An uncomfortable beat of silence fell for so long that I dared a glance at my husband. His eyes were on me, but they lacked the softness and concern I’d caught glimpses of all day.
“Cora,” he said. “Stay close to Zoddi when I’m not with you.”
Cora.Notlittle wife.NotAneah. For the first time, I hated the sound of my name on his lips. Zacal called him away before I could say anything in return.
Zoddi stepped in close, muttering, “Bruukto Shek is here tonight. We don’t know if he or his daughter sent the mercenary.”
I huffed an angry breath, but then let my shoulders slump almost as quickly. It was more than Yiri had shared with me, and several questions occurred to me in rapid succession. Why did Yiri suspect Bruukto or D'vinda of sending the mercenary after me? Why did he still allow the male to come to his family’s home? Why didn’t he tell me himself? But I knew the answer to that last one, didn’t I?
I’d barely spoken to him, barely looked at him, or touched him. He probably saved my life yesterday, and I’d been icing him out for it. All the fear and revulsion I’d been feeling at seeing a man killed tied itself into a nasty, tangled ball beneath my breastbone. It ached and throbbed with every beat of my heart. We’d only just arrived, and already I wanted to leave. To leave and to be held by my husband.
As if he could read my mind, he looked through the crowd at me. Our eyes met and held.I’m sorry, I thought at him, hoping he would see it in my gaze.I miss you.His expression didn’t change at all, remaining hard and grim as he listened to his uncle. His throat bobbed, though, and he didn’t look away. He mouthed something to me, and it took a few seconds for the translation to form in my mind. But when it did…Be good, little wife.I smiled and shook my head no. Something flickered across his stoic visage, and then his attention was drawn away again.
“Is Thisa here?” I asked Zoddi.
I found Thisa giggling with two other young daernir ladies who both fell silent as soon as I approached. At least I wasn’t picking up mean girl vibes. They greeted me with big eyes and open faces as Thisa proudly made introductions.
“She’s a personal friend of Qhev’in Kon, you know,” she said. I bit down on my tongue, not wanting to laugh at her air of importance. It was so strange to be the subject of her bragging. “At his last concert, we spoke with him face to face.”
The other girls dissolved into excited chatter, asking about the tenor of Qhev’s speaking voice, the outfit he was wearing, and, of course, his eyeliner. One of the girls had done her own winged look tonight, which I complimented because she’d used a lovely shade of dark violet. We were still swapping cosmetic tips and already a little tipsy on the zibe nectar cocktail that was on all the trays floating around the party when Della appeared.
The girls all gushed their thanks for her invitation, excusing themselves and disappearing one by one until it was just me and Della.
When I started to thank her, too, she waved it away. “I won’t hear any of that from you,” she said. “Yiri is as good as my own son, and I’m thrilled to see him finally mated. How are you settling in here in Covara?”
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get over the wonder of it all,” I said. “Everything is so beautiful here.”
“Has Yiri been showing you the beaches this week?” she asked, a knowing expression on her face as her gaze settled on the ring I wore. “Zacal tells me he took some time off to spend with you.”
“Yes, the beaches,” I sighed. “We’ve decided to live in his cruiser and never go home. Who needs a big, lonely house when you can wake up to pink sand and turquoise water every morning?”
She made a dismayed sound. “Don’t let him keep you cooped up in that silly thing! It’s so dark and outdated.”
“I love it, though!” I reassured her, laughing. “On Earth, we’d call it vintage. Maybe it lacks a few amenities, but to me, anything that can fly through outer space is high tech.”
“He could buy you a new one,” she said, as if she didn’t believe me. “He can afford it. He’s not being stingy, is he? You can tell me and I’ll sort him out.”
“Not at all,” I promised. “I have more new clothes than I know what to do with, and he surprised me with a huge shipment of my favorite things from home yesterday. He mentioned a new cruiser if I wanted it, but I’m sure you know how much he loves the one he has. How could I take that away from him?” I shook my head. “Even if I hated it, I’d try to live with it. But I really do like it.”
Della’s face softened into a gentle expression. “I’m so glad he found you,” she said. “He’s a good male, but I think you’re better than he deserves.”
“I don’t know about that,” I said, my eyes happening to meet with Yiri’s across the room. I didn’t say any more because I wasn’t sure I was better than he deserved, and I wasn’t sure he was a good male either. Maybe once upon a time, he had been. It didn’t matter, though. Good or bad, he was mine.
Though I felt his eyes on me all night, Yiri didn’t make it back to my side for more than a minute all evening. His fingers wouldbrush the small of my back, but before he could so much as say my name, someone else would call him away again. It was amusing until it wasn’t, and I didn’t think I was the only one becoming frustrated. It happenedagain,and he heaved a heavy sigh as he began to turn, but I caught his arm and he paused to look at me.
“This is the last time,” I warned him. “After this, your wife has dibs.”
The warmth of his hand curled around the back of my neck as he pulled me in for a quick kiss. The rush of endorphins from finally feeling his touch again hit me hard, but he pulled back much too quickly.
“Yes,Aneah,” he agreed and strode away.
I huffed out a breath as I watched him go, barely resisting the urge to cross my arms over my chest and have a quiet tantrum. For the moment, I was alone. Or as alone as I ever was. My guards were ever present as I slipped through the crowd and out onto a beautifully decorated veranda that overlooked the city below. I took a moment to enjoy the fresh air and the remarkable view. The glitter of muted lights below, the soft sounds of music and laughter drifting on the breeze, and the scent of cooked food mingling with the salty sea air gave me a sudden sense of contentedness. I laughed, almost startled by howat homeI felt here. The only thing that would make it better was having Yiri by my side.
Quick, heavy footfalls broke the moment, and I looked over my shoulder to see Xokat striding toward me, his brow furrowed. “We have to go,” he said, taking my elbow in a firm grip. “Come with me. I’ll keep you safe until Yiri joins us.”
Inside, the party went uninterrupted, people mingling and talking, drinks andhors d’ouvresfloating around. Yiri and Zoddi were nowhere to be seen, but there were no screams, no signs of alarm. Then again, everything was fine at the warehouseyesterday, until it wasn’t. I felt the same instinctual unease creep in now, though I didn’t know where it came from.
“We have to hurry, Cora,” Xokat said with hushed urgency.
