Intermix Nation

“Nazirah Nation,” Kasimir bellows. “Get yourscrawny behind in here!”

“Have we come to face the music?” Rivasnaps.

Adamek smirks, retrieving a pistol from hisjacket. He loads the chamber, racks the slide, and steps into theroom. “We could say that,” he mocks.

Shock crosses Kasimir’s face. He stands,fearless, shielding Riva. “I know who you are, Adamek Morgen!” heproclaims. “Let my wife go, you bastard! Take me!”

Adamek stifles a yawn. “My parents wereactually married when I was conceived,” he says. “But I appreciatethe concern.”

He pulls the trigger, shooting Kasimir inthe chest. Kasimir slumps to the floor, lifeless. Riva cries out asblood splatters her beautiful face. She sinks down beside her deadhusband, sobbing, holding him in her frail arms. Eridian teardropsfall, intermixing with Oseni blood. “Devil!” she wails, fire in hereyes. “Your day will come!”

A second shot sears the air. Riva collapsesover Kasimir’s body, wooden puppet with cut strings. Adamek staresemotionlessly at the star-crossed tableau before turning to leave.He turns off the lights and closes the door behind him.

#

Nazirah smacks Adamek across the face.

Then again.

She rises from the bed, gasping for air.Nazirah lifts the Iluxor and hurls it against the nearest wall. Itshatters into thousands of tiny shards, glass blowing across theroom like the winds of reckoning. Sharp stings cut the soles of herfeet. She barely notices.

Nazirah pounds the wall. She wrenches herhair. She walks to the open space until her feet are half over theedge. Nazirah screams into the unanswering forest, flirting withdeath and wishing she could tumble into obliterating darkness –then pulls back. She whirls around, seething. Nazirah has heard hermother’s last wish, has already made the vow. Adamek Morgen willhave his day. And Nazirah Nation will give it to him.

“Get up.”

He rises silently. Nazirah shoves him, buthe doesn’t budge. She beats his chest, a barrage of ineffectualfists, unable to crack his ribcage. Collapsing before him, shesobs, animalistic, squeezing the backs of his calves. Her handsslide down, grabbing his ankles. She rests her forehead on thefloor before his feet. Reality is escaping her, slipping throughher fingers like grains of sand on the shore.

She stands, circles him like a condorpreying on the carcass of death. Eyes black, Nazirah unsheathes thedagger from her back pocket, shaking fingers clenched around thehandle. The same blade that carved her olive branch of bark willnow resurrect her honor.

She is going to kill him.

He is going to let her.

Nazirah grabs Adamek’s throat, feels hispulse. That same pulse she wanted to still the first day they met,now thumping irregularly through his skin. She looks him in theeye, determined, holding the blade against his neck. His mask isdown. Nazirah sees the pain, the guilt, the remorse, theacceptance. She sees it all, but she doesn’t pull her hand away.She doesn’t push it in either.

“Do it,” he says.

She doesn’t move.

“Do it!” he repeats.

And still, Nazirah remains frozen inpurgatory, unable to choose heaven or hell, unable to decide whichis which.

“Take it!” he yells. Adamek wraps his handaround hers, shaking in anger, both of them holding the dagger now.“Take your revenge!”

“I won’t make a martyr out of you,” shesays, making her choice. She wrenches her hand away, letting theknife fall to the floor. Shock and disappointment register on hisface. “You aren’t worth salvation.”

And, in the most selfish moment of her life,Nazirah kisses him first.

A delayed second – and then he’s kissing herback, brutalizing her mouth. Adamek grabs her waist roughly.Nazirah stands on tiptoe, frantically clawing the front of hisshirt. She tries to climb up him, slips, needs to reach him better.Adamek hunches, walks her backwards. Nazirah’s leg hits the end ofthe bed. She stumbles, falling onto the mattress. Gasping, Adamekbreaks away. Maintaining eye contact, he slowly unbuttons hisshirt. He slips it off his shoulders, tosses it onto the floor.

His collarbones are straight and long, chesttoned, abdomen defined with a slim waist. The bandage on his leftarm lingers, a white flag of peace. Adamek clenches and unclencheshis fists, watching her watch him. Her eyes skim his hard and softlines, the angles of his body. Scratches and all, Nazirah thinks hehas the most beautiful hands she’s ever seen. Nazirah thinks he isthe most beautiful thing she’s ever seen. And right now she wantshim, like she’s never wanted anything, like nothing elsematters.

And right now she’s okay with that.

Adamek stands over Nazirah as she sits onthe bed. He bends low, laying his hands flat on either side of her.Nazirah’s fingers itch to reach out and touch him.

Anywhere.

Everywhere.

He doesn’t kiss her again.

The electricity between them intensifies,spark and crackle. Nazirah is losing control. She pushes herselfbackwards on her hands, out of reach. He climbs onto the bed, roughbeast, slouching towards her. The tables have turned, the hour comeround at last. He is the predator now.

Her back hits the headboard.

Adamek hunches over Nazirah, knee betweenher legs, palms resting at her sides. They aren’t touching. Nazirahlongs for him to close the gap, to kiss her. But she knows hewon’t, not yet. Adamek will drag it out, torturing her, torturinghim. That’s what they do. If he kisses her now, the game’sover.

With lips only centimeters from her neck,Adamek blows lightly. Chills bang along Nazirah’s spine, shootingto her toes and back. Every sense, every nerve is on fire. Hekisses her jaw, leaving an upwards trail of sweet blisters. Hebites her lobe, traces the curve with his tongue, sucking the softspot behind her ear. He tugs her hair, a delicious sting that rocksher core. Nazirah arches her back restlessly underneath him, tryingto deepen their contact. But he pulls away, just enough, smilinginto her skin.

“Take your shirt off.”

His voice is hoarse, words calculated. Heholds back, restraining himself. It’s harder for Nazirah this way,forcing her to be proactive. It makes her prove to him, to herself,how badly she really wants it.

And she does want it.

But Nazirah doesn’t live by anyone’s rulesbut her own.

She reaches between them, fingering the hemof her shirt as if timid, exposing her stomach. Nazirah’s free handgrips a rung in the headboard. If Adamek’s focus stayed on herface, he would notice the purpose there. But he’s distracted.

Her foot creeps up his leg, hooks at theknee. In an instant, he’s flipped onto his back. Nazirah straddlesAdamek smugly. He props himself up on his forearms. She shakes herhair out, noticing his fixation on her chest. Slapping him lightly,Nazirah grabs his chin.

“It’s rude to stare, Morgen.”

He watches her with unadulterated lust.“I’ve never been very polite.”

Nazirah gently scrapes her nails verticallydown his face. She traces the arch of his brows, the curve of hiseyelids and the shape of his lips. He parts them slightly, takingher fingers into his mouth. He kisses her wrist as she removesthem. She sucks his neck, alternating rough bites and kitten licks.Nazirah inches her body down as she goes. She grabs hiscollarbones, wanting to test how much they’ll give. He hissesslightly, moans, reaches out to touch her. She slaps his hand away,continuing to explore the flat plains, peaks, and valleys of hischest with her mouth. Nazirah can tell he’s getting frustrated, andshe likes having that power over him. This is the revenge shechooses. And isn’t it sweet.

She kisses from navel to belt, blowinglightly where skin meets denim. He jerks slightly, clenching hisfingers around the headboard’s rungs. Nazirah knows he’s using allof his willpower not to react. But this is a game, and she wants towin.

Nazirah returns to her original position,stretching languidly as she straddles his chest. Gathering hercourage, she pulls her shirt off. She lets Adamek stareappreciatively for only a moment before laying the shirt over hisface, plunging him into darkness. She pulls the cotton tight,biting his lip through the fabric. He moans, inhaling her scent,rolling his hips against hers. She bites again, sucking harder.When his hips grind a second time, Nazirah arches her back,preventing contact. He groans louder, breathing labored. She goesto do it once more, but Adamek has had enough.