hina. Steam rose before me from the skillfully plated salmon, the elegant arrangement of microgreens and lemon z

is chair with one arm resting languidly over the others. Hi

as I responded, "You're staring,"

harp-edged sneer flashed a

he city skyline, a sea of electric blue and amber lights gleaming like distant stars. The gentle, golden light from the crystal

o it as a "emergency weapon," something I might wear when I needed to feel

lly, "I want to see

uidly in Marcus's wine glass as h

es even though every instinct told me to turn away. There was the slightest hint of laughter,

platinum-lined, custom-made phone. He rota

sprang to life.

y

s waist. He stirred something in a saucepan, his shoulders rigid but his movements purposeful.. His nerves were shown by the slight quiver in his fingers, the same twitch I had witnesse

e backdrop, just past the swinging kitchen door. Too s

g guarded," in a voice

own the phone

ted as I looked him in

ing about something as unimportant as stock market movements, he swirled his drink once more. "El

This went beyond simply paying off my fathe

more tightly. "Sh

gh that echoed across the

and the cage I've

tly and fluidly as

d the metropolis like a constantly shifting picture, carved woodwork, and soaring ceilings, was a fusion of old-worl

n Marcus pushed open m

a whole. The dim light of the city beyo

see it.. "The part of the house

owed my brow in do

inister flickered across

closet, he turned on the light

ed the walls. Dresses, suits, an

ord. Everything had been taken care of. Price tags and receipts were absent,

unintelligible voice behind me.

nned this whole thing with the ac

he sum whole of my independence-looked puny

rcus. "You really wa

ainst the doorframe. "I ex

unding myself. "And wh

ouded. "For

est. I stepped forward, narrowing the distanc

barely a touch, yet it sent fi

her expec

y wrist and i froze. "Tha

p. "You don

a slow, knowing, dange

ng as I wrenched my

gh he was debating whether to press more. Then he

e he left. "You can settle in until the

slammed, and I was

ing my breath, I let it out.

streets below moving as though nothin

of my first nigh