know, but there’s something here. Something that will give me an edge against Excelsior, I can feel it in my bones, in my blood.
Kyon reaches over and touches Fulton’s leg. Shaking it gently, he wakes his mentor.
Fulton yawns, “Ah, you’re back.”
“Yes. Thank you for staying with Kricket for me.”
“It was a very amusing endeavor,” Fulton replies. He takes the crown from his head and places it on the floor by the others I have surrounding me. “Thank you for the interesting evening, Kricket,” he says with a smile.
I lean over and kiss his cheek. “Thank you for your help. I think I may owe you my life.”
Fulton looks at Kyon. “She’s perfect for you. Try not to ruin it. Excuse me while I retire for the evening.”
Kyon doesn’t say a word, but helps Fulton get to his feet.
“Good night,” I say absently with my nose back in the book.
Fulton leaves us, and I lift my eyes to Kyon’s again. They’re dark and brooding. “How’s your arm?” I ask.
“Healed.” He flexes his hand, showing me that he has no discomfort.
“How’s my half sister?”
“Broken. I don’t want to discuss her. Chandrum is dealing with her and her mess.”
He reaches for me and plucks me off the ground, hoisting me over his shoulder. I have to use my hand to hold the crown on my head. I drop the book I was reading. “What are you doing?” I ask in outrage. “I was in the middle of something!”
“You’re about to be in the middle of something else.” We leave Foundation and take a few turns in corridors I haven’t yet been in. We enter a dark room in which soft lighting turns the space to elegant shadows. It’s a massive bedroom. I don’t see much of it before I’m set on my feet.
Kyon reaches for the straps on my dress and unfastens them. The silky, coral fabric slips from me and pools on the floor. He peels his shirt off. I’m not surprised to see that his skin is flawless once more. It makes me shiver, though, knowing we have both been genetically manipulated. He takes the crown from his head and sets it aside on the table by the bed. I reach up to remove the thick, heavy circlet of gold from my head, but I pause when he says, “Leave it on.”
Kyon pulls me into his bed and rolls me on top of him. His hands touch my breasts, running over my skin to rest on my hips. I look down at him. “Tell me you love me,” he whispers as he moves inside me.
“Never,” I whisper back, but I find myself slipping away from never and freefalling toward always.
I awake from the nightmare I was having, finding Kyon asleep next to me. My heart crashes against my chest in fear. In my dream, I’d been lying in a field of wild znous. The intoxicating smell of their poisonous petals was as strong as the velvety softness of the flowers that closed in around me.
I pull back the blankets covering me and hop out of bed. I run to the attached lavare. Finding Kyon’s robe, I wrap it around me. It’s ridiculously big, but I don’t care. As I exit the lavare, I say, “Oscil!”
“Requirement,” Oscil responds immediately.
“Take me to Fulton,” I demand. Tightening the belt of the robe.
An orb of light appears before me. “Please follow the light and I will guide you to Fulton Coalfax. Shall I advise him that you are on your way to him?”
“Yes.”
The orb of light begins to float away from me. I follow it. “Kricket?” Kyon mumbles sleepily from bed. “What are you doing?”
“Be right back,” I say over my shoulder. “Faster, Oscil.” The orb of light takes off at a pace that has me running to keep up with it. Holding on to the end of the robe so I won’t trip over it, I nearly wipe out on a loose rug as it skids out from under my bare feet when I round a corner to another corridor. From somewhere behind me, I hear Kyon growl my name as he follows me.
The orb of light passes through a closed door and I stop in front of it and pound on it with my fist. A startled Fulton opens his door. Panting, I say, “Can you have a special crown made for me?” I rest my hand against the doorjamb, leaning over and pinching my side.