Gah!
“Takes a bit of effort like this,” Zan says distantly, “but with our bond as it is now, it’s possible.”
Sunani glances up at me, tension in her. She doesn’t know what we’re talking about, and I’m not sure Zan wants this secret spread.
Plenty of other things for her to be tense about anyway, so I address the first one.
“Sorry to spring that on you,” I say.
“Which part?” Sunani asks dryly.
Ha! “Putting you on the spot about the table. But I don’t want people to be able to pretend that Teren is simply gone. I want them to have to remember him, and I thought you would too, and since you’re not a town representative but are from Crystal Hollow, people will still feel like they can approach toseehis work—”
“And I’m beautiful,” Sunani says wryly. “Can’t forget that.”
“Yes, but in my partial defense, I told Teren yesterday that I wanted to share a table with you so that I could punch anyone who gave you trouble about that.”
Sunani’s eyebrows shoot up.
“She did,” Zan confirms, as if he will somehow seem less biased. But then he adds, “You’ll be doingmea favor as well, giving her someone else to punch.”
Hey! “I have only punched you, like, three times.”
“Really.”
“And you deserved every one.”
Zan snorts.
“And,” I say, turning back to Sunani who is watching us with some bemusement, “I really do need your help setting up the table.”
“I can show you how to lay out Teren’s work,” she agrees, adding with a slight flush, “I have seen it many times.”
“Oh, I don’t actually need help with that part. Given my training, my memory is literally uncanny. What I don’t know how to do is set up the dratted booth to begin with.”
Zan snickers at me.
“Doyou?” I demand.
The sound cuts off.
“That’s what I thought.”
Zan narrows his eyes. “I could probably figure it out.”
“Yes, and that’s just the impression we want to give, isn’t it?”
“Two people who share human struggles—”
“Or two people who can’t even manage to set up a booth and can definitely be trusted with the safety of an entire island.”
Zan scowls.
I smirk at him. I won an entirely mundane argument about how humans work!
...Given that Iamhuman, the fact that that’s noteworthy is perhaps just as damning of me, actually. Dang it.
“What happened to Nomi’s door?” Sunani asks us. “Oh—the Order? Or—”
