Hektor felt the dread hit instantly, sharp and unwelcome. His hand came up without thinking, closing around Zara’s wrist as he subtly shifted their path back toward the corridor they’d just come from.
“I thought we were getting a drink?” Zara said, glancing toward the bar.
Before he could answer, a voice cut through the noise. “Hektor!” Nyxion lifted a hand, already smiling, with Eleonora beside him, one palm resting on her stomach.
Hektor felt his mental shields snap into place, smooth and practiced.Be calm. He forced his shoulders to relax, his expression into something neutral, unbothered. He was suddenly aware of eyes on him, on them, of whispers waiting to happen.
Zara leaned closer. “What’s happening?”
Nothing, he told himself. It had to be nothing.
But it wasn’t. Not really.
This was the exact kind of moment people remembered. Hektor with his new girl. Nyxion, heir-apparent. Eleonora, veryvisibly pregnant. Everyone knew the story. And with Nyxion inching toward public prominence, this was exactly the kind of thing that could end up dissected on Lifting the Vale if it went sideways.
“You must be the one everyone’s been talking about,” Eleonora said, already stepping closer.
“Eleonora,” Nyxion said. “This is Zara.”
Zara straightened immediately. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, offering her hand.
Eleonora took it with both of hers, smiling. “You too. I’ve heard so much.”
Something in Hektor’s chest twisted. Zara was calm. Too calm. He could almost feel the moment the pieces clicked together in her head, the quiet math she was doing without saying a word. He felt it in his chest when her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. And he knew her well enough now to recognize the difference.
Before anything else could be said, someone called Nyxion’s name from across the box. He rolled his eyes. “I swear, I can’t walk three steps today.”
Eleonora laughed. “Go. I’ll be fine.” Nyxion kissed her cheek and stepped away, pulled into another conversation almost immediately.
Hektor’s arm instinctively went around Zara as he looked at Eleonora and felt a jolt of emotions he couldn’t quite name. It had been a while since he’d seen her, and honestly, she hadn’t been on his mind until now. Now here she was, standing tall and composed, and he felt the strange pull of old emotions.
Zara was the first to speak. “Congratulations on your pregnancy. How have you been feeling?”
“Thank you,” Eleonora smiled, a small, controlled gesture that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I told Nyxion I was tired ofbeing cooped up. If I have to be bored, I’d rather be bored somewhere exciting.”
Zara’s hand brushed against Hektor’s side, and he noticed the subtle stiffness in her posture, the way she held herself a little more formally. He kept his arm around her, grounding both of them without a word.
“Well,” Zara said, tilting her head, “being stuck at home would drive anyone a little crazy.” Her words were friendly but careful, like testing the waters without revealing too much.
Eleonora’s gaze lingered on Hektor for a moment before flicking back to Zara. There was a faint edge in her smile, the unspoken question of who this new person was, what place she held. “It really is good to see you back, Hektor,” she said softly. “It’s nice to see you…settled.”
Hektor felt the snap of irritation, sharp and sudden, but he swallowed it down. He gave a curt nod, murmured a goodbye, and turned away before anything else could be said.
He didn’t slow until they were through the doors and into a quieter corridor. Even then, he kept walking, Zara trying to keep up with him.
“Hektor. What is going on with you?”
He didn’t answer.
“Hektor.” She tugged his hand harder this time, forcing him to stop. “You’re freaking me out.”
He turned to her then, tension tight in his shoulders.
“I’m fine.”
She stared at him. “You’re clearly not.”
Silence stretched. He could feel himself closing off, instinctively pulling inward, walls going up brick by brick.
