Page 122 of A Sweet Destruction

In another life, Caspian would have an incredible career as an actor.

“We recovered,” I said, not even trying to make it sound like anything other than an innuendo. I couldn’t help it.

“Do you know who it was?” Bellamy asked, hands folded neatly in front of her while Soren hovered at her back.

Caspian shook his head solemnly, then launched into a rather colorful speech about how they were dedicating every resource to the matter and how he would be distraught if this interrupted all they’d worked for.

It was a touch dramatic, but earnest nonetheless. Enough so that it only took a quick conversation to come to an agreement that Elijah—who still looked like he would rather cut off his own arm than do so, let alone consider standing in that room—would send word of any discoveries as quickly as possible and we’d still proceed with heading back to camp to get things rolling with the Emperor.

It went as seamless as things could go, and yet there was a feeling deep in my stomach that I couldn’t quite shake, that this was just another one of Muli’s secrets they thought they could hide from us.

Chapter 26

Esme

Much to the utter shock of myself, everyone at camp, and likely the entire base back on Vir once they heard this story, the first thing Peter did when he saw us again was pull me and Ford into a joint hug.

Ford squeezed my hand while we were smushed in Peter’s embrace, that one little bit of pressure telling me everything I needed to know about how insane this moment was.

Peter had always treated me with a deeper note of affection than most, one that had only grown stronger since that fateful day where I’d rescued Ford.

But a hug, that was new.

Even Peter seemed to be moving ahead of himself, pulling back quickly and clearing his throat. Whatever he was about to say was lost when his eyes fell down between me and Ford, centering in on our intertwined hands.

I could tell he wanted to ask. Surely would ask, but not when we had company.

The border guard who’d spied our return ran off like his tail was on fire, alerting the camp that we’d all come back. Now, the entire camp was spilling down the hills towards the stables like a colony of ants finding their queen.

I wasn’t a fidgety person, but I felt a slight swell of nerves as we waited for everyone to join us. I took a peak at Bellamy, standing tall with a rich red folder tucked neatly into her side.

That was why I was nervous. To give people hope, to see eyes brighten as we promised them a way for their conscription to turn from a terrifying sentence into a stable, slow career.

If we were wrong, if there was a trick behind this all…

I saw the fear in everyone’s faces when Muli had launched their little attack.

We needed to light a fire under your asses, Elijah had quipped one night over dinner. Literally.

He’d gone on to note that we hadn’t suffered any casualties. Where he meant it as a comforting assurance, it only made me more nervous. They were clearly capable of an incredibly high degree of organization—and that was before we’d learned that they’d entirely fabricated the existence of Marks on Muli.

A light squeeze on my hand pulled me back to focus. I came back to myself right as Ford’s nose was nudging through the fall of my hair. “Who do you think is gonna be brave enough to say something first?”

I smiled, catching the watchful eye of Peter for a moment and suddenly feeling like a teenager who’s parent had caught them kissing their boyfriend.

We weren’t being exactly subtle.

I don’t do subtle, and you know that, the Bond said, rather unhelpfully.

It had been all types of helpful over the past twenty-four hours. Literally, and in the sense that it had taken all its pent up rage and shoved it all at me at once.

The second I’d given it an opening that connection with Ford was a real possibility, not some far off promise, the Bond had taken joy in turning me into a near feral animal.

My cheeks colored at the thought. After Caspian and Elijah had departed, promising to see us off the next morning, we’d all retreated to our rooms. Well, I was pretty sure Freya went for a ride.

The second Ford and I were alone again, I promptly latched myself to him like a succubus and didn’t let go until morning.

Granted, he’d reacted much the same way, grumbling when I rolled away from him after a particularly spirited round of sex and waking me up during a a rare bout of sleep with a frown on his face because I’d accidentally pulled a pillow between us.