Page 61 of The Sundered Realms

Liris hurried after Vhannor. “Hey, wait.” He paused stiffly until she caught up with him, and then he resumed charging out. Liris kept pace until there was no line of sight from the temple and yanked on his wrist. “Vhannor, no one’s watching us still. You can stop storming away.”

He scowled. “I’m not performing, Liris, I’m angry.”

“So that’s... not a normal course your meetings take, then?”

He glared at her.

“I’m just trying to establish a baseline,” Liris said. “In the interest of learning how each of us works diplomatically. Remember?”

Vhannor faced her fully. “You’re not bothered a foreign official just accused you of being a spy to your face?”

“Is that worse than doing so behind my back?” Liris pursed her lips. “Indicates a lack of respect, I suppose. But no? He’s right that my presence with you is odd, and he’s clearly upset and doesn’t want to contemplate any of the possible alternatives, which, frankly, doesn’t reflect well on him. It’s not worth abandoning your strategy for.”

“Letting people disrespect you is not sound strategy,” Vhannor practically growled.

“I don’t care about his opinion of me unless it affects the mission, and in this case, I think he’d have found any cause. An accusation of being a Serenthuar spy?” Liris rolled her eyes. “Please. I’ve been prepared for that cliché my whole life, and if he’s as smart as you thought he was, my failing to dignify it with any attention will give him pause. I’m more interested in whether you’ve ever actually thought I have ulterior motives for inquiring about your snack preferences.” He didn’t answer immediately, and she exclaimed, “You did!”

“Not exactly,” Vhannor said uncomfortably, “but that’s how I think. Hyorem isn’t entirely wrong to be surprised at how much I’m already sharing with you. In my position, I have to be suspicious by default. He knows that.”

Not so different from how she was always ready for another test. “That makes sense.”

He scowled again.

What had she said wrong this time? She’d agreed with him!

“So, now what?” Liris asked. “Are we just going to stomp around until you cool down, or do you have another plan?”

Vhannor stared at her, his gaze burning with intensity again, and he abruptly turned. “I do,” he said firmly. “We’re going to go sample those dumplings you were ogling earlier.”

Liris blinked.

Then broke into a smile and raced after him.

“Ishould have specified,” Vhannor said dryly, “that we’re going to sample some of the dumplings.”

“Well, I clearly have to try one of each from different stores to determine the difference. That’s just sound methodology.”

Vhannor snorted but didn’t argue. After all, the variety of dumplings included a share for him, too.

Few shops had stools at their counters, but in Otaryl it was rude to eat food in public. Vhannor, of course, knew a shop with three tiny tables crammed in. They were outside the normal lunch rush, so they had the room to themselves.

“This vinegar dip is better, but I prefer the percentage of green onion in the other,” Liris announced. “Next. So, does this mean we’re effectively having dinner together after all?”

He twitched. “Colleagues share meals together on the job.”

Liris nodded. “Okay. Sure.”

Vhannor made a face that broke into a reluctant smile.

That wasn’t disagreement. She’d take it.

“You know about the secret back room with tables already. Does that mean you already have a favorite dumpling?”

“I haven’t sampled this many all at once before,” he said dryly, and Liris tried not to watch his always-controlled, powerful hands too closely as he deftly picked up a delicate dumpling. “I think you’ll be surprised how full you feel in a few minutes.”

“I’d better eat faster then.”

That got an actual laugh out of him, and oh gods, she would never get tired of that rare sound. Of being the one who caused it.

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