Page 126 of These Divided Shores
He growled in Pratua, flinched, translated, “This, now—”
A sharp pull of restraint yanked him to a stop before theplunge into chaos and stars. Gunnar eased back, finding Ben’s eyes through the sweat and fever.
“Not just this,” Gunnar told him.
Ben sobered, gasping for breath. This moment might be all they could get before their group left to confront Elazar. What awaited them on the other side of this war?
That wasn’t what Gunnar meant, but it shifted things into perspective—yes, just this. Just Ben, just Gunnar.
Ben tangled his fingers in Gunnar’s hair and responded with another kiss, slowing the rhythm from that of a starving man frantic for food to one savoring an exquisite delicacy. Their mouths drifted just apart, milking a sigh from Gunnar.
Gunnar opened his eyes, the blueness alive with pleasure. “A girl in the Mechtlands—before I left—she said this was how Argridians were. Gentle, sweet.”
Ben rolled back, hit by the desire to ask about Gunnar’s former partners and a stronger, animalistic need to know—“How is it in the Mechtlands? Like this?”
He dug his nails into Gunnar’s shoulder again.
The look between them was scorching, the taunting lift of Gunnar’s eyebrow, the curl of Ben’s bottom lip between his teeth.
“Yes,” Gunnar hummed. “But this time, teach me how it is in Argrid.”
Ben smiled, and taught him.
In no time at all, Vex was yanking on the levers to slow theMeanderas New Deza came into view. Other boats dotted the lake around them—some family vessels, traders sailing into or out of New Deza. But most were either Argridian steamboats with the curvedVcut through with crossed swords on flags rippling over pilothouses, or Mecht, flying the same flag.
Vex white-knuckled the helm as his eye cut over the approaching docks. “You wouldn’t happen to know which docks Argrid is patrolling more now, would you?”
Leaning on the map table after having stuffed the engine with coal, Jakes grunted. “No.”
“Some help you’ve been so far.”
Jakes stayed silent long enough that Vex looked back at him. His arms were planted on the table’s edge so his shoulders bunched to his ears, and after a moment, he huffed a sigh.
“What do you know about the boy?” Jakes asked, slipping into Argridian.
Vex steadied the boat around a passing vessel. “He’s a good kid,” he said, reverting to his native language too. “Smart. Loving. He’ll—”
“Not that,” Jakes snapped. “I meant—do you know how old he is?”
“Uh—six? I think.”
Jakes kicked the floor. Vex kept flipping his attention between Jakes and the approaching port, but in thoseglances, he watched an entire war pass over Jakes’s face.
“Why?” Vex asked.
“Who was his father?”
Vex shrugged. “No idea. Lu probably knows. I only met the kid a few months ago.”
He looked out the window and angled theMeanderfor a dock in the middle of the wharf. It was a gamble, but every move was.
When he turned back to Jakes, Vex jumped. Jakes was glaring at him. Hot as flames.
“You didn’t know Elazar sent Bianca here. You don’t know anything, do you? And you didn’t even try to convince Adeluna to continue attempting permanent magic. Why did I expect anything more from you? You’re Rodrigu’s son. Cowardice runs in your blood.”
Vex gaped. He’d never in his life heard anyone call Rodrigu a coward.
They came on the docks. Rage welled in Vex’s stomach. “Why would I have known who Elazar sent to Grace Loray? The hell would I have—”
