Zev stares at me, a storm warring in his gray eyes.
I stare back.
He doesn’t object.
Neither do I.
A scowl pulls at Sura’s full lips.
“Right. I guess that’s fine,” she says woodenly. Sura throws a lethal glare at Zev, but he doesn’t notice—his attention is still fixed on me. “There’s an open bedroom on our floor that should work.”
I let her lead us forward.
Chapter Seventy-Two
Surareluctantlyleavesmeand Zev in a small bedroom down the hallway from the one she shares with Tumaas. According to her, it has its own attached washroom—everyone else on this floor shares a communal bath.
Zev inspects the room, locks the door, then wedges a chair against it for good measure. I lean against a wall, quietly observing as he paces the room, one hand raking through his hair like it can’t settle anywhere else. With a heavy sigh, he sinks onto the small sofa, cradling his head. His shoulders slump, as if they can’t bear any more weight.
With hesitant footsteps, I join him on the sofa, leaving enough room for the baggage between us. “Are you all right?” I ask softly. My hand wavers, but I force it to remain in my lap.
He doesn’t respond, but his shoulders slump lower.
“Do you—do you want a hug?”
He scoffs bitterly. “Why would I want that?” is his muffled reply.
I shrug. “You look like you could use a hug.”
He sits back, elbows braced on his knees, and glares at me. “You forbade me from touching you, remember?” A muscle ticks in his jaw.
I roll my eyes. “That’s never stopped you before.”
He just stares at me, angry. He’s always angry.
“Look,” I add softly. “It’s been a lot for both of us. With your mother and the rebels and Sura and…” I trail off. My father. My people.
He doesn’t answer.
I don’t know why, but his silence shatters something deep inside me, something so broken, I’m surprised it can splinter further. My world has shifted and realigned more times than I can count in the span of mere days—but through it all, he’s been the one constant. Angry, cruel, impossible or not—it’s been just me and him for so long.
The bond of a lifetime, forged within months—
—and shattered in one single wretched moment.
I blink against the sudden sting behind my eyes.
“Maybe I was the one who needed a hug,” I whisper brokenly. I rise from the sofa when, with a muffled grunt, he grabs my wrist and yanks me into his lap. My breath escapes in a surprisedwhoosh. His muscled arms wrap around me, and he buries his face against my neck. My fingers tangle in his hair, and his warm breath against my skin sets my heart aflutter.
“This doesn’t change anything,” he mutters against my collarbones.
“I know,” I whisper back, raking my nails against his scalp. I drag them down to his neck, then his shoulders, kneading the tense muscles until his body relaxes. His head tips slightly, resting heavier on my clavicle.
I can almost pretend he’s still mine.
I hold him tighter, and he nuzzles the soft skin of my neck, inhaling deeply. I swallow hard, and the movement has his lipsjustbrushing the faint slant of my throat.
His breath is hot against my neck when he asks, “If I tell you to stay here while I talk to Tairna, would you listen?”
