Boat of Destinies

2. Promise

{ Ten orbits later }

A hand trailed down her face.

Makana gently pushed it away, shaking her head. "You know we can't do this anymore." She whispered in the tongue of Tuza, her ears flattening in sadness. The hand trailed down, landing on the bed in disappointment. Makana turned away from the body currently facing her. She bent over to retrieve her sleeveless shirt from the ground.

Makana's ears popped up in surprise as she felt lips press feverishly against her lower back. She sent a glare over her shoulder. "You are not making this easier, Chu'a." Makana snapped. The person behind her drew back.

Chu'a was a semi tall Tuzi, who lived up in the floating city above the capitol, known as the Drift.  He was a rich business man, taking after his father's trading company. His skin was a few shades bluer than hers, his unusual short dark hair attracting Makana even more. It was easier to run her hands through his head, which wasn't common among the Tuzi men.

"I'm trying to make you stay, that is my goal." Chu'a chuckled. Makana pursed her lips, not moving away. "I need to, Chu'a." She reminded him with a helpless shrug. "But Makana, I love you. Please stay." He whined as he grabbed her wrist.

It was Makana's turn to chuckle. She snatched her wrist away from Chu'a, pulling her shirt over her head. "No you don't. We love each other's bodies, nothing more." She said bluntly. Chu'a let out a laugh, rolling to the other side of the bed. Makana used this opportunity to slip on her underpants.

As she stood, her thin elbow length locks fell over her face. Chu'a quickly made his way over to her, stumbling as he pulled his underpants up. "Makana, please." He begged, placing a warm hand on her forearm. Annoyance flared inside of her. It was a cycle that she was getting tired of.

He begged her to stay. Then she would remind him of why they couldn't stay together for long. "You are... two bits older than me. We both have deuces. You live in the Drift. Your papé already has a date set out for you and your deuce to unite—"

Chu'a groaned loudly, cutting her off. "Should I continue?" Makana said, yanking her arm away from him. She bent over to retrieve her skirt. "Just give up your deuce—"

"And then you will?" Makana asked flatly, crossing her arms. She knew Chu'a's deuce was a rich young woman who had been paired with him since he was two orbits old. His family needed a strong family to unite with.

Makana also knew that women who gave up their deuces would never unite with anyone else. Most men were already paired. She knew Chu'a didn't love her truly, and she was completely fine with that because she didn't love him back.

"Makana..." He sighed.

Chu'a traced his fingers over her golden inking that was marked on her elbow. She shivered, frowning as she realized he was trying to seduce her all over again. He knew one of her weaknesses was getting her inkings touched. Makana scoffed, jerking away from him.

She slipped into her ankle length skirt, the double sided slit showing off her colorful bracelets clanking around her ankles. Makana pushed her hair back, heading to the nearest reflector. She tapped the white bulky stick that was planted on the table beside the bed.

The white stick flickered on, a holographic reflection of herself lighting up. Something she could never afford herself. Makana peered into the reflector, checking herself. The soft skin under her eyes were a few shades darker, indicating the lack of sleep she was taking on.

Each time she would glance in a reflector her mind would subconsciously remind her of her mamé, which didn't help her current situation. Makana frowned, causing the golden strip of inking in the middle of her bottom lip to stretch. She grabbed the band around her wrist to pull away her locks from her face.