Page 139 of The Amber Sunburst

“About you and him.”

“Did Alexander put you up to this?” she asks.

He chews on his lip and shakes his head. “I just thought… I don’t know. It would be a shame to waste that kind of love.”

She goes to deny it but finds she can’t even do that anymore. She’s too far gone.

So instead she goes on the offensive.

“You’re one to talk.”

Kallias scowls at her. “Why is that?”

“He wants you more than anything, Kallias.” They both know who she’s talking about. “And you’ve done a very bad job of hiding that you feel the same way.”

Kallias laughs sharply. “I know.”

“So, take your own advice.”

“That’s different.”

She scoffs. “How?”

“It just… is,” he says quietly, scowl gone and replaced by an indecipherable expression.

“What’s stopping y⁠—”

“I got everything,” Lazarus interrupts with a plastic bag full to the brim. “Let’s hide this stuff in our pockets and give the signal to Alexander and Zeno.”

Eudoxia nods with a last wary glance at Kallias and whistles. Zeno and Alexander perk up like dogs and jog back to the Guardian on watch. She, Kallias, and Lazarus go to meet them.

“We got the bag, but he got away, sir,” Alexander says, a hand to his heart in apology.

Zeno puts his hand to his forehead in a stiff salute. “We tried our best.”

The Guardian is clearly perplexed. “It’s fine, boys. But maybe a little less flailing and a little more chasing next time.”

They nod with their whole bodies and, as soon as the Guardian is far enough away, break into laughter so hard they have to hold each other up for support.

Then they notice her and the others standing behind them and a smiling Zeno hops over to Lazarus. “Did you get what I asked you for?”

Lazarus nods and hands him something shiny that Zeno hides behind his back. Then he turns to her with a flourish. Alexander takes Kallias and Lazarus’ arms and pulls them to patrol further down the street.

“You know, I met someone from Arc Three when I first got here. I wonder if he’s around,” she hears Alexander say as they wander away, leaving her and Zeno alone.

“I was thinking—” Zeno says, buzzing with excitement.

“Did it hurt?” she asks, because she loves everything about him, but most of all, his laugh.

He doesn’t disappoint her, chuckling and flashing his blinding smile. But instead of their usual banter, he silently approaches her until he’s close enough that she has to crane her neck to look up at him.

Forms, he’s tall.

And handsome.

And adorable.

“What is an Empress—” he gets on a knee in front of her “—without a crown?”