Page 66 of Hand-Fasting and Other Hazards
Lochlan lifted his mocha in a small toast. “Am I safe here?” he asked, a playful glint in his eyes.
Nia laughed softly. “Yes. It’s very safe. This is my table.” She lifted the edge of the white tablecloth, revealing intricate runes etched into the wooden surface, ones she’d carved herself. “No one can hear us, and if anyone looks at us, they’ll forget we were here. Except the goblins, of course.”
Lochlan sipped his drink. “Is this a place where you come to spy?”
Nia shook her head. “No, it’s a place where I hide.”
Lochlan’s gaze softened, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. “I had a place like that, once.”
Nia tilted her head, curiosity piqued. “You don’t talk about Dover much.”
“Too many bad memories,” Lochlan said, looking away.
Nia reached across the table, her fingers brushing his. “And the tunnels remind you of them?” she guessed.
Lochlan turned, his eyes searching hers before his expression softened. “Not this place,” he said, with a small, sad smile. “The tunnels themselves. But there’s clearly a lot I haven’t seen. Maybe you can show me more, and they won’t remind me so much of the castle.”
Nia smiled, her heart warming. “Of course.” She squeezed his hand, and he took hers, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles.
A giggle echoed from the back, and Nia shot a playful stream of shadows toward Natasha, who peeked out from behind the espresso bar, laughing as she dodged. “Behave, you two!”
“See?” Nia shook her head, smiling. “Perfectly safe.”
They finished their pastries in comfortable silence, the warmth of the moment wrapping around them like a blanket.
“So,” Lochlan said, finally, “tomorrow is the full moon celebration. How do you want to handle it?”
Nia exhaled, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “I doubt my father will have time for us—he’ll be too busy preening like a peacock.” She’d seen the photos the media captured at every public event, The Sword surrounded by fawning supernaturals, basking in their attention.
“Besides,” she added, “he wouldn’t dare out me as his daughter. We can fly under the radar, make our rounds, act like we barely tolerate each other, then leave.”
Pretending was the only way to win against her father.
So why did it feel like she was setting herself up for failure?
The thought of keeping Lochlan at arm’s length in public while allowing herself to fall for him in private sent a ripple of unease through her. Could she really separate the two? Was she a good enough actress to convince others he meant nothing, when really he was beginning to mean so much?
Lochlan frowned. “I don’t know that I can hide how I feel about you.”
Nia’s breath hitched. Her instinct was to deflect, to downplay—because acknowledging it felt dangerous. She hesitated.
“Then I’ll just get myself kicked out,” she said, smirking.
“You go, I go. ” Lochlan’s lips twitched. “How?”
“The Videt has a strict no-nudity policy. Feel like getting naked in public again?”
“It can only get easier with practice.” His confident tone didn’t quite match the uneasy look in his eyes, but Nia smiled anyway.
“We’ll figure it out.”
Lochlan studied her, his expression unreadable. Then he reached over, his hand closing over hers.
Nia’s gaze lingered on their joined hands, her mind spinning in a thousand directions. Balancing the tentative pull of a relationship with Lochlan against the counter-weight of her battle with her father felt impossible, like standing on a tightrope over the roaring ocean. She’d never let herself want like this, never been in any real relationship before. And now the thought of hiding it—even for a purpose she believed in—made her chest ache. Could she win against her father while still exploring what this could become? Could she let herself be vulnerable with Lochlan while pretending to be indifferent in front of everyone else?
She didn’t know.
But for now, she let the quiet warmth of his touch settle her, a small reminder that even if the road ahead was tangled and uncertain, she wasn’t walking it alone. They would find their way through tomorrow night together.
