Page 24 of Aryn

I give him an obnoxious wink. “Want a taste test? Melt that smile right off your face.”

Aryn studies me again. “You assume I’d be the one melting,” he says, the quiet confidence in the words hitting me straight in the gut. Something wicked tightens low in my stomach.

“Damn, ten points to Aryn for the snapback,” Cameron says.

Aryn’s copper eyes stay locked on mine, his brow flicked up in the tiniest challenge. I lick my lips, searching for a way to steal the power back, when Sovran shoves a bag into my hands.

“Use tonight to pack and rest. Be prepared. We leave at dawn.”

“We’ve been preparing,” I argue. “First aid and stitching lessons—”

“How are those going for you?” Cameron asks sweetly.

I glare at him but ignore the commentary. “On top of that, we’ve been training daily in the ring. Hells, it’s a miracle we don’t have the lessons permanently imprinted in our brains by now. Even if you gave us another month, we wouldn’t be any more ready than we are now.”

Sovran folds his arms over his chest. “Do not underestimate the toll this will take on you, Cato. Nothing about this will be easy.”

“Never said it would be,” I argue. “And besides, easy takes the fun out of things.”

“This will not be fun,” he argues. “You will face a world you can scarcely imagine, in conditions you’ve never experienced. If you are to succeed, you need to accept that you will never be fully prepared for what waits.”

“You really know how to sell a vacation, don’t you?” I mutter.

Ronan has a faraway look in his eyes as Cameron hands him his gear. Lillith is already excitedly chattering in her mate’s ear about what counts as a necessity, whispering loudly that she thinks she can definitely carry the heaviest pack.

Aryn meets my eyes as he steps closer. “Are you alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

He hesitates for a second, watching the others disperse. “You get loud when you’re nervous.”

I scoff. “I’m always loud.”

Another tiny grin pulls at his lips. “True. It’s just… if I’ve learned anything from our training, it’s that you make a lot of noise when you’re backed into a corner.”

My heart slams a few hard thumps against my sternum as I force my lips into a smirk. “Think so, do you?”

He nods, meeting my eyes again. “If you ever get tired of hiding behind it, I’ve got your back out there. Your secret is safe with me.”

The words land heavier than they should, and I look away first, jaw tight. “Don’t go getting soft on me now, Aryn. We’ve got a world to save.”

“It’s we now, is it? Could’ve sworn you said this would be a solo mission.”

The tension loosens from my shoulders, and I offer him a small smile. “Thanks,” I say softly.

He nods like he understands, holding my eyes as he shoulders his pack. “See you at dawn.”

I watch him walk away for a second longer than I should before muttering under my breath. “Fuck.”

Cato

Liquor sloshes in my cup as I give it a slow swirl. Normally I wouldn’t be nursing a drink, but Sovran’s words keep running laps in my head.

“You should finish that,” Bash says from beside me, nodding toward my cup. “It’ll help you sleep.”

“Yeah, probably,” I agree, swirling it again. Bash hums deep in his throat in that annoying way he does when he thinks he knows everything. “Something on your mind?” I ask pointedly.

“I know why you’re doing this,” he says. Xeni’s head is in his lap, pretending not to eavesdrop as those pointed ears perk up. Ego is curled in an armchair, and Sakane is on the ground beside her, leaning against the side.