Page 57 of A Song of Shadow and Starlight

He slides the wooden pocket door closed behind him and offers a small smile. "Glad to see you haven't lost your spunk."

I cross my arms over my chest and frown. "Stop it."

"Stop what? Admiring you?" he cocks his head to the side.

"Stop pitying me." That seems to catch him off guard. Good. "I might not be a master of my magic like you, or a skilled fighter like Nyx, but I held my own out there and if I had died tonight -"

"Don't finish that sentence," he says with a broken voice that shatters me.

My mouth is suddenly dry. "Why?"

"I failed to protect you and I would never have forgiven myself if your blood was on my hands."

Suddenly, the room is stifling, and I want nothing more than to reassure him this wasn't his fault. "Atlas -"

"You are to have someone with you at all times from now on. No excuses." He doesn't allow me time for a rebuttal before slipping through the door.

Mybreathisstrained,my heartbeat rapid. The hot Midori sun beats down on me, but the cool water of the pool I swim laps in keeps me comfortable. My arms slice through the water as I finish my last rotation. The dry, desert air fills my lungs.

Something deep beneath me twinkles, catching my eye. Without a second thought, I dive down to examine the mosaic tile at the bottom of the pool. I reach my hand toward the golden symbol that looks like a sun, but it's not the Kitarni crest, which has a sun in the center with seven squiggly lines beaming outward.

This is something different. There's a hum within my chest, as if it's a siren drawing me closer, deeper under its spell. At the center is a small circle with a slightly large circle enveloping it. Eight straight lines shoot outward and eight small dashes sit between those lines. All of those elements are surrounded by a giant circle.

I reach for the center circle, which has a gold symbol, but when I press it, nothing happens.

My lungs begin to ache, warning me that I need to resurface to catch my breath. Reluctant to abandon my inquisition, feeling an odd connection to the mosaic design, I slip up, breaking through the water and gulping a lungful of desert air.

I wipe my eyes, smoothing my hair behind me. When I open my eyes, Bastian is standing at the end of the pool, smiling down at me.

"If I didn't know you were a Midorian," he teases, "I would think you were a Hydran with how often I find you in the water."

I perch my elbows on the warm pavers surrounding the pool and wiggle my eyebrows. "Maybe I am a Hydran and don't know it yet."

Bas laughs and the sound ignites my soul, drawing a grin from me. "Your mother is looking for you," he says, and it steals my moment of peace. "Something about prepping you for the official engagement party tomorrow night."

I backstroke away, enjoying the cool water rushing through my hair. "We've been betrothed since I was born. An engagement party seems silly, and quite frankly, unnecessary."

He clasps his hands behind his back, ever the soldier, and shrugs, "What can I say? Your mother enjoys throwing parties."

I giggle. He's not wrong. My mother can scrounge up any excuse to send out invitations. She loves to dress up, listen to music, dance, and be the center of attention.

I swim back toward him, mischief in my eyes. "You know, we could skip the party and just elope."

"Enraging our parents?" He tsks, a playful smirk crosses his face. "Although, I find the idea of calling you my wife quite tempting."

"Come on, Lord Commander," I tease. "Where is your sense of adventure?"

He crouches, his eyes soft and inviting. "You know I love you more than anything or anyone right? But – "

"We have to do things the right way," we say simultaneously, and Bas lets out a deep, hearty laugh.

"Do I say it that often or am I just predictable?"

"Both," I wink.

"And you aren't predictable?"

"I like to think I keep you on your toes."

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