“I see.” To be honest, River didn’t see the humor in the situation. Ryker always assured her that he was good at his job, too, and he’d gotten himself kidnapped and nearly killed.
What if something like that happened again? What if this time, the rebels won? What if?—
A warm breeze twisted up her arm like a vine, pulling her from her thoughts. She sucked in a breath, dropping her gaze.
“You’re thinking very loudly,” Nikhail said.
“I am?” She blinked.
“Your panic is written across your beautiful face.” The air fae’s amber gaze drilled into hers, as if he could see into the depths of her soul if he tried hard enough.
She latched onto one word. “You think I’m beautiful?”
She’d been wearing the same scrubs for over a day, her hair was a mess, and she was sure there were bags under her eyes. Her teeth were fuzzy and desperately needed to be brushed, and she couldn’t wait to shower.
The smile that stretched across his face couldn’t be faked. “I think you’re the most stunning creature that has ever lived in the Republic of Balance.”
“Oh.” What was she supposed to say to that?
Nikhail took advantage of her stunned state, chuckling softly. “I promise, River. Everything will be okay.”
She wasn’t sure if it was the sincerity in his tone or the way he looked at her, but she believed him. Shoving the what-ifs aside, she took a deep breath.
Nikhail was right. He was good at his job, just like she was good at hers. If he said it would be okay, then it would be. Right?
It had to be okay.
River remained by Nikhail’s side for a few more hours,until she was so tired she was swaying. He urged her to go home and get some rest, promising to stay in the hospital until the attending physician cleared him for release.
She walked home, grateful that her residence was nearby, and wearily climbed the steps to her third-floor studio apartment. As she went through her bedtime routine, Nikhail’s words kept playing through her mind.
I promise, everything will be okay.
By the gods, she hoped he was right.
CHAPTER 11
A Gift and a Train Ride
Nikhail Galebringer was many things, but indecisive wasn’t one of them.
Or at least, that’s what he would’ve told anyone who asked him before today. Now, though, he wasn’t sure that would be a fair assessment.
He was supposed to be working, combing through his team’s reports on the Black Night’s various activities in the Eastern Region. He had to compile them for General Whitecliff, ranking them in order of most to least troublesome so they could be addressed and taken care of.
Instead, he was trying to decide which gift to bring to Golden City tonight. This was definitely not an approved use of his time.
Two small black boxes, one slightly larger than the other, rested on top of his closed laptop. In a manner that was truly unlike him, he’d spent the better part of his morning ignoring his work and staring at the gifts.
This should be an easy task: pick a present, wrap it up, call it a day.
The problem was that no matter how long he spent staring at them, he couldn’t seem to pick. Choosing felt impossible.
It wasn’t that the gifts weren’t good or that he didn’t like them. In truth, he was fairly certain the intended recipient would adore either of them.
The problem was, one gift said,Thank you for saving my life. I value your friendship,while the other…
The other crossed boundaries. It wasn’t a gift that a friend gave another friend. It wasmore. If he gave this to her, it would say things that he’d kept under wraps for years.