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The wishbone, small but sharp, was trapped between them

42

ACHE AND SALT AND ALLNESS

"In here," Karou said, leading Akiva to a sky-blue door set in a dusty wall Their fingers were laced together They couldn’t not touch, and guiding hi Theyto watch a carpet-maker, to peer into a basket of puppies, to test the points of orna but haste

But as slowly as they went, they still arrived at their destination Akiva followed Karou down a dark passage, where they were spilled into the light of a courtyard, a hidden world open only to the sky It was fringed with date pal in its center A balcony ran around the second story, and Karou’s rooer than her flat, with a high, ti The walls were verlow, and a Berber blanket on the bed spelled out soe of syo of Karou’s hand, and the --the breaking of the wishbone… It was here

This was it

This was it

Akiva paced away from her, looked out a , raised his hands and raked his fingers through his hair in a gesture that was beco familiar, then turned back to her "Are you ready, Karou?"

No

Suddenly, no She was not ready Panic, like a chaos of wings in her rib cage "We can wait," she said with artificial brightness "We don’t want to fly until nightfall anyway" The plan was to fetch Razgut once the sun went down, and to fly with hiht be

Akiva ca steps, and stopped just out of reach "We could wait," he agreed, see lured by the idea Then he added, very softly, "But it won’t get any easier"

"You’d tellawful?"

He came closer, reached up and stroked her hair, once, slowly Feline, she leaned into his touch He said, "You don’t have to be afraid, Karou How could it be awful? It’s you You can only be beautiful"

A shy sed at her lips She took a breath and said with resolve, "Okay then Should I, um, sit down?"

"If you like"

She went to the bed and cli down the heht in the souk with the thought of Akiva seeing her in it She had bought ht co with such ue without, having fled town so abruptly She was glad Akiva had brought her knives--glad to have the her, his legs long and easy, shoulders rolled forward in a way that accentuated their breadth

It was then that Karou had another flash, a split in the surface of ti just like this, his shoulders heavy and relaxed in just that way, but… they were bare, as was his chest, and he was all tawny ain, on his face, the sone

She blinked, cocked her head, and murmured, "Oh"

"What?" Akiva asked

"So…I don’t know" She shook her head and waved it off "Your shoulder What happened to it?"

He touched it, watching her intently "What did you see?"

She blushed There had been so there shirtless and happy She said only, "You… s I haven’t seen you s time"

"I wish you would," she said "For me"

He didn’t Pain flashed over his face and he looked down at his knuckles and then back up at her "Co the wishbone’s cord up and over her head He hooked a finger around it "Like this"

She didn’t take it She said in a rush, "Whatever happens, we don’t have to be enemies Not if we don’t want to be It’s up to us, isn’t it?"

"It will be up to you," he said

"But I already know--"

He shook his head, sorrowful "You can’t know You can’t know until you know"

She let out an exasperated breath "You sound like Bri herself And then, finally, she lifted her hand to slip her pinkie around the wishbone’s free spur Her knuckle caainst Akiva’s, and even that sh her

Now, all they had to do was pull Karou waited a beat, thinking Akiva would lead, but then she thought he aiting for her She checked his eyes--they were on hers, searing--and tensed her hand The only way to do it was to do it She started to pull