The power plays of her extended family were of no consequence to her.Unlike most Atlanteans, she had never been driven by the desire to accumulate as much influence or wealth as she could.Perhaps she was her mother’s daughter, after all.
Khalida shook her head.She didn’t need thoughts of her absent mother to darken her already souring mood.Instead, she hovered near the end of the corridor, leaving enough distance that she couldn’t be accused of overstepping any boundary.But close enough that she would hear any commotion.
Waiting was not one of her strengths.
She fought the urge to look at the strange scroll Sypha had handed them, not giving in to temptation to touch the pocket she had placed it in.Her wrist tingled in warning a second before Talik appeared next to her.
She was semi-impressed she hadn’t heard him leave the room.But that may have been more an indictment of her current mood than his skill.
“Overhear any interesting information?”
Khalida curled her lip.“Unlike you, I have manners and a sense of decorum.”
Talik smirked as he dusted a nonexistent piece of lint from his uniform and then shrugged as if he had all the time in the world.“Careful, Khalida, we wouldn’t want people to think we were friends.”
Khalida glared at him, itching to pull out one of the smaller knives strapped to her leg and stab him.She wouldn’t kill him.She wasn’t suicidal.Their lives were tied together.But perhaps she could inflict just enough damage for it to hurt while it healed.
“And if it has escaped your notice, we still have to work out how to find Ninhursag.I don’t know how helpful the scroll Sypha gave us is, since we need to decode it, but I’d much prefer not to get blood on it,” Talik said as he pulled the scroll out from his pocket.
“When?”Khalida demanded.She clenched her hands as she held them by her sides.The map had been in her pocket when she left the room, and she’d only stopped for a moment to brief Meraki on her duties.
She’d been nowhere near Talik, and then it hit her.
Talik had made up an inane excuse to listen in on the directions that she stupidly hadn’t objected to, and squeezed past her as he walked out of the room.She had done everything to make sure they wouldn’t touch, but that hadn’t been enough.
Clearly, he hadn’t outgrown his propensity for pickpocketing.
Bastard.
“Did you think I would let you walk out with the only clue we have?”
“I would assume there was a level of trust between us as professionals,” Khalida responded, careful to keep her tone neutral and without a hint of emotion—glacial.Talik would hate it.To his credit, there was no reaction, just the slight flare of his nostrils.
“You assumed wrong,” Talik answered.“Would I pass up an excuse to touch you?”
Responding would be taking his bait.He was just taunting her into a reaction.Holding out her hand, she waited.“I believe Sypha has entrusted both of us with it.”
“I will hand it over, only if you promise me you won’t try to stab me.”
She’d only stabbed him once, and it was all he could think of.It had happened centuries ago, in a sparring match, and it had only been a flesh wound.In hindsight, if she had known it was going to keep coming up, she would have aimed better.
Talik scowled at her, narrowing his eyes until they were almost black slits.But to his credit, he handed the scroll to her.She was careful not to let any part of her touch him.
“Try?”Khalida smiled as she took the scroll back.“Let’s not make promises I can’t keep.Everywhere on you is fair game—except I promise not to stab you in any vital organs.”She forced her smile wider.“Or any parts you may miss.”
