36

“Anzi?”

She looked up. “Yes.”

“I’d like to sit with you.”

“It’s not comfortable.”

“I’m not looking to be comfortable.”

She scooted to the side and made space for Kai on the stone steps that led out to the rear of the palace grounds. This area wouldn’t open up to the milling citizens just yet, not until the gala was truly underway and all the wealthy elite decided they wanted to admire the beautiful scenery here. But she had bullied her way past the guards with a cold look, and surprisingly, they had let her go on through. She wondered if they knew who she was somehow.

Kai settled down next to her, but she said nothing to him as the silence stretched on. It was dark now, so she could pretend she didn’t see him staring at the side of her face as if she had the map of the world on it. She didn’t want to talk. He should know that just by looking at her.

And he did, it seemed. He remained quiet too, until finally she began to wonder if perhaps she did want him to speak after all. It