Page 71 of Dawn Caravan
“There was something going on at the house earlier when we found the icon. You said you’d explain later.”
She frowned; then her eyes lit in awareness. “Ah. Yes. I have been reflecting on that.”
“Thinking instead of reacting?”
“Yes.” She raised a finger. “Exactly. Thinking instead of reacting. And I think…”
He waited for longer than he usually would. “Yes?”
“I think I’m not going to tell you after all.” She pursed her lips and nodded. “Yes.”
And just like that, she’d pissed him off again. “So there’s definitely something else going on? Something I’m not seeing?”
She nodded again. “Yes.”
“Possibly the thing about this job that was throwing you off to begin with?”
“Yes! That’s probably what it was. Good catch.”
“But you’re not going to tell me.”
“No.”
“Even though we’re partners.”
She pointed down the hall toward his room. “You have Radu’s icon, so we’re not partners anymore.”
Ben blinked in surprise and felt his heart give a quiet thunk.
“…we’re not partners anymore.”
“We’re not partners anymore.” He forced the words out. “Just like that?”
“That was what you wanted.” She closed her eyes. “You said, ‘This is a temporary thing, Tenzin.’ You were very clear.”
It was the fact that she seemed totally unperturbed by it that set him off. “I also said that you should go when I asked you to go, not before we were finished.”
“Ah.” She gave him a rueful smile. “I see.”
“What? You see what?” He leaned against the door to keep it open.
“You want me around, but you don’t want to be my partner. Notreallymy partner. You just want me to… hang around, waiting for you to decide what you want.”
It was exactly what he’d accused her of doing countless times. “Seems fair for you to have a turn,” he said sharply. “Besides, you’re the one withholding information.”
“It may seem fair, but it’s not. I never sent you away.”
“No, you just ran away instead of talking.”
“And then you ran away.” She spread her arms. “An eye for an eye. I’m here now. Do you want to talk about what happened in Puerto Rico? Or what happened in Penglai? Or why I guarantee neither of us has had sex since we went our separate ways?”
Ben felt cold and hot all at the same time. “I didn’t come here to talk about that.”
“Fine.” She tried to close the door but couldn’t because his foot was in the way. She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t make me, Benjamin.”
“I’m amnis resistant now, remember? And according to Zhang, I’m probably just as strong as you are.” He leaned closer. “You can’tmakeme do anything.”
She took his movement a step further and leaned into his space.
