Chapter 12 #2
Alone, Lucien stepped closer to her, finger hooking below her chin as he carefully lifted her face to his. She felt the tension inside her loosen and unspool under the weight of his commanding gaze.
"Why did you send them away?" she asked him.
"You needed a moment, and though I cannot give you all the time in the world, I can give you time to collect yourself now—before we go. Once we’re there, the mask stays on.
Neither of us can falter. Say the word now, sweet girl, and I will keep you far from this.
I swear it. Everything I have done and everything I will do, it has all been to keep you from them.
" Lucien didn’t need to say the name of her adoptive parents.
Lucien’s thumbs smoothed over her exposed shoulders, eyes dropping to the pearl necklace around her throat.
He swept her hair off her shoulders, tilting her jaw to the side.
She felt his fingers on her ear, making her many piercings tinkle and sway.
His breath ghosted over the shell of her ear as he spoke.
"You look so beautiful in pearls and silk.
" He pulled away—but not before she felt him gently fit something firm behind her ear. "Before I forget."
"The comms. You—you have yours, don’t you?" Her voice was breathy.
"Yes," he said, thumbs catching in the dainty edges of her necklace, tugging. "I want nothing more right now than to lock the door, walk you backward to the bed, and take my time worshiping you in this gown." He tugged on the necklace a bit firmer, and she felt it cut into the side of her neck.
"On or off?"
"What?"
She steeled herself with a breath. "Would you keep the dress on or take it off me?"
Lucien made a tortured sound. "I would leave it on, have you make a mess of it, then I’d carefully get you out of it."
She knew they’d be late, but she wanted him—now.
Rin placed her hands flat on his chest, feeling the pressed material of his suit beneath her palms. "Kiss me."
"It is so hard to resist you," Lucien murmured, before he tipped her face up and pressed his lips to hers.
She moaned against him, wanting to break his control.
He tried to keep the kiss light and chaste, but she wasn’t having it.
He murmured something against her lips about not wanting to ruin her gloss, but she didn’t care.
Her teeth dug harshly into his bottom lip.
Her tongue slipped inside his mouth. She wanted to stake a claim on him, just as he had on her.
A small, insecure part of her hated the fact that she couldn’t proclaim to the world they were together.
He was going alone tonight, no date. Any other woman—one far more beautiful than her—could claim him, try to dance with him.
She knew it was petty, knew she was being immature.
It only made her kiss him harder.
"You don’t know what you do to me, my V girl."
When they pulled away for breath, it was only out of necessity. She thought she needed him far more than air at this moment.
Rin raked her thumb over his lower lip, smearing away the red gloss that had gotten on his mouth. "There. Now everyone will know you’re mine," she whispered huskily to him.
Lucien made to say something, but the door opened, and it was too late for them to jump away from each other.
Xara entered, eyes and mouth wide in shock as she paused by the door.
She stammered for a few seconds. Rin was too busy stepping away from Lucien, smoothing down her hair and the front of her gown, while she felt his presence shift slightly as he moved behind the counter.
A hot, thick tension radiated from him that made her throat dry.
"Sorry! I just—I forgot something," said Xara. "I didn’t realize you two were… together like that. I’ll go."
Xara began to turn away, and Lucien’s eyes were filled with danger, green glimmers at his fingertips as Rin saw vines curling there.
Rin caught his wrist, stopping him with a firm shake of her head, then quickly walked to Xara, grabbing her by the shoulder.
"Wait, Xara. It’s not like that between Lucien and me. We were just—I was just—fuck," Rin cursed.
Xara swallowed, knuckles white where she held her clutch to her chest. "You don’t want your date to know?" she asked quietly.
It was an out that Rin grabbed desperately. "Yes. My… date—what I share with him is passionate. It’s forever. Lucien is"—my everything, Rin thought—"safe. And I’ve always felt curious about him. This wasn’t real." She didn’t let herself look back at Lucien as she lied.
"No problem. I won’t tell anyone or anything. Not even your secret date. I know what it’s like to feel a pull that you can’t explain."
At the words, Rin realized she’d been a shitty friend to Xara. The space beneath her eyes was dark, unable to be fully concealed by makeup. Her eyes—they were so sad.
Rin forced herself to step out of her comfort zone and grabbed Xara’s hands. "Thank you. You can tell me anything, too, you know?"
Xara smiled, but the edges wobbled as she nodded. "Keir’s waiting for me. We’ll see you there. Take your time." She pulled her hands away from Rin’s, the door shutting quietly behind her.
Rin realized Xara never got what she came back for.
A red carpet was rolled out on the steps of the Academy.
In the shadows, lit by the white flash of drone cameras—no reporters were allowed past the gates—Lucien grabbed Rin by the arm and stopped her.
"I’ll go in first." His touch was more careful this time—she’d had to fix her hair and reapply her gloss before they left—as he brushed a curl away from her ear, tapping the earpiece fixed to her skull. "If you need me, I will come. They will—"
"They’re here," Rhyden’s voice filled Rin’s ear as he spoke into the comms device. The sound of it was intimate and clear, making her shiver. "Just arrived through the back entrance. I guess they didn’t want to deal with the fucking reporting drones," Rhyden spat. "Cowards."
"Public opinion has turned against them," Lucien murmured, still staring at Rin. It was as though he wished to ensure she wouldn’t drift away at the mention of Sabine and Talor, who were just inside the building.
"Blackfall Industries has faced scrutiny since their dealings with Tarz became public—unethical ingredient harvesting and testing.
I doubt it will last long, though. They always come out with some new revelation, and their control of the news channels ensures any negative press is swept away quickly. "
It had only been a few days ago that an anonymous source from Tarz—unwilling to share their name due to safety concerns—had made headlines, revealing that an Earthen pharmaceutical and research company sourced most of their drug ingredients from the highly unethical labs on Tarz.
The revelation was unprecedented. The supposed whistleblower had now gone into hiding after a tell-all with a reporter.
But Lucien was right. It wouldn’t last long. That was why they had to strike now—while the public was still wary of Blackfall Industries.
"And the underground isn’t any fucking better.
Everyone is suspicious of Celestis for the increased Rogue sightings.
People think it’s their goddamned fault.
If they can bring someone back from the dead and turn them into a super soldier, then they can make the Rogues worse.
" Rhyden huffed. "Like the Rogues haven’t been a problem since Earth’s creation. "
Something about Rhyden’s words in her ear made her feel uneasy.
A sudden clamor of noise filled the evening—it was just before curfew. Everyone at the gala had clearance to be out, however.
Rin’s eyes slid past Lucien’s shoulders, where she saw a flurry of movements—both drones and attendees alike.
"That’s my cue," Rin said, gathering her gown as she stepped out of the shadows. But not before giving Lucien a long, lingering look, tapping her earpiece in an answer to his earlier promise to her. She would call if she needed him. She only hoped he would do the same.
Rin stepped into the light of the cameras.
None were focused on her. No, they were all beginning to focus on the one who stood at the end of the carpet, closer to the gates.
Armed security, wearing sleek black masks over their faces so they wouldn’t pose as distractions from the opulence of the event and high-profile guests, swarmed him.
Drones hovered along the sides of the carpet.
President Shin stood before one at the top of the carpet, on the steps, a winning smile on his lips as he spoke into a small black microphone that hovered before him.
The lens on the drone whirred as it captured him on video.
The whole red carpet was livestreamed, but the events inside were under wraps.
Only the next morning would information and second-hand accounts slowly begin to trickle into the news. The thought was sobering to her.
Soon, he wouldn’t be just hers anymore—her secret.
The drone before President Shin whirred, streaking through the air.
It blew Rin’s hair away from her face as it passed her by.
The President was left standing there, lips pressed in a thin line as he stared out across the carpet.
Guests stopped where they were, dripping in jewels and draped in gowns, men with suits decorated with medals.
She had a flash of Kit in her mind, wearing his Fleet uniform, chest gleaming with medals he’d earned. She swallowed.
"You fucking trying to make him sweat?" Rhyden said into her ear, jolting Rin into action. She’d paused, taking it all in. Her first misstep of the evening. She gathered her gown in her clammy palms and walked over to the chaos.