Page 40 of Leviathan's Song
I nodded. “That’s significantly quicker than I, or anyone else for that matter, would be able to build you a construct of any reasonable size. It gives the city protection, while I decide how much I want to contribute, and gives you breathing room to find other options. I can have my parents send you a copy of the contract as early as tonight.”
Muriel stared at the desk in front of her for a few beats before visibly steeling herself and meeting my eyes. “Tonight.” She gave a single, sharp nod. “I will contact the council immediately regarding the contract. Will your delivery fee be built into the contract?” she asked.
“I’m doing this as a personal favor to Adonci because she asked me for my help. The rest of the loan negotiation will be between you and my parents.”
She pulled the drawer open in front of her and removed a tiny pair of gold-colored scissors, snipped a tiny lock of hair off, and held it out to me. I held open an empty locket for her to place the hair in, closed it securely, and then reached for the scissors to repeat the ritual. We were in this together now, though to what degree, I couldn’t say.
She pulled a small notebook from behind a stack of files and tore out the top page to pass to me. “I wrote down the names of the sprites who are members of the Alliance committee since you said you wanted to speak to them. They haven’t returned my messages yet, but I’m certain we can arrange something.”
We said our goodbyes and rose to leave, but as I made it to the door, Muriel spoke.
“Ms. Hawthorne?”
I paused with my hand on her office door and turned to face her.
“Thank you, and I just want you to know that I respect your desire for transparency.”
I gave her a small smile. “You’re welcome. We’ll be in touch.”
We stepped out onto the street and into the sunshine, and I felt a little lighter. Nothing I did would bring back Adonci or any of the lives lost in The Deep, but at least we had a plan to move forward, and in some small way, I was able to help.
I looked to Levi to find his blond hair rumpled like he’d been running his hands through it, and he had the side of his bottom lip caught between his teeth. He kept his eyes focused on where we were heading, even though I knew he could tell I was looking at him. He looked excited and mischievous, and it only increased the longer I watched him.
“What?” I asked him, but he just grinned to himself and shook his head, tucking his chin into his chest. When I gave him a droll look in return, he smiled wider, gestured to his mouth and throat, and shook his head again. His eyes were dancing with amusement, and I realized he hadn’t spoken during my second meeting with Muriel. “You were awfully quiet in there that time,” I pondered aloud.
Levi choked out another laugh. “You think?” he wheezed, still laughing, and his lure lashed out, strong and forceful. It struck against my ward so intensely that I stumbled and turned to face him with shocked, wide eyes.
He barked a sharp laugh at my reaction and turned his head away to try to pull himself together. “I’m sorry,” he said, dragging his hand over his face to wipe away the smile. It didn’t work.
“It was just kinda hot watching you dictate exactly how everything was going to go down. You were so fierce, and then the comment about ‘nothing getting past the dogs’ that came out of nowhere.” His eyes were dancing with barely contained hilarity. “I just knew I wasn’t going to be able to control this,” he said, gesturing at his throat. Judging by the potency and insistence of his enchantments scrabbling against my ward, I assumed he was referring to that and not merely his laughter.
“Your magic?” I asked, feeling obtuse. I realized the only other time I’d felt it this strongly was the night I’d stayed at his apartment and he’d told me he was turned on…
Oh.
OH.
“Uh,yeah,” he said, giving me a meaningful look as my cheeks grew hot. “Just, ah, give me a few minutes to shake it off, and I’ll be good as new.” He shot me a flirty grin. “Just a little awkward to have Ms. Ta’nith feel that and know I was all hot under the collar, or worse, derail your discussion completely with it.” His cheeks flushed just slightly at his admission, even as his eyes dropped to my lips. “I could sit and listen to bossy Empress Elara dictate her business terms all day. I don’t know what that says about me, but there it is.”
He bent to give me a quick peck on the side of the mouth, and then, appearing unable to help himself, kissed the side of my jaw for good measure. That was frustrating, even though I knew more contact was risky for him in the Boundlands. Was it wrong of me to crave more when he’d made himself clear?
By the time we entered the railway station, he must have calmed down a bit, because his enchantment levels were much more normal as he dug out a calling chip and explained that he wanted to ask his dad about some of his sprite contacts. We spent the hour-long ride back discussing my upcoming trip with the constructs, and he surprised me with his desire to come with me.
“Of course,” he said, like it was a given. “Is that really so surprising?”
I leaned back in my seat across from him and tried to make sense of him. “Don’t you have jobs scheduled? Two weeks is a long time to step away from your life on such short notice.”
He shrugged a single shoulder. “I can reschedule them.” His eyes turned soft as he watched me. “Two weeks would be a long time to be away from you too, and I…” He trailed off and pressed his lips together for a second while he searched for his thoughts somewhere out the train window. “I wouldn’t like that. And I don’t like the thought of you traveling so long alone. Who knows what’s lurking out there in the wilds? This way Sidney can stay with your shop, and I get to spend time with you.”
I grinned at him, both pleased by his admission and amused by his concern for me. “I can’t imagine anything wanting to attack me when I’ll be accompanied by two constructs the size of six-story buildings, unless I were traveling in the mountains, but I’ll be going around.”
He shook his head. “I’d bring Eeyore too if he didn’t need to be so close to the Void.”
“Why would heneedto be close to the Void?”
Levi gave a slight shrug. “That’s his jurisdiction. He’s assigned an area, and he gets a stipend for it. He brings our souls back into the Boundlands so they’re not trapped in the Void.”
Blinking repeatedly was the only response I could give.There’s so much to unpack in that statement I can’t even spare the brain power to think about it right now.
