Page 27 of Hyperspeed
“Hi there.”
I turned to see who’d spoken, meeting a pair of upturned eyes with slitted pupils and golden irises. The newcomer was a stranger, and a handsome one to boot. He was tall, with viridian skin dappled with scales shining like polished gemstones. His smile revealed a mouth filled with pointed teeth, which should’ve been intimidating, but the shyness of it made him endearing.
“Hello.” My face stayed blank. I could’ve smiled, but I rarely did with the people I liked, let alone a stranger. At least it was a step up from a frown.
“Revvak, right?” He held out his hand, dwarfing mine as we shared a handshake. Despite the scaled skin, his palm was soft and warm.
“Rev. Only my grandma calls me Revvak.”
He chuckled. “I’m Nery.” Dropping my hand, he ran his fingers through his grass-green buzz cut. “My nana full-names me too—Nerytharion—so we’ve got that in common.”
His genuineness surprised me, so I smiled. Just a small one. “I guess so.” I gave him a once-over. “You don’t seem like the formal type.”
Nery bit his lip, cheeks darkening. “Not really. Life’s too short for formalities, don’t you think?”
I sipped my drink, feeling much more relaxed, but I couldn’t tell if it was Nery’s calm presence or the strength of the liquor in my glass. “I’m thinking you might be right.”
Orange light danced across the markings on my skin, and his gaze drifted to my exposed stomach before rising, lingering on my lips. I tipped my head back and finished my drink, feeling the weight of his stare on my throat. When I finished, Nery smiled again, his mouth closed this time.
He pointed at the empty glass in my hand. “Could I get you another drink?” Then he ran a hand through his hair again, and I expected it was a nervous tic. “If you’re, um, you know, not too busy?”
“Sure,” I replied, gifting him a proper smile. “That sounds great.” I tried to keep my tone casual, but the words came out a little faster than intended. No one had ever approached me in a bar before. I couldn’t help but be a little excited.
Nery’s face lit up, but before he could respond, a loud voice cut through the moment like a rusty guillotine.
“Revvy!” Kai yelled from across the bar.
Zylo’s nickname for me on Kai’s lips made me shudder, especially when it drew the attention of those around us. I ignored it, keeping my eyes on Nery,but a muscular arm curled around my neck, resting gently on my shoulders and demanding my attention.
Kai’s arm.
I caught a whiff of his cologne. There was a spicy undertone—cardamom, maybe—wrapped in the deep, earthy richness of worn leather. I sent him a disapproving look and shoved his arm away. He let it fall to his side and smiled down at me, charming and cocksure, but there was a slyness to it. Unnoticeable if you didn’t look closely.
“What do you want, Mercer?” I hissed.
Undeterred by my harsh tone, Kai’s smile seemed to stretch wider. “Came to find you, silly.” He sounded strange. Far too cheerful. “Tavoris wants a word.”
Then heboopedme on the nose.
What the fuck was happening?
I blinked once, twice, three times before registering his words. “Why?”
“I dunno. Some Zenith business probably.” He waved off the question, turning to look at Nery. “Alright, mate?”
I wasn’t sure what Kai was playing at. Nery shuffled from foot to foot, awkwardly observing our conversation from the sidelines. I went to speak, but he just smiled at me in apology.
“Looks like your friend needs you,” Nery said.
Naturally, I wanted to argue. To set him straight. To tell him that Kai Mercer wasnota friend. He was more like an annoying itch that wouldn’t disappear, no matter how hard you scratched.
I wanted to tell him not to leave. That I’d enjoyed his presence. Enjoyed being around someone who treated me like I was normal.
But curiosity got the better of me, and I needed to find out what this prick, Kai Mercer, was up to. So instead, I sighed, and looked up at Nery in apology. “Maybe next time?”
Nery gave me one last smile before disappearing into the crowd. I shoved Kai in the side, desperate to put some space between us, and glared up at him.
“The fuck was that, Mercer?”
