Page 56 of The Fake Divination Offense
Against the Chimeras.
Luckily, the publicists prepped me for questions like that. I have to smile and say I’m excited to see my old teammates.
So that’s what I do. Lie through my teeth.
Treva deposits Alexo behind Marlow and me and gives a subtle bob of her chin.
Time for a different kind of lying that’s not really lying at all.
I pluck off the enchanted earring and pass it to Marlow. She takes it, then slaps my ass as I’m walking away.
“Go get your man,” she signs.
A laugh barks out of me.
The rest of the team might still be heavily cordial with me, but Marlow’s blissfully just…Marlow.
Alexo’s glaring at Marlow when I close in around him and Treva, and I gotta say, I don’t hate the flare of jealousy in his eyes.
I slide my arm around his waist and that jealousy evaporates, getting blinked away in favor of a sudden, breathless gasp and big round eyes that look even rounder lined in coal black and streaks of shimmery gold. Alexo relaxes against me, hand on my chest, and he smiles, all those days we spent apart coming to a head.
“Dark chocolate peanut butter cups,” I tell him.
His brows bend in question.
“Isn’t that how we start interactions between us now?” My grin is taunting and makes him roll his eyes.
“Oh, hilarious.” A deeper blush stains his cheeks, his freckles vibrant. “Mock my awkwardness. That’s low-hanging fruit, Orok. I expected better from you.”
“Low-hanging fruit? Are you saying you’reusuallyawkward? I vehemently disagree.” I lean in—I can’t help it, can’t stop myselfwhen he’s right here, back in my arms again—and press my face behind his ear, inhaling deep. His apple brightness streaks directly to my groin and he shivers at the pull of my breath. “You’re graceful,” I whisper to him. “Self-assured. And absolutely stunning, especially tonight.”
Alexo makes a keening noise in his throat, and his grip on my shirt clenches into a fist.
“Gods, you two arenailingthis,” Treva interrupts, partly surveying the interviews happening with my teammates across the red carpet.
A couple of yards down, Phei is giving an interview as a fire elemental. Another publicist stands behind them with a fire extinguisher, occasionally keeping the red carpet from bursting into flames.
Treva seems unbothered. Unlike the reporter interviewing Phei, who’s holding a microphone as far from himself as he can and keeps yanking his hand back with a yelp.
“Keep that up exactly as you have it. Whew, damn.” Treva fans herself. “Have you been practicing?”
Part of my mouth tips up in a smile, and I look down at Alexo. “Yeah. Practicing.”
He blushes again. Or still. Bites that glossy lower lip and shrugs at Treva. “We committed to the cause.”
Treva flicks through something on her phone. “Okay—you need to give a short interview with a reporter before you go in. Then spend the rest of the night—”
She looks up at the way Alexo’s still tucked against me and I’m unable to focus on anything other than him.
“—doing that.” She hesitates, head cocking. “Are you two actually—oh my gods. This is amazing!”
I’m quick to spin toward her. “It doesn’t change anything we’ve agreed to do. Our private relationship doesn’t have any bearing on our public relationship.”
“Oh, of course,” Treva says. “I meant it’s adorable! What a way to meet, huh?”
Alexo snorts. “Yeah, adorable.” He dips his head and quietly adds, “A bar fight, stalking, attempted kidnapping—”
I pinch his side through his silky tank top and he lets out a devastatingly cute squeak.
