PARADISE PARADOX (#1 PARADISE ISLAND duology)

-- fifteen --

One might have expected the air outside the cave to be fresh, invigorating, a far cry from the stuffy stench of death inside. A relief from the shocking news and the terrifying truth of their fate.

And yet not a single whiff of wind on Kera's face lessened her tension or assisted in her breathing.

She went between shivering—which made no sense, as they sat under a sweltering sun in stifling heat—and sweating profusely, as if her skin was melting, or on fire. As if it were trying to shed off her bones and expose her secret sexual desires and reveal her lack of a thirst for violence, like everyone else.

And that was only counting for the outside of her body; what was inside was worse. Her heart vacillated between palpitating and nearly stopping. Her lungs were so tight she feared they were clogged with poison and might explode. And her brain was overloaded with images that wouldn't stop hammering her, poking at her, requiring her attention.

Images of the dead bodies in the cave. Of the ruler's sensual voice issuing firm orders to not leave, ever. Of Jessa's coughing up blood and phlegm as she woke, free from her possession, aware of all that had happened. Flashes of Miles' concern, of Vick's cursing, of Patrek covering himself up as if he had something to hide.

As she remained parked on the sand, Kera felt a breeze brushing through her icy blonde tresses; its soothing coolness should have comforted her, yet it didn't.

She watched Patrek, feeling almost worse for him than she did for herself. Outed against his will, revealed as trans, shamed when in truth there was nothing to be ashamed of. Now, he was trying his hardest to convince one of the girls that if they slept together during the blackout, it didn't mean she was gay, and it didn't make him disgusting.

Kera was furious for him, and didn't think he needed to justify anything. He hadn't been conscious; none of them were, so why would he have to explain his sexuality and gender choices to anyone? And even if they had been awake and aware of what they'd done, why was this girl being such a bitch about it all?

This chick berated him, accused him of taking advantage, of lying to her. She was livid, spewing obscenities that Kera didn't even want to think of, let alone ever repeat out loud.

What a piece of work, that one.

Kera peered down at the juncture between her thighs and scoffed.

I was the one taken advantage of, and she complains because she might have fucked someone whose gender she wasn't aware of beforehand? Chill, bitch.

"We couldn't control our urges in there," said Patrek, waving his arms about for emphasis. He and the girl stood off to the side, near the cliff that towered over the beach, but their animated conversation carried all the way to where Kera and the others had chosen to sit.

"Yeah, but we were flirting before that, you jerk," the girl snorted loudly, "or is it bitch? Which are you?"

Kera's fists tightened. She was so close to standing and storming over there to slap this idiot senseless; but it was Patrek's life, not hers.

"You think I predicted we'd get naked together? It was one of the rules to not break, so trust me, I had no intention of sleeping with you, Taryn." Patrek's voice was weak, but laced with a repressed anger that Kera knew all too well.

She'd never had to defend her gender, but she had had to explain her sexual orientation preferences—to her mom.

"Don't ever tell your dad," her mother had said, all but snickering at her daughter's revelation and backing away as if it were a contagious disease to be attracted to both men and women. "He'll shun you, and with you so close to getting a scholarship, I won't let that happen. Keep your tendencies to yourself, okay?"