Biting your lip, you say, “When you’re, you know,free.”
Ziros goes silent.
Across the apartment, your fridge buzzes to life, the sound jarringly loud in the silent room.
Finally, he says darkly, “Then I guess you’d better learn to make that sword bigger on command.”
Your heart sinks.
For a minute there, you’d almost thought maybe he’d say something, you know,romantic.
Like that he’d never let you go.
That he’d stay by your side and protect you.
Like, you know, the connection you’d made with him actuallymeantsomething.
But no.
Of course not.
You never should have let yourself get your hopes up.
“Right,” you mutter as you turn away. “Of course.”
Ziros must pick up on your mood shift, because he frowns deeper.
“What? Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts about our deal now.”
“No,” you insist, waving your hand behind you as you dig out the business card with Jeeves the butler’s contact information. Picking up your phone, you say, “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
As you dial, Ziros folds his arms, regarding you with a strange look. “Good.”
Ziros
To hell with it.
All of it.
It must be the magic linking us, because some stupid part of mewantsher to back out of the deal.
I don’t want to let her go.
Ever.
Even if that means I never get my freedom back. At least not until her stupidly short little human life is over.
Then I’ll be free no matter what.
Able to do whatever I want.
So why does thinking about that make my heart twist in such a sharp, unexpected way?
“Good news!” she says brightly, interrupting my thoughts as she hangs up the phone. “We can use the yacht tonight!”
“Ha,” I reply. “Probably because Rich Boy was smart enough not to go out in a storm like this.”
June pauses, glancing at the window.
