“Perfect.”
Less than ten minutes later, they turned onto a residential street packed with red-bricked townhouses.
River’s brows furrowed. “You brought me to a neighborhood?” She bumped her shoulder against his. “This is our first date, Nik. Isn’t it presumptuous to be looking at houses?”
“For starters, I’d move in with you tomorrow if you agreed to it.” Nikhail glanced at River to gauge her reaction.
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t rebuke him. Maybe she was more amenable to it than he thought. His steps felt light as he tucked that nugget of information away for later.
“But, no. We’re not looking at real estate right now.” He pointed at one of the townhouses down the street with his free hand. From this distance, it looked like all the others. “That’s where we’re heading.”
They climbed the shovelled steps, and River gasped, pointing at the golden plaque pinned to the wall that declared this a heritage site.
“Oh, Nik.” She bounced on her heels. “Is this what I think it is?”
He grinned. “If you think that it’s the home of Antoine Leonardo, who played on the first official Laser team in the Central Region, then you’d be correct. He was born in this house, and apparently, he lived here for his entire life.”
“No way!”
“Way,” Nikhail teased.
“This isamazing.” A luminous grin stretched across her lips. “Leonardo carried the team while he was on it, and even though he retired a century ago, no one has ever come close to matching his record.”
“That’s what I heard.” Nikhail had done his research. He didn’t care much for sports, but River did. And for her, he’d learn everything there was to know about the sport of Laser, its history, and all the players. “After Leonardo Faded, his family donated his home to the city. It’s now a museum that traces the history of Laser, from its creation two centuries ago to today.”
River’s hand was vibrating in his, and her words streamed out of her in a rush. “Oh, my gods. This is so cool. I can’t believe I didn’t know this existed. Thank you, Nik.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” he said. “The museum might be terrible. I don’t know, I’ve never been here.”
“As if,” she scoffed. “This might be our first date, but don’t forget, I know you, Nikhail Galebringer. You don’t do things halfway. I bet you’ve already looked up this museum and read all the reviews.”
He laughed, warmth unfurling inside him, and squeezed her hand affectionately. He’d spent years watching River. Observing her from afar, pulled to her by that unseen force that had drawn him to her on the very first day they met. It pleased him immensely to know that she’d been watching him, too.
“You’re right, I did.” He’d spent a copious amount of time planning every aspect of this date, wanting it to be perfect. “Sports enthusiasts from all around the Republic say this is a fantastic experience, and it’s severely underrated. People especially rave about the guided tour, which starts in”—he checked his watch—“ten minutes, so we should hurry if we want to catch it.”
“Oh, yes. I definitely want to do that. Come on, let’s go.” River tugged him up the remaining steps.
Once inside, Nikhail paid for their admission, grinning at River’s excitement as she picked up a brochure at the front desk and started reading through it.
Yes, this had definitely been a good idea.
They were joined on the tour by another couple, two Death Elves who had matching mating marks on their arms, a trio of young humans in their early twenties, and a werewolf family. Their youngest, a child who appeared to be no older than ten, happily informed the group that their family was on vacation from the Northern Region, and they’d be staying in Golden City for a whole week before heading home.
The werewolf’s parents looked mortified that their child was being so chatty, but River laughed, not minding at all. Nikhail watched as his water fae crouched and talked animatedly with the boy. She was a natural with him—even more proof that she wasn’t broken or cursed, not that Nikhail needed it.
Their tour guide, a young witch barely out of her teenage years named Felicity, arrived shortly after.
She introduced herself, then they were off. It quickly became clear that Felicity was extremely passionate about her job. She spoke eloquently, talking about the history of Laser and Antoine Leonardo’s contribution to the sport as she led them through the historical home.
At least, Nikhail thought she did.
Truth to be told, he wasn’t entirely sure.
While everyone else was paying rapt attention to Felicity and hanging on her every word, River consumed Nikhail’s focus. He couldn’t have looked away from her, even if he tried.
And to be clear, he wasn’t trying.
River captivated him. Everything she did entranced him.