Page 59 of The Red Woman on Mars

“Should we go to Chancellor River? They’d help us, right?’

Xavier ran a hand over his short hair. “Would they? You saw how River encouraged you to defect to Catena. I’m not sure they’d be on our side. Especially since Delilah left willingly.”

Vivian nodded in reluctant agreement. “Do you trust your friend?”

The muscles in Xavier’s shoulder moved under his thin T-shirt as he shrugged. “I trust her to be honorable. If Silas is here, she’ll know where to start looking.”

“I wish we knew what he wanted with Delilah. I still can’t believe he brought her here.” Vivian sat on the bed. “But maybe I should’ve guessed something like this would happen.”

“You can’t blame yourself. The information I shared was intended to be in confidence.”

She shook her head. “Not that. A month or so ago, Silas—he kissed me. And more. It happened very fast. He didn’t seem to care about what I liked.”

Xavier’s heavy eyebrows drew together. “Did he force himself upon you?”

“No, no, of course not. I wanted … something. Anyway, it’s not as if I told him to stop. And Luz interrupted us before things could go very far. But I should’ve warned my sister.”

Xavier sat down on the chair opposite the bed. “You did nothing wrong. It’s Silas who’s violated the basic tenets of Martian values.” He stared blankly at the ground and murmured, “Again.”

Vivian thought of what Dr. Chavez had told them. A lifetime ago. “Consent. Communication.”

His eyes snapped back to her face. “Just so. Consent is highly valued here. It’s the reason the Intelligence has given you the illusion of choice in a partner. To do otherwise would be too grave a violation of Martian custom.”

“Consent was not considered important at Sumter.” Vivian picked at the light blanket on the bed. “I’m not … experienced, but I always assumed that being carried away in a moment of passion is the end goal. I thought, for a moment, I achieved that passion with Silas. But the fantasy was different from the reality.”

“He didn’t ask permission?” Xavier’s dark brown eyes regarded her intently.

“Permission?” she asked with some surprise. “In the heat of the moment? That would’ve been out of place.”

He made a sound low in his throat. “Not if you do it well.”

“Explain,” Vivian whispered, her mouth suddenly dry.

Xavier knelt in front of her. His face was at height with hers. Leaning forward, he moved into her space, eyes locked on her own. “If I wanted to kiss you, I would make you yearn for it. I would hover right out of your reach. I would let the air between us crackle with anticipation. And then, I would ask you.”

“Ask me?” She couldn’t move away if she tried.

“I would say, ‘Vivian Bowen, may I kiss you?’ ”

His lips were so close to hers, and she felt a mindless yearning well up inside her. Xavier gave a small, satisfied smile and moved gracefully away from her, returning to the chair. Vivian let out a slow breath. Perhaps she wasn’t broken after all.

“I see,” Vivian said, struggling for composure.

Xavier looked amused. “Take the first turn in the bath. There’s a sonic laundry built into the wall that we can use to refresh our Catena-style clothing.” He turned away but not before Vivian saw him shiver.

She rummaged in their pack for her things, avoiding eye contact, and went into the bathroom. The hostel had a rusted sonicshower, to her chagrin. She could have used a water shower right now. A cold one.

Xavier stared at her very hard in her Arcadia-style nightgown when she emerged from the bath, and Vivian felt herself regaining the upper hand. “Bath’s free,” she murmured and slipped past him to lie down on one side of the narrow bed.

Despite a half-formed desire to wait for Xavier, she felt the pull of sleep almost immediately. Her endless day was finally at a close. She opened her eyes when she heard the scrape of the chair. Xavier was arranging the other pillow and his overcoat on the threadbare carpet.

“Don’t be an idiot,” Vivian whispered. “You need rest to be alert tomorrow.”

Xavier straightened in the dark. He was wearing a white nightshirt that exposed his calves. “I didn’t want to impose.”

“Come on then.”

She felt the weight of the bed shift as he lay down beside her. She hadn’t moved, and her back was to him. He adjusted his body and then was still. Vivian listened to the comforting sound of his breathing as she drifted back to sleep.