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“How’d it go?” I said.
“They’re interested in funding my new mine,” he said. “And not a minute too soon. If I had to hear one more hunting story…”
I laughed and tucked up close to him.
“You can stop fake laughing now,” he said.
“It’s… hard to stop,” I said.
The entire evening lasted no more than two hours and I’d been fake laughing the entire time.
“My cheeks hurt,” I said.
“That means you should laugh more,” he said.
“You’re a good one to talk, Mr. Grouchy Workaholic Titan,” I said, poking him in the ribs.
“Not anymore,” he said, wrapping his arm around me and holding me close.
We sat there, calm and at peace, as we zipped through the air heading home.
The guards opened the doors for us and we both felt relieved to be back home. We entered the front room and fell into the comfortable armchairs.
Traes flicked his shoes off and wiggled his toes, working some blood into them.
“That’s better,” he said. “I don’t know why they have to make everything so uncomfortable when you go to these high-class events.”
“To remind everybody to be miserable, I suppose,” I said.
Traes chuckled.
“True enough,” he said.
He checked no one was watching and quickly pecked me on the cheek.
“Back so soon?” Waev said.
Oops.
Had he witnessed the kiss? If he had, and it’d shocked him, it didn’t show.
“You know me,” Traes said. “A real partygoer.”
Waev extended a tray with two steaming cups of tea.
“How’s Cleb?” Traes said, slurping from his cup.
“A bit quiet,” Waev said. “We played with him and put him to bed about twenty minutes ago. He should be fast asleep by now.”
“Did he say anything about earlier?” I said, tapping the side of the teacup with my fingernail.
“Nothing,” Waev said. “Perhaps it’s for the best. There are all kinds of dangerous people out in the world. There’s no need to invite them into your home in the form of bad memories and nightmares.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Traes said. “He’s bounced back from worse.”
That was true. But the human soul could only take so much tragedy. Especially a little boy.
My stomach churned at the idea it was caused by me.
