by Lisa Eskra
He'd resisted her last attempt to kiss him, which she'd only meant to be a friendly gesture, but this time Magnius didn't hesitate in his response at all. He grabbed her arms and pulled her in toward him. The memory of their sensual kiss on the Schenectady came flooding back to her, and she didn't stand a chance against his lustful spirit.
She wrapped her arms around his head to fuel his passion. To force him not to stop. His coarse beard irritated her face, but she ignored it. She focused on the excitement his touch gave her and how much she'd craved it since that night together on Xur, where he'd turned her down. Right now, she had control and making him lose it was all she wanted.
When Magnius pushed her up against the balcony doors, she heard the glass crack behind her. To entice him further, she let the robe slip off her shoulders and revealed her naked body beneath it. Her exhibitionism surprised him, and he grabbed her robe for a moment before letting it slip to the floor.
"I need you, Amii," he whispered breathlessly as if asking permission to make love to her. When her eyes fluttered open, she expected to find that his were glowing in some ethereal color, but they weren't. If she hadn't known any better, she'd have thought he was normal.
Before she could reply, he hoisted her up and perched her on the balcony railing nearest to the street. Without breaking their passionate embrace, he parted her legs and pressed his hips to hers. She found it difficult to balance on the four-inch ledge, but she clenched his shoulders to brace herself.
Their mad display of lust continued free of inhibition. She longed to be penetrated right away, but instead he built their passion to levels she didn't think existed. As he kissed her breasts, her attention drifted northward, where she spotted the slow approach of a police vehicle. It halted at a stoplight fifty yards away and did not continue after the light changed. It delighted her to give the officer the same secret thrill she enjoyed while creeping through the bowels of the Schenectady.
The moment Magnius unzipped his pants, she grabbed his hands and led him back inside the room. He turned off the lights after they reentered and swept her off her feet on his way to the bed. She wondered if sexual tension somehow related to their difficulty seeing eye to eye. And really, there was only one way to find out.
They spent another hour in the throes of life's great scheme to sustain itself. Magnius was everything she'd hoped for and more. He made everything she loathed about life melt away until all she could think about was him: his lips, his hands, his body, and the scent of wet basalt that had burned itself into her mind. Part of her would always be captivated by him.
After their escapade together came to an end, the two of them lied next to one another on the bed. Her head rested on his shoulder, and his arms embraced her. She brushed her hand across his bristly chin.
"Nothing happened last night," she said, "with that man. I threatened to rip his balls off if he didn't help."
He chuckled. "I feel honored. Really. It's not every day a woman threatens to do violence to a scumbag on my behalf." He took a deep breath. "Amii…I'll go to Xur with you. And I'm not going to complain anymore or try and talk you out of it. You believe in something so important to you that you're willing to die for it. And as noble as it would make me to want to save Lyneea…I'm not sure I'll ever be that sort of person. I don't know how you and Xander ever got to be so close, but he's lucky to have a person like you on his side."
"He said he was my father. I guess if we've only had each other to rely on since he left the Palmer Institute that explains everything." His change of heart puzzled her, but the decision put her at ease. She touched her hand to the side of his face and gazed into his eyes earnestly. "Thank you."
"I know this is going to sound like a ridiculous question, but where did you get that tattoo?"
"What?" She froze like she'd just been told a venomous insect landed on her shoulder. "Where do I have a tattoo?"
He turned her around and put his hand against her lower back to trace its outline. "I saw it on the Schenectady, but I didn't think too much of it. They're common enough, after all."
Amii strained her neck and tried to catch a glimpse of it but could not see it. "What is it?"
Magnius shrugged. "It looks familiar, but I have no idea. You really didn't know this was here?"
"No, but now that I do…" She twisted her lips as she turned again to try and spot it. "I don't like the thought that I've been marked for life."
"Well, it's not like you've been branded with someone's name or picture," he assured her. "And it's not some frou-frou girly tattoo. It's a tasteful design. I like the retro tribal flourishes. My father had something similar on his shoulder."
She closed her eyes and pouted her lips. Just when she'd grown comfortable with who she might be, she learned something that clashed with the image she had of herself. Why did she have to have another flaw? This had to be a poorly thought-out decision of her youth because if she didn't regret doing it, she didn't really know who she was after all this time. She'd forgotten the romance between them, and the permanent mark on her backside was all she could think about.
"Stop worrying about it. You have one of the most beautiful bodies I've ever seen. And that should mean a lot coming from me. Get some sleep." He kissed the back of her neck and held her close before drifting off for the night.
She didn't think she'd find sleep with him holding her like a teddy bear but it came, eventually.
***
Amii woke to the chirping of birds at dawn the next morning. A shaft of sunlight fell across her pillow and made her hair shimmer like spun gold. After she sat up in bed, she recalled the previous night's romp with perfect clarity. But something else had happened during the night that gave her pause for reflection.
She dreamed for the first time since her memory loss.
The content of the dream faded from her memory during the time it took to recall it. She'd been on a planet she thought was Pisa, yet the actual location did not seem familiar. Farms stretched from one end of the horizon to the other. Trees dotted the countryside in sparse groups. Horses gallivanted through fields with other livestock animals. She doubted there were many farms on Pisa anymore. In their brief encounter Deadhead hadn't struck her as the agrarian type.
But she hadn't just been on Pisa. The images had long since evaporated though, leaving her with only an odd sense of curiosity regarding the experience. She wanted to go back to sleep and see if another dream would surface, but those prospects needed to wait until tonight.
She glanced over at Magnius, who lied on his stomach and continued to lightly snore the way he had all night. After she pulled the bedspread off of him, she started to rub his back. Several dark freckles made an unusual pattern on his skin and she tried to make sense of the inconsequential. The memory of her tattoo haunted her mind. If she ever saw Xander again, perhaps she could ask him about it.
His eyes blinked open and tilted his head toward her. A smile of satisfaction spread across his face. "Careful…I could get used to this."
"That's funny. Just the other night you were complaining about me."
"Yeah, well, nobody's perfect. We'll manage." He rolled onto his back and continued to stare at her. "I hope, anyway. I'm not sure how you plan to rescue Xander, but I'd feel better knowing beforehand if it works out or not. Do you ever wonder what Nadine knows that she doesn't tell us?"
"I would rather not know the future. I'm sure it's more of a burden for her than you realize." She ran her fingers over his chest and decided if he put a little work into his body, he could look phenomenal. "I mean, seeing things it's not possible to change…I'm surprised it doesn't drive Seers insane."
"Where's the harm in telling us if it doesn't matter?"
Amii shook her head. Perhaps he'd never value the virtues of ignorance.
"Before I forget, I have something for you." He climbed out of bed and searched the pockets of the pants he'd worn the night before that lay on the floor where they'd left them in his haste to undress.
After a few moments, he pulled out a keychain and sat down next to her.
She gazed at the pair of silver dice embedded with nine colorless crystals on each side. They hung next to the key to his hoverbike, coded for the machine with encryption as elaborate as DNA. He unhooked a silver ring from the loop. Square-cut aquamarine was inlayed in a channel all the way around the band. The deco design looked at least fifty years old. What was once a smooth band had been worn with superficial scratches. She had a feeling every flaw had a story to tell.
Before she could ask about it, he took her left hand and slipped it on her finger, which fit the ring perfectly. He stared at it with pensive reflection while he held her hand in the morning sunlight. The gemstones' clarity enhanced their vitreous luster, and the seamless setting looked fragile though it had lasted this long without major defect.
"This was Greta's wedding band, and I figured if we're going to pretend to be married, you should wear it. I always keep it with me. That's your job now, Cinderella."
"How long were the two of you married?"
He took a deep breath. "Eleven years and thirty-seven days." With that he closed his eyes, furrowed his brow, and sat in silence.
Nothing she could say would make any difference when compared to the mountain of despair he held in his heart. So she took his face in her hands and smiled. "You do have me."
After trying to hold back his smile and failing, he lowered his head. "I want to think that's true."
"What's stopping you? We may never come back from this. Forget about the past and don't worry about the future; live for today and to hell with the consequences. Or if you want, I can hit you over the head and give you amnesia too."
He grabbed her by the shoulders and tossed her down on the bed while he pinned her with a kiss. The moment came and went much faster than she wanted it too. "After another night like last night, I just might let you. Mrs. Vaughn."
She brushed her hands over his bare buttocks to entice him, but a sudden knock at the door foiled her advances. Only one person came to visit them this early before the din of the morning rush set in: Nadine Taylor. Magnius pulled on his pants and cracked the door open, silently gesturing the second lady inside the room. She looked proper in her long-sleeved gray dress that flared out at her delicate ankles. Around her waist she wore a bright green sash: a symbol for the AC to solve their problems with peace instead of war.
While Amii dressed, Magnius moved into the kitchen to make coffee, which he drank every morning without fail. He put on the same disheveled clothes he'd had on the previous day, yet for some reason they looked better on him now than they had then. In minutes the rich aroma filled the air, full of a nutty sweetness she'd grown accustomed to these past few weeks. Though she preferred tea, coffee's full-bodied flavor and its crisp acidity provided a refreshing change of pace.
"I have good news," she said after she strolled into the kitchen and sat down at the table. "You're not going to have to go all the way to Xur to get Dr. Adams back. Last night, our sources within the PAU informed us there has been contact between their government and the Xuranians and learned the captives are on board their mothership. Further, the PAU has requested a face-to-face meeting with their high commander on Barnard Station."
Amii saw no reason to assume the news was good. A change in venue did little to lessen the danger they'd be heading into. Magnius handed her a mug of coffee, which she took a long whiff of. "Do you have any idea when?"
Nadine shook her head. "No. Which means you should head there immediately. Have you figured out how you plan to get off New England?"
"Yes," she responded after a long drink. "When's the next transport to Icelandia?"
"No, Amii, no," the second lady urged her. "There are hundreds of ships that are easier targets. You do not want to be on the run from the fleet, branded a traitor, and shot out of the sky before you even reach orbit."
Amii pulled out a black suitcase from underneath the bed and opened it to reveal several powerful handheld disruptors. "Not going to Xur has changed the dynamics of the situation. All we would've needed to get to Xur is a fast ship like a pediflop, but you know as well as I do that the PAU isn't likely to give us the benefit of the doubt and welcome a pair of potential spies onto their station. We need to be able to defend ourselves should the need arise."
"I can get you into Icelandia but after that, you'll be completely on your own."
"We'll be fine. Xander and I planned everything. There's nothing to worry about."
Nadine glanced toward Magnius. "And you're ok with this now?"
"Yeah," he told her. "Whatever happens, we'll be in it together."
She glanced back and forth between him and Amii, most likely wondering why he'd changed his mind after working so hard to sway Amii to stay. Nadine picked up the bottle on the table and turned it in her hands before standing and walking toward the bathroom. "Amii, come with me."
Amii chugged the remainder of her coffee before she chuffed off after the second lady. Once they were inside, Nadine closed the door and picked up a clean towel, which she draped around Amii's neck. Her friend's eyes fell upon the ring, and she held her breath while she stared at it. For a moment she hesitated but said nothing. She briskly shook the bottle before opening it and laying the stopper down next to the sink.
"What are you doing?" Amii asked as the nauseating aroma filled the room.
"Having blond hair might get you into trouble." She picked up a comb off the vanity and had Amii sit down on the toilet. Nadine poured the viscous liquid onto Amii's head and started to comb it through her hair. "We both know the Xuranians wouldn't care either way, but the Asians? You'd be better off dead than walking onto Barnard Station like this. You could find yourself raped or kidnapped. Maybe both. Or worse."
Nadine worked the substance through Amii's hair with the kind of ease that came from dying hair hundreds of times before. Amii never thought the second lady's black hair might not be natural. People enhanced their color with natural botanicals, but society frowned upon the use of harsh chemical dyes as though narcissism was one of the main causes of the Great Holocaust.
"Did you read the book I gave you?"
"Yes. I keep hoping to find some deeper meaning in it, but I'm not sure there's anything under the surface. Why did you give it to me?"
Nadine smiled. "It's about a woman who loses everything yet still finds the strength to go on. I hoped you would relate to her struggles. You have the same sense of resolve and gutsy fearlessness. But it's a popcorn thriller, not a masterwork of fiction. First edition copy too. A pity it was destroyed on Xur."
Amii pursed her lips. "It wasn't. I left it on the Schenectady and retrieved it with the rest of my belongings after we landed here. I can show it to you if you want; it's in the other room."
The second lady scratched her brow and put the comb back down next to the sink. Goosebumps spread over her arms, though from chill or anxiety Amii couldn't tell. The silence imparted her with a sense of dread about the future, but she yielded to no one. If she couldn't save Xander, she'd die trying even if the mission was doomed to failure.
"There's something I need to tell you," Nadine whispered. "And I don't want you to tell Magnius." She took a deep breath before continuing. "You're going to meet a man named Zingeri. Make him an ally at all costs. Otherwise everything that you're trying to do here will be for nothing."
Amii stared up at her. "I thought I couldn't change fate."
"I'm not telling you to change the path of destiny—I'm telling you so you won't have to struggle with the decision to betray Magnius."
The thought set Amii's heart racing. "Magnius is a good person."
"I know. But doing this will make him a better person…the kind of man he needs to become." She took Amii's hand and led her over to the sink, where she washed the putrid-smelling substance off her head. "The transport to Icelandia leaves at 1500 sharp. I'll make sure your names are on the passenger list. I'm sorry I can't do any more to help."
Nadine used the towel from around Amii's neck to dry her hair.
"There's something I want to give you." She took a bracelet off her wrist and offered it to Amii. Intense gold metal linked an inline array of cloudy red stones. The smooth cabochons sparkled under the light in shades of blue and yellow from impurities inside. "Blood opals. They're supposed to bring good luck. I figured you could use some." She handed her a neon blue satchel that bore a medical emblem on its side. "Take this too. You might need it."
Amii found it surprising that someone who could see the future would believe in luck. After squeezing her hair in the towel one last time, she revealed her newly darkened tress and stared at herself in the mirror. The face peering back at her looked like a sinister alter ego who'd bring Astra to its knees if afforded the opportunity.
Nadine put her hands on Amii's shoulders and held her close. "Elise Vaughn, the future waits to be written. This is your moment. Go out and save Xander."
Chapter Seventeen
The ride from Northampton to Icelandia took almost four hours. The waning sunset had long since faded from view, and the snow-capped peaks of a distant range had fallen into the black background of space. Not a single fleck of light marred the horizon since the glowing bastion of the City of Dreams vanished into twilight. No human had yet tamed this unspoiled frontier that giant white-furred favabeasts called home—the brutal southern pole of New England.
Half a dozen others boarded the transport along with Magnius and Amii for passage to the coldest inhabited spot on the planet. The voyage over the snow-masked glaciers would've been relaxing had it not been for their treachery that lied ahead. In the past he'd gone out of his way to obey the law because getting caught meant facing scrutiny about who he claimed to be. He shuddered to think about how far he'd fallen from grace.
