Page 53 of A Tower of Half-Truths
“It’s…”
Her breath caught in her lungs. Her mouth suddenly turned dry.
“Er…excuse me,” she muttered.
She rushed into the bathroom and closed the door. As she leaned against it, tears stung her eyes, but trying to blink them back was no use; they broke free in hot, wet rivulets. She lunged for the sink, turned the tap, hoped the running water would drown her out as she leaned against the basin and sobbed.
Gods, when had she last allowed herself a good long cry?
Paired with relief was a cascade of every emotion she’d tamped down and tucked away for over a month. Altogether, they were too strong to suppress. Individually, they were too fleeting to grasp.
And it was all because she couldn’t recall anyone in recent memory doing something so kind for her, because she’d done nothing in recent memory that made her worthy of such kindness. She especially didn’t deserve kindness from the man she intended to, if not rob, then use as a means of robbing someone else. And at the heart of this whirlwind was Neldren, that godsdamnedbastard, for betraying her, for being the reason she was in this mess in the first place.
With the next sob came a surge of arcana. Like a rushing flood against a cracked dam, unbridled magic broke through her body and ricocheted off the bathroom mirror. She yelped, stumbled backward, collided with the linen cabinet. The bolt of magicdissipated midair but left behind a spiderweb of cracked glass.
Right.That’swhy a good long cry is a bad idea.
Now that the surge had passed, she turned off the tap and examined her face in the broken mirror. Her eyes and nose were red and swollen, her cheeks damp. And she was certain Alain had heard the commotion, even over the running tap. She couldn’t hide in here forever. She dried her face with the hand towel and opened the door.
In unison, she and Alain flinched, gasped. He had been waiting outside, leaning against the doorframe.
“Are you all right? The tea didn’t make you ill?”
“I’m fine.” Her voice was thick, her throat raspy.
“Oh, that’s a relief,” he sighed. “I was considering whether to change the—”
She threw her arms around his shoulders. His body stiffened as he emitted a chuckle that sounded equal parts surprised and nervous.
“It’s more than adequate,” she whispered.
He relaxed against her.
“I’m glad,” he whispered back.
His arms wrapped around the small of her back. And then her breath hitched as what she’d intended to be a brief, appreciative hug escalated to a far more intimate embrace. He pulled her closer, leaving no space between them.
A bit to her own surprise, she rested her chin against his shoulder. He clung to her even more tightly, as though afraid of what would happen when he let go. She didn’t want to find out, either. So, they remained that way for a moment longer, his body warming hers, her breaths slowing to match his.
When he pulled back, his hands shifted to her waist, just above her hips. Hers skimmed down his arms and came to rest at his elbows. There was a mistiness to his eyes, and she wondered if he’d suppressed a sob of his own.
“Areyouall right?” she asked.
“Me?” He cleared his throat. “Never better.”
It was the least convincing lie she’d ever heard.
“I’m just relieved that my little experiment was successful.”
She scoffed. “ ‘Little experiment’? Don’t be so godsdamned modest. And you didn’t need to do all that just for me.”
“I know I didn’t need to.” He smiled at her. “But Iwantedto.”
There was no fire in the hearth, but the room had turned oppressively hot again. Then, with a grimace, she remembered what had happened in the bathroom.
“Well, as a token of my gratitude, I broke your mirror.”
He laughed. “Not on purpose, I hope?”
