Page 125 of Shadows of Stardust

S: Going to need a little more than that, Zan.

Z: I’m not—

S: Zan. Do me just one favor. One soundbite. As a parting gift.

Z: Fine.

Z: …

Z: It was… nice. Getting to cut loose. Relax. I don’t… Roslyn and I… neither one of us has had much opportunity in life for that kind of freedom.

“Any bets on how many breakups we’re going to see tonight?”

Roslyn asks the question from where she stands at the bathroom mirror, putting the finishing touches on her makeup for the evening.

“I’d guess at least six, if not more,” I say from the bedroom, contemplating the selection of shorts and brightly colored, short-sleeved tops.

Thank fates this is the last time I’ll have to wear such things.

Only… perhaps not. Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a sacrifice if it meant stretching out our time here a little longer. For a few more days, I could certainly stomach it.

“I’d bet it’s less than that,” Ros calls back. “I think you underestimate the power of love.”

I chuckle and walk across the room. “I’ll take that wager.”

Tonight will surely be a night of relationship reckoning as those who won’t face the Choosing tomorrow make their escape early. Casual connections and those who’ve already earned enough camera time, an easier let-down than the pressure of Geeno demanding to know whether they’ve found their perfect match.

“Great. Then it’s a bet.”

“And for the winner?” I ask, propping a shoulder on the bathroom doorframe.

Roslyn meets my eye in the mirror, and the center of my chest twists painfully.

She looks stunning tonight.

Wearing a dress bolder than any she’s chosen so far—cut low in both the back and the front, held together by two thin straps that leave acres of soft skin on display.

Acres of soft skin… and her scars, her tattoos.

I don’t know where the change came from, but after she shed her cover-up and joined me in the water this afternoon, she doesn’t seem to hold the same hesitation over showing them.

And I’m glad of it.

They’re magnificent, those warrior’s marks. A tale of her bravery and her survival. Hope inked into her skin.

“Let’s keep that a surprise,” she says, a glimmer of teasing in her emerald eyes. “Winner declares the prize after?”

I hum thoughtfully. “Could be dangerous, making such an open-ended bargain.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

Her eyes sparkle again, and I’m lost.

This is magnificent, too, having the privilege of seeing this side of her.

I didn’t know if I’d be fortunate enough to see it again before our time here is up. It’s no surprise, given what she went through just a handful of days ago, and I take each moment of levity as a blessing. I count them up and store them in memory, where I know I’ll reach for them frequently in the months and years ahead.

It’s not just those moments, though, that I hoard.

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