Page 99 of A Crown of Lies

“Mercia?” Saya put a hand on her arm.

Mercia turned back to her. “Maybe we should be getting back. They’ll miss us.”

Saya seemed disappointed, but nodded. “Of course.” She waved to the clerk and instructed him to send the bill to the clan house.

They left the chocolate shop, the air much more tense between them. Mercia picked at the skin on the pad of her thumb and chewed her bottom lip, avoiding making eye contact with Saya as much as possible. The distant sound of a band playing told her that Niro’s speech had wound down. Aryn would be looking for her soon.

“I’ve made you uncomfortable,” Saya observed, frowning at Mercia.

“What?” Mercia said, her voice high. “No! Of course not! Why would I be uncomfortable?”

Saya stepped in front of Mercia, blocking her way forward. Mercia’s throat grew tight as Saya took her hands. Saya’s palms were soft and smooth. She had beautiful, delicate fingers that were made for kissing. Mercia stared at where their hands were joined and something fluttered in her chest at the sight of Saya’s pale fingers wrapped around hers.

“Niro was chosen for me, Mercia,” Saya said carefully. “Our courtship was short and highly ritualized. I have never had to do this before.”

“Do what?” Mercia lifted her eyes from their hands and met Saya’s deep, beautiful blue eyes.

Saya smiled, showing her dimples, and Mercia couldn’t breathe. “Woo a beautiful woman, of course.”

Heat flushed Mercia’s neck. “Oh. Um…” She chewed on her bottom lip and looked away. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest as she fought desperately to find the words to let Saya down gently. She was with Aryn, and Aryn had never liked the idea of sharing her.

Saya’s smile fell, and she let go of Mercia’s hands. “You’re not interested.”

“No!” Mercia protested quickly. Too quickly. “That’s not it at all. You’re a beautiful woman, Saya. It’s just… Well, we barely know each other. This is the first time we’ve ever been alone together. It seems very sudden.”

“You don’t recognize me?” Saya sighed and studied the nearby wall for a moment. She eyed Mercia. “Perhaps this will help, then.”

Before Mercia could protest, Saya gripped her cheeks with her palms and pulled Mercia’s lips to hers.

Saya’s lips were as soft and delicate as they looked, and so was the rest of her as she leaned into Mercia. There was something special about kissing another woman, something sweeter than kissing men. With men, everything was rough and desperate. But the way Saya kissed her was unhurried and deep, almost agonizingly so.

And familiar.

Mercia’s eyes snapped open, and she stumbled back a half step, her hand going over her mouth. “Oh, gods. It was you! At the Starfall party!”

Saya smiled warmly. “It was, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you ever since.” She reached to touch Mercia’s face again.

Mercia panicked. Not because she didn’t want to kiss Saya. If anything, the opposite was true. It didn’t even bother her that Saya was a woman. It was that she was the wife of the future Primarch. The implications if they were caught together out in the open like this… It could ruineverything.

She pulled away, stepping out of Saya’s reach. “I’m sorry. I can’t… I didn’t realize who you were.”

“Mercia, wait.”

“I’m sorry,” Mercia repeated, and rushed past Saya as fast as her feet could carry her. She didn’t look back as she turned down an alley, rushing toward the sound of the cheering crowd, or as she made her way through the maze-like streets of D’thallanar.

Her heart was still pounding when she found her way back to Aryn. She reached for him, but paused when Niro came down from the podium.

Niro’s excited smile fell, and he took her in with a concerned frown. “Is everything all right?”

“I…” Mercia broke out into a sweat, unsure of how to answer. Would he want to know what Saya was up to? Was it even her place to say anything? What if that was the arrangement Saya had mentioned? There were too many ears around, listening. Too many people paying attention to her.

She swallowed and bowed her head. “No. Just…”

“We were separated,” came Saya’s voice behind her. Saya passed Mercia, taking her husband’s hand and planting a kiss on Niro’s cheek. “I wanted to show her that little chocolate place I told you about, but with all the racket you were making, I got distracted and must’ve made a wrong turn. That’s all.”

“Well,” said Niro, threading his fingers through Saya’s with another smile. He turned to Mercia. “I’m glad you both made it back safely. The streets in this district are safe, but it’s easy to get lost. You shouldn’t wander without a guide, Ms. Trevisa.”

“It’s my fault,” Saya said quickly. “I’m sorry, Mercia. I didn’t mean to abandon you.”

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