Page 108 of The Sin Binder's Chains

Elias strolls up beside me, claps a hand on my shoulder.

“You okay there, champ?”

I do not look away from Luna’s retreating figure. “She’s going to kill me.”

Elias sighs, nodding solemnly. “Yeah, buddy. We all see it.”

I exhale, dragging a hand through my hair.

And then, because I am a fucking legend.

I grin.

“Worth it.” I smirk, stretching my arms over my head like I own the whole damn void. “Miss me, darling?”

Elias hums, pretending to think it over, tilting his head just enough for his silver hair to catch the dim, unnatural light of the Hollow. “Mmm. Yeah. I think I am glad you’re back.”

I blink. Stare at him for a second. “Aww, Elias. ”

“Because,” he continues, before I can get too sentimental about it, “you take all the attention away from me with your absolute cringefest with Luna.”

Betrayal.

Pure, gut-wrenching betrayal.

I place a hand over my heart, reeling. “I thought that was a genuine moment. I thought we were having a heartfelt reunion- ”

Elias grins, slinging an arm over my shoulder. “Nope. Just sick of being the most embarrassing one here.”

I scoff. “Please. No one has ever, in the history of existence, thought you were more embarrassing than me.”

He squeezes my shoulder. “Exactly.”

I exhale, shaking my head. “You wound me, truly. And here I was, thinking you missed me.”

Elias shrugs. “Oh, I did. It was so peaceful while you were gone. No one calling Luna ‘angel face’ in the middle of a literal battle, no one winking at her when she’s seconds away from gutting them. ”

“That happened one time. ”

Elias ignores me. “And, best of all, no one makes terrible, gods-forsaken pickup lines every time she so much as breathes in their direction.”

I sigh dramatically. “So you admit you were bored without me.”

“Absolutely not.”

“It’s okay, Elias.” I pat his arm. “It’s safe to have feelings.”

Elias mutters something about suffering, but he doesn’t push me off. Which means he loves me, actually.

Across the camp, Luna is sitting by the fire, pretending she isn’t listening to every word.

I watch her for a second. The flicker of the firelight catching in her dark eyes. The slight, knowing smirk at the corner of her mouth. The way she knows, knows I see her, but doesn’t look at me, like she’s waiting for me to come to her.

Elias follows my gaze, sighs. “Oh no. You’re gonna say something dumb, aren’t you?”

I grin. “Always.”

And before he can stop me, I turn and head straight for her.

---