Page 68 of Shadows of Stardust

“Might want to stop talking about threats.”

Zandrel’s already a step ahead of me. The hand he has on my neck slides into my hair, tipping my head back so he can press a performative kiss to my lips.

Despite his earlier smugness, the kiss is almost… polite.

Light, tentative, just like every time we’ve kissed since our truce.

Whether out of courtesy or awkwardness or some kind of honor, he’s keeping himself in check.

It shouldn’t bother me.

It shouldn’t make me wonder what’s changed, or whether the only thrill in it before was the fact that we hated each other’s guts.

Whatever the case, this one stays just as chaste as all the others we’ve shared in the past few days. It must be as boring for the cameras as it is for us, because the hover tailing us gives up after only a minute or two.

I watch it go with a frown. “That doesn’t seem… great.”

“It’s not,” he says with a frown of his own. “But, like I said, we probably won’t be back in the line of fire for a few days at least.”

My stomach twists at the reminder.

“So shouldn’t we… do something now?” I ask in a low hush, still keeping tabs on the camera while it retreats. “Isn’t this the perfect time, while we’re not in the spotlight? Why should we wait until we’ve got more eyes on us to go look for Savvie? We should—”

“Roslyn,” he says, laying a hand on my shoulder in another touch that shouldn’t be so damn comforting.

Zandrel stares down at me for a few long heartbeats, the lines of his face set in all those unreadable angles, the supernovas in his eyes swirling.

“As soon as we’ve got an opportunity, we’ll take it. I promise you that.”

It feels like another test. Another impasse.

Days have passed since I agreed to all of this. Days to stew in my decision. Days to doubt and over-think and deal with the stress of keeping up this whole fake dating act.

Days to decide I want to take it all back.

But under the weight of his steady black gaze and the hand he still has on my shoulder, I find myself nodding.

“Yeah. I… yeah, okay.”

“Believe me, I know what it’s like to be forced to wait and bide your time. I know how frustrating it can be, and I know you’ve already waited months for this chance to see her.”

My throat tightens, but I nod again.

“I don’t give my word lightly, and I never take it back once it’s given. I promise you that as well, Roslyn.”

I… believe him.

Maybe it’s just the whole big-stoic-intimidating-Aux-warrior thing he’s got going on, but the words have weight to them.

They sound like an oath.

So, letting out a shaky laugh to expel some of the tension still clenching my muscles, I accept him at his word.

“Alright. Freak-out averted. Let’s just get through the next few days and hope attention doesn’t turn back our way too soon.”

Zandrel murmurs his agreement, and we start back down the path.

We make it a few dozen yards, everything he just said still rolling around in my head, when another thought occurs to me.

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