{Cinder}

Silence perched on the back of the couch where Kyle sat with his arm across the back. His eyes looked bruised, and his complexion lightened over the last two hours. He required rest soon.

She wanted him to feed from her. To share in that giving while she took him for a ride. Let him sleep properly after. But the two Progeny needed to discuss a few things first—

There.

The green Tritan stared at her again. Throughout the day, she caught him glancing her way, as if recognizing her. But she couldn’t remember ever knowing him.

And what a memory to scour. So many faces and places. Events she witnessed. Events she caused. Travesties. Atrocities. A neglected love. A daughter lost.

Kyle’s hand brushed her cheek and came away with a tear. His green eyes softened for her. Story Taker interrupted Conscience, “Let’s wrap things up here, Andrew. Silence and I had a rough week. We’ll need some rest before we can do the memory walk with Rayne.”

Both Andrew and Lamassau shared an incredulous look with a shrug. “Sure. Why not? After all, you helped me narrow down my attacker to a man. So it likely wasn’t Celindria unless she was in somebody else’s body—” He gripped his hair and groaned in frustration.

Lam nodded over his bowl of cereal. Milk spilled from his lipless mouth as he concurred with, “Heavy stuff.”

“I miss Lucas.” Andrew made for quite the pitiful picture with that pout.

Again, the Tritan agreed. “I miss Tumi.”

Silence left someone behind. Someone she missed occasionally, but could never mention it aloud. She understood.

Kyle muttered, “I miss my sisters…” He twisted around and looked up at Silence. “Do you know anything about Razor?” Hope sparkled in his tired stare.

“I’m uncertain, but I believe the man you call Razor we called Three Two Four when I went to sleep.”

The other two men folded into the nearest seat and listened as intently as Kyle.

They wanted a story. Silence’s history overflowed with them. “The Aegis leader’s three hundred and twenty-fourth son. He wielded a power separate from his people. Unique. They called it Inanis. And he conspired with the Tritans to barter a treatise, which mostly benefited him. That’s the extent of my knowledge.”

Kyle and Andrew glanced nervously at Lamassau.

Sucking back the milk from his bowl, he feigned innocence at them once finished. “What? Not all Tritans are privy to the upper echelon’s activities. Certainly not all the diplomatic shit. For instance, I wasn’t expecting Razor and Three Two Four to be one and the same. I’d only heard rumors of the Aegis’ treacherous son. If it’s really him, then I’ll tell you he was Gait’s first prisoner.”

Silence cocked her head to the side. Interesting. They imprisoned him after he granted aid? How did Remorse allow that? His pet Aegis—The Tritan practically spoke of him as a son—

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Well, if that’s all, I’m heading for a nap.” Kyle stood with an exaggerated stretch and a coy glance in her direction.

Cute. She shook her head with a smile, trying not to laugh.

Lamassau fell into a chuckling fit and turned his back on them to make a show of washing his dishes. Andrew peered over at Rayne, ignoring the three of them.

Silence beamed at Kyle. “I’ll go with you.”

“Oh! What an unexpected turn of events!” Lamassau cried dramatically into his chore, laughing as he dried.

Kyle grinned. “Great.” He rushed around the couch and held out his hand. “We could use the rest.”

“Hah!”

Story Taker barked over his shoulder, “Yes, contain your jealousy, Chef.”

Smiling at the warmth in the room, Silence gazed out at the Martyr Complex. “First, can I introduce myself to King Rayne? I’m impressed with her for defeating Umbra’s son and granting my people asylum.”

Kyle glanced at Andrew, who shrugged and offered, “I think she wants to meet you, too.”

The glass skid traveled briskly across the lake to the island at its center. Rayne slept in a prism of blood, illuminated by lights within. Three times since arriving, golden drills whirred into her back and topped off the blood level. It was barbaric. Warriors deserved to die in battle. This was no fate for a fighter—

The fair girl inside glowed a faint light, lunar in its intensity. Those rose-colored lips spread into a pretty smile. Careful of the gold filigree, Silence placed her hand flat on the glass in greeting.

Softly, she assured, “It’s nice to meet the woman who defeated Nox. My family owes you a debt. And I intend to repay it.” Her hand on the box pulsed blue in time with the girl inside. The oath was made.

Kyle waited for Silence on shore. The moment she left the skid, she took his hand and dragged him up the ramp. Lam’s laughter chased them into the tunnel. Clear of the pit, she backed against the first wall and pulled Kyle into her. Their lips met with delicious force. He couldn’t fuck like an Icarus, but the man could kiss like one. Always hungry, she immediately went for his pants and—

“Whoa, whoa.” Kyle stopped their pleasurable kissing and put a few inches of space between them. Both of them breathed heavily from desire and exertion. Both of them looked ready to fall back into it. He shook his head harshly. “No. Silence, there’s something we need to talk about before we can do this. Elden, do I want to do this.”

She winced at the name on a reflex but hid it behind an alluring smile. “You want me. I can feel it.”

He gripped her hips and pinned her once more. One kiss. “I do.” Another kiss. “Want you.” A light trace of his tongue over her lips.

Silence shivered for him and moved for his pants again.

Kyle let go of her hips to stop her hands. “We can’t. Not until I can find some condoms. We can’t risk spreading the virus to me.”

She tried the word on for size, moving her mouth to it. He smiled wryly at her until she eventually asked, “Where do we find these condoms?”

He chuckled as only a male can before cupping her chin and kissing her briefly. “Don’t worry. I plan to find some once we finish your memory walk.” Another kiss. She noticed he liked this light kissing, teasing her. “But for our nap we can still enjoy each other’s company. We just need to be careful.”

Frowning, she pouted at him. “Like what?”

His warm hand tucked into the waistband of her borrowed scrubs and found nothing separating his fingers from her. Silence’s head went back against the wall, and her eyes fluttered closed. Kyle stood taller at this angle to capture her mouth with his.

Warm. Wet. Teasing.

He licked and sucked the bend of her neck while his fingers explored. Silence purred and gasped for him. Scratched and gripped Kyle. Still within hearing range of the pit, she stifled her cry. Upon her release, her knees buckled. He lifted and carried her without regard of their height difference to the nearest room with a bed. Laid out together, he went to continue his work when she stopped him.

“It’s your turn.”

Kyle rolled onto his back, once again putting distance between them. Awkwardly, he elaborated, “I’m not sure if the virus transfers through saliva.”

Silence took the finger that gave her so much pleasure into her mouth and sucked it out, keeping her eyes on him.

“God damn it. Right. It’s a chance I’m willing to take.”