Athena’s smile was knowing, but she shooed the rest of the troupe away from the opening. “Let’s give them a moment. There’s no way to track time in there. I’m sure they had no idea it’s almost dawn.”
Almost dawn? We’d been up all night? Then memories of what we’d spent all night doing flashed through my mind. No wonder I’d lost all track of time.
“Give us a couple of minutes, and we’ll be out,” Skye said in a tone much lighter than the ones she’d used to unload a string of curses before the door had opened.
Skye sat on the bed to put on her boots, casting a glance at me. “So much for being discreet.”
“At least they did not open the door while you were rid?—”
She flapped a hand at me, her cheeks flaming a deeper shade of red. “Shhhhhh. If they didn’t see it, there’s no need to tell them what they missed.”
I sat next to her to pull on my boots, my leg no longer aching. “I did not know we had stayed up all night.”
A strangled laugh slipped from her pursed lips. “Neither did I. I guess time really flies when you’re having fun.”
She pulled on one boot and then the other, as I twisted to face her. Had it been nothing but a bit of fun to her? Had I been the only one to feel a powerful connection, something that went beyond the physical? She hadn’t answered my question whenI’d asked what she’d felt. The opening door had interrupted us, but she had yet to answer.
I reached up and cupped her face in one hand, running my thumb across her jaw. “This was more than fun to me.”
Her mouth fell open and a breathy sigh emerged, but loud laughter from the dressing room made us both jump. Skye rested a hand on the side of my face and leaned in to kiss me gently. “It was more than fun.” Then she pulled away and stood, jerking her head toward the door. “We should probably go before it gets too late.”
She was right. We needed to go, but her agreeing that last night had been more than fun hadn’t exactly cleared up anything. I still didn’t know how she felt. When she agreed it was more than fun, did she mean she thought it was a great deal of fun, or that it was fun and exciting, or did she believe, like I did, that it had been a true melding of souls? Maybe I was alone in my certainty that Skye was mine, that we were destined to be together.
“You coming?” she asked when she reached the doorway. Then she glanced down. “How’s your leg?”
I grunted, pushing aside my confusion that was quickly morphing into frustration, and then I patted my leg, grateful that it no longer twitched with pain. “Feels healed.”
She gave me a smile that quickened my pulse, but I reminded myself that this was not the time to get distracted. I needed to focus on the dangers ahead. I needed to stay sharp.
I grabbed both blasters from the floor, scolding myself for letting them get tossed aside in the fury of discarded clothes and the urgency of the night before. At least we hadn’t beensurprised by anyone but the theatre troop. A troop that was waiting patiently in Athena’s dressing room, fully dressed in colorful cloaks and costumes.
Lettie thrust a dark green heap of fabric at me. “Put this on, doll.”
I eyed it but didn’t argue as I unfurled the garment and found that it was a cloak that reached the floor, even when I hooked it over my shoulders.
“That’s from the time we performed a play about a marauding giant,” Hal said, pushing his way through the group. “It’s the only thing we could find that would fit you.”
Athena was draping a black ruffled cape around Skye. “We need to cover up the clothes the Imperial guards saw you wearing.”
Lettie crossed her arms over her cleavage, her own outfit shiny and bright yellow. “And we’re going to be with you to draw any unwanted attention our way.”
Skye smiled at the garishly dressed performers, each one in an outfit brighter and brasher than the next. “You all look fabulous.”
“Don’t we?” Lettie patted a hand to her blue hair. “Our cover story is that we’re all heading home after a night out celebrating our performance.”
The orange-haired stage manager frowned. “Not that I would allow such behavior from my troupe.”
Lettie patted his hand. “Course not, babes. But this is all for show, so we can stick it to the Empire, isn’t it?”
Low muttered approval burbled through the actors as they nodded.
“And your brother?” Skye asked.
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head about him.” Lettie hooked her arm through Skye’s and patted it. “He’s all set. He’ll meet us at the east entrance and sneak you two in while some of the others create a distraction at the west entrance.”
“I’m in charge of that.” Athena squared her shoulders, her ebony hair spilling over them. “Don’t you worry. It will keep those guards very distracted.”
Hal mumbled something under his breath that sounded like half a prayer, half curse. “No heroics, though. I want all of my crew back here safe and sound.”
