I squeezed his knee, surprised at how pliable and spongy his bodysuit felt.
I whispered with a smile, “I promise I won’t run off. I asked you to do this, and I won’t make you regret it.”
He touched a button on the ship’s wristband and the lights dimmed as the curtains lowered. Only the filtered light coming in from the terrarium remained.
He turned away and placed both of his elbows on his knees with a sigh. Leaning forward, he grabbed the visor with both hands, his fingers moving as though he was hitting a release or a button. The front of his visor slid forward, taking the attached green cloth drape with it. He was twisted slightly and was able to pull the entire thing free. He looked at the visor in his hands for a moment before placing it on the table between our drinks.
I studied it for a few moments before returning my focus on him. His hair hid his face from me like a black curtain as he remained frozen, his arms resting on his legs.
“Kaede?”
He didn’t respond or move.
I pushed the blanket off my lap and slid to my knees in front of him. He didn’t move—almost as if he wasn’t even aware of my presence. With both hands, I reached out to touch his face.
His gloved hands grabbed my wrists, halting me.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Selena? You can’t unsee it.” His voice was raw with emotion, and I wondered why.
“Yes.”
He gave a slight nod and sighed, releasing my hands and allowing his own to fall back on his knees.
I cupped his face in my hands and tilted his face up to mine.
A gasp escaped my lips before I could prevent it, and my heart sped up.
Kaede looked almost human.
His eyes were neon-green with a thin black pupil down the center—much like all the pictures I’d seen of snakes on Earth. He had no eyelashes, and I watched his eyelids close as he blinked. Above his eyes were eyebrows the same blue-black as his hair. His nose was small, with an angular point at the end, yet it was human. His lips were like mine, but thinner and black. Two long, thin fangs were visible at the upper corners of his lips.
I could feel lines beneath my fingers. It made me curious. I tilted my palms away to reveal thin scars bisecting the beige skin covering Kaede's angular cheeks. My eyes roamed his face, as my fingers traced the marks of the injuries done to him.
He shuddered in my hands and closed his eyes.
I paused. “Are you okay? Am I hurting you?”
“No. I’ve just never met someone who wasn’t repulsed by how I looked. I’m both shocked and relieved, but I’m afraid to make any sudden movements for fear of frightening you.”
I placed a finger under his chin to lift his face, forcing him to look at me. Using my free hand, I brushed back his hair—the strands thick and silky as they ran through my fingers. Curious about his horns, I traced the knobs and ridges along their length, feeling the coolness and rigidity of the bone.
He shuddered again from my touch.
I wondered if his horns were sensitive, or whether his shudder was an emotional reaction. Not wanting to test him, I refrained from touching his long pointy ears—though I was tempted.
Brushing his hair back once more, I whispered. “Kaede, look at me.”
He squeezed his eyes shut harder and blew out a breath before opening his eyes. His neon-green eyes traced over my face before they locked onto mine.
He looked fragile in my hands as if his soul was begging me to accept him—asking for me not to be afraid and for his appearance not to ruin the beginnings of a friendship between us. Kaede reminded me of myself, wanting to be seen and valued as a person, not by how he looked.
Another kindred spirit.
“Kaede. I don’t know why you were so afraid to show me how you looked.” My voice was low and gentle as I tried to soothe his worries.
He jerked away from me as if I had shocked him.
I removed my hands away and clasped them in front of me.
“Are you serious? You aren’t scared of me?”
I shook my head. “Didn’t my actions tell you that? To be honest, I think you’re quite attractive even with all of your scars.”
His mouth dropped open in shock, and I caught a glimpse of his long, thin, black, forked tongue. Following the direction of my gaze, he snapped his mouth shut.
“I don’t believe it.” His eyes hardened and his expression closed.
I noticed my knees were getting stiff from kneeling, and I was getting chilly again. I decided he also probably needed space to process everything. I stood and took half a step toward the couch only to stumble, throwing out a hand to try and catch myself on the table.
Before I could even reach it, hands wrapped around my hips and caught me, setting me upright.
I gasped, unable to credit the speed with which Kaede moved.
Afraid he’d scared or hurt me, Kaede yanked his hands back and put them in the air.
“It’s okay, Kaede. You just surprised me with how fast you moved. I’ve never seen anyone move that fast.” I looked straight at him, staring into his eyes to show I was telling the truth.
“I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Rolling my eyes, I walked around the table and back to my seat, tucking my legs next to me on the couch. Kaede hurriedly tucked the blanket around me again and handed me my tea.
I took a sip of the cooling tea and studied him.
He returned
