City of Stone and Silence by Django Wexler

Author:Django Wexler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

* * *

By the time I get back to our ziggurat, the eastern horizon is fading from black to gray. I jog up the ramp, clothes and skin spattered with mud and black blood from the corpses. The guard gapes at me, and I give him a manic grin, still high from the adrenaline of the fight. He hurries off ahead of me as I stroll down the corridor, stopping in the main chamber to borrow a rag and clean myself up.

Meroe arrives after I’ve managed to scrub off the worst of it. Her face is composed, but her eyes are puffy from crying, and just a look from her rips my heart in half. She stops in front of me, takes a deep breath, then looks around at the gathered crew, who are watching our every move.

“In here,” I tell her, taking her arm and ducking back out through the corridor and into an empty storeroom. Some of Catoria’s gifts are piled here, but no one is around, and a glance at the guard trailing Meroe keeps her at a safe distance.

“Isoka—”

“I’m sorry.” The words spill out, without any conscious thought on my part. “I’m sorry, I’m so rotting sorry. You were right. You’re always right.”

“I’m not.” Meroe takes a deep breath again. “I haven’t been … I didn’t think about how this must be for you. I got…”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not.” She glares at me, tears forming in her eyes. “You don’t get to make me the perfect one, Isoka.”

“You’re right.” Her mouth curves upward, and I roll my eyes. “Sorry. You’re wrong, too. But it is fine. At least, I don’t know what will happen, but you and I…” I shake my head. “Next time, please punch me sooner?”

“I’ll take that under consideration,” she says. I can tell she’s trying not to grin. “What happened? Are you all right?”

“Fine. Some of Prime’s monsters turned up. Nothing I can’t handle.” My mind feels like it’s fizzing. It won’t last long—I’ll crash hard, soon—but for now I’m flying. “Call everyone together, the pack leaders. I need to talk to them.”

She nods, and half-turns. I grab her shoulder, turn her back toward me, and kiss her. After a startled moment, she melts into me, our bodies pressing together as though slipping back into the place they most belong. She holds me so hard I can barely breathe, hands sliding up and down my spine, sending warm shivers across my skin. For a moment there’s nothing in the universe but her, the soft, dark, beautiful glory of her.

Fighting always leaves me wanting to rut, after, a deep, sweet ache. I consider, briefly—the bags of cloth in the corner look soft enough—

Meroe breaks the kiss, reluctantly. I let my arms fall away from her, and she takes a trembling step back, breathing hard.

“I’ll … get everyone together.” She gives me a shaky smile.

“After I talk to them,” I murmur.

She raises one eyebrow. “And after you’ve had a bath.”

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