Page 56 of The Rebel's Prize

"I'm fine," he said.

Imogene narrowed her eyes for a moment, her expression stilling. Then a smile spread across her face. "Oh, you're bonded again." Her gaze shifted to Chloe, blue eyes amused. "Isn't thatinteresting."

"Not particularly." Chloe made shooing gestures toward the door. "You need sleep, too." She wasn't sure she could even start to explain to Imogene everything that had happened since Lucien had found her, and she certainly wasn't going to provide the specific details about how they had reformed their bond. Though the look Imogene shot her before she left them alone made it clear that at least some explanations would have to be forthcoming if Chloe didn’t want to be driven to distraction by Imogene trying to find out what had happened.

Chloe crossed to the bunks while Lucien locked the door, patting the mattress tentatively. Just as thin as she remembered. She suddenly wished she had gotten at least one night with Lucien on the softer pallets of their tent.

"Alone at last," Lucien said, coming up behind her and pressing a kiss to the back of her neck.

She put a hand on the edge of the upper bunk as her knees went weak. "Whatever you're thinking, I'm not sure these beds are up to it."

Lucien laughed and kissed her again, closer to her ear. "The army builds things sturdy."

She turned, and his hands gripped her hips. "I'm not sureI'mup to it." A yawn escaped to emphasize her point.

Lucien laughed but let her go. "All right. I'll be patient." He kissed her fast. "But you make it difficult." He gestured at the bunk. "Top or bottom?"

"You don't want to share?" It would be a squeeze to fit two people in one of the bunks but not impossible.

"You said you wanted to sleep. If we share, that's less likely."

"Top, then." She was shorter than Lucien. Less likely to brain herself on the ceiling climbing into the bunk or sitting up in the middle of the night.

"Good. But you're welcome to join me in the night if you get lonely."

* * *

Despite her best intentions, Chloe woke in the lower bunk with Lucien. She barely remembered leaving her own, or falling asleep after briefly checking in with Octarus after she'd clambered up into the top bunk. The sanctii had sounded distracted but otherwise content. She must have fallen asleep fast and been only half awake when she'd decided she missed Lucien and climbed down to join him.

"Good morning," he whispered and proceeded to demonstrate that the bunks were, indeed, sturdy, making love to her with a careful precision and stifling her cries with his mouth as she came. They both grinned foolishly as they washed and dressed, and it was an effort to school her expression to something more appropriate when they reached the wardroom for breakfast. Though the fact that she was out of uniform and everybody else was not dimmed her mood a little.

She distracted herself with the meal and tried to pay attention to Captain Bertrand as he introduced the other officers, then provided facts about how many others were on board and that they would meet before lunch to discuss the plans for Basali. Silya had apparently taken breakfast in her cabin, leaving the Illvyans to speak freely.

If she fooled the crew, she didn't fool Imogene, who grinned at her across the table throughout most of the meal and then caught her arm as they were leaving. "Come up on deck with me."

"Don't you have duties?" Chloe asked, glancing at Lucien, who had already peeled off to speak with Lieutenant Envier.

"Nothing urgent. And it will take everyone a while to get organized yet." Imogene nodded at the stairs leading up to the deck. "Come get some fresh air. I imagine we'll be cooped up for quite some time later."

Perhaps it would be better to leave Lucien alone to deal with whatever estate business had piled up over the last few days. Let him clear the decks before Basali. Through the bond, she could feel his focus was fixed firmly on the lieutenant. She nodded and followed Imogene back up on deck. The air was crisp—almost chilly—but the sunshine was brilliant as they walked past the teams of mages and sanctii flying the navire and up to the prow of the vessel, where the small observation platform was currently deserted. They used the stairs leading up to it as a seat, sitting close to ward off some of the bite in the air.

"I see you reformed the bond. Does that mean you have reconciled?" Imogene asked in her usual forthright fashion.

"Yes." There was no point denying it. Not when she could hardly stop herself from grinning foolishly every time she thought of Lucien.

Imogene raised an eyebrow. "When you broke it, I thought you might take advantage of it, to push for a divorce, if he found you. It seemed to be what you might want."

"Once, perhaps." Chloe hugged her knees up to her, closer to her chest, wrapping her arms around her skirt.

"But not now?"

"No," she admitted, cheeks heating. "Not now."

Imogene slipped her arm through hers, leaning closer. "Is it so terrible to care for him?"

"I don't know if it's terrible, but it's certainlyterrifying." Her happiness ebbed as a wave of fear washed through her.

"That's the part they don't tell you about love," Imogene agreed.

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