remembered last night’s kiss. “Ready to finally try some ploshk?”
“Lead the way.” I turned to Dylan. “Be a good boy, all right? And have fun.”
“Oh, he will,” Brittany said. “And you two should have some fun as well.” With that, she led Dylan and Carlin back inside the transport pod. Just a few seconds later and they were gone, the pod humming softly as it rose into the air.
“Well, it’s just us now.” I was trying my best not to be awkward, but it was hard. You’d think that after a kiss, things would be so much easier, but it was actually the opposite—the more I thought about our kiss, and the more I remembered how desire had burned so hot inside me, the more nervous I felt. It was a good kind of nervousness, though.
“Us and your friend,” Soren said, grinning as he tilted his chin toward one of the school windows. When I spun around, the only thing I saw was the swaying of the curtains.
“Lareis.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “I think she’s taken it upon herself to spy on us. That’s what I get for dating a prince.”
“Let us evade the spies, then.” With a grin, Soren motioned at the sidewalk and we both started walking down it, the dappled shadow of the trees lining our path. “There’s a place that serves some great ploshk just around the corner. I figured we could walk there instead of taking a pod.”
We walked in silence for a moment, just enjoying each other’s company. I don’t know how it happened, but we were already holding hands. My fingers were intertwined with his, my hand gently nestled against his palm, and it just felt right.
Once we joined the small queue before the ploshk stand, I stood just a little closer to him, enjoying the warmth that radiated from his body. A few passers-by shot us curious glances, probably wondering what someone like me was doing with Soren Hollander, but I barely registered any of it.
“Here ya go.” Soren accepted a tall paper cup from the vendor and pushed it into my hands. “Careful, it’s hot.”
I thanked him with a smile and brought my lips to the cup’s rim. One small sip and my tastebuds danced. This ploshk thing tasted sweeter than anything I had ever tasted before but, at the same time, that sweetness wasn’t overpowering. It reminded me of pomegranate tea, except there was also a candy-like flavor to it.
“So, what do you think?” he asked me as we wandered into a nearby park. Lilac flowers blossomed on giant trees, their roots lazily stretching their gnarled joints over the soil, and small birds celebrated the warm afternoon, chirping as they hunted for seeds, nuts, and breadcrumbs.
“It tastes amazing,” I admitted. “It’s like liquid candy.”
“The magic of chemistry,” he said, drinking from his own cup in long gulps. “Ploshk brewing is an art, really. Not one that I’ve mastered yet, so I’m forced to buy it all the time.”
“Maybe I should try brewing it for you one of these days,” I said, giving his hand a tender squeeze. That’s when I realized we were still holding hands. I looked down and shook my head. “God, what’s happening to me? I’m acting like a teenager.”
“Then that makes two of us.” He squeezed my hand back and smiled, then grew serious as he stared into my eyes. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I think it’s time you know what’s going on.”
“Right.” I nodded. “That stuff about the gene.” It had been on my mind, but I hadn’t wanted to push him. I was glad he was ready to talk about whatever it was, though.
“The mating gene,” he corrected. “Most sentient species have a special gene encoded in their DNA chain. It usually lies dormant, but once activated...it results in this.” He brought our hands up, his smile widening, then he pressed a soft kiss to the back of my palm. “Older generations would call this fate, and to be honest, science can’t really explain all the intricacies of the mating gene and the way it works. But I know what I feel, and it is very real, gene or otherwise.”
“The mating gene,” I repeated slowly, not sure how to process the unfamiliar things he was saying.
“Niall and Brittany went through this,” he explained, watching me closely as he spoke. “They’re the first case I witnessed with my own eyes. The same thing happened to Kain and Abby. Once the gene is