He drops his forehead to my shoulder with a groan before pulling his phone out, glancing at the screen, and clicking it off.
Fingers still locked in his jacket, I stiffen. “Arasne?”
“Yeah.” He shoves it back into his pocket, avoiding eye contact.
She’s been calling on and off all evening. For several days, in fact; since Thio’s last regular meeting with her about a week ago, right after our second check-in with Davyeras and the advisors.
She wanted details on our project.
He only told her about the conjuration side of things, which is next to nothing.
He’s so close to getting his degree, to finding a different job, to beingfreeof his family—but they’re suspicious. Theyknowhow unhappy he is.
“Do you need to call her back?” I whisper.
Thio finally looks at me, lips quirking up. “Fuck no.”
“Thio—”
He kisses me, effectively shutting me up, but the questions I don’t get to ask churn in my belly and make me grip him tighter.
Thio maps my face with his lips, down my jaw. He fastens his lips to my neck and sucks andfuuuuck—okay, sex won’t solve everything, but it sure as hell will distract him, won’t it? Big sacrifice on my part.
“Keys,” I moan, head thumping against the door. “Let me get my keys.”
The door opens.
Did I open it?
Dizzy, I look over my shoulder.
To see Orok, his face… grim.
He hasn’t opened the door all the way. Enough that I can see his head and half his body.
Does he have someone here? We almost went back to Thio’s place, but mine was closer, so—
My grip on Thio clenches tighter and he releases my neck to look behind me.
“Sorry.” Thio winces. “Did we disturb—”
“You weren’t answering your phone,” Orok says. Not accusingly—but he is upset.
My brain’s moving through about half a bottle of champagne and two elaborate gin-and-blackberry something or others, so I squint at Orok while still tangled up in Thio.
Why would he care about Thio answering his phone?
Oh gods. Did Arasne talk to Orok? Did she do something to get to us through him? No, that’s insane—right?
“What phone?” I ask. “Whose phone? Thio’s?”
Orok sighs. “Your phone, Seb. Your parents are here.”
Okay. Now IknowI had more than half a bottle of champagne. There’s no way he said that. There’s no way that’strue.
Thio straightens immediately, processing what Orok said faster than I am. “What? Now?”
He nods, eyes flicking from Thio to me. “You need to talk to them,” he says, voice low. “They’re—just get in here.”
