Page 113 of Light Leech

“You look nice,” Naoma said.

Kao looked into a handheld mirror as she pinched her eyelashes together to form small peaks. Koro inspected her nails, which were a bright red to match the rest of her outfit and pointed like talons with an adornment of small pearls and gems. They each wore their respective colors with violet lines of living light to accent their style.

Kao closed her mirror placed in a compartment on the door. “Need anything before we dash?”

Naoma and I looked at each other and shook our heads.

Kyo turned back and knocked on the window to the chauffeur. The skyride lifted and flew in line with the skyline traffic.

Kyo leaned forward, resting her hands on her cheeks with elbows on her knees. “Are you two ready? Nay, you’ll be fine. If anything, everyone there will be nervous to meet you and so excited to talk about your latest mindshow! Oh, what is that? I know suppressed disgust when I see it. Did you and Nichley split on bad terms?”

“I don’t see myself working with them anytime soon.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“I’d rather not.” Both of them smiled at each other with an expression that grew more pressured by the moment.

Kyo laughed. “No Nichley reps will be there, don’t worry. They keep their own parties.”

“Children’s entertainment is more unhinged than you would ever hope,” Koro said with a dead stare at me.

What the zeg was that supposed to mean? “I’m sorry?”

Koro cracked a smile. Was that the first I had seen from her? “That is what you would say if you attended one of those.”

“She means they’re lame,“ Kyo said.

Koro raised her eyebrows in question.

“Compared to the Dynasty at least,” said Kyo.

Koro looked out the window, back to her usual disinterested gaze that suggested constant dissatisfaction. “Depends on your vice.”

“Now you”—Kyo pointed at me—“will need some guidance, unless you political types know how to let loose more than I expect?”

“You’ll be fine,” Kao said.

Kyo looked at her sister with the same questioning stare as Koro had a moment prior, though hers was more playful. “You sure?” She turned to me. “Maybe I’m wrong. I mean we don’t really know anything about you, do we, Petya Nebokov?”

“Except my name. You must like the taste of it in your mouth to repeat it so much.”

“Oh?” She giggled.

“Am I wrong?”

She reached over to tap my nose. “So your boy isn’t as dry as he seems, Nay?”

“He literally made a single non-shac comment,” Koro said.

“Tell me, Petya, are you anything more than Naoma’s pleasure boy?”

“Are you anything more than 3Rochi’s seductress?”

“Ha! You hear that, girls?”

Koro’s voice was dry. “Wow, someone noticed you putting out and didn’t complain.”

“Who says I wasn’t complaining?”