Once Kastia and Solyndi were done with me, I looked like I belonged in a window along a neon street, posing and gyrating at passersby. No disrespect to them—it was a lucrative career back on Earth. It just wasn't me and I had long since grown tired of being forced to do things I didn't want to do, and things I didn't want to be. Especially when my face ended up painted like a sexy Easter egg.

The maids hadn't been quite sure how to contend with my skin, so they smeared my eyes with pastel blue like they would do theirs, then plopped some light pink blush on my cheeks. It was, somehow, even less sexy than one might imagine. But they were strangely proud of it. Well, Kastia was. Solyndi made faces and stood a foot away from me, arm outstretched while she tickled at my face with the edge of each makeup brush she used.

Hearing footsteps in the hallway, undoubtedly signaling Rylos's arrival, I shifted uncomfortably in the gauzy, iridescent fabric they'd dressed me in. It was lightly covering my breasts and just enough of my bottom half to avoid giving all of Korystus an explicit look at my anatomy. As long as I didn't bend over. Or use stairs. Basically, as long as I stood still, I was golden.

I made a point of facing the door even as I heard Rylos walk into the foyer. I had no interest in giving him the show he undoubtedly wanted. He could treat me like his pretty little pet all he wanted, but that didn't mean I was going to act like one.

So, of course, he made a point of walking in front of me. My breath hitched as I caught sight of his mostly nude form. I thought I was the sex worker here? Rylos only wore a strip of breezy fabric knotted at one hip. It hung down at an asymmetrical slant, only covering one thigh and leaving the other exposed. His tall, muscled form was almost entirely uncovered. It seemed impossible to not feast upon the sight of his pale purple skin as it shined in the soft light of the glowing plants all around the room. It took more effort than I wanted to admit, but I forced myself to look away, my mouth suddenly very dry.

I forcibly cleared my throat and asked, "What're you wearing?"

"This is how I dress for work. Is it unusual to you?"

"Very."

"I see." He ran his eyes up and down my scantily clad form. "Does it make you uncomfortable to be so exposed?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"Good?!" I sputtered.

"Vulnerability is a strength. Exposing yourself is a show of confidence."

"Yeah, strength, that's what this is," I replied, letting out a long breath.

Rylos held out a muscled arm, bent at the elbow, and nodded at me. "Take my arm. Let's go."

"I don't know. People might get the wrong idea."

"The wrong idea?"

"Letting me walk by your side? Other Korysti might actually mistake you for someone who respects humans. Wouldn't want that, would you?"

"If you want them to know how I feel about you, pet," he placed extra emphasis on the word, "then you'll take my arm and walk with me."

I tilted my head to the side. What's that supposed to mean? Those signals were so mixed I couldn't even begin to parse them.

After a moment's pause, I wrapped my hand around his arm, just above his elbow. All the while, however, I kept in mind that I needed to be careful. He had already blindsided me with that bracelet. One moment, he almost seemed to understand, the next he was eyeing me like dessert and calling me his pet. I would be a fool to let my guard down too much.

He led me outside, past all of his security and through his front gate. Waiting outside it was what looked like a horseless carriage, only it was a rounded square covered in carvings similar to the walls around Rylos's home. Swirling patterns that made no sense to me, but I was certain they were significant. I'd noticed they were big fans of disguising their technology in beautiful wrappings.

What I found most remarkable was how much it all reminded me of Earth. The Korysti weren't all that much different from humans. Neither were the Adrax, though. But they'd been terrifying, even more so than the Korysti, with snowy white skin and fanged teeth. I shivered at the memory of their snarling faces when they turned on us, and tried in vain to push it out of my mind.

Rylos frowned and looked down at me. "Are you cold?"

"No, I'm fine. As fine as can be, considering."

He flicked his eyes over me once more, then unwound his arm from mine and touched his fingers to the side of the carriage. A door appeared within the otherwise seamless machine and slid open.

"Get inside, pet."

I stood still. "Would you mind saying please?"

"Why would I say please?"

"Maybe, I don't know, to show me an ounce of respect?" I shook my head. "You know what, just forget it. Your little act back there just made me think . . . I don't know what it made me think. Seriously, just forget it."

Done with trying, and completely unsure why I even tried, I climbed inside the sleek carriage. He said nothing as I slid into one of the plush, ivory-colored seats and looked outside at the two moons, one smaller than the other. All the beautifully manicured trees lining the road were achingly beautiful against the clear, starry sky. Honestly, Korystus was as gorgeous as its people. It was a shame that they were all so cruel. I felt like we could've done great things together.

I didn't even look over as Rylos slid into the seat across from me and the door whooshed shut behind him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small console appeared between us.

"Good day, Senator Rylos," a feminine voice, professional and perfectly pitched, greeted him. "Please input your destination."

Rylos tapped the screen.

"You would like to go to the Capitol Building. Is this correct?"

Rylos tapped the screen again.

"Destination confirmed. Enjoy your trip, Senator."

The console disappeared back into the floor and the carriage began to move through the street, slowly picking up speed. All of their traffic was automated here. One giant algorithm that kept everything moving flawlessly and accident-free.

They loved to brag about how perfect things on Korystus were. For example, I knew so much about their traffic because my handler had been smug the whole way to Rylos's talking about how fast and flawless getting from place to place was.

In a stupid moment, I'd actually tried to make conversation with that weirdo and she thought it was hilarious when I tried to explain what a traffic jam was. I rolled my eyes at the memory. How could our infrastructure be so terrible? How did we even make it into space? Then she laughed like a braying donkey, as if she'd said something hilarious.

"Have you considered that maybe you're not so respectful either?"

I looked away from the window to see Rylos's staring at me intently, although his expression was otherwise unreadable.

"You're still stuck on that, are you?"

I looked away.

"Yes, I am."

"I think I have the right to be as rude to you as I want, considering our relationship."

"So do I, pet."

"Sure thing, Rylos."

"Senator Rylos."

I snorted and settled back into the seat, focusing my eyes hard on the scenery passing by, as if trying to make a point just how little I wanted to look at him. But my mind was otherwise busy. I needed to figure out how to get away from this guy, and fast.

If I let him keep on distracting me like this, I'd never be able to find time to figure out an escape plan. And I had to. Something that would allow me to help my fellow humans to get the hell off this rock.