Ah, so he didn’t quite believe us. “Actually, sir, I think there’s been some sort of mix up. We’re looking for Avery.”
Visibly relaxing, the man nodded. “Oh, my mistake. I thought you said Number 8. How do you know Avery again?”
Nova, still as cool as a winter breeze and as calm as a still lake, said, “Family friend.”
“And the two of you are newly weds?” he questioned further, eyes falling to where she still gently rubbed my arm.
Well, no time like the present to see just how far she’d let me take this. Leaning down, I grabbed her chin, placing a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth. She hummed in appreciation, her chest pressing into my side and her hair tickling my nose. And stars, I could have stayed like that forever. Preferably with her looking like herself. Pulling away, I watched in sheer delight as her cheeks turned scarlet red.
“Very new. We married just a couple weeks ago. But I knew the second I met her that she was the one.” I tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, missing her thick curls that so perfectly wrapped around my fingers, the shadow marks that poked out forcing me to tug my sleeve over my hand.
“Congratulations. How about I take you to Avery then?” Most of the crisp suspicion had left his voice and face, though there was a hesitancy in his gate that slowed us down.
Nevertheless, we followed. Now having the perfect excuse, I took her hand, weaving our fingers together. Maybe any other day she would have pulled away—not that I’d ever know—but today she gripped my hand back, rubbing her thumb slowly across the space where my thumb met my pointer finger.
When we turned left down the correct path, our boots loud against the cobblestone as the man guided us past the homes on either side, he turned to face us. “I’m Odi by the way. It’s nice to meet friends of Avery.”
“The pleasure is ours,” Nova cooed. Odi studied us, looking at me longer than her. Eventually, he nodded and faced forward again. A handful of small homes later, we were there.
“Here it is. Do say hi to Avery for me.” With that, he left, his head turning back every so often. He and whoever helped him guard the village would likely be watching us. Sadly, we couldn’t leave. Or, well,shewouldn’t leave.
Proving me right, Nova released my hand, eagerly walking up the small stone steps and knocking on the wooden door. Reluctantly, I followed.
Not even a minute later, the door was creaking open, a small woman with wrinkled cheeks and hollow under eyes staring at us through the dark opening.
Without missing a beat, Nova said, “As above, so below. Right Avery?”
And then the door swung open.
Stars help us.
Chapter Twenty
Nova
“I saw an official rape the owner of the poultry shop today. I was passing by her building when I saw him ripping off her clothes. She mouthed the word run, and I did. I feel so guilty.”
-From the journal of Nova Tershetta, 9249 AS
Avery was odd to say the least.
Her home was barely furnished, a single chair in front of the roaring fire, a too-small rug beneath the circular, wooden table with no additional seating. The kitchen was on the other side, food stacked upon the counters.
“Do you drink tea? If so, you need to know I don’t have any,” she said. I tried to smile, my heart hammering as I unloaded all of the vials meant to be left at this first drop. “Also, you’re about five minutes late, which is very concerning.”
“Actually, we were told zero nine hundred hours exactly.”
Avery looked at me with a lifeless face. “You’re late.”
“How about you just take the vials and we go,” Altair said, his voice sharp. He’d been leaning against the wall near the door, periodically looking out the small window above the frame. Now, he walked my way, taking that same, ridiculous stance just slightly in front of me.
Whether he liked it or not, we needed to get the mission done, and he wouldn’t help by scaring the dealers. “What myassociate means is that we do have other stops, so we’re just going to unpack the vials and get out of your way.”
Avery cocked her head, looking between us with squinted eyes and a downturned mouth. “You two aren’t having sex?”
“Excuse me?” Hands frozen within my bag, I stared at her. Altair said nothing, though I dared to look up and found him covering his growing smirk with his fist.
“You two seem like you’re together, but associate doesn’t mean together. It’s a work acquaintance at best.” Avery pointed between us, her face mostly unfeeling save the confusion that tugged her face down. “Aren’t you fucking him?”
