Page 46 of The Sovereign: Part One
I listened, nodding at the appropriate places, but my mind was a maze of conflicting emotions.I’d clung to the idea that focusing on Maxim’s plans would offer a distraction, but instead, my thoughts only fed my unease.Unanswered questions twisted it all tighter into a complicated knot of apprehension and the fragile hope that I was wrong.
An understanding passed between us, neither of us voicing what we both knew had shifted.With the tension lingering between us, we gathered our things and left Brym, our memories of breakfast very different from our perfect dinner just the night before.
Maxim kept my hand in his, guiding me down the walkway, across the street, and into the parking lot where our transport waited.We drove home in silence, his thoughts louder than the raised voice he’d used with Joss.
Maxim guided the transport to a stop in front of my Sablestone, controlled but not without urgency.
“Calyx,” he said, his voice monotone.“Isara will be home soon.Optimize the space for her arrival.”
“Acknowledged.”
“Oh, er… thank you,” I said, suspicious of the sudden change in his behavior.“I chose the tiles for their antimicrobial surface blend, so they self-sanitize, but they can feel like walking on a sheet of ice on cold days.You’ll find out for yourself soon.”
Maxim closed his eyes, shielding his thoughts from me.“I enjoyed every second I spent with you today, Isara.I’ll call tomorrow to schedule dinner.”
I shook my head.“I’m not going inside yet.You shouldn’t be alone.”
He turned to look at me, sadness weighing down his features.“I wish I could describe to you how much it means to me to be near you.But I need to return to The Crèche.”
I shook my head again, this time without words.
“I know I’ve ruined today for us.I’ve disappointed you, maybe even made you uncomfortable, which”—he sighed—“is quite frankly, unforgivable.I believe the best thing for you, and for us, is for me to return now, find a way to locate the issue and resolve it.”
“No,” I said, grabbing his arm.“I don’t want that.I know what you’re experiencing is… unconventional.But what happened at the cafe makes you more Sovereign than anything.Is that wrong?Some might call it progress.A step forward.Who knows what havoc unsanctioned thoughts and emotions can have on your protocols, and still, you handled it with unbelievable restraint.”
“You really believe that?”
“I do.And I understand where Cygnus Mercier may not.But if you go back and disclose what happened, it could set things in motion we can’t undo.Stay here with me, and let’s try to sort this out between us.”
He studied me for a moment, a spark of recognition in his eyes.“You’re worried about me.”
“Stay, Maxim.”
The sound of his name on my lips eased the tension around his eyes.
“Stay,” he repeated, as if it were a dream he’d buried until this moment.
“We can make a day of it.Come on,” I said, lightly tugging his arm.“At least stay for lunch.”I gently pulled on him again with my most charming expression.“Come inside with me.”
He raised one eyebrow, but a teasing smile tugged at one side.“That’s an infraction.”
I offered a small, flirtatious grin as I worked my limited powers of persuasion.“Premature domestic previews are minor infractions.We’re allowed up to three for the next thirty days.”
He lifted his gaze to the Sablestone, his expression heavy with longing, as if stepping inside the threshold was the only way for him to find peace.“Go inside with you, and spend the day together?”
“We could have Calyx activate the emberstream, cuddle up under a blanket and listen to the rain.”
“You’re serious,” he said, his words tinged with disbelief.He searched my eyes again, this time for sincerity.All he would find was longing, and to keep him where he belonged—with me.
His thumb traced a slow, reverent path along my cheek before settling there, and I leaned into the warmth of his palm.
“Please?”I asked.
He breathed out a faint laugh.“How could I possibly say no?”
Chapter Twelve
I crossed the threshold, warmth greeting me as I stepped inside.Calyx had already adjusted the air, perfectly balanced, untouched by the morning’s chill.I turned just as Maxim entered, his gaze sweeping over the room.Behind him, the panel sealed with a hiss, and for a moment, he simply stood there, taking it all in.
