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Nazyn clenched his jaw. “Before you came down, I had an interesting discussion with one of the attendees. I have reason to believe someone has been trying to spy on us and I don’t want to give them any opportunity to do so. Hence walking through the forest.”
If Darcy was being honest, she was enjoying their little trek. The firs around them still had snow on their tips and each gust of wind sent a light dusting around them. The sky was clear and the Moon was almost full, illuminating their path. It was quiet and tranquil, with only the sounds of their boots crunching the snow to keep them company.
She would have been scared to walk through the darkness. But at Nazyn’s side, she felt safe.
If he wasn’t her boss and they weren’t in the middle of a huge crisis, she would almost call it romantic.
“Who was it?” she asked. She didn’t remember any of the scientists or tech executives being nasty to Nazyn.
“An insignificant creature who is sure to profit if Alien Inc.’s holograms flash in and out of view during the reveal,” he said.
“We can’t reveal something if it doesn’t work.”
“It does work, with the right conditions. And now that I know what the problem is, I can fix it in a few weeks. But I need to be in my laboratory.”
“When does Alien Inc. want it on the market?”
“Later this year or at the start of the next.” Nazyn ran a hand up his right horn. Darcy was struck by the sudden urge to do the same. Run her fingers up his horns. Through his hair. Down his throat. She squashed that urge right back where it came from, because he was herboss. “This would have never happened on Deruzia. I should’ve planned better for it.”
“We have plenty of time to fix the wireless issue. That’s good.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “It wouldn’t have felt right to lie.”
“Deruzians can’t lie,” he said.
Darcy stopped in her tracks. “Wait, what? You’re joking.”
“I don’t possess Elias’ flair for comedy.” Nazyn turned to her with a grin, which proved he did very much know about comedy. “It’s true. We can bend the truth, but we cannot outright tell a lie.”
“Oh, this is juicy.” Darcy began walking again, suddenly giddy. Maybe it was the tension of the past half hour of walking. Maybe she was tired after a day on the road and socializing. Or maybe she just felt good in Nazyn’s company. Whatever it was, she wanted to lighten the mood, just a little. “So I can ask you literally anything and you have to answer?”
Nazyn grimaced, but there was still a hint of a grin somewhere in those lush lips of his. “I shouldn’t have said anything. You’re going to use it against me.”
“Me? No. I am the spitting image of an angel.” She brushed a few flecks of snow from her shoulder. “But this angel is the curious type. So…do you really like living on Earth?”
“Yes.”
Good, good. “Do you like Walter?”
Nazyn hesitated. “Like is a strong word.”
“Ah, that’s some truth-stretching right there.”
Nazyn flashed her a smile. “I did warn you.”
Darcy’s laugh echoed around them as they neared the quaint, narrow bridge she’d spotted when they’d arrived. It stretched over a ravine, with an angry, icy river underneath it. Luckily it looked sturdy enough to cross, even if they did have to do it one at a time.
Darcy took a deep breath. “Universe, I love visiting the mountains.”
“I believe humans sayladies first,” Nazyn said, emphasizing it with a grand wave of his hand.
Darcy went ahead, Nazyn’s comforting warmth behind her. But the further they walked, the icier the wooden planks became. “Watch out, it’s slippery.”
Darcy held onto the railing, her warm gloves sticking to the metal every other step. Even with the agitated river underneath, most likely spurred on by the melting ice in the mountains, it felt so tranquil. It felt…real, so unlike the bustle of the city.
Darcy inhaled deeply. With Nazyn behind her and the bridge ahead, she found more courage. “Did you mean what you said about me on that stage? That I’m destined for greatness?”
She’d meant it as a joke and even made her tone lighter, but Darcy found herself craving his reply.
“Yes,” Nazyn said. “Every word.”
