Page 32 of Obsidian Dream
“I don’t know if Sypha actually had a vision of us working together, or if they have some other reason we both need to go to Rome, but right now, I’m not going to disagree with a seer who hasn’t been wrong before,” Talik truthfully said.He may make the occasional bet against Sypha, but he wasn’t willing to put Khalida’s life on the line.
She drew herself up as if she was posturing for a fight.Her fingers splayed on the hilt of her right sword.Would Khalida go back on her word about not stabbing him in a vital organ?He would likely heal from the wound, but it didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt.
“I don’t like it.But if it means we can work out where the Anki are hiding, then I’m willing to work with you.We can’t undo the past no matter how much we wish it,” Khalida said.She moved forward, continuing without looking back.“Annoy me, and I will see how well you heal.I’m subtracting this mission from the three months.”
“That wasn’t part of the wager.”
This time Khalida turned around and stared at him.She narrowed her yellow eyes until they were almost slits.Her voice was dangerously low.“You won.But don’t push it.”
Despite everything that had just occurred, a small thrill went through him.If he had ever questioned his hold on his sanity, the hot desire that ran through him would have made him think he may be slightly unhinged.It also made him question what he was about to do and why.But there was a part of him that would always be drawn to Khalida, a part of him that she owned, no matter how much he tried to distance himself from her.
She smiled.It was like a punch to his stomach, taking the air from his lungs.
“I hear Rome is delightful this time of year.”
Chapter Thirteen
KHALIDA
“There is an entireplane, and you are going to sit there?”
After another fitful night of sleep, Khalida was not in the mood to be nice or patient.Especially when she didn’t have an audience.She sank deeper into the soft white leather seat, counting to three before she turned to face Talik.They were on Dante’s private jet—Dante’s very empty jet.And by her last count, there were at least ten empty rows between her and the front of the plane.Dante and Rieka had remained near the front, and she had wanted to give them privacy.Talik was right across from Khalida.Near enough that if she stretched out her legs, she was going to touch him.Even the small, polished oak table between them wasn’t enough of a barrier.
She felt his warmth.It radiated off him in waves.It made her want to move closer to him, to be enveloped within it.
Boundaries.
That was the only way it was going to work between them.She needed to survive the mission first before she thought about the wager and what it really meant.It had been less than ten hours since she had seen Talik in the dungeon, and it had taken all her effort not to take back the agreement to work together.It was already too easy to fall back into old habits and the good memories.All she had ever wanted was a place where she belonged and for eight decades, she had it.And with Talik nearby, he made her long for days long gone and dreams she didn’t deserve, had never really deserved if she was being truthful with herself.Far easier to pretend to hate someone when they were on the other side of the world than sitting right next to you.Placing her hands on her lap, she forced herself not to give into the urge to tap her fingers on the armrest.If she did, Talik would know he had gotten under her skin.
“I thought you said you wanted to work together,” Talik responded with a hint of a challenge in his voice.“That requires talking to each other.”
She gritted her teeth, keeping her expression neutral.Work together, not be glued together.That was two very different things.
When they were in Rome, was what she wanted to say, even if it sounded petty, but she refrained.She did not want to give Talik an excuse to lord it over her.
“I assumed you would be busy.”
