Page 74 of Rhuyin

Before I knew it, I found myself stroking my cock to memories of the Soma, just like I had every day since I met him. The sad way he had looked when he said he was tired of being rejected. His smile. His laugh.

It was remembering that laugh and the mischievous glint in his eye that pushed me over the edge and I found myself spilling against the shower wall as I struggled to catch my breath.

Fuck. I had to put the guy out of my mind, but it was so damned hard. No pun intended. I hadn’t been this attracted to anyone, not even Prince Adrian.

I rinsed off quickly and stepped out of the shower. I pulled on the clothes I’d selected and walked out to the sleeping area, only to find my brother sitting in a chair next to the bed.

“Hey,” I said, working the towel through my hair.

“Hey,” he responded absently.

“What’s wrong?”

Elex looked up at me.

“Who said anything was wrong?” he demanded.

“Well, you’ve got a gorgeous guy out there who wants to spend all his time with you, and you’re hanging out inmybedroom. That, to me, says there is something wrong.”

I sat on the bed across from him while he picked at a ragged nail absently. A bead of blood welled up as he yanked mindlessly at the cuticle.

“What is it?”

He sighed.

“It’s just…it feels too good to be true,” he huffed finally. “Him. This. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“—and it’s not dropping,” I finished. “And the anticipation is driving you crazy.”

He shrugged and I sighed.

“How fucked up are our lives that we can’t just accept that sometimesgoodthings might happen to us?”

“Experience has taught us…” he began.

“No good deed goes unpunished,” I finished and chuckled as a small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. “Elex’s Rule number two-thousand five hundred and sixty?”

He nodded absently. I reached out and laid my hand on top of his, stopping him from drawing more blood.

“It’s not perfect. We haven’t seen it all yet, but no society is perfect. There will be evil people. Greedy people. People whose lives are guided by self-interest. What Illyria has going for it is that it has people who believe that theyshouldhelp other people because it’s the right thing to do, not because they get something out of it. Orbecause someone is threatening them. Theywantto do what’s right, not just what’s expedient. People like Hel. Like Betts. Like Lottie.”

“Like—” he began, but was cut off when my cell phone rang.

“Shit…” I looked at the time. “I’m late.”

“We’ll walk you down. Hel is going to show me some park that’s nearby.”

Bolstered by the presence of my brother and his Soma we made our way down to the Pavilion lobby. Captain Kopanos walked into the lobby just as Hel and Elex walked out. I had a dim memory of meeting him at the Touchpoint. He was trailed by four Somas who looked vaguely familiar who I assume I must have also met at the Touchpoint. His face took on a strange expression as Elex and Hel continued past him, he wrinkled his nose almost seemed as though he smelled something unpleasant.

The captain approached me, his hand out. I took it automatically and there was a sharp crack as lightning sparked between us.

“Shit!” I swore, shaking my hand. It was the strongest response I’d had to any Soma other than Rhuyin. Unlike the connection I’d felt with Rhu, though, this actually hurt! There was a whiff of some sour, bitter smell that made me gag and I looked at my hand where several blisters were already popping up.

“Well,” the captain said, rubbing his hand, a sly, calculating look on his face. as he rubbed his hand. I noticed almost absently that he was missing the last knuckle on the little finger on his right hand. “That…was unexpected.”

Despite his words, he didn’tactuallyseem to be that surprised, just calculating. I looked at the man in confusion, the other Somas gaping in surprise as well.

“I didn’t think that shit was supposed to hurt,” I groused, shaking my hand.