Page 22 of A Darkside Interlude

He responded with all the intensity of a parched man in the desert, crushing his lips against hers, taking a long, slow drink from her desperate mouth.

Strong fingers slid through her hair, caressing her scalp. As he molded his body against hers, his insistent erection pressed into the soft skin of her lower belly.

His kisses were as good as she thought they’d be.

No, they were better. She could kiss him until the bloody sun came up, and then…

He let go.

What?

As he looked down at her, Mari felt as if all the air had been sucked from her, leaving her breathless and wanting.

“Be careful, human.” He pulled back, his eyes widening a fraction. It was a look of surprise. She’d caught him off guard. “Even I have my limits.”

“A parting gift.” As the scattered pieces of the Universe fell into place around her, settling back into a familiar order, Mari once again accepted her fate. This… whatever it was, was impossible. She knew that. He knew that. “Thank you.”

“For what? There is nothing to thank me for.” His voice was low and hoarse. The way he looked at her—with the singleminded intensity of a predator—made her quiver inside, all the way down to the heat between her legs.

He was utterly addictive, and he was leaving.

She’d never see him again.

“For being decent,” she said, indulging in a rare moment of honesty.

“You were unfairly outmatched. I merely corrected the imbalance.” His might sound cold, but he couldn’t erase the memory of that searing kiss.

Then, the most unexpected thing happened. His expression changed.

Mari was reminded of the dark clouds parting to reveal a glimpse of the glittering stars. He gave her a look that was almost-tender, almost-wistful, and utterly sublime.

Then it was gone, disappearing so quickly she swore she could have imagined it.

“Exchange the krath. Get out of this place.” That same tenderness seeped into his voice. As he turned, he pulled his hood up, hiding his brilliant white hair.

Before Mari could comprehend what had just happened, he was gone, the rusty metal door creaking behind him.

Just like that.

Her heart still hammering, Mari opened her hand. The krath winked back at her.

Strange thing.

It was a coin; a square, blood-red alien-metal coin. One one side, there was a seven-pointed star. On the other side, a pair of crossed swords—curved and vicious looking—sat atop a single incomprehensible word.

A shiver coursed down Mari’s spine. A piece of the distant Universe lay in her hand, given to her by a cold, violent, scary, and yet somehow kind stranger.

The heavy silence was suddenly punctuated by the rapid staccato pop of fireworks in the skies above.

“Happy new year,” Mari said to nobody in particular. This would be her twenty-second year on Earth. Ever since she and Arturo had been orphaned and left to fend for themselves in the Dust Alleys, the passing of the New Year had meant little to her. While others celebrated, getting drunk or high in the wild streets of Darkside, Mari was always busy figuring out where her next stack of credits was going to come from.

The scuff of footsteps from above alerted her to movement, and seconds later, the metal drop-ladder slid down. Arturo climbed down a few rungs and jumped the remainder, his bare feet hitting the concrete floor with a soft thud. “Sis, what was he doing in our house?”

“I got into trouble,” she answered honestly. “He got me into it, and he got me out of it.”

Arturo made a fist and slapped it into his palm, frowning. “I was gonna drop a fucking roof-plate on him if he tried anything.”

“No you weren’t. I had it under control. Don’t even think about doing those kinds of things, Artoo, and don’t swear. Your MQ exam is only two days away.”

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