the Sessimoniss. She made it sound like fun.
I stared out the window, trying to shut out Jasyn’s voice. I didn’t want to remember the Sessimoniss and the Eggstone. I didn’t want to remember telling Tayvis to go away. The flitter banked to the left, tipping so I could look down. The ocean below glowed with streamers of pale green and blue, sparkling purple blooming across them. The city lights twinkled over the water, adding another layer of lights.
“Look at it,” I said, interrupting Jasyn.
They looked out, watching until the craft leveled out again. Clark watched me, an amused expression on his face.
“I’m acting like a frontier girl out for the first time, aren’t I?” I said.
“I think it’s nice to see someone who isn’t so jaded,” he said.
“There it is.” Jasyn pointed forward, past Clark’s head. “It looks just like the picture.”
The restaurant was located at the top of a tall building that jutted out over the multicolored glowing ocean. The flitter landed on a pad tucked discreetly to one side behind a screen of plants, blooming white vines, in deep planters. The bubble clicked open. Jasyn climbed out, making it look easy. Clark was just as graceful. I did my best to copy them. I didn’t trip and fall on my face.
We were met on the other side of the vines by a woman in a tall black dress. She wore a tiny com button on her collar. She greeted us and escorted us into the restaurant. We got a table near the window that looked down mostly over the city. It was a fairyland of lights.
“The ocean view was more expensive,” Jasyn whispered as the lady glided away.
“This is just fine,” I said, looking out at the lights.
The menu hovered over the table. I hadn’t heard of any of the dishes. I let Clark and Jasyn order.
They enjoyed themselves. Jasyn told another story, this one involving a night at the bar on Nevira where she had worked for a while before Jerimon tangled her up with me and the Sessimoniss. I listened and smiled when appropriate. I was too nervous to relax. It was all too different.
Clark told us stories about his adventures as a pilot over dessert.
“You’ve been quiet, Dace,” Clark said when they cleared away our dishes. “Your turn to tell us a story.”
I racked my brain for something to tell that wasn’t depressing or ugly, and came up empty. “We should probably get back to the ship.”
“Let’s go dancing,” Jasyn suggested.
I tried to protest and was overridden.
Clark took one arm, Jasyn took the other, and, for the first time in my life, I went dancing.
The nightclub was loud, bright in flashes, and very dark in between. It was located on another rooftop not far from the restaurant. The music vibrated the floor. Jasyn led us to a table jammed up against the far wall. I sat down, back to the wall, and warily watched people dancing.
Clark disappeared for a long minute and came back carrying three glasses. He set them on the table and took the chair next to me.
“Relax and enjoy it,” he shouted into my ear. He had to talk loud or I wouldn’t have been able to hear him. “You look like you expect an attack.”
Jasyn found someone to dance with, and then someone else, and then another. She swirled gracefully, laughing and enjoying herself. Clark sat next to me, watching her. The music paused, the quiet was full of talk. The lights blinked and a new band began to play, softer music, more suited to the late night magic of the ocean lights reflected in wide windows.
“Dance with me, Dace.” Clark took my hand.
“I don’t know how.”
“Is that why you’re sitting there?” He pulled me to my feet. I tried to pull away, but not very hard.
He put one hand on my back, at my waist, and took my other hand in his. “Follow me,” he said in my ear. His breath tickled my neck, warm on skin suddenly cool. “Watch my feet.”
I tried. He led me through a series of steps that he swore were easy. I kept stepping on his feet. He laughed
I stared out the window, trying to shut out Jasyn’s voice. I didn’t want to remember the Sessimoniss and the Eggstone. I didn’t want to remember telling Tayvis to go away. The flitter banked to the left, tipping so I could look down. The ocean below glowed with streamers of pale green and blue, sparkling purple blooming across them. The city lights twinkled over the water, adding another layer of lights.
“Look at it,” I said, interrupting Jasyn.
They looked out, watching until the craft leveled out again. Clark watched me, an amused expression on his face.
“I’m acting like a frontier girl out for the first time, aren’t I?” I said.
“I think it’s nice to see someone who isn’t so jaded,” he said.
“There it is.” Jasyn pointed forward, past Clark’s head. “It looks just like the picture.”
The restaurant was located at the top of a tall building that jutted out over the multicolored glowing ocean. The flitter landed on a pad tucked discreetly to one side behind a screen of plants, blooming white vines, in deep planters. The bubble clicked open. Jasyn climbed out, making it look easy. Clark was just as graceful. I did my best to copy them. I didn’t trip and fall on my face.
We were met on the other side of the vines by a woman in a tall black dress. She wore a tiny com button on her collar. She greeted us and escorted us into the restaurant. We got a table near the window that looked down mostly over the city. It was a fairyland of lights.
“The ocean view was more expensive,” Jasyn whispered as the lady glided away.
“This is just fine,” I said, looking out at the lights.
The menu hovered over the table. I hadn’t heard of any of the dishes. I let Clark and Jasyn order.
They enjoyed themselves. Jasyn told another story, this one involving a night at the bar on Nevira where she had worked for a while before Jerimon tangled her up with me and the Sessimoniss. I listened and smiled when appropriate. I was too nervous to relax. It was all too different.
Clark told us stories about his adventures as a pilot over dessert.
“You’ve been quiet, Dace,” Clark said when they cleared away our dishes. “Your turn to tell us a story.”
I racked my brain for something to tell that wasn’t depressing or ugly, and came up empty. “We should probably get back to the ship.”
“Let’s go dancing,” Jasyn suggested.
I tried to protest and was overridden.
Clark took one arm, Jasyn took the other, and, for the first time in my life, I went dancing.
The nightclub was loud, bright in flashes, and very dark in between. It was located on another rooftop not far from the restaurant. The music vibrated the floor. Jasyn led us to a table jammed up against the far wall. I sat down, back to the wall, and warily watched people dancing.
Clark disappeared for a long minute and came back carrying three glasses. He set them on the table and took the chair next to me.
“Relax and enjoy it,” he shouted into my ear. He had to talk loud or I wouldn’t have been able to hear him. “You look like you expect an attack.”
Jasyn found someone to dance with, and then someone else, and then another. She swirled gracefully, laughing and enjoying herself. Clark sat next to me, watching her. The music paused, the quiet was full of talk. The lights blinked and a new band began to play, softer music, more suited to the late night magic of the ocean lights reflected in wide windows.
“Dance with me, Dace.” Clark took my hand.
“I don’t know how.”
“Is that why you’re sitting there?” He pulled me to my feet. I tried to pull away, but not very hard.
He put one hand on my back, at my waist, and took my other hand in his. “Follow me,” he said in my ear. His breath tickled my neck, warm on skin suddenly cool. “Watch my feet.”
I tried. He led me through a series of steps that he swore were easy. I kept stepping on his feet. He laughed
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