Page 94 of Alien Burn

There was a pause.

“You sound remarkably like him.”

Dhomhes rounded the turn in the path. His brother sat with a practice sling looped around one knee, both hands raised in an argument he was plainly losing. Sereya had turned toward him, smiling, her small bag tucked beside her feet.

One of the residence guards stood where the path joined the main walk. Farther along, a family attendant waited near the office entrance.

Dhomhes had checked them out of habit. Then Sereya looked up, and his attention stayed with her.

“You came.”

“You offered me a chance to defend my reputation.”

“I may have left it rather late.”

“Cruel female.”

Tivek looked between them.

“Oh, this is going to be unbearable.”

Dhomhes ignored him. There was space at the other end of the bench, but Sereya shifted a little toward Tivek, making room beside herself.

He sat where she had invited him.

For a moment her shoulder brushed his sleeve. She left it there. Heat spread beneath the contact, and he pressed his heel into the path to keep from shifting closer while his brother sat on her other side.

“How is the room?” he asked.

“Quiet.”

“Good quiet?”

She looked at him, and the humor softened into something that made him want to take her somewhere without anyone else's questions waiting.

“Yes,” she said. “Good quiet.”

On the other side of her, Tivek sighed with great suffering.

“About the rope.”

Dhomhes leaned back.

“Tell her how far you fell.”

“It isn't the distance that matters.”

“The height of one step,” Dhomhes told Sereya.

“It was a very humiliating step.”

She laughed, and this time Dhomhes was close enough to feel the movement of her shoulder against his.

He stayed.

14

SEREYA