Alin doesn’t return all day. By the time I go to bed, drained by today’s excitement, he still isn’t back. Despite my exhaustion, I lie awake, restless with both the memories of what happened between me and Zev today, and the worries of what that means for me and Alin. Will it bother him, that I kissed his partner? That I let his partner take me apart, piece by piece, and puzzle me back together into a completely new woman? Would Zev have done that, if he new Alin had kissed me first? I’m greedy, selfish, to first flee my duties, and then claim two gods all to myself.
Eventually, sleep must claim me despite my protests. I wake to the smell of something rich and sweet, groggy and slow to recall the events that brought me to this magic bed.
“Good morning, pretty girl,” Alin says when I emerge from my private sleeping quarters, and I blush at the compliment. “Want some breakfast?”
I nod, and he hands me a mug of what must be producing that delectable smell. I take a tentative sip, marveling at the drink that is warm without burning my lips, that isn’t too thick but fills my belly like oatmeal. And the taste, the taste is of rich chocolate, with a kick of spice. It tastes like my earliest memories of Christmas, years and years ago, before the gods arrived and life was never the same again.
“Good, isn’t it?” Alin asks in that rolling voice of his, and I glance up to see him watching me. “It’s an old family recipe. Not as light and elegant as traditional Krinar cuisine, but a favorite of mine to this day.”
“It’s amazing,” I agree, taking another big sip. “I’ve never had anything like it.”
The god nods, satisfied with my satisfaction. “Most haven’t. My family is from the farthest north end of Krina, what you might consider a rural area, at least relatively. A bit of a hermit clan, until me. I’ve strayed pretty far from home, but it’s always nice to have a little piece of it with me.”
He holds up his own mug demonstratively, and I smile back at him. I wonder what piece of home I would have brought with me, if I’d had a chance. Not from the compound, but from our little apartment in Chicago, the home I barely remember anymore. We left everything behind, our belongings, our memories, and the shadows of ourselves that we’ll never get back.
“Where’s Zev?” I ask, ready to steer the conversation somewhere slightly less sentimental, although my face burns at the memory of the missing god.
“It’s his turn in the field today,” Alin says, not seeming to notice my flush. “He’s scouting the perimeter of the Church compound. We’re nearly ready to infiltrate it, I think.”
“Oh,” I say, somewhat taken aback. “Infiltrate it? What does that mean?”
“Don’t worry,” the god says quickly, noting my hesitation. “We won’t hurt anyone, certainly not Church members like your friends or family. Our plan is to make a brief entrance the next time that the Seven are all gone, and offer a chance of escape for those interested. I’m afraid just the two of us can’t take down the Seven altogether, but we can at least help people get out while we work on a more permanent solution.”
I polish off the last of my breakfast and consider this plan. I wonder who would take this offer of escape. My parents? The friends I grew up with? We never spoke much of a life outside of the compound. It never seemed like a real possibility. Certainly not as real as the punishment we would face if the elders caught us conspiring against them.
“Why are you doing this?” I ask the god, who is still watching me closely from across the table. “You and Zev, why are you taking on the Seven if no one else will?”
Alin runs his hand through his hair thoughtfully, shaking his curls out to frame his face, like a dark lion’s mane. “You probably wouldn’t know, but our people have a lot going on right now. Uprisings in the West. Power-hungry humans up North. Not to mention the problems on our own planet. The Council doesn’t have time for seven rogue Krinar in the desert, taking advantage of a handful of humans. Zev was the one who brought the Seven to their attention, and I guess he feels responsible that the Council let them off the hook so easily. Me, I just like a good fight.”
He smirks at that, and I realize that he must know he’s fire. Wildfire, reckless and aimless, chasing destruction without cause. Well, he likes to think he’s without a cause. I can tell from the vitriol in his eyes when he speaks of the Seven, from the tender way he tried to alleviate my concerns when I first joined him and Zev, that he cares more than he’s letting on right now.
I reach out and grab his hand, making the moment serious even as he tries to shrug it off. “Thank you.”
Alin studies me for a second, considering my gratitude, then simply kisses my knuckles gently. I tense at the touch of his lips, then gasp as he takes my forefinger into his mouth and suckles it. The sensation is electrifying, teasing and overstimulating at the same time. My eyes are wide as Alin stands and picks me up off my float, hoisting me onto his waist. My legs wrap around him automatically for support, but I pull away when he leans in for a kiss.
“I have to tell you something,” I say, breathless at his nearness. “Zev… Zev kissed me yesterday.”
“I know,” Alin murmurs, pulling me back close easily, and running his lips along my throat, making me moan. “He said you were delicious.”