one.

“Do not be embarrassed. Dressing well is a skill that requires cultivation,” Malgraxon said.

“You literally stole your outfit from a theater department.”

“Did I?”

How would she know? Probably. She didn’t know him well but that seemed like the kind of stunt the Daimoni were known for. They were capricious. Interested in their own amusements. Indulgent.

He finished his apple, eating it whole, core and all. He eyed Zelda’s apple core, his long tongue licking his lips. She passed the core over without a word. He swallowed it with a grin.

The city rolled past the windows, moving from the shabby familiarity of her neighborhood to the swankier part of the city. The buildings still had the shiny gloss of newness, paint not scoured away by dust, and zero signs of rust. Miles of flawless glass panels slid by. The people they passed might as well have been a different species, which Zelda knew was silly. They were as Martian as she was, if better dressed. They were elegant and cool, in pristine outfits that red dust wouldn’t dare sully.

The vehicle stopped in front of the kind of discreet store with understated signage that meant expensive. “Here we are.”

Inside, the shop was a cozy space with wood panel walls, potted plants, and a plush leather couch. Definitely expensive.The wood looked to be actual hardwood, imported from Earth, not the processed kind made from the fast-growing bamboo cultivated on Mars.

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