Shit.
I shut my eyes.
I know the second that thought slipped out because their conversation halts.
“What’s cute, Red?”
Thankfully, we’ve lost the bread nickname.
I peer up at Sai’s piercing gaze, his smirk well and truly in place withbothdimples displayed.
“Martha,” I say, never dropping my gaze as I bite into the chocolaty centre. His eyes dart to my lips.
“Thought we said no more lies, Red?” He tilts his head, placing his other arm on the table to shift closer.
“Oh no,I’mallowed to lie.” I scoff, taking another bite, chewing, swallowing. He watches it all. “But you’re not,” I clarify, placing the pastry down and picking up my mug.
“Ah, so it was a lie.”
My eyes flare in irritation, he smirks.
I sigh, admitting defeat. “This, this is cute.” I nod towards the table. “You guys meeting like this, here, having breakfasttogether, chatting like this. It reminds me of…” I let my words trail off.
I take a sip of my coffee, then another, hoping someone will fill the silence.
“You can talk about them, Jasmine,” Ezekial says, his soft, silver gaze calm. “If you’d like to. I know we were quick to judge. We should know better than most not to simply assume things.” He glances around at the others. “They were your family for five years, and we were wrong to come to such… rash conclusions. Especially, when we still don’t know all the facts. They may have kept you hidden, but it kept you safe. It’s clear they did care for you.”
I definitely wasn’t prepared for that—or to talk about it, especially not with them.
“I’ll… keep that in mind,” I murmur, focusing back on the array of pastries. “But the whole hidden thing reminds me. Any luck finding the guys in green? Or the girl from the cells?”
It’s like the energy from all of them drains away, each man withdrawing inwards somehow.
Then Ezekial pulls out a smaller version of the tablet I’ve seen him use before, still slightly bigger than our phones. He places it—screen displaying a map of the district—on the table.
The familiarity of this moment seems to strike us both. My tendrils coil around me, as though confirming the memory. Ezekial’s gaze softens, a faint smile tugging at his mouth, the kind that says he remembers too.
Discussing my control… How could I forget what he said? How each part of me needed to besated.
I decide to study the map more studiously than before, letting it distract me from the way that memory lingers. I note the arrangement of markers, different coloured Xs jotted almost everywhere.
“We’ve begun searching the same areas,” Ezekial explains. “Prospero, the Green Cloaks, seem to be moving seconds before we get there.” I frown at the hidden implication, that they’re somehow being tipped off. “We’ve looked into our enforcer units and staff, but somehow, they’re still getting intel that keeps them ahead of us.”
I nod at his words as I continue to search the map. “I know I don’t have this type of expertise, but can I have a closer look? Sometimes, a fresh pair of eyes...”
Instantly, without waiting for me to finish, without a single apprehensive expression—he places the tablet into my hand.
His innate trust in me and my ability makes me feel warm, so warm I have to uncross and recross my legs, meaning my boot knocks into Sai. His markings flare from that tiny action which I purposefully ignore.
I remember the pinching action Ezekial taught me—I’m pretty sure I remember every moment of that conversation... but when I zoom in, I become distracted by even more X’s.
They really have searched everywhere.
My eyes scale the map, picking out areas I’d retreat to and noting several markings already there. Notes outside the map read,‘3rd check—clear’,with someone’s signature. So they sign off each time—
Something—someone—knocks my foot.
“Friends don’t play footsie,”I admonish Sai mentally, keeping my eyes on the map, still swiping to distract myself from his boot tapping mine.
