Page 83 of Victoria's Discovery

At a lull in Snitch’s rapid speech, Thorn reached into his pocket and produced one of the ruby coins she’d seen on the spaceship. Snitch froze when he spotted it, a look of pure, unadulterated greed falling over his adorable little face. He made a sound like a rabid monkey on helium, darted forward to snatch the coin, then retreated back to Thorn’s shins. Flopping onto his back, he turned it this way and that, squeaking and chittering in apparent bliss.

Glancing up at Thorn, Victoria hesitated at the pensive expression on his face but asked, “So what’s up? Did you need me for something, or did you just want to hang out?”

He cut his eyes to her at that last part, smirking wryly. “I know better than to think you mean that the way I wish you did.” He chuckled at the shocked face she made then leaned his head back against the wall and sighed. “I come to sate my insatiable need of your company. And for another reason.”

Sate his insatiable need for my company? What does that even mean?

That wasn’t what she asked, however, having had plenty of confusion from the guys in the last couple of days to last her a good long while.

“What’s wrong, bab- er, Thorn?”

She almost called him ‘babe.’ Jeez. She really did have it bad. In all her ill-advised crushes and infatuations, she’d never once been tempted to call someone by a pet name or endearment. Probably because they’d been infatuations and crushes instead of the real thing.

Which this wasn’t! Because denial. She was wearing that shit like a cloak.

It was the only way she knew how to sit next to him and pretend everything was fine.

He let his head roll to the side so he could look down at her. “You are quite skilled at advising. I… am finding it difficult to discover my place here. Thegan has found his purpose at long last. I am pleased for him even as I am jealous. He wore the role of aimless jokester, because that is how he was thought. It is past time he be a leader as he was meant. Vi’kail has his work with beasts and aiding Aria with tactics and plotting missions. You—” Victoria blushed under the proud smile he gave her but didn’t look away. “—are brilliant. Aria could not have chosen a better Chieftess.”

She hadn’t actually known Vi’kail was helping with tactics and plotting missions. Apparently, that was something else to add to the list of things Vi’kail didn’t tell her. But she pushed that to the back of her mind to focus on Thorn. And internally preen a little over his compliment.

Snitch is rubbing off on me.

“What would you like to do? If you could do anything, what would it be?”

“Anything? Hmm.” He grunted thoughtfully, then, to her surprise, broke eye contact, appearing… shy all of a sudden.

“You thought of something.”

“I– yes, but it is… ” he trailed off, shaking his head dismissively.

“It’s what?”

“Not practical. It serves no true purpose.”

“But what is it?” she insisted.

In answer, he held out his hand. “I would create.”

Victoria felt her jaw drop. “Oh my gosh! You made that?” she breathed, reaching out a hand to touch it only to stop a few inches away, not sure if she should.

It was a tiny carving of… her. Or at least, she thought it was her even if she was also positive she’d never been that pretty. The detail with which he’d carved her curls was mind-blowing. They almost looked real, like they’d be soft to the touch. And the expression on her face. She looked… beautiful. Happy and confident and focused, as if she was listening intently to someone speaking.

Ideas immediately sparked. Looking eagerly up at a tense Thorn, she felt a smile curl her lips.

“What else can you make?”

He frowned and shrugged. “A great many things. Why?”

“Okay, so I was talking to Aria the other day about the houses y’all are building out there. They all look the same right now!”

He got a strange look on his face at that. Assuming he just wasn’t following her line of thinking, she kept going.

“People will want stuff to fill and decorate them. Thorn, you could set up a business! You could have premade stuff, but you could also take special orders. They’d tell you what they’re wanting, and you make it!”

Victoria held her breath when he blinked and frowned.

“I… would like that.”

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