“Klea doesn’t listen to anyone,” Yuki grumbled.
He stopped now, stopped dancing entirely, letting the other couples swaying around him make room for them. He reached out a gloved hand and ran his fingers down the side of her face, her heavy lashes fluttering closed at his touch. “How far will you go?”
“I don’t know.”
“Back to Japan?”
“No, no, not that far. I’m pretty sure we’re staying in California.”
He looked over his shoulder when someone bumped him; instead of pulling Yuki in close, he led her into a graceful stretch, then held out his hand, inviting her to come near this time. She jumped at the chance, pulling herself against his chest, lifting her face up close to his as they resumed swaying. “She won’t take your cell phone, will she?” Tamani asked, his mouth only a breath away from her lips.
“I . . . I don’t think so.”
“Then I can call you, right? And I have a car. I could come and see you.”
“Would you?”
Tamani leaned just a little closer, his forehead brushing hers. “Oh, absolutely.”
“Then I’ll figure out a way,” Yuki promised.
“Why now?” Tamani asked, leading Yuki backward in a slow, waltz-like circle around the human dancers. Even as he pushed her for secrets and signs, she followed him easily, and he found that he enjoyed dancing with her. “Can’t you stay till Christmas? It’s only a few more days.”
Yuki shook her head. “I can’t. It’s . . . not a good idea.”
“Why?” Tamani asked, injecting a hint of longing into his voice, hoping he wasn’t prodding too hard.
“I—” Her gaze faltered and she looked down again. “Klea says it’s too dangerous.”
The music changed and Tamani led her a little faster now, into a series of more complicated steps. Take her mind off her mouth, Tamani thought to himself. “I don’t want you to go,” he whispered.
Yuki’s face lifted, her eyes soft. “Really?”
Tamani forced himself not to grit his teeth. “There’s something different about you.”
Her expression was momentarily guarded, but she smiled his words away. “I’m not different. I’m just a regular person.”
She was pretty good. But Tamani had been lying since before her sprout opened its petals. “No,” he said sweetly, pulling her tight against his body, feeling her erratic breathing as he did. “You’re special. I can tell. There’s something amazing about you.” He laid his cheek right on hers now, and felt her hand tremble in his. “And I can’t wait to find out more.”
Yuki smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but Tamani felt his phone buzzing in his pocket.
“Just a sec,” Tamani muttered, pulling his phone out just enough that he could see the display. Sure enough, Aaron’s number was lit up on the screen. Tamani looked up at Yuki and apologized with his eyes. “It’s my uncle. I’ll be right back.” He squeezed her hand. “Why don’t you go get something to drink?” He smiled at her for another second before walking quickly from the dance floor.
“I’m really glad I came with you,” Laurel said, looking up at David.
“Really?”
“Yeah. It was good to clear the air. I—” She paused. “You have to know that I hadn’t planned to break up with you. It just happened.”
“I do know that. But I was so riled up. You were justified.”
“I kinda was, wasn’t I?”
David rolled his eyes. “I’ll do better,” he said. “If you’ll just give me a chance.”
“David—”
“I’m going to keep hoping,” David said, raising her hand up to his lips and kissing her knuckles.
Laurel couldn’t help but smile. Over David’s shoulder, she noticed Tamani striding out of the gym, his phone held to his ear, his face unreadable. “Something’s happening,” Laurel said. “I’ll be right back.”
Trying not to draw too much attention to herself, Laurel followed Tamani out into the lobby.
“You raided without me?” Tamani whispered, his eyes darting left and right as he backed into a dark corner, locking eyes with Laurel for a brief instant as she approached. “Well, I’m glad you’re still alive. Goddess only knows what could have happened. What was in there?”
“We raided because I knew you wouldn’t be able to join us.” Shar’s voice sounded in Tamani’s ear. Through Aaron’s phone. Apparently Shar had “forgotten” his iPhone back in the forest. His human trinket. “I told you—you’ve been spreading yourself too thin.”
“You had no right—”
“I had every right. I am in command here, though you seem happy to forget that when it’s convenient to you.”
Tamani clenched his teeth; when it came to matters concerning Laurel, chain of command was not the only consideration, and Shar knew it. “What did you find?” he asked emotionlessly.
“It was empty, Tamani.”
David walked up and stood beside Laurel.
“Empty?” Tamani asked in disbelief. “What do you mean, empty?”
“Well, not completely empty. The trolls we chased down are still here.”
“A month later?”
“I didn’t say they were alive.”
He stopped now, stopped dancing entirely, letting the other couples swaying around him make room for them. He reached out a gloved hand and ran his fingers down the side of her face, her heavy lashes fluttering closed at his touch. “How far will you go?”
“I don’t know.”
“Back to Japan?”
“No, no, not that far. I’m pretty sure we’re staying in California.”
He looked over his shoulder when someone bumped him; instead of pulling Yuki in close, he led her into a graceful stretch, then held out his hand, inviting her to come near this time. She jumped at the chance, pulling herself against his chest, lifting her face up close to his as they resumed swaying. “She won’t take your cell phone, will she?” Tamani asked, his mouth only a breath away from her lips.
“I . . . I don’t think so.”
“Then I can call you, right? And I have a car. I could come and see you.”
“Would you?”
Tamani leaned just a little closer, his forehead brushing hers. “Oh, absolutely.”
“Then I’ll figure out a way,” Yuki promised.
“Why now?” Tamani asked, leading Yuki backward in a slow, waltz-like circle around the human dancers. Even as he pushed her for secrets and signs, she followed him easily, and he found that he enjoyed dancing with her. “Can’t you stay till Christmas? It’s only a few more days.”
Yuki shook her head. “I can’t. It’s . . . not a good idea.”
“Why?” Tamani asked, injecting a hint of longing into his voice, hoping he wasn’t prodding too hard.
“I—” Her gaze faltered and she looked down again. “Klea says it’s too dangerous.”
The music changed and Tamani led her a little faster now, into a series of more complicated steps. Take her mind off her mouth, Tamani thought to himself. “I don’t want you to go,” he whispered.
Yuki’s face lifted, her eyes soft. “Really?”
Tamani forced himself not to grit his teeth. “There’s something different about you.”
Her expression was momentarily guarded, but she smiled his words away. “I’m not different. I’m just a regular person.”
She was pretty good. But Tamani had been lying since before her sprout opened its petals. “No,” he said sweetly, pulling her tight against his body, feeling her erratic breathing as he did. “You’re special. I can tell. There’s something amazing about you.” He laid his cheek right on hers now, and felt her hand tremble in his. “And I can’t wait to find out more.”
Yuki smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but Tamani felt his phone buzzing in his pocket.
“Just a sec,” Tamani muttered, pulling his phone out just enough that he could see the display. Sure enough, Aaron’s number was lit up on the screen. Tamani looked up at Yuki and apologized with his eyes. “It’s my uncle. I’ll be right back.” He squeezed her hand. “Why don’t you go get something to drink?” He smiled at her for another second before walking quickly from the dance floor.
“I’m really glad I came with you,” Laurel said, looking up at David.
“Really?”
“Yeah. It was good to clear the air. I—” She paused. “You have to know that I hadn’t planned to break up with you. It just happened.”
“I do know that. But I was so riled up. You were justified.”
“I kinda was, wasn’t I?”
David rolled his eyes. “I’ll do better,” he said. “If you’ll just give me a chance.”
“David—”
“I’m going to keep hoping,” David said, raising her hand up to his lips and kissing her knuckles.
Laurel couldn’t help but smile. Over David’s shoulder, she noticed Tamani striding out of the gym, his phone held to his ear, his face unreadable. “Something’s happening,” Laurel said. “I’ll be right back.”
Trying not to draw too much attention to herself, Laurel followed Tamani out into the lobby.
“You raided without me?” Tamani whispered, his eyes darting left and right as he backed into a dark corner, locking eyes with Laurel for a brief instant as she approached. “Well, I’m glad you’re still alive. Goddess only knows what could have happened. What was in there?”
“We raided because I knew you wouldn’t be able to join us.” Shar’s voice sounded in Tamani’s ear. Through Aaron’s phone. Apparently Shar had “forgotten” his iPhone back in the forest. His human trinket. “I told you—you’ve been spreading yourself too thin.”
“You had no right—”
“I had every right. I am in command here, though you seem happy to forget that when it’s convenient to you.”
Tamani clenched his teeth; when it came to matters concerning Laurel, chain of command was not the only consideration, and Shar knew it. “What did you find?” he asked emotionlessly.
“It was empty, Tamani.”
David walked up and stood beside Laurel.
“Empty?” Tamani asked in disbelief. “What do you mean, empty?”
“Well, not completely empty. The trolls we chased down are still here.”
“A month later?”
“I didn’t say they were alive.”
