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“Yes, this is the place.” I take her arm and dart in.
“Are all of those males following us?”
“Not us, Belle. You.” And I want to wring the necks of each and every one of them. They smell Nico’s blood in the water, and he’s not even gone yet. But still, as much as I hate to say it, she needs one of them. For protection, both from those who are threatened by the change she could bring and from lost pod illness. I scan the lot behind us. Eros is the only one coming in full storm.
The shopkeeper and Eros reach us at the same time.
“Can I help you?” He looks at Belle and then at Eros.
But Belle is looking at me. Her lips are sucked in, a bewildered look on her face. I ease my hand to the middle of her back and revel in the feeling when she breathes in and out. “Yes, I need some things for my apartment.”
“Let me help you find what you need. The best of the best for the mate of the hero of Hestertåtten.” The clerk’s attention flicks to me. My teeth grind together as I stare him down. He’s trying to get under my skin, but he’s avirofurniture sales associate. I wouldn’t trade places with him if I could. “Right. What sort of things do you need?”
“Almost everything.”
“Luckily, I have almost everything. How about a dining room table?”
Belle nods.
“Perfect. I have just the perfect one for someone from the Glyden Dome. A lovely golden inlay down the middle. Would you like to see it?”
“Yes.” Belle glances at me.
I incline my head to her. “I’ll catch up in a minute.”
“Oh, hello, Eros.” Belle glances away, and the pink on her cheeks has my head snap back to Eros.
“If you’re ready?” The clerk clears his throat, clearly not liking ageminaeand aviroof questionable reputation in his shop. He motions to the back of the store. None of the others following us have come in yet.
“Uh, yes.” She nods, her eyes widening when I don’t follow.
I incline my head. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
The shopkeeper leads her away, and by the look on her face, I’m going to be hearing about this later.
When she’s far enough into the shop, I turn to Eros. “What are you doing?”
“Me? Nothing. Being friendly.” He’s got a weird lumpy package under his arm.
I blink at him. He stares back.
“You’re quite the conversationalist there, Holter,” Mr. Suave fires back.
I wait. Not my normal style, but a technique I’ve learned from both Muster and Nico over the years. Let people talk themselves into whatever trouble they’re already ready to cause.
“Fine. I can’t stop thinking about her.”
I wait.
“I... I want to call on her.”
“You?” Now my smile takes over my face. “You want to be in Nico’s pod after... what happened?” I don’t know what it is. I’m hoping he lets it slip. Nico and Eros were friends, and then one day, they weren’t.
“No. Yes.”
“You’re like your uncle. That’s what you’ve always said. You’re never joining a pod.”
“I’ve changed my mind.”
