Page 45 of A Darkside Interlude

Forging an unlikely bond.

“Now I am satisfied,” he said at last, gently withdrawing. In a swift, elegant motion, he lifted her into his arms.

As if by magic, the water automatically stopped as they stepped out of the shower. Warm air rushed around them, and suddenly the water evaporated from Mari’s skin, leaving her perfectly dry.

Still naked, Iskar carried her down a dark corridor, heading for his bedroom. The cocoon-like space was illuminated with small warm lights that burnished his skin, turning him into a perfect living sculpture.

“You know, that’s the first time I’ve ever experienced a real shower.” Before now, showering had only been a distant fantasy for Mari; it was something only rich Telurians had access to. Water was scarce in the Dust Alleys, and people usually made do with buckets and dry-sanitation canisters.

“Hm.” If Iskar was surprised, he didn’t show it. He gently deposited her on his bed, a shadowy, womb-like pod covered in the softest black sheets. “So? Did you like it, my precious Mari?” His expression turned sly.

“Very much so.” Infused with the afterglow of their lovemaking, she reclined on the bed, enjoying his appreciative stare. “If all showers are like that, I will be taking a lot of them.”

She returned his stare. For the first time, Mari was able to appreciate him in all his bare-naked glory.

He was completely, utterly breathtaking. Tall and lean, Iskar was all muscle. His silver body could have been carved from solid metal, but when he moved, the warm light dancing across his skin, he was very much a living, breathing creature.

Scars of various lengths marred his body, reminding Mari that he was a warrior. The black pendant—the very one she’d tried to steal—hung around his neck, contrasting sharply with his luminous skin.

Battle-scars.

How many wars had he fought? What terrible things had he done before he landed on Earth? How many people had he… killed?

Iskar seemed to notice the direction of Mari’s gaze. As he sat down beside her, he reached for her hand. “I am far from perfect, Maribel. Not all of these scars were earned righteously.”

“I can’t even imagine…” She didn’t know what to say. He was being completely open with her, and she was a little afraid of what she might hear.

Not that it would change anything. She was utterly addicted to this man.

“You would not have liked the old me. I was young, vicious, and hungry for promotion. I believed the Empire’s propaganda, and I reveled in the power I was granted.”

The tenderness of his touch provided a stark contrast to his chilling words.

“What changed? I know you’re not that type of person anymore.”

“There wasn’t a single defining moment. Change was a gradual thing, but perhaps it started at a certain point in time.”

“Something happened to you?” Mari moved across and curled up beside him. She sensed that he was revealing a very secret part of himself. This was a side to this tough, hard Kordolian that others never got to see.

“To my father,” he corrected. “He was an infantryman; a grunt. On a routine flight back to base, he got caught in a spacefight between two warring Noble Houses over a group of Veronian slaves. He was killed.”

“Oh, Iskar. I’m so sorry.”

“It was a long time ago,” he said gruffly, stroking her hand. “The irony of it all was that he was protecting the slaves, not the nobles. My father was at the frontline of many battles in his life. He always used to tell me that the ideals of the Empire were misguided. I would tell him he was a fool, that his words bordered on treason. I was young. I thought I knew everything.” Iskar’s hand drifted to the diamond-shaped pendant at his neck. “After his death, the Empire awarded him this medal. It wasn’t because they saw his actions as heroic. His intervention allowed the more favored Noble House to recapture their slaves. They thought he was on their side.”

Mari took a deep, shuddering breath. “It’s a memento of your father?” A pang of guilt wormed its way into her chest. She’d tried to steal something that was precious to him. “I’m sorry.”

“Do not apologize to me, Mari. You are mine now. That more than makes up for the original transgression, does it not?” Iskar put his arm around her, pulling her into a warm embrace. “After he died, all the things my father had said about the Empire started to come true. He, a simple infantryman, became a prophet in death, and there was so much I wanted to share with him, but that chance was lost forever. That is why I wear this medal around my neck. It is to remind myself that there is always another way of looking at a situation. Nothing is absolute.”

“Is that why you let me go? Why you gave me the krath?”

The heaviness lifted from his expression, and the corner of his mouth quirked upwards. “Partly. But you are also very beautiful, and that influenced my decision somewhat. The kiss alone was worth it.”

“So the Head of Security is not immune to a woman’s charms.”

“I am only vulnerable to your charms, Maribel. I told you to be careful. The effect you have on me is dangerous.”

“And you’re quite the smooth-talker when you want to be.”

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