Page 10 of Ruby Red Sky

I nodded my thanks and dragged my eyes to the table where Kiam and I had settled when we walked in. The blond was still on his lap, her mouth gaping open. From their movements, I presumed his hand was between her legs while he suckled her neck. Suddenly, he flipped her around, so she sat facing him, and then his eyes closed.

The waiter walked over to me with a fresh glass. “Everything is taken care of as requested. Please let me know if I can be of further service.”

He was trembling slightly, valiantly attempting to hide his physical response to being so close. It puzzled me for a moment as he must have encountered similar scenes before. “Thank you,” I replied, keeping my voice soft.

With Kiam busy, I decided to browse and found myself walking through a dimly lit hallway. It quickly brought me to an area of the club with a modest dance floor. Several couples and a few small groups of women were gyrating to a dark electronic beat beneath flashing lights. Just like the other area of the establishment, everything here was reflective, shiny black.

Red and white lasers beamed over the DJ booth, crisscrossing in front of me and lighting my path while I perused the selection from the perimeter. The air was heavy with artificial perfumes, mixed with the pheromones longing and desire released. Easy pickings.

It didn’t take me long to find the perfect target to pursue.

A dark-haired woman stood in the corner of the room, her brown eyes darting back and forth. Her posture was relaxed, one arm dangling by her side, the other holding a tumbler of liquid. She was leaning against one of the narrow support columns and had placed herself somewhere easy to find.

Before I could make my way to her, a voice stopped me. “Your hair is so long, are you an influencer?” A young lady in a cocktail dress lifted her arm but I snatched her wrist before she could touch me.

She giggled. “Is that color natural? It looks white.”

“Yes.” My natural hair color was black, and my eyes, blue. Transitioning here had somehow changed my features, turning my hair blond and my eyes green.

None of my direct peers had ever done what I did, coming to the Third Realm, so there was no way to know if these changes were permanent. Neither Kiam nor I had been able to figure it out.

“Oh, you can take my picture if you want. Maddie, get over here.” The woman swiveled on her heel and as tempted as I was to change the fact, she remained breathing.

The woman I’d targeted watched me approach, her eyes widening a fraction while she tracked me heading her way. Her throat bobbed and she angled her head to look at me.

“Would you care to join me?” I asked.

She nodded, “Okay. For a little while.”

“Lukas,” I introduced myself, holding out my hand. She grasped it and I lifted her knuckles to my lips, pressing a kiss against her soft, cool skin.

She blushed and replied, “Melody.”

Gently, I tugged her towards a booth in a dimly lit corner. “My pleasure.”

Melody smelled like violets, and I leaned over breathing deeply. I felt the sudden snap of her energy retreating, seeking safety while my nose trailed along her hair. Her blood was rich and heady, igniting my tastebuds and making my mouth wet.

My hand skated down her bare shoulder as she placed her glass on the table. Goosebumps bloomed along her flesh and she shivered. “Are you comfortable?”

She made a squeaking sound and wiggled to the side. “I... I’m waiting for someone.”

Melody didn’t want to meet my eyes, but when I put my hand on her thigh, she couldn’t help but glance up at me. “We’ll keep them waiting.”

She fumbled with her phone, nearly dropping it on the table. Her body heat rose while she checked her messages. The server arrived and I ordered red wine.

“Tell me about yourself,” I said when the man left.

“Uh... I’m twenty-two years old. I work in a fashion boutique.”

Too young.

I could sense her insecurity. She was desperately seeking something outside herself for fulfillment. Her energy gave her away, evident not only by her obsession with the device in her hand but also the plastic I could smell beneath her skin.

She was looking for something to soothe and reassure her, maybe someone to hold her in the dark.

What she found was me.

“Are your companions delayed?” I gestured toward her phone and then stroked the side of her glass. “Here, relax. Sip some of your wine.” She nodded as I placed my hand on her bare skin.