Page 36 of Needed in the Night
I hoped we’d sold it well enough to Nubo and my playacting with him earlier about his proposal had been convincing enough that we’d get out of the building and to the market.
Once Mikas and I made it into the perfume shop, I could tell him the truth: Brae and I needed to leave Onat’ras tonight, and I wanted him to come too.
As fast as my set had gone by, the next hour dragged on interminably. It was exhausting to sit and wait to see if Nubo would come up with some excuse to demand one or both of us stay behind and not let the anxiety show. And what if Mikas had changed his mind about leaving? What would I do if I offered to go away with him and he declined? My chest felt tight even thinking about that possibility.
I hated to pretend to be miffed at Mikas and not chat as we usually did. Evenfakingbeing mad at him made my stomach churn. Or maybe that was just anxiety about our escape. I did eat the jampas, though. Fake argument or not, I wasn’t going to waste the most delicious berries on the planet.
An hour later, when our shifts ended, I headed upstairs with Brae while Mikas tidied up behind the bar.
In my apartment, I swapped my lovely teal gown for a much more casual knee-length dress, kept one dagger in my arm sheath, put the rest into my boots, and left my hair loose.
I took what I hoped was one last look around my apartment. I expected to have second thoughts, but I didn’t. As much as I’d tried to pretend otherwise, this place hadn’t felt like home to me. It was only ever just a place to stay. I hadn’t put down roots anywhere except maybe the chair at the bar where Mikas had served me berries and brandy after every shift.
“Are you ready for this?” Brae asked as I slung my cross-body shopping bag over my shoulder.
“As ready as I’m going to get,” I said, squaring my shoulders. “Am I crazy for doing this?”
“You know you aren’t.” He perched on the back of a chair so he could look me in the eye. “You deserve better than living like this. Both youandMikas deserve better.”
I took a deep breath and let it out. “Thank you. I just need you to watch for trouble while we figure out what’s next.”
“I will. Once you talk to Mikas, let me know your plan and what you want me to do.”
“Okay.” I touched his wing. “Thanks, Brae. I love you.”
“I love you too.” He nuzzled my hand. “Don’t tell anyone I did that.”
“Our secret,” I promised.
When I opened my door, I found Mikas waiting. “Ready?” he asked, his voice gruff.
“Ready,” I said, forcing a smile. “Thanks again for coming.” He grunted.
In shadow form, Brae followed us out of the building, and then flew overhead to snack on insects as he accompanied us.
Brae wasn’t our only watcher. Slug followed too, as usual without making any effort to disguise herself. Her obvious presence made me wonder whether others might be watching. It was an old trick: keep your quarry focused on an overt shadow to discourage them from looking for others. I wouldn’t put it past Nubo to have multiple sets of eyes on us.
Do you see anyone else but Slug following us?I asked Brae, who was circling overhead judging by the telltale warm tingle on the back of my neck.
After a moment’s pause, he replied,No, but I’ll keep close watch. She’s being too obvious, isn’t she?
Much too obvious, I agreed.Thank you.
As impatient as I was to get to the market, I took time to gaze at the waterfall, inhale the sweet scent of the pink water, and feel the mist. Of all the planets, moons, and space stations I’d ever visited, this was the most beautiful and calming place I’d been.
So that was two things I’d miss about Onat’ras: my chair at the bar and this beautiful lake.
Mikas stood at the lake’s edge next to me, studying the waterfall with his hands folded behind his back. Would my proposal to leave tonight surprise him, or did he suspect my motives for our trip to the shop? His expression gave nothing away.
With one last look at the waterfall, I turned my steps again in the direction of the market sign. Slug followed about four or five meters behind us.
“It would make the most sense to pick up your perfume first,” Mikas said as we walked, making no attempt to not beoverheard. He glanced down at me, his eyes twinkling despite how irritated he looked. “Perishable food items should be last.”
Some of my unease faded and a warm, bubbly feeling swelled in my heart. If he wanted to go to the perfume shop, maybe hedidwant to talk in private. Maybe he did want to leave.
“I think so too.” I bit my lip to keep from smiling. “I’ll try not to buy too much for you to have to carry back.”
“Next time, you may have to request your purchases be delivered,” he said, his voice loud for Slug’s benefit. “Or commit to only buying what you can carry yourself.”
