Page 55 of Kiss of Light

Until now he hadn’t really cared what happened to Nush’aldaam. It wasn’t his problem. He’d never even been there.

But hearing Tala speak of her homeland had changed something in him. Or maybeshehad changed something in him. Because he was seriously considering going back home.

Even though doing so meant a death sentence.

Twenty Two

They crossed the state line into New Mexico. The terrain became steadily more rocky and desert-like, and though sunset had long since passed, Tala knew the mountains to either side would glow deep red in the late afternoon rays.

There were few cars on the road. Occasionally the odd set of headlights would appear in their rear-view mirror. Tala would watch carefully until they passed, alert to any possibility of a tail. But so far it seemed no-one was following them.

It was nearly midnight when Lemar pulled into a roadside diner.Hemight not need to eat, Tala had explained firmly, but her stomach required food on a daily basis. She looked at Google maps.

“By my reckoning, we only have three or four more hours till we get to Dolores, Colorado.”

“What’s so special about Dolores, Colorado?”

“I’ll tell you when you decide what you’re doing. That’s the deal, isn’t it? We get to Colorado, and then you decide whether to stick with me or not.”

He studied her for a moment. The blinking neon sign of the roadside diner lit her skin in a succession of colours; blue, pink, green.

“And whatever my decision, you’ll go back to Nush’aldaam regardless?”

“Yes. I have to. I have to help Shadeed. He needs all the allies he can get.”

“Especially if my father turns against him.”

Tala shrugged.

“No pressure. Your choice. Now come and buy a girl a burger.”

“You shouldn’t consume so much red meat,” he told her as they left the car. “It’s not healthy.”

“Says the vampire.”

There were no other cars in the lot but Tala saw a few bikes parked out front. Mostly Harleys. She was happy about that.

Bikers didn’t like authority and weren’t likely to volunteer information about them to anyone who might ask.

She and Lemar took seats at the bar. The tattooed bartender nodded at them as he wiped down a glass.

“One minute, folks. Let me get you some menus.”

Tala glanced around, automatically scoping out the exits. Most of the bikers were playing pool, their long hair held back by knotted scarves. All sported leather trousers or singlets or both, and one or two had truly impressive beards.

She turned to Lemar.

“I need to go to the bathroom. Get me a cheeseburger, would you? With extra gherkins. I love gherkins.”

He sighed in resignation.

The bathroom was pretty bad but Tala had seen worse. At least it had running water and hand-soap. The cubicle had toilet paper, which was a plus. And some fairly inventive graffiti on the back of the door.

When she left the stall she found a tall brunette reapplying eyeliner to the several layers she was already wearing. Her foundation was white, her lips black, and her hair bone straight to the waist.

Typical goth vampire look. Tala grinned inwardly. If only she knew there was a real one sitting at the bar.

Tala washed her hands, meeting the other woman’s eyes in the mirror.

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