And maybe it was Cassandra’s desperation foranytype of friend, since she’d lost so many of her own, that had her whispering, “You can talk to me about it, you know.”
Mireille ran her fingers through the bubbles. “Talk to you about what?”
“About whatever is going on between you and Ronin.”
Mireille’s silver eyes shot to Cassandra’s, then narrowed. “There’s nothing going on between us.”
Cassandra leaned back against the stone tub, the downy feathers at her shoulder blades wet and warm against her back. “It helps, you know. To have someone you can unburden yourself with. That’s what my—” her voice cracked “—my best friend Xenia and I used to do for each other. In fact, we used to dothis.” She gestured around the alcove. “We’d spend hours together in our bath at the Temple, letting our fingers wrinkle and our worries fade.”
“Is she still there? At the Temple?”
“I think so.” At least, Cassandrahopedshe was. She hadn’t been able to confirm it. Had been arrested by Eamon two days before Xenia was scheduled to return to the colonies. If Xenia had indeed returned to the Temple, then Borea would have told her what happened. Zee was probably sick with worry. The thought only strengthened Cassandra’s resolve to get the fuck out of here and reunite with her friend.
High Gods, what would Xenia say when she saw what Cassandra had become?
If Cassandra knew her friend at all, she knew that it wouldn’t matter. That their bond would remain, even across species. And she would do everything in her power to keep Xenia out of whatever mess waited outside these wards.
“I’ve never… I don’t really have any friends,” Mireille said. “Didn’t have many before I was locked up either.”
“Why not?”
Mireille shrugged. “Because I…” Her features hardened. “Because I can handle my shit on my own.”
Cassandra leaned forward. “How’s that working out for you?”
Mireille vented a bitter laugh. “Really fucking well, obviously.”
Cassandra took the risk, grabbed Mireille’s hand. “You can tell me. I promise I would never betray your trust or say anything to him. And to be perfectly honest, I could use the distraction from myownshit.”
Mireille laughed again, then dipped her lashes, murmuring to the water. “I gave him a hand job while holding a dagger to his throat.”
Whatever Cassandra had been expecting to hear, that was certainly not it. Buoyant, cackling laughter boomed out of her, bouncing off the tiled alcove.
Mireille hissed out ashhhhhhh, glancing nervously to their closed privacy curtain.
“That’s…” Cassandra chuckled. “Wow. Feminine persuasion. Okay, I get it.”
“I couldn’t help myself. He apologized.”
Cassandra cocked her head. “Why do you seem disappointed by that?”
“Because I didn’t want him to! Not really. I mean, maybe I did. Who the fuck knows?” Mireille threaded her fingers behind her neck. “It was so much easier to hate him when I didn’t have to see his stupid gorgeous face and his perfect tempting body every day. He didn’t apologize on the day I found out. He just made all these excuses and?—”
“Would you show it to me?”
“Show you what?”
“The memory.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve been living with your own interpretation of that event for centuries. Maybe it’s time for a second opinion?”
Mireille’s eyes widened, like she’d never considered such a thing. That someone else might see what had transpired between her and Ronin and help her figure out what to make of it.
“Okay.” She closed her eyes and blew out a long breath. “Go ahead.”
Cassandra closed her eyes as well, then placed her hand on Mireille’s wet shoulder. Her power sparkled to life, tingling through her veins and concentrating at the base of her skull.
