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“I grabbed a ledge and stopped my fall, then jumped into a lower window. But you don’t have to believe me.”
I don’t know what to think. “You almost died?”
“I almost fell, but I didn’t. I’m alive.”
My head is spinning. “And Sayanne? She pushed you?”
She rolls her eyes. “Who knows? Maybe her hand slipped. And her legs too, when she came in and hid in my room. When I was coming back—” She shakes her head. “You don’t have to believe me, Astra. I know she’s your friend. And… life in the Elite Tower is hard. It’s not that I forgive her, but… I understand desperation.”
I swallow. I still can’t believe Sayanne would do something like that, but it’s not that I don’t believe Tarlia, it’s just that it’s too hard to digest.
“I’m sorry. Are you safe now?”
“Yes. I’m locking and barring my doors and keeping a distance from her, except when we eat. And Ziven has been sleeping in my room.”
“Ziven?” I’m partly surprised, but mostly happy for her. “That’s nice.”
“No, no.” She shakes her hands in front of her. “Not like that. We had to work together to figure out a way to get here. We’re also trying to find out what they’re planning. So that’s what we do.”
“But you like him, don’t you?” I recall the way she looked at him back then, before all of this happened.
“He’s smart and a good friend, sure.”
I eye her. “Tarlia, I mean like him. Don’t try to fool me. And if you get along…”
She shrugs. “Oh, yes, it’s so romantic when all his effort is in trying to find a way to see you. No. Erase that. It is romantic, actually, but not for me.”
Does she think he’s interested in me? “What do you mean?”
“He’s intercepted messages, found this invitation, found a way to convince Otavio that coming here would be a good idea, all of that to see you. What do you make of it?”
“He said he was my friend, after we…” I was going to say were attacked, but I don’t know how much he told her. “Traveled together.”
“Oh, yes. Just a friend. You’re definitely not on his mind when he’s rubbing his sword.”
“You said you wanted to come too. Because you’re my friend.”
She stares at me and raises an eyebrow. “Who knows? Maybe I do think about you when I’m?—”
“I don’t need to hear it.”
She laughs. “We grew up together, silly. Of course we’re friends. As to him… I mean, I understand love at first sight, but I’ve never heard of friendship at first sight, but who knows, maybe that’s what it is.”
“We’re friends.” And it’s true. “But he doesn’t even know me well. You two, on the other hand, seem to be pretty close.”
“Super close. United with the goal of rescuing a poor damsel who doesn’t get enough kisses from her fiery husband.”
I punch her arm, and it’s not lightly. “Stop it. I said I didn’t want any kisses.”
“You didn’t say that, but I’m glad you clarified it. And no, Astra, I’m not going to be someone’s third option, even though I’m far from even being an option right now.”
“I see. How’s Fachin?”
She leans back on the wall again. “No idea.”
“I’m sorry.”
She snorts. “Don’t be. He got what he wanted, I got what I wanted, and at some point we stopped wanting it. It happens. Plus, it’s not like he could fuck me with Ziven around.”
