Book Four: Chapter 156

“Oh, I doubt things will ever settle down. Not in that house.” Zel’s voice had a teasing lilt, but her eyes were steady, sharp with the kind of insight that always made him pause. She picked up something that looked like a pear with thorns, its surface rough and uneven under her fingers. She turned it over in her hand for a moment, examining the little ridges and bumps, and then used her fingernail to pierce the skin. Slowly, carefully, she began peeling it, the skin giving way in thin strips that curled into her palm.

“I would like to schedule something with you,” she said, her gaze never leaving the fruit for a moment, though her tone softened. “A day, once a month, where you and I can meet and just catch up. Our relationship is important to me, and if we don’t make time for it, we’ll realize that far too many months have passed. That wouldn’t make me happy at all.”

He opened his mouth, re