Jade lowered her voice and took a step closer to Theo. “Maybe it’s a long-haul strategy, but it’s the best I’ve got. I want to show Matherson and Devereaux and maybe even the prince how dedicated I am to this job and how much I want those promotions. No matter what, I’m going to keep going after what I want.”
Theo watched Jade closely, a gentle curve to his lips, his gaze never wavering. “That makes two of us.”
There it was again, that charged energy wrapping around them that sent her heart slamming against the inside of her ribcage. Jade couldn’t ignore how close they stood to each other, her head tilted back to meet his eyes. The way he looked at her created an electricity in the air around them. A thin layer of sweat formed on Jade’s palms, and she fought against the desire to wipe them on her trousers.
He didn’t move, didn’t speak. Jade struggled to breathe in the new stuffiness surrounding them. His eyes betrayed the unspoken words hidden behind his lips, but this was neither the time nor the place. They were at the front door of Command, for goodness’ sake, flanked by the lobby and the officers who crossed to and fro.
A lieutenant came up behind Jade, headed for the door. “Captains,” she said with a small salute, the corner of her lips quirking. Jade cleared her throat and nodded at the lieutenant, who held the door open for them as she exited.
Theo led the way, unequivocally unperturbed as he strode out into the twilight. Was he even feeling a fraction of what consumed Jade?
“Want to go grab a bite?” he asked over his shoulder. “It’s been a long time since lunch. Plus, I need to see for myself how good that chocolate pie is.”
It took a moment for Jade to regroup after Theo’s sudden change of subject. He stopped walking to let her catch up with him before they continued on to the dining hall.
“It’s definitely the best thing to eat on base here. But you’re probably used to finer dishes after working at the castle.” Details were coming back to Jade. She’d mentioned the pie to Theo in her letters on more than one occasion. And apparently, he’d remembered.
“Not as fine as you might think.” Theo stuffed his hands into his pockets as a lazy grin stretched across his face. “We still had our own military cooks. No access to the castle’s kitchens.”
Jade couldn’t help but mirror Theo’s expression. “I thought that was one of the perks of the assignment.”
Theo shook his head and sighed dramatically. “I’m afraid our time there was ‘perk’ enough.” He glanced over at Jade as they walked, pulling her attention to him. His eyes glimmered in the remaining rays of sunlight. “I’m looking forward to finding out what life is like here.”
A slow smile caught the corners of Jade’s lips. Fireflies twinkled around them, creating a sparkling backdrop against the balmy summer night, and for a moment, Jade forgot there was anyone else on base.
“Me too.”
Theo cocked an eyebrow. “But you’ve already been living here. You should already know.”
Jade let out a good-natured scoff as she elbowed Theo in the arm. “Yes, but not with you here. That’s uncharted territory.”
The dining hall came up on their left, emanating muffled chatter and warm beams of electric light, standard across military bases. A few troops filtered out the front door, effectively ending Jade and Theo’s conversation.
Theo grabbed the handle and pulled the door open, ushering Jade inside in front of him with a momentary gentle hand on the small of her back. The soft touch sent a rush of warmth through Jade’s veins. She kept her eyes straight ahead, refusing to give away how such a small gesture from Theo affected her. Theo’s arrival at base had thoroughly resurrected all her buried feelings for him.
She would tell Theo how she felt after the masquerade. She wouldn’t sit around and wait and hope he might say something first. Even if he didn’t reciprocate, it was better than torturing herself with the maybes and what-ifs.
But first, she had a mission to focus on. Grannam or Arabella or both might have something planned. She couldn’t let anything throw her off her game.
Eight
The carriage rattled and bumpedover the rough country roads, tossing Jade and Theo around like dice in a game of spiddy. Few still lived in this part of the Brithswaitian countryside near Tourrine, and the crumbling roads were in desperate need of repair.
Even with the windows open, the carriage was an oven, roasting the captains inside. Sweat dripped from Jade’s brow, and while she had tried to wipe it away at first, she’d given up and let the sweat run freely down her temples. Theo pressed a handkerchief to his hairline periodically, though his collar was visibly damp.
“How do you stand this heat?”
Jade smirked at the comment. “I’m used to it. Sounds like you got too comfortable working up at the castle.”
“Okay, fair,” Theo replied with a laugh. Strands of limp, sweat-darkened hair clung to his forehead, giving him a roguish appearance thatbrought Jade back to when they were children together. She could picture him playing in the creek near their homes in summers long ago, young but tall and lanky, his skin tanned by the sun, with tendrils of messy hair draped haphazardly over his eyes. Perhaps he’d found some new creature or pretty pebble in the water, or he’d made a crown of vines and declared himself king of their domain. Jade might pretend to be a woodland fairy, sprigs of flowers adorning her hair, and approach the young king only to put a curse on him for claiming the land.
That was the Theo from her memories.
A particularly deep rut in the road shook the carriage, and Jade flung out her arms to the walls on either side to hold herself steady, effectively yanking her from the daydream. Across from her, Theo’s eyes were round with the shock of the jolt.
“You’d think someone would care enough to fix these roads. They’re almost untraversable.”
Jade shrugged and turned her attention out the window. “No one lives out here. This area was wiped out by the raiders.”
