The merchant chuckled nervously. “Careful. Don’t pull the trigger.”
She raised it, trying to get a feel for how it was supposed to shoot. The merchant jumped out of the way.
“Keep the stock steady,” Cassiel said. He lifted the bottom of the crossbow until it butted with her shoulder and helped her aim at the wall. The current of his touch trickled down her arm. She lowered the crossbow, putting deliberate space between them. He shifted on his feet and cleared his throat.
“Do they fit well?” Cassiel eventually asked, indicating her boots. “I assumed your size.”
She nodded, fiddling with a spring on the weapon, eliciting a click. “Yes, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” After a long silence, he muttered under his breath. “Last night, I—I was sozzled.”
A flush worked its way up her face. “Oh, yes, I know.”
“I didn’t mean to—”
“Please leave it be,” she rushed out, deciding she preferred not to discuss it after all.
“I should not have—”
“It’s fine!” The crossbow slipped from her hands. She lunged to catch it at the same time he did. They caught it between them with their noses a hairsbreadth apart. Cassiel didn’t shove her away this time. Neither of them moved—locked in a stare—until the crossbow went off. The merchant yelped and ducked a split moment before the bolt pierced the wall above his head.
“Ah,” he said nervously, “You nearly got me there.”
“Why is this thing loaded?” Cassiel snapped at him. He took the crossbow from her and laid it on the counter.
“I am so sorry!” Dyna told the stunned merchant, appalled that she had almost killed him. “Please forgive me.”
“Have your husband make a purchase, and all will be forgiven.”
A blush blazed in her cheeks. This was the second time someone made that sort of assumption. “He’s not—”
Red-faced, Cassiel slammed his hand on the counter, getting ready to shout at the man.
“He will,” Dyna cut him off before they made a further spectacle.
But at realizing she confirmed them as life-mates, she thought she might faint from mortification. She kept her head low, not daring to look at him.
Her fingers brushed over two matching knives. They had beautiful, luminescent opal hilts. She lifted one against the sun, admiring the changing colors in whichever way it caught the light.
After an uncomfortable pause, Dyna put the knife down and made herself break the silence. “Forgive me for having caused you such trouble.”
“It is much anticipated now,” Cassiel retorted.
It was an answer she should have expected, but she didn’t anticipate how much it would hurt. Dyna turned away to find Zev.
“Wait.” He caught her hand, stopping her in the middle of the street. “That was uncalled for.”
She kept her back to him. “I had nearly forgotten how uncouth you truly can be.”
“Uncouth and a degenerate, it seems.” He sighed. “We … we should discuss last night. Will you look at me? Please?”
He tugged her hand, an invitation instead of a demand.
Dyna shook her head. If she looked at him, he would know everything she thought about it. Maybe he already knew. She could feel him somehow. His uncertainty, worry, and frustration. It came to her in overwhelming waves, melding with her own.
Cassiel lifted her chin. They were silent as they locked eyes, letting the sounds of their surroundings fill the void between them. “Dyna, I—”
A baker across the street hollered that he had fresh loaves for sale. A crowd gathered around the bakery, allured by the smell of baking bread. And it was the perfect excuse to get away from him.
