Page 353 of Sins of the Heart

---

“You—” Calliope’s voice cracked, and she pressed

her lips together and took a slow breath in through her

nose. Roxy could actually see the way she centered her

thoughts, see the subtle changes in her posture, her

carriage. “You had a run in with something more than

Xaphan’s concubines. What happened?”

“My chest got caught on a soul reaper’s fist.” The

second the words were out, Roxy knew she’d made a

mistake. She’d gone for flip, light, a little shared joke

to dispel the tension. But Calliope wasn’t laughing.

“I’m okay,” Roxy said, but she could see that Calliope wasn’t okay.

Then her mentor got herself together, or at least she

appeared to. It was like a mask slid in place, a perfectly

etched version of Calliope that was all surface, no

depth.Shit. Shit!

Without another word, Calliope turned and headed

for the kitchen.

Following behind, Roxy froze, turned, double-348

SINS OF THE HEART

checked that the door was closed. Something didn’t

feel right. The fine hairs at her nape prickled and rose.

Something out there. Or in here.

“What is it?” Calliope asked as Roxy leaned one hip

against the tiled counter.

“You picking up anything out of the ordinary?”

Calliope took her time answering. “No.”

“Then it’s nothing,” Roxy said. If Calliope wasn’t

sensing anything, then there was nothing to sense. She

was better at this than Roxy, more attuned to even the

slightest change in molecular vibrations.

---