Page 16 of Tail, Dark and Handsome: Celestial Mates
It was a large but not impossible amount. The interest was the real killer.
“It’s worse. If I don’t pay, Nox says he’ll put a lien on the business,” Mari said.
“Nox? Noxious the Moneylender? Noxious the Poisoned Tooth?” Valerian shook her head. “He has a terrible aura. So murky. Why would Tomas go to him?”
Good question. That exact question kept her up all night.
“I think he approached Tomas,” Mari said.
Valerian tapped the crystal pendant hanging around her neck, then the crystal bracelet. “Probably fishing for a legitimate business to do the laundry,” she said, astutely.
Startled that her mother’s mind worked that way, Mari said, “Launder. To launder money.”
Valerian waved a hand and said, “We’ll figure it out.”
For a moment, Mari believed her mother. She might have been flighty and drifted through life, letting the currents of the universe take her where they willed, but Mari never doubted her mother’s love or questioned her safety. It was such a happy, comfortable place to be. She shouldn’t allow Nox to live in her head, keeping her up with worry.
Or at least charge him rent.
“You should take a walk. Enjoy the sun while you can,” Valerian said.
Mari agreed. She needed to work out her restless energy, and a walk into the village sounded good. Taking her hat and the dang comm unit, she set off.
The island was a long, thin curve of dry land centered around a dormant volcano. The windward side boasted gorgeous white sand beaches. Hotels and resorts ran up and down the beach. Steep hills filled the center, and two villages crouched around harbors on the north tip of the island.
A brisk fifteen-minute walk brought Mari into the closest village. Whitewashed cubiform buildings with azure blue tile roofs seemed to be stacked on top each over on the hillside, gleaming against the deep blue of the harbor. A constant sea breeze kept the temperature comfortable, despite the intensity of the sun.
It was a beautiful spot in the universe. She could only imagine what it would be like to experience it with someone she loved.
Thoughts of Tomas brought back the familiar sensation of sour worry and irritation. On the first day, she half-hoped he’d be foolish enough to turn up in their private cabin on the beach. It was part revenge fantasy but also a wish that he’d come back to beg forgiveness because he loved her, but no. It was just Mari and Valerian in the honeymoon suite. And no, she wasn’t disappointed because she was over him. So over him.
She’d keep repeating that mantra until she believed it.
A fresh start.
That sounded so nice. She had her pilot’s license. She could fly anywhere in the galaxy. Well, the Interstellar Union. Nothing kept her at Olympus Station other than her mother. Finding a new job that took her away from the station would be good for her, a complete break from the old.
It was a sweet fantasy, but only a fantasy. Nox would continue his pursuit. He might be satisfied if she paid on the interest, if the mood struck him. With luck and taking on more jobs, she could whittle down the principal. If not, he’d put a lien on her shares of the business.
It was hard to predict which way he would go, as his moods were notoriously mercurial. He’d taken over other businesses in the station, but he’d also let people work off their debt. Some people were smart mouths to him, but they remained whole with all their fingers and toes. Other people gave him one wrong look, and Nox’s henchmen put them in the med bay.
She hoped she amused him, given the way he seemed to enjoy invading her privacy and rummaging through her apartment. The only thing she knew for certain was that running away wouldn’t solve anything. If she stayed, she could shield Valerian and Joseph.
Mari knew she should swallow her pride and accept Valerian’s offer of help. Her mother wasn’t sitting on a fortune, but together they could pay off the debt, or at least make a dent in it.
She had a week before she had to deal with it. A week to pretend she was an average jilted bride on a not-weird honeymoon with her mother and not a woman with a ticking clock hanging over her head.
So what if Nox sent her a message that morning with a photo of her cabin? Big deal. She would not buckle under a little light intimidation. She had a week.
Mari hopped on public transport. The crowd thinned as it moved away from the beach and deeper into the island’s interior, climbing up to the temple ruins perched on the mountainside. Gray clouds rolled in, taking away the worst of the heat. As the transport reached the top, she felt as if she rose above her troubles.
Alone, Mari disembarked to climb the steps to the temple site. Gravel crunched underfoot. The air smelled of sea salt and the pungent scrub plants that grew along the rough terrain. Above her, on a steep incline, the weathered stone columns of the ruined temple framed against the stormy sky.
Her thighs burned from climbing the uneven steps. By the time she reached the top, she needed to sit for a moment to catch her breath. She brushed off a conveniently placed bit of stone and sat. Wind kicked up dust and stirred the loose strands of hair that escaped from her ponytail. The village below appeared tiny, like toy blocks stacked on top of each other, and the blue water stretched out endlessly.
Maybe, after this mess was over, she could find a job on this planet. Shuttles moved tourists every day from the orbital station to the planet’s surface. The work was mindless, but she’d get sunshine, stunning views, and real weather.
The wind changed direction, growing cool and damp. Droplets pattered against the ground. A splash touched her shoulder.
