“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Even at night when the water is black, you can still almost see the reflection of the stars on it.”
“Yes.”
“What’s it like out there?” She lifted her gaze to the clusters of lights in the sky, the falling souls, the soft colors of a nearby nebula. “I bet it’s incredible.”
“It’s quiet,” he answered. Rylie waited for more but he didn’t elaborate.
“It’s quiet under the water too.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t talk much do you?” She glanced at him as he turned to look her way, his face hidden behind shadows.
“No.”
She laughed. “Why?”
“My teeth,” he eventually said.
“I can’t see your teeth in the dark.” Rylie shifted the drink glasses so they hung from her fingers on one hand. “Lily is really taken with you. She loves the unusual...doesn’t take after either of our parents. They hoped for a boy but wouldn’t undergo in vitro. I think Janet and I scared them from having another girl. When Lily arrived, well, they named her after some flower in hopes she’d be normal,” Rylie chuckled. “Instead, they got a little monster in the making.”
“Why do you scare them?”
Rylie shrugged. “Don’t know.”
“Have you been here your whole life?”
“I’ve never left the surface. Janet has. I have been to the colony though.” She hugged herself hoping his judgment wouldn’t come. Offworlders looked down on those who weren’t raised and educated on Earth. “We had our schooling electronically.” Rylie added, “I know of Earth.”
“Hmm...”
A blush rose to her cheeks. She hated outsiders for this reason.
“You’re lucky,” he said, pulling her from her thoughts.
What?
“People would kill—kill—for what you have. Your dad gave you an insular paradise. Never feel ashamed of it.”
“I don’t,” she said after a moment, feeling chastised.
Rylie closed her arms around herself tighter as a gust of wind came in from the ocean. The smell of the water filled her nostrils as the breeze pushed back her hair. She shuffled on her feet and turned her head to protect her eyes. It was a rare night when the ocean mists didn’t descend. When she looked up, the Cyborg was watching her.
“Cold?”
Rylie shook her head. “No more than usual. It’s always like this at night.” She watched as the man peeled off his suit jacket, already knowing what he was planning to do. “I don’t need—” Netto placed it over her shoulders. “—Thanks,” she said glumly, sinking into the overly large, stiff fabric. It instantly warmed her from the inside out as if it had just come from the dryer. “Thanks,” she said again, pulling it around her.
“Yes.”
It made her feel equally comfortable and uneasy. “I’m not like Janet,” she blurted out and immediately regretted her words. She was happy he couldn’t see her face and pulled his blazer further over her. When he didn’t respond, she changed the subject. “Will you be able to help us?” she asked. “Da is so sure of himself.”
Netto humphed and took a step toward the water. “Yes.”
He really doesn’t like talking.Rylie bit her tongue.I think he’s worse than me.If she were a Cyborg, rich beyond belief, powerful enough to rule a planet, and had an endless amount of freedom, she didn’t think she would be as quiet as she was. Her mind briefly thought of Zeph and his brazenness.
“Thank you,” she whispered, not knowing what else to say.
Netto moved from her and down toward the shore. Her eyes were glued to the dark figure that crept away, silent and predatory. Another shiver ran up her spine as he began to take off his pants. They dropped to the sand, leaving behind a dark pile. Rylie held her breath as his dark figure met the equally dark water.
