Page 51 of Cold-Blooded Creatures

Not that I was complaining. I wouldn’t have minded lingering for a minute more. Or two. But I likely would’ve overheated because my common sense had already begun to melt.

“Yeah. It seems we missed most of the show,” Ryder said, not paying attention to Zion and Eli clapping each other’s shoulders as they got up and the crowd dispersed, his focus falling ona taller-than-me woman in a ring next to us. She braided her long blonde hair around her head with such care that not a strand remained loose and hooked a finger at the half-dozen people nearby. A teenage, or barely-out-of-those-years boy and a slightly-older-than-me man joined her in the makeshift circle. She took a get-ready-to-get-your-asses-handed-to-you stance, unfazed at having two opponents come at once.

Ryder glowed with something that resembled admiration and pride as he stared at her.

Even weirder.

“Who is she?” I asked.

“She was assigned to me.”

Assigned? That couldn’t be. He wouldn’t be here then. “Which band were you?”

“Green.”

“Green?” I echoed.

“I know what you’re thinking.” He observed her handling her opponents with easy confidence. She was good, I’d give her that. “But it wasn’t like that. The city didn’t host the Matchings yet. I was fresh out of school and, before I knew it, I was assigned a job, an apartment, andher. She locked me out of our bedroom the first night she spent in our home. I may have worn a green band, but that was it. She was my partner, no more, no less. I never touched her, not unless it was to help her shower after she’d broken her foot one winter. They re-tested us for fertility a few times because of it, but we both knew the real reason she wasn’t getting pregnant was because she wasn’t my type. So when I met Gedeon’s contacts in the city, I arranged for us both to get out. We’ve been here ever since. Eight years next month.”

“Your type?”

“I’m not attracted to women in general. I was miserable in Ilasall, and still, my life was easier than hers.” Ryder paused as she dealt the final blows to her opposition, effectively ending herfight in victory. “We’d been together for almost two years before we got out, and though I didn’t rise in ranks, I had the freedom she lacked.”

“At least you both got out.” It couldn’t be said about the rest.

“Yeah, we got lucky. Do you know what they do to green-banded men who can’t get it up for the women? They get rid of us. They don’t want us to share what we’d been taught in schools with black-band wearers and won’t allow us to work higher-up jobs without the merit of having children, so they slit our throats. Two years was the unspoken limit at that time, and we were nearing that. If not for this compound, I’d be dead, and she would have been given away to someone else.”

Freckled or not, Ryder was starting to grow on me. His fascination with this woman, the sincerity of his story. No play, no games, no tricks.

“Kali!” Sweaty and pink-flushed Eislyn ran over to us. “I forgot to”—she bent over and clutched her knees—“invite you”—panted and finished—“to dinner.” She straightened, blowing her chocolate bangs upward. “Please join us. I swear we’ll have a peaceful time.”

How she was planning to manage it with Zion in the compound, I had no clue. But having had assured Ryder I’d stay for today, I agreed, and saw that she carried it out as promised. Besides Jayla, no one else joined us in a small restaurant whose owner supposedly made the best pita bread—whatever that was—in the compound.

It turned out that you had to stuff a round piece of bread with a pocket of air inside—not what I would call bread—it wasflatand had a largeair bubble—with anything you wanted from the steaming bowls of vegetables and meats spread out on the table and then eat the damned thing. The combination carried so much flavor the waistband of my sweatpants threatened tosplit my stomach in two and I had to untangle the drawstrings to loosen it.

“See? I told you it’s a good spot.” Jayla unbuttoned her denim shorts and patted her belly. “I don’t think I’ll be able to eat breakfast tomorrow. Wait, wait!” She nearly leaped out of her seat. “I just remembered! Please come shopping with me tomorrow. I need to grab some items I ordered for Vice, and I’d love some company.” She put her hand over mine on the table. “Please, please,pleaseeeee. Eislyn hates shopping, and I’ll die of boredom if I have to go alone.”

“Jayla, I ca?—”

“Gedeon won’t be back for another day,” Ryder interrupted me, stuffing another piece of pita bread full of what I’d learned to be chickpeas. “My offer stands for tomorrow too.”

Was I a terrible person for wanting to see more of their compound instead of rushing back to the city? I’d never had such an easy day as today. Not once. And although everyone had been so kind to me that it bordered on suspicious, I longed for more of that kindness, so much I had to blink and swallow the ball forming in the back of my throat.

Eislyn and Jayla exchanged confusion-laced looks as I hesitantly nodded. I knew hatred at myself for delaying my plans would eat at me later.

This was a selfish decision that knocked on my frozen heart.

Thirteen years ago, I’d sworn to myself I’d become one of the arrogant gods living among the stars and bring war to all who hurt me, Alora, and the cursed residents of our city. Over time, I’d offered up my heart to be eaten away by the evil of Ilasall. Each bite gave me a boost in the ranks of those gods, and now, pure ice coursed my veins, razing the membranes and cutting me up inside out.

I could stay here one more day.

Not like it would thaw me.

18

GEDEON

White paint flaked in bits and pieces from the tiny one-story house with two small bedrooms, a bathroom, and a living room together with an idea of a kitchen. Almost an exact copy of my parents’ home back at our compound.