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“Sley is your best friend and a skilled seamstress,” Blake replied smoothly. "I’m sure she could make you one.”

“And if I didn’t want her to know?” I bit my lip and hoped the messenger fell for my poor acting skills. I didn’t risk glancing at Ace.

He raised both eyebrows in amusement. “Then there’s a merchant who comes to Wast for the Sunday markets with a booth of them. But buying a scarf seems like a silly thing to keep secret.”

I winced and nodded, trying to seem sheepish. “Maybe I’ll grab one when we get back.” I paused and pretended to inspect his neck. “Should I get another for you? I noticed you’ve stopped wearing yours.”

This time, Blake grimaced and looked away. “Maria took it.”

“Maria?” Now that was unexpected.

“Please don’t tell Sley,” he pleaded.

“It looks like we both have our secrets,” I said, keeping my tone light and teasing. I was definitely telling Sley.

19

With an unusually warm autumn day, the heat of the sun bore down on my head and shoulders. I wiped the sweat from my brow, while Nala pranced along, her head held high, her snout open, her tongue flopping out of the side of her mouth. A few crows circled above, occasionally dipping down to land on a branch and click at me, while quail ran through the underbrush beside me.

“Are you going to ignore me this entire trip?” Ace asked. As if to show his displeasure, the oversized brute stomped through the forest beside me, snapping every branch and crushing every pinecone under his giant feet.

I didn’t reply, content to let him sweat a bit.

“I take that as a yes,” Ace muttered under his breath.

As much as the idea of ignoring him the entire trip tempted me, even I, with all my childish behaviours and stubbornness, knew communication was key to a good partnership.

“I’m still waking up, and I’m still angry at you,” I said.

“It’s midday, you bathed and ate. You even interrogated the queen’s messenger about his fashion choices. How long, exactly, does it take you to wake up?”

I ground my teeth together and balled my hands into fists. “Oh, don’t you worry, buttercup. You’ll hear lots from me soon enough and you’ll then be wishing for silence.”

“I thought you were over this whole partner thing. Why are you still angry?”

I took a deep breath and counted to three. “I am angry because you saw me naked.”

“From what I hear, that’s a requirement to being your partner.”

I spun, my hand drawn back, and struck. My fist connected with his jaw and pain shot down my arm. Ace’s head snapped back, but before he could react, I stepped in and drove my other fist up in a vicious uppercut.

But this time, I wasn’t so lucky. My blow never landed.

Ace moved.

He blocked my strike, stepped in, and caught my arm under his.

My heart hammered uncontrollably, and I tried to reverse my strike to hit him one more time.

He caught that arm, too. I stood so close to him, my chest pressed to his, my ragged breath hitting his neck.

Nala growled behind me. She’d attack if I gave her the command. Tempted, I opened my mouth.

Ace clicked his tongue and peered down at me. “Violence is never the answer.”

“Neither is being a dick.”

He smirked. “Seems like you have a few things to learn from me.”

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