“That is a human way of looking at things. Not Kindred.”
“Well, you said you wanted to understand humanity.” He was silent, though he paced through the surf with his storm-cloud eyes still on her, and she added, “I’m not asking you to break the rules. I don’t want you to be punished. Just look the other way.”
He regarded her steadily, trying perhaps to see around his own mental blocks and read her thoughts. He put one hand around the back of her neck and moved closer.
His lips touched hers.
The flood of electricity broke through the dam of her lips and flowed into her chest, her arms, her head. She steadied herself against him. He hadn’t kissed before. It was stiff and hungry, but he had seen her and Lucky kissing, and Nok and Rolf. He knew what it looked like. He threaded his fingers though her hair like Lucky had. Cora let everything go, then. She didn’t care if other Kindred were watching.
She kissed him back, showing him how a kiss was meant to be, though she hardly knew either. He learned fast. His people might not kiss, but she could tell by his heart thumping under her hand that he enjoyed it, that he responded to it the same way humans did. Quick breath. Radiating warmth. Hands running over every inch of her back, arms, waist, like he had imagined this all in his head a thousand times. Everywhere he touched her rippled in goose bumps. He wasn’t careful and gentle with her, not like Lucky had been. He knew she wouldn’t break.
He was so warm, so full of energy and life that Cora never wanted to never let go. But she had to.
She pulled away from the kiss. He kept his arms around her as she closed her eyes, grounding herself in the coppery smell of his uniform. Something had happened here. They had crossed a line there was no going back from. It was a mistake—but some mistakes were worth making.
“Go at night,” he said. “The ocean isn’t as deep as it appears; there’s a pressure lens separating it from an equipment chamber beneath. You have to swim down far enough to reach it. The pressure will increase to the point where continuing feels impossible, but it’s not. You’ll break through the pressure lens. After that, you’re on your own.”
“Won’t the Warden and his researchers be watching?”
His eyes had returned to black, but his emotions were not totally gone. He pressed his lips to her forehead very softly, and then whispered a few words in her ear before letting her go.
“Leave them to me.”
He dematerialized, leaving her alone in the crashing waves.
UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE
HarperCollins Publishers
..................................................................
51
Cora
CORA SPENT THE AFTERNOON hidden within the boughs of the cherry tree, until it was time to rendezvous with Mali. The jukebox music came, signaling dinner, and she heard the others’ voices chatting as they ate, then the crack of mallet against wooden ball as they played croquet beneath the stars.
Cora flinched at each crack, remembering Rolf slamming it into the pumpkin. She drew her knees closer. She hoped desperately that Mali had talked to Lucky, and that he’d been able to convince the others. Otherwise, it might be her head under that mallet.
Once the cage was quiet, and the house lights turned off one by one, Cora crawled from her hiding place and ran toward the side of the movie theater. She paced nervously, jumping at every shadow. She watched the house lights carefully, praying the others were all heavy sleepers. At last the sound of footsteps came, and Cora sighed with relief.
“Mali—”
But she froze. In the starlight, a tattooed face stared back at her.
“Going to leave us, sweetheart?” Leon grabbed her before she could run. “I don’t think so.”
Her heart shot to her throat.
“I wasn’t going to leave you!” she stuttered. “Please, Leon, keep your voice down. Don’t wake the others. . . .”
“I saw you out there with that black-eyed bastard. I was under the boardwalk. I heard you say you were going to escape and he would help you.” His voice bellowed. A light turned on in an upstairs bedroom, and Cora cringed.
“It’s true—I do know the way out, but I’m not leaving without you. Why do you think I’m still here?”
Rolf appeared in the house’s doorway, the military jacket slung over his thin bare chest, Nok behind him. Anger twisted their features. They tumbled out of the house just as Mali came down the trail, a few minutes too late. Her eyes darted to Cora’s, heavy with warning.
“What are you doing here?” Nok yelled. “They’re taking away my baby because of you!”
Cora straightened. What was Nok talking about?
Mali leaned close to Cora. “I cannot convince them. They strongly dislike you.”