by Anna Carven
Riana washed herself obsessively from top to toe, cleaning away the filth of illness and captivity. The experience was mildly cathartic, as if she were being reborn after near-death.
As she washed herself, she became aware of a faint stinging sensation in her right upper arm.
A small incision had been made over the spot where her monitoring chip had been inserted. The scar was still raw, but it appeared to have healed already.
Had someone removed her monitoring chip? If that was the case, then she was in deep shit. She’d never be able to walk freely in the Federation again.
There was no such thing as anonymity on Earth.
Riana sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, washing away the dirt and dust and sweat. She closed her eyes and sank beneath the surface of the water, submerging herself completely.
Sound and vision disappeared as her breath was stolen from her. Riana kept absolutely still, enjoying the coldness and silence. Sometimes, she just wanted to disappear from the world, and being underwater was the closest she could get to that.
When her lungs were on the verge of exploding, she rose up and gasped, sucking in sweet air. Water sluiced off her face and body, and her damp hair clung to the sides of her face.
She opened her eyes, and gasped. “You—”
Kail stood in the doorway with his arms folded, his icefire eyes narrowed in a look of stern disapproval. “Are you trying to drown yourself?” His cold anger washed over her.
Panic rose in Riana’s chest, along with sudden, overwhelming heat. “You’re not supposed to be in here. Please get out.” She was naked in the tub, and there wasn’t even a nice layer of fluffy bubble bath suds to preserve her modesty.
“I thought you had stopped breathing,” Kail said tersely. “I did not hear—”
“You can hear me breathing from back there?” Riana shuddered. It was another reminder of how little she knew about these Kordolians. What other preternatural senses or abilities was she going to discover?
Kail responded with an enigmatic shrug. His expression didn’t change one whit. He gave no indication that he was in any way moved by her naked state. With his severe silver features, impenetrable black armor, and piercing amber eyes, he was just so damn hard and unapproachable.
But she’d caught him looking at her before, when she’d first woken up, and now here he was, checking to make sure she hadn’t drowned herself in the bath.
Riana self-consciously drew her knees up to her chest, trying to retain some semblance of dignity. “I can assure you, I’m not dying. I promise. Now if you don’t mind…” She wrapped her arms around her legs, curling up into the fetal position.
Kail raised his eyebrows a fraction before turning and slipping away into the shadows like a phantom.
Once she was sure he was gone, Riana stepped out of the bath, pulling a towel around her as gooseflesh rippled along her bare arms. She wasn’t sure whether it was the cool doing that to her, or the memory of Kail’s lingering gaze.
As if in response to her thoughts, he re-appeared.
“Jupiter, don’t do that!” Riana gasped, her heart leaping into her throat.
“Do what?” Kail seemed genuinely unaware of how unnerving he was. He stalked across the small bathroom, reaching her side in a single fluid movement. He was soundless and graceful and brutal all at the same time. Riana froze. What did he want with her now? She was naked and cold and dripping wet, and he was… well, he was Kail, and he really, really shouldn’t be here right now.
“Here,” he said gruffly, holding something out to her. Riana gingerly took the item; a pale blue garment made from soft, light cotton. It had the luxurious feel of real cotton, not the imitation stuff that was so commonly used these days. Surprised, she unfolded it to reveal a long kaftan with intricate golden embroidery around the neckline and sleeves.
“Th-thank you,” Riana said, taken aback. He was so close he was almost brushing against her. Suddenly, the air between them seemed a hell of a lot warmer.
“Don’t thank me. The people of this house supplied it. Dress yourself and come. We probably don’t have much time left in this location.”
Before she could ask what he meant by that, he retreated, leaving her standing in the center of the bathroom with water dripping around her feet and heat pooling in her core.
And that surprised her, because although she had always considered Kail to be strikingly attractive in a scary Kordolian kind of way, she never expected she’d have such a visceral reaction to him.
Chapter Twenty
When she emerged from the bathroom clean and sumptuously dressed and finally feeling Human again, Kail had resumed his position in the shadows. This time, however, he reclined back in the low chair, managing to appear slightly relaxed. Well, as relaxed as he could get, anyway. Riana was reminded of a lion resting in the shade.
The room had mysteriously been cleaned. There were fresh sheets on the bed and the rank smell of sickness was gone.
On a low table beside the bed, a tray laden with an impressive selection delicacies—flat breads, a fragrant chickpea soup, stuffed peppers, and golden, glazed pastries—beckoned to her. Riana inhaled the delicious aromas and promptly forgot that she’d ever been nauseous.
“I don’t know how you managed to procure all of this, or how you even found this place, but I am eternally grateful.” Riana sat in front of the table and descended on the food. She was ravenous, and the meal before her—real food, not that cheap recombinant crap she was used to eating—was the best thing she’d ever tasted in her life.
“Earth is a place of surprises.”
“It’s definitely been that way ever since you guys showed up,” Riana muttered in-between mouthfuls of bread dipped in spicy soup. The flavors exploded in her mouth, bringing her soul back to life.
She was back. She’d been dragged back from the precipice of death by a stubborn, implacable being who probably didn’t even know what it felt like to be mortal and vulnerable.
Kail leaned forward, his eyes glowing with sudden intensity. “I am here because of you. Apparently, you have the ability to lead me to the very thing I seek.” His voice was laced with skepticism, and for some reason that stirred Riana’s indignation.
“And that would be?”
“Revenge.” The way he said it, as if it were a regular, everyday occurrence, like breakfast or taxes, sent a chill down her spine. “We Kordolians do not take attempts to kill us lightly. Someone on your planet seems to think they can try and fuck with us. That is unacceptable.” His scary coldfire eyes crystallized, becoming hard.
“I see,” Riana said slowly, not quite comprehending his intentions. “And you need me to find the culprits, don’t you?” She already had a fair idea of where to look. At Arin’s request, she’d done a bit of the necessary groundwork, and what she’d discovered had scared her a little.
It would have taken plenty of money and clout to try and pull off the complete destruction of an asteroid mining station. Riana had long suspected there were sinister influences behind the Federation’s civilized facade, and all of her leads seemed to point towards one group, but she couldn’t quite pin them down. Digging up dirt on them would be the digital equivalent of disturbing a nest of vipers.
Riana should know; she’d done it before.
“I have been told that you hold the keys to the information networks on this planet; that you can access them at will.” There was still a doubtful edge to Kail’s voice. “And if that is the case, you owe me.”
“Owe you?” Riana’s reaction was more surprise than anything else. She couldn’t deny it, though. The man had saved her damn life on more than one occasion.
Kail shrugged, his expression telling her it wasn’t even worth arguing about. “The question is, can you deliver?”
This damn Kordolian was impossible to read, but Riana got the distinct impression he was taunting her somehow, trying to get a rise out of her. Whatever his strategy was, it seemed to be working, becau
se her irritation was rising.
She stuffed a light, fluffy pastry in her mouth, enjoying the flavor of the zesty lemon syrup infused within its flaky layers. “With the right resources, I can track down anyone.” To her surprise, she sounded a little haughty, arrogant, even. But that was just her reacting to Kail’s doubtful attitude. She hadn’t studied at the world’s best infotech institute and worked on some of the world’s most sophisticated security codes for nothing. “I used to be rather infamous on the Darkweb, you know. I’m not totally shocked that there’s a respectable bounty on my head, although I thought I’d covered my tracks pretty well. Obviously not.” The words were out of her mouth before she could swallow them back. That was a tidbit of information she usually kept to herself. It was Riana’s habit to avoid attention by playing stupid, feigning ignorance when it suited her.
It worked most of the time, but Kail had gotten under her skin. Had he intentionally tickled her precious ego? Perhaps that had been his intention from the start, and if that was the case, he was one very sneaky, very smooth operator.
“In the wider Universe, those who achieve infamy often die in equally infamous ways.”
“You don’t waste any time getting straight to the point, do you?”
“I have an affinity for the truth. I am less fond of wasting time.” The left corner of his mouth quirked upwards ever so slightly. Was he trying to smile now? “What do I need to know about you, Riana of Earth? Why do you hide behind a facade? You are not as awkward as you try to appear, nor are you stupid.”
His surreal golden gaze pierced through her flimsy defenses. Riana had never felt so exposed. To her annoyance, he was spot-on. She had a tendency to play dumb when it suited her. Not many people figured that out.
What the hell is going on? It was almost as if he could read her mind. It was unnerving and somewhat scary, but somehow, Kail’s intensity drew her to him like a moth to a flame.
Riana stared back, unable to tear her gaze away. She studied him closely, taking in his chiseled features. He was handsome, in a hard, austere, Kordolian kind of way. His visage was a study in strength and sharp lines. A high forehead gave way to a long, straight nose and sculpted cheekbones. His sharp jaw ended in a distinctive cleft chin.
And of course, there were those ritual scars.
There were hundreds, no, thousands of them; tiny dots and slashes that formed a swirling pattern over his cheeks. The pattern extended down the sides of his neck, disappearing underneath his seamless black exo-suit.
How many cuts had Kail endured to gain such a formidable, mysterious appearance? And what did the scars mean? The other Kordolians didn’t have them, so why did he?
What the hell are you, Kail?
Riana took a deep breath as she prepared to plunge into insanity. “I’ll tell you my secrets if you’ll tell me yours.” A few days ago, she wouldn’t have dared to challenge Kail in such a way, but now she was no longer afraid of him. Well, mostly not afraid of him.
“I have no secrets worth sharing. You, on the other hand, have killers after you.” He held up a hand, warding off her denial before it reached her lips. “Don’t deny it, Human. I know. I keep dispatching them. What have you done to make enemies of your own people, Riana?”
“There are a few things I can think of.” The words were out before she could even think. He seemed to have that effect on her. Perhaps it was because he was an alien and didn’t know anything about Earth’s fucked up politics. Perhaps it was because she’d always wanted to divulge her stupid internal baggage to someone impartial. She got the sense that he wouldn’t judge her, which was strange, considering he was from a race that considered Humans to be inferior.
Kail raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. Go on.” Was that a hint of amusement? His low, rumbling voice did funny things to Riana, stirring butterflies in her stomach.
Now why the hell should she be feeling like that?
Riana put down her pastry and sighed. Kail was compelling and irresistible, and she was finding it very hard to deny him. A little voice at the back of her mind said: fuck it, just tell him everything. He might go and kill a few people, but he’s not the one who’s going to sell you out to the Federation. He’s not the one who’s going to end your life in exchange for a few credits.
He was no friend of the law, and he didn’t seem to care much for the rules and regulations of other species. After all, he’d probably just killed half the enforcers in Tamanrasset.
Anyway, what do you have to lose? It’s you and him… against the world.
The butterflies in her stomach flapped a little harder, and the longer she stared at him, the more the strange feeling spread, rising up into her chest and down into her core.
In contrast, Kail didn’t display a shred of emotion. His face was like a mask, his gaze a straight, piercing arrow.
Why, oh why, was she reacting to him like this? Riana didn’t generally go for scary-hot types. She tried to slow her hammering heart.
Ah, fuck it. Here we go…
“It’s a little complicated. I’m guessing you probably don’t know a great deal about Earth politics.”
Kail shook his head.
“It might seem weird to you, but we Humans don’t always agree with each other. We try to keep things in check with laws and rules, but we’re a raucous bunch, and we fight a lot amongst ourselves. Always have, always will. That’s just how our race operates.”
Kail nodded. Maybe it was just Riana’s imagination, but he almost appeared disdainful. “Hence why your own people are trying to kill you.”
“Something like that.”
“What did you do? You don’t strike me as the type who would intentionally stir up conflict. You don’t strike me as a… fighter.”
“What makes you jump to that conclusion?” Riana’s voice turned sharp. She didn’t know whether to take Kail’s observation as an insult or a simple statement of fact. He was right, though. Although she’d done probationary time as a peacekeeper, she’d never been much of a fighter in the physical sense. “There’s more than one way to fight in this Universe, soldier. Not all battles are fought with guns and swords.”
“And not all species fight amongst themselves. Is your species the self-limiting type? Does killing each other off prolong Human survival on this planet? A form of population control, perhaps?”
“It’s not intentional. We’re a diverse bunch, and we don’t always see eye-to-eye. Don’t tell me you Kordolians all live in perfect harmony. Surely you also have your tribes and factions.”
Kail’s lips curved upwards in a cold imitation of a smile. His expression told Riana everything she needed to know about his feelings towards his own people. There was no love lost there.
Was Kail capable of affection towards anyone?
“Your people might be part of one big Empire, but here on Earth, we have different nations, governments, religions, and borders. We’re kind of like a microcosm of the Universe on one little planet. Some people wield a lot of power, others are slaves in this life.”
“And where do you exist on that spectrum of Humanity, Riana of Earth?”
She hesitated, not quite sure of the answer herself. “I don’t really fit in anywhere, but if I had to choose a place on the continuum, I’d say I’m a fringe dweller.”
“Neither here nor there.” Unexpectedly, there was a shade of approval in Kail’s voice. “But now you are telling me you’ve tried to challenge the status quo.”
“You’re a bit too astute,” she murmured, the strange butterfly feeling intensifying. Now the butterflies were up in her ribcage, beating against her back, sending a shiver down her spine.
“Did you think I was just a mindless, indiscriminate killer?”
“N-no!” Her denial was too quick. Maybe. But there’s a lot more to you than cold eyes and hard edges, isn’t there, Dark One?
“Your heart is beating too fast. Are you afraid, Riana?”
“It’s not fear,” she blurted. It’s because you�
��re so… big… and close… and scary… freaking intense… and somehow, I find you strangely attractive. Damn. She might as well just say it out loud. After all, what was one supposed to do when the other person in the room could read your mind and hear your goddamn heartbeat?
She tried her best not to appear flustered, reaching for a glass of cool mint tea.
“Good.” Even more unexpectedly, his tone softened. “You have no reason to fear me. You have no reason to hide from me. Just tell me why you have a Kill Order on your head, and then point me in the right direction. Who do I need to kill in order to make you safe? Help me to understand what we are dealing with.”
“Y-you would do that for me?” Was it possible to be both sweet and scary at the same time? Was it disturbing that she found his intention to kill on her behalf slightly endearing?
“Yes.”
Somehow, he’d peeled away her layers, dissecting her with the skill of a nimble-fingered surgeon. He’d been patient and incisive, and Riana felt as if she’d been stripped bare in the most elegant way possible.
This Kordolian was dangerous, but she had no choice but to trust him.
Riana closed her eyes and exhaled. “I used to be young and impulsive and full of outrage. I’m also a highly trained programmer. I studied at the best tech institutions, and I’m very, very good with code. I know it sounds stupidly arrogant, but to me, algorithms are like art. I see pictures and possibilities in the data.” She wasn’t bragging or being unrealistic. She was simply stating the facts. She was that good, and she knew it. Navigating the deep, hidden datamines of the Darkweb came to her as naturally as breathing.
“Code?”
“Code is the language of systems. It underpins a whole bunch of things on Earth. Digital encryption of data. Information networks. Knowledge. Credit accounts. Surveillance systems. Intelligence feeds. Propaganda logs. Government infrastructure. Information is everything on this planet.”
“Knowledge is power, is it not?” To Kail’s credit, he didn’t have that glazed over look that most people got when Riana tried to explain things to them.
