Blacken by Alandra Rankin (i love reading books txt) 📕

fraction, then pulled down as he contemplated over something. She was worried she had said something wrong.

“Dear Avie, I am afraid I have not been entirely honest with you, but I would like to clear a few things up about myself, and my being here.”

A fiery glow sat high in the sky, mid-morning shone the brightest and signalled the time to take a well-earned break from tending to the crops.

Rhulle and a few others in the fields were the first to notice them: the army from the city marching into their small village with intent. It was only a matter of time before their colony would be discovered and integrated to the larger structure, the joy of living independently being short lived.

All dropped what they were doing once alerted, attempting to flee with loved ones, Rhulle quickly finding his mother and sister in their hut to run with them.

It had been no use, futile even through the chaos of scrambling truxi. They were captured, locked away to be taken into the closest city’s monarchy to be decided what their fate was. Of course, it would be some variance of forced labour, it always was. Rhulle remembered how hard life was before the escape into independence.

The high council composed of elders had indeed sent his family to build the grand brick intricacies of their homes and buildings, a labour compulsory with heavy lifting and hauling—working just to survive on meager earnings.

Enough had been enough. After tirelessly working down to the bone for weeks, Rhulle rose out of his seat in their shack, shouting the injustice of being mistreated and desire to escape once again, being shut down by his mother in worry that guards would overhear. After arguing for quite a while across the table, he angrily dropped the topic after getting nowhere. Rhulle only wanted something better, for himself and his sister; his mother clearly did not care.

Early next morning, guards raided their home, arresting Rhulle and placing him on public trial.

He was entitled to a statement from any truxi of his choosing for any final word in an attempt to sway his public appearances or even the High Council. He cried, on his knees as he begged and pleaded for his mother’s testimony, for her to say something, anything to keep him alive. Yet she couldn’t even look at him, even as he was dragged away.

Rhulle stood in the raised stone pillar, surrounded by his peers, and his trial runners, awaiting his fate.

To his surprise, and also dismay, Rhulle was given a choice. He could be executed publicly or banished from his home world—a rare option for a long drawn out death. Either way, his fate was sealed.

His claws gripped into his palms, drawing blood that fell as his tears did, staring blankly ahead.

“I choose banishment.”

Appalled murmurs and gasps littered the crowd at his decision, and he was escorted away. The last thing he saw was his sister’s sad eyes and his mother’s indifferent ones.

“We are fiercely loyal; I spoke out against the system, as most held the belief that labour was an opportunity to move up and only a temporary position. Those generations of truxi were not the same ones that sought refuge away from everything like my father did—like I had. Banishment was an unheard-of choice. But I took it. I was a coward.”

“No. You are a fighter, you saw a chance to keep living, and you took it. I am truly sorry for what you’ve been through, I couldn’t imagine what that must have been like.”

He smiled, genuinely, “That is why I like you; you see the better parts of everything. Thank you, dear Avie.”

“I can’t picture how intimidating it was to come here and not know anything, learning an alien language just because it was something to do.”

Rhulle laughed, “Yours is so simple in comparison.” He looked back to her face, his own sobering into softness, “Listen, Avie… You make me feel very complicated emotions, I cannot help wanting you to be mine. As a vovii, we would do everything a couple would do in your regards, even—ahh—coitus. I understand this is a very odd situation, and I will not ask anything of you, but I had the thought of us together, even in that sense.”

He grasped a hand in both of his, lifting it to hold between them. Rhulle sounded almost embarrassed at the confession, causing her to flush warm at his words and actions. At least she wasn’t alone in her thoughts…

“How would it—would it even… could we even…?”

A nervous laugh escaped, “I was hoping to find this out too.”

Avie bit her lip at the implication, the blush deepening from dusty pink to cherry red. She wanted to find out, if just to know and understand tonight.

“We could explore… If you wanted.”

His breath hitched, Rhulle’s usual calm demeanour breaking for a moment as he fumbled, “Right, just explore a bit, no harm in that.” He rose, extending his hand to help her rise with him.

She stood in front of him, not sure how to take the first step. The truxen stroked the side of her face with the back of his hand, delicate fingers tracing there before moving to lace through her hair, tilting her head as he leaned in to kiss her. Her heart drummed in her chest, heavy with anticipation, breaking away slightly to remove her shirt, her chest lay bare before him. Rhulle looked down at her, his hand moving to her shoulder, massaging the collarbone there as he drank in her appearance.

With a brave hand, she moved his lower, allowing him to touch the flesh there, enjoying him gasping at the sensation.

“They are soft, I was not expecting that.”

A light laugh was shared between them, he brought his other hand to play with her chest, tracing over every inch of skin, finding that it felt good for her. He ran his hands down, drawing over the stomach and the beauty marks that scattered there. Avie watched as his lip