Ego shrugs with a smug smirk.
“Can we not?” I plead. “Talking about my and Cato’s past is weird now.”
Ego inspects her fingernails, pointedly avoiding my eyes. “I mean, you’re the one who kissed him to make Xeni jealous. I’m not so sure it’s me making it weird.”
“We really need to get back on track,” I say louder. “We have to leave the city, but deciding to come with us isn’t a small thing, guys. This is a big decision that you shouldn’t take lightly.”
Cato gestures at the pile of wanted posters. “It’s not like we have much of a choice now. You said it yourself, this isn’t some minor infraction they’ll forget about in a few months. We attacked a High Commander. It won’t do anything but delay the inevitable if we try to hide, so leaving is the only option. We’re safer together, and you guys are my family.”
“What about Gideon?” I ask.
Cato shrugs, though he purses his lips as he glances towards the window. “He’ll be alright. Since they think I was the one who busted out of the prison, there’s no heat on him.”
“I can get a letter to him, so he knows where you went,” Ego says sincerely, waiting for Cato's nod before she turns to Xeni. “Will your friends even let us in?”
He nods slowly. “They’re slow to accept others, but they know I wouldn’t bring anyone there I didn’t trust.”
“Aww,” Cato coos, holding his hand over his heart.
Xeni lifts his middle finger without looking at him. “It won’t be easy to get out of the city. The sewers don’t go outside the walls, and we aren’t exactly inconspicuous. I mean, I stand out in a crowd on my own, but with the big red brute—”
“You can say my name,” Cato mimics.
I heave another tired sigh, but Xeni ignores him.
“—and Ego’s hair, we’ll be picked out in a heartbeat. Could you dye it?”
Ego looks horrified as she crosses her arms. “I’ll pull a Sakane and wear the ultimate disguise.”
“A hat?” Xeni asks.
She shoots him a finger gun with a wink. “You got it, sugar.”
“That should be simple enough. We can conceal Bash and Sakane with clothes, but Cato and I won’t be so easy to hide.”
Sakane shuffles through the stack of papers on the table, setting aside a few he deems important. “Give me a few hours to study these maps. There are a few ways out that don’t require going straight through the gates. I’m sure I can find a pretty clear pathway to one of them.”
Nelly clears her throat from the doorway, glancing at Xeni in my lap with something that looks like nostalgia before giving Sakane her attention.
“I’d be happy to help you with that,” she says. “We snuck our fair share of folks in and out of these walls over the years. It’s been a while, but this old dog still has some tricks.”
Ego nods. “I’ll stay and assist with the planning. The rest of you get a few bags packed. We can’t carry much, but we don’t want to go out into the wilds empty-handed.”
Nelly glances at Cato. “There’s a closet outside the den with plenty of things that have been left here over the years. It’s just sitting there, collecting dust and taking up space. Take whatever you need.”
He nods with a quiet thanks.
I tighten my grip on Xeni’s waist as he moves to stand. “Can you play nice?” I ask in his ear.
His cheeks lift in a smile. “Well, Sebastian, that depends. What do I get for being a good boy?”
“Cheeky,” I mutter, tugging his face to mine. “Are you ready for this?”
“Which part? The escape, the trudge through the desert, or having my two worlds collide?”
“All of it.”
“Yeah,” he answers easily, resting his weight against me as he presses a kiss to my jawline. “Yeah, Bash. I’m ready.”
