I turn to find the last one and something in my chest goes quiet.
He’s unexpected. Silver hair fading to pink, dark at the roots. Sharp cheekbones, dark brown eyes, tattoos covering his arms and disappearing under his sleeves.
He’s the only one who isn’t looking at me like I’m something to solve.
He leans forward in his chair and I take a step toward him without meaning to.
What the fuck am I doing?
I plant my feet, not willing to let it happen again.
I can breathe when I look at him.
He meets my eyes and I realize I’ve been standing here too long, looking at him too long, and the heat is back in my face and I need to—
“You already met Locke.” Rane keeps talking like nothing happened. “He’s friendlier than helooks.”
“I’m really not,” Locke says.
“He is. He just doesn’t want anyone to know.”
Locke makes a sound that might be disagreement but doesn’t argue.
Rane’s mouth twitches like he’s won something.
“And you are…?” Rane prompts.
I blink. “What?”
“Your name.”
“Oh.” God. “Nova.”
“Are you hungry, Nova?”
Vaelor again. The smell from the kitchen is making me dizzy. I press my hands flat against my thighs.
“I don’t need anything.”
Something passes between Vaelor and Rane. A look I can’t read.
“Okay,” Rane says. “Whenever you want it, there’s always food in the fridge.”
I nod without thinking.
I keep waiting for the pressure and it’s not coming and I don’t know what to do with my hands. Every time one of them moves I track it, all five, even when I’m only looking at one. My skin feels wrong. Too tight. And the only space to breathe is looking at Beckett.
Since when? I need to get out of here.
“Where do I sleep?”
It comes out harder than I meant. Rane doesn’t react.
“Upstairs, down the hall. Third door on the left.”
“It’s been empty,” Vaelor adds. “We can get you whatever you need—”
“She doesn’t need the list right now.” Kyron, still by the window. Still watching me with those impossible eyes. “She needs to breathe.”
