Page 101 of Dance of Stars and Ashes

“Ooh, now there’s your scary face,” Zarya teased, which forced a smile from Apsara. They both looked at Suvanna, who was still talking to Koura.

“Suvanna… doesn’t do relationships,” Apsara said eventually like it was something she’d repeated to herself many times. “It would never work, anyway. We’re from two very different worlds. Wings and water don’t mix.”

As if to make her point, she ruffled them softly.

“Do you love her?” Zarya asked.

Apsara’s jaw tensed. “That’s a very personal question.”

“It is, isn’t it? Sorry, I grew up in a prison, so I’m not the best at social cues.”

Apsara laughed and took a drink of her beer.

“Now I see why Yasen always calls you weird,” she said, and Zarya made a high-pitched sound of indignation.

“He does what?”

“Just a few times,” she said with a chuckle as Zarya huffed.

It was getting late. The others had wandered off to explore the festival, and Zarya found herself alone, standing at the railing overlooking Lake Madhy, staring at the stars.

She felt a presence behind her, and a pair of strong arms she was all too familiar with landed on either side of the railing, caging her in. She braced herself for the inevitable.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Rabin said in her ear.

“I’ve been busy,” she replied before feeling the breath of his low laugh spread across her shoulders. He moved closer, and she resisted the urge to lean into his heat, knowing she couldn’t hold out against his attention for much longer.

“Did you brush me off for dinner because Row showed up or because you didn’t want to be alone with me?”

She inhaled a deep breath. “It’s not that I don’t want to be alone with you,” she said. “I’m just…”

She didn’t want to admit she was afraid of what might happen.

“I was hoping to ‘apologize’ to you again,” Rabin said, his voice rough and his meaning clear. He lifted a curl of her hair off her shoulder, twisting it in his fingers, before pressing his nose to it.

Good gods, why was that so hot?

No. She wasn’t ready to crumble for him yet. First, she had some things to get off her chest.

She whipped around to face him.

“Let’s talk about what exactly you need to apologize for.”

His lips pressed together. “Give it to me, Spitfire.”

Zarya scoffed. She held up a hand, counting his offenses.

“First. You accosted me at the joining ceremony and then yelled at me.”

Rabin’s throat rumbled, and he stepped closer, an intense look of regret on his face.

“Did I hurt you?”

“No,” she admitted. “But you frightened me, and you were such an ass.”

She counted off another finger.

“Two. You continued to be an ass when you accused me of spying on you.”