Page 42 of Xeda

"Maybe I'll just sit on the edge and help clean off the toner from there," she suggested.

He pulled off his kelva pants and dropped them by the pool. She wished she had an ounce of his confidence as he stood naked before her and walked leisurely down into the pool. Then again, he didn't have anything to show. At least not yet. She knew they kept their privates hidden, protected in the v-shaped sheath between his legs.

He looked over at her and almost appeared hurt by her suggestion. "I'm not going to bite you."

"That's not exactly what I am afraid of."

He studied her curiously. His tail weaved across the surface behind him. "Then what?"

She shifted on her feet. "Have you ever seen a human naked?"

He blinked at her in surprise, then seemed to think it over. "Hmm...no."

"And you've never cared to, right?"

"Is that honestly why you're afraid?"

She bit her lip, looking down at the water. "Yes." Her heart flipped as she said it. "I think you might regret it...and I don't exactly look like...like the others."

He leaned back against the edge. "Well, lucky for you, I have no other human to compare to." When she didn't respond, he huffed. "Don't fear my reaction. I promise not to laugh or to get upset. And as I said, I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you here in the first place. Trust me."

Because it doesn't mean anything, she thought to herself. Somehow that made her feel less self-conscious. Playing with the ties on her waist, she decided to let herself go. Before she lost her nerve, she took off the small armband first, then unclasped her top and let it fall. Without hesitation, she peeled off the bottoms and placed them to one side.

She hugged herself and took a step into the pool, then froze when she caught Xeda's gaze, a quiet intense stare like none he'd given her before.

"Who did that to you?" he asked softly.

She didn't move, paralyzed by whether she should quickly put her clothes back on or submerge herself in the pool. Instead, trying to keep her courage, she stood firm and slowly dropped her arms. Her eyes drifted down, and she caught the scars that went across her breasts in an ugly asymmetrical X. One point ended at her left nipple, another at her collarbone.

She took a deep breath and finally decided to walk farther into the pool. From a dispenser on the ledge beside him, she squeezed soap onto her hands, then lathered them before getting closer. Her little daydream of them on the beach resurfaced in her head, and she cleared her throat, waving it away. She trailed her hand over his shoulder and down one arm, washing away the oil of the toner.

"My immediate family was assassinated when I was very young," she started, wanting to give him a clear answer. "It was an otherkin hired by someone who wanted what my family had. Some say a lygin, others a nillium or a fyrien. No one remembers or cares anymore. They killed my mom, dad, and brothers. The story everyone tells is that, when the assassin got to me, he couldn't bring himself to finish the job because I was just a child. And that's how I survived. But that was a lie. He wanted to take his time with me instead. He cut me deep with his blade." She moved her hand across Xeda's chest, drawing the X with her fingers, tracing the way the blade had moved along her in a slow caress. "I screamed and begged him to stop, but he only laughed." Her voice felt distant as that night surged back into her memory. "The only reason I survived is because he took too long and didn't notice one of the family guards had survived his blade. They shot him several times."

"They killed him?" Xeda hissed softly.

"No, actually. He survived but was severely maimed. He tried to flee but was caught by the local enforcers. He took the blade to his throat after, before they could get anything out of him." She glanced up and caught Xeda's eyes. Her face burned, as if he saw through her.

"Maybe I was wrong then," he said in a low voice.

Her brow furrowed. "About what?"

"Maybe...not all humans are as weak as I thought. There are a few rare exceptions."

For some reason, that made her smile. "Is that what I am?"

"Yes. To me. And I'll fight any who says otherwise."

She didn't know why but the way he said it made it sound like it had a deeper meaning. "Well, if that's considered a vrisha compliment, I'll take it." She continued to wash off the toner. Her hands slipped down his side, letting her fingers trail down each rib. She knew he watched her, and she pretended not to notice even though her pulse raced.

She went to add more soap when she suddenly felt something slither across her thigh. She jumped so high she splashed them both, a curse spilling from her lips.

"What the hell?" she gasped.

Xeda snickered. She felt something trail across her legs again and realized it was his tail.

"Still a jumpy little thing though," he hissed. "I can still scare you any time."

"I was startled, not scared," she corrected.

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