Page 98 of Stealing the Star Stone
She smothered a chuckle.The teenage years would be a bitch.And if this thing grew, would she have to resort to carrying it on her back?No, no, she’d have to find what it ate, then maybe choose a suitable spot for it.Maybe on a shelf with other souvenirs?
Why couldn’t it have chosen Eli?
She glanced at him, then stilled.In the far distance was Vael’Tir.The weak sunlight warmed the crown of her head and her shoulders.But as pretty as the sight of the city was, what made her breath catch were the many hovering shuttles.
“What the hell?”she whispered.
“Mm, the circus has arrived,” Eli grumbled and tightened his hold on the reins.“Time to wear the mask, Nova-honey.”
Resignation flittered across his handsome features, proving she’d only ever seen his fake façade and never bothered to look deeper.She did now.Zal had said seeing different perspectives, and she had to agree, the soul-swapping had been effective, if stressful.
The yuxmets carried them behind a copse of asparagus trees, hiding them from view.They approached the city’s entrance from the south, drawing no one’s attention.She tried not to stare, unable to truly see past a wall of black-clad warriors, their lances beside them, piercing the sky like porcupine quills.Beyond them stood Frederik, a giant wall unto himself.
Zal steered them toward the shed, letting her dismount using the bales.Eli had leaped off, patting his ride’s flanks while thanking it.
‘You measure a man by his kindness to critters, November,’Mama used to say.Seth hadn’t harmed animals, but he hadn’t sought them out either, choosing to treat them like one would a hovercycle.Understandable when owning pets was for the extravagantly rich.
“Thank you for fetching us, Zal.”She grabbed his hands for a squeeze.
“I will forever serve my qidhari,” he said, squaring his shoulders.
Not sure what to say to something that sounded formal, she nodded and let Eli lead her off.“Any idea what qidhari means?”
“Must be ancient if their current language no longer carries the word.”
She blinked at him, finding his intelligence impressive.
“Frederik,” he called from behind the warriors.
The man turned and grinned.“It’s about time you arrived.Seems like the universe has learned of your…vacation.”
Eli grimaced.“It was unavoidable.Any chance I can get Artivar’s governor on a call?”
“I have spoken to him, promising to reveal all on Orien’s dealings.Your name will carry weight, of course.”Frederik strode toward them.
In a blur, drones blocked out the sunlight even as they bathed her and Eli in blinding light.
“Come, Amenkar has given me the use of the nearest house.There, we can talk.”Frederik marched along the cobbles amid flashes and cries for comments.
Eli clasped her hand and drew her against him.“Don’t pay them any attention.Just walk.”
She did, one foot in front of the other, while wishing she could use her blaster on everything not Lethari.
Frederik veered through the first door on the left and gestured to a rug and cushions.A white loincloth-clad woman offered fruit from a platter.Nova chose a few pieces in pink, purple, red, and white, not sure what they were but hoping she’d enjoy them.
“Why did you help us?”Eli asked, sipping from a goblet as he sat on his haunches.
She joined him, popping the first sliver of fruit into her mouth and moaning when sweet juice exploded across her senses.
“At first, I saw you as nothing more than another naïve financial backer.But when you spent the evening trying to convince Lord Orien to use Ms.Blake instead of having her prosecuted, it made me realize there was more to you than your reputation.And once you offered me a position, I knew something was wrong.Your interactions at breakfast proved my instincts were right.”He settled his great bulk on the rug, taking up a large portion of the confined space.“Then on board theLaurus, you both had me second guessing my conclusions.You treated each other like a couple on the verge of marriage.”He smiled.“I’m a romantic at heart.As Eli Thorne, the famous actor, I thought you wouldn’t do good by Ms.Blake, but you suit each other very well.You love her, and that’s good enough in my book.”
Nova coughed on spit.There was no other way to describe what lodged in her throat.Tears sprang to life, and she dipped her chin to hide her expression.Eli loved her?What had convinced Frederik of this miracle?And she sure as shit didn’t want Eli to see the hope on her face.
Whatever had made Frederik believe this, she wasn’t going to kick a good horse in the mouth.
“Thanks, Frederik,” she managed to rasp.“Without you, we wouldn’t have made it here.Who knows what Orien would’ve done to us had he not found the anomalies he was looking for.”
Eli watched her, his gaze intense with a potency she couldn’t describe.She shoved a mushy white thing in her mouth to stop herself from blurting out what he made her feel.
