softly, “I understand, but you have to trust me.”
He drew her close and she pressed against him, hugging him with all her strength as though someone were trying to drag them apart. He touched her face and lifted it to his. The words she wanted to say were lost to her, and a moment passed where she didn’t know what to do, and she couldn’t breathe, and she couldn’t move. Then he leaned down to her. Her first reaction was to try to pull away, but Copernicus held her firm and pressed his lips against hers. Heat rushed through her body and she felt him respond, the embrace fast turning from consoling into something else. They kissed deeply, everything around them fading into insignificance until they were all that was left. She felt no more fear, just his lips, his touch and his body against hers. He guided her down to the floor, undoing his weapon belt and discarding it. The look in his eyes left no room for misunderstanding. Silho felt her heartbeats pounding too fast, so loud she barely heard her com beeping – insistently and persistently – until Copernicus pulled back and she had to answer.
“Eli?”
“Um … Silho. It’s not Eli – I mean it is Eli – as you know – you just said my name … Can you – if you wouldn’t mind – tell the Boss that I think the front-core coms are malfunctioning again and my menu has frozen.” He sounded monumentally embarrassed. “I am so, so sorry, but I thought I should tell you. I can hear everything the boss is thinking and I assumed he didn’t actually want me hearing … what he’s thinking … at the present moment … Not that there’s anything wrong with what he’s thinking – it’s just – slightly explicit and – and there’s nothing wrong with that – and – and I’m just going to stop talking right here.”
Silho really didn’t know how to respond. She actually felt like laughing, but Copernicus spoke into the com, his voice tight. “Thank you, Eli.”
He blinked to access the prototype implant and gave it a verbal command. “End transmission.”
He waited for a moment, then moved in close to Silho again, but before they could kiss, Eli’s voice came through Silho’s com.
“Ah … Still here …”
Copernicus clenched his jaw. He blinked open his menu again and disengaged manually.
“Eli?” he checked.
“Yes – just working on disconnecting. My menu is still frozen.”
Silho could hear him working frantically on the other end of the com.
Copernicus disengaged again.
“Are you —”
“Still here,” Eli confirmed.
“Now?”
“Yes …”
“Now?”
“Sorry – yes.”
Copernicus cursed. He grabbed the blade from his belt, and Silho flinched as he pushed the tip into his forehead, digging out the implant. He crushed it in one fist and dropped it to the ground. With blood streaming down his face, he looked so savage that Silho had to laugh. She realized it was a completely inappropriate reaction, but couldn’t stop once she’d started. Fortunately, Copernicus didn’t take offense. His fury melted into a smile and he dragged her back to him.
A rumble trembled the ground. The search was coming back around; the gangsters possibly picking up on their presence. Copernicus’ eyes told Silho he was thinking the same thing. It was time to move. He helped Silho up, then grabbed his weapon belt and re-fastened it. Their eyes met and she could see the frustration in his expression.
“After the fight-in,” he said, a promise in the words. He kissed her and she held onto him, not wanting to let go.
“Everything will be alright,” he whispered to her. “Trust me.”
He kissed her again and she nodded, wanting to believe him.
Chapter 5
Diega
Aquais
Scorpia (Estabana)
E very time was the last time, until the next time. One too many drinks, a poisonous word, a feeling without a name and here she was, a liar again – proving right every wrong they said about her. She wasn’t deluded. She knew it was sick. No shades of
He drew her close and she pressed against him, hugging him with all her strength as though someone were trying to drag them apart. He touched her face and lifted it to his. The words she wanted to say were lost to her, and a moment passed where she didn’t know what to do, and she couldn’t breathe, and she couldn’t move. Then he leaned down to her. Her first reaction was to try to pull away, but Copernicus held her firm and pressed his lips against hers. Heat rushed through her body and she felt him respond, the embrace fast turning from consoling into something else. They kissed deeply, everything around them fading into insignificance until they were all that was left. She felt no more fear, just his lips, his touch and his body against hers. He guided her down to the floor, undoing his weapon belt and discarding it. The look in his eyes left no room for misunderstanding. Silho felt her heartbeats pounding too fast, so loud she barely heard her com beeping – insistently and persistently – until Copernicus pulled back and she had to answer.
“Eli?”
“Um … Silho. It’s not Eli – I mean it is Eli – as you know – you just said my name … Can you – if you wouldn’t mind – tell the Boss that I think the front-core coms are malfunctioning again and my menu has frozen.” He sounded monumentally embarrassed. “I am so, so sorry, but I thought I should tell you. I can hear everything the boss is thinking and I assumed he didn’t actually want me hearing … what he’s thinking … at the present moment … Not that there’s anything wrong with what he’s thinking – it’s just – slightly explicit and – and there’s nothing wrong with that – and – and I’m just going to stop talking right here.”
Silho really didn’t know how to respond. She actually felt like laughing, but Copernicus spoke into the com, his voice tight. “Thank you, Eli.”
He blinked to access the prototype implant and gave it a verbal command. “End transmission.”
He waited for a moment, then moved in close to Silho again, but before they could kiss, Eli’s voice came through Silho’s com.
“Ah … Still here …”
Copernicus clenched his jaw. He blinked open his menu again and disengaged manually.
“Eli?” he checked.
“Yes – just working on disconnecting. My menu is still frozen.”
Silho could hear him working frantically on the other end of the com.
Copernicus disengaged again.
“Are you —”
“Still here,” Eli confirmed.
“Now?”
“Yes …”
“Now?”
“Sorry – yes.”
Copernicus cursed. He grabbed the blade from his belt, and Silho flinched as he pushed the tip into his forehead, digging out the implant. He crushed it in one fist and dropped it to the ground. With blood streaming down his face, he looked so savage that Silho had to laugh. She realized it was a completely inappropriate reaction, but couldn’t stop once she’d started. Fortunately, Copernicus didn’t take offense. His fury melted into a smile and he dragged her back to him.
A rumble trembled the ground. The search was coming back around; the gangsters possibly picking up on their presence. Copernicus’ eyes told Silho he was thinking the same thing. It was time to move. He helped Silho up, then grabbed his weapon belt and re-fastened it. Their eyes met and she could see the frustration in his expression.
“After the fight-in,” he said, a promise in the words. He kissed her and she held onto him, not wanting to let go.
“Everything will be alright,” he whispered to her. “Trust me.”
He kissed her again and she nodded, wanting to believe him.
Chapter 5
Diega
Aquais
Scorpia (Estabana)
E very time was the last time, until the next time. One too many drinks, a poisonous word, a feeling without a name and here she was, a liar again – proving right every wrong they said about her. She wasn’t deluded. She knew it was sick. No shades of
Similar Books
