Page 72 of The Amber Sunburst

“Shit, sorry! Keep going. Left. Right.”

“Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen⁠—”

“Left.”

Zeno’s lungs are burning with the effort of maintaining his sprint.

“—twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight⁠—”

“Right. Left.”

His legs are jelly.

“—seven, six, five, four, three⁠—”

This must be what dying feels like.

“Okay, go straight! Go straight. You’re so close, Zeno, go straight!”

“—two—”

He feels a handle in front of him.

“That’s it. That’s the door!”

“—one.”

He pushes the exit open and falls through, collapsing into a heap as the door swings shut and locks behind him.

“Congratulations, the final member of your team has successfully exited the cave.”

He catches his breath on the ground, and the binds holding his hands together release. Then a strong pair of arms lifts him into a hug.

“Shit, dude, I thought you were a goner,” Alexander says. He pulls back enough that they’re face to face and holds Zeno’s cheeks in one hand to make his lips purse in a fish face. “Never do that again, Zee, I will be helpless here without you.”

Zeno smiles as best he can with his face all squished up and slurs, “I pwomis.”

Then Alexander is violently pushed aside by someone half his size. In the single moment it takes Zeno to recognize her, Eudoxia is already on him, arms around his neck and legs around his waist.

He could get used to this.

“I can’t believe you made me sit through that, you monster,” she whispers in his ear, clutching him tight. He melts into her embrace and has to marvel at how perfectly they fit together.

“Sorry.”

He was made for her, he’s quite sure.

She wasn’t made for him—she was just made—but he was made for her.

He hoists her further up so his arms can stabilize her under her thighs, and walks toward their cohort’s section of bleachers.

“Do you want to spar tonight?” he asks, muffled in her neck.

He’s recently admitted to himself that maybe the whole reason he insisted on sparring was to get some time alone with her. Some time to do… whatever it is that they do when they’re sparring, which he tries desperately not to think about in the act, lest his mind wander.

Eudoxia sighs into his hair like she’s frustrated with him. “Of course I do, you stupid head.”

Zeno tries to hide his grin against her neck, but he’s sure she sees it anyway.