The chaos soothed me.
Rhodes and Scarlet were nearly finished reading through the first journal. She’d offered to let me review it myself, but I’d been channeling through her memories with ourmarekemto keep up with everything they’d deciphered.
Everything they uncovered so far centered on the princess’s state of mind as she wrote those journals. The world she described felt like pure fantasy. She wrote of her kingdom and its magic in ways I had never seen or heard before. The one detail I couldn’t shake was the way she talked about their source—because the way she described it was unsettlingly similar to how we talk about the Mareki.
I had just picked up my fresh set of leathers for the road when Nash slipped out of the alley beside me.
“You disappeared on me earlier, Fitzroy. Was it something I said?”
I scoffed over my shoulder as I pushed through the crowd of villagers. He kept close behind me, his height giving him an unfair advantage in weaving through the chaos.
I’d just come from Father’s station with the news that Shayde would accompany our legion to Mageia. Thanks to the training he and Rhodes received in the Shadow Glade, they both passed General Fitzroy’s assessment. They were the only two from Scarlet’s crew with the qualifications to join the force. The rest would remain here, behind the Hollow’s wards.
I was nearly at my hut when I spotted Scarlet, Rhodes, and Shayde coming around the corner. My heart kicked in my chest. My grip tightened around the leathers in my arms.
Nash was rambling about something beside me, but his voice blurred into nothing. I waited just long enough for Shayde’s brown eyes to find mine—then spun around and launched myself into Nash’s arms.
He blinked wide-eyed as he caught me, opening his arms in surprise. I grabbed the collar of his jacket and yanked him close.
“I need a favor,” I hissed.
His mouth twitched into a crooked grin. “Yes?”
I steadied my voice. “I need to use you.”
Scarlet was chatting with Tatum as they drew closer, but I didn’t look away from Nash’s face.
His eyes flicked past me to the approaching group before settling on mine. “In what way?”
“An acquaintances type of way.”
He raised a brow. “Acquaintances with… benefits?”
I shook the fist gripping his collar. “Nash!”
My pulse thundered. He chuckled, leaning in, his smile bright. “Do your worst,” he murmured.
In a flash, I had his back pressed against my hut’s door. I slid between his legs, tilting my head up with a mock-lover’s grin. Scarlet’s surprise rang through themarekemand I shot a brief look over my shoulder at them before turning back and fumbling for my key. I shoved Nash inside.
The door slammed shut behind us as I pushed him back against it.
“Ouch. I’m delicate, you know,” he feigned mock innocence.
“Shut up and act like you’re getting lucky,” I whisper-yelled.
His cheeks puffed as he tried to stifle a laugh. I channeled themarekemagain, counting how many more steps until Scarlet and her crew would pass my hut.
The moment their footsteps passed my door, I started faking breathy, intimate sounds. Nash caught on immediately, joining in. We pressed our faces against the door, trading exaggerated moans and sloppy kissing noises.
I was fighting back laughter, trying to stay serious, when Nash suddenly shouted, “Oh, Fallon. Your slippery wet folds!”
My palm slapped over his mouth. “Why would you say that!” I hissed.
His eyes went wide. He mumbled something unintelligible against my hand. I rolled my eyes and yanked my hand away. “Seriously. Who says that?”
Nash shrugged. “I was trying to be dirty.”
I groaned and then forced out another fake moan. “And does that kind of dirty talk actually work for you?”
