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‘I could use an engineer,’ I told her, even though I was perfectly capable of sorting things out myself. I wasn’t an expert by any means, so her knowledge and experience would be invaluable regardless.

I turned to Reece, a single eyebrow raised in question. He didn’t respond, instead seeming to cave in on himself a little as his lips tugged down intoa frown. Again, he was quick to rearrange his features into something more stoic, an attempt to hide whatever he was feeling.I didn’t like that.

‘What’s wrong, Reece?’

‘Nothing’s wrong,’ he replied tersely, and I felt as if I’d somehow offended him with my prodding, that he no longer felt I had the right to prod at all.

‘I… Okay. Do you- ‘

He cut me off. ‘I should go. I’ll be sure to update you and Henrik if notice any other changes.’

He stood, giving me and Addy a wide berth as he stalked from the room. I’d never witnessed Reece in a mood like this before and I didn’t know how to respond. I had no clue if it was directed at me or if I was simply the one that got the brunt of it because I was in his proximity, but I couldn’t stop the twinge of loss and longing that panged in my chest as I watched his back disappear.

‘Give him time,’ Addy said quietly, keeping her words between us.

‘Do you know what’s wrong?’ I asked her, guiding her from the room to give the boys some peace. I trailed my fingers over Bromm’s arm as walked by, a silentsee you soon.

‘Not here. I don’t think he’d appreciate me airing out his personal business for everyone to hear.’

She dragged me down the corridors until we reached the converted closet that Cadmus and I had used to have our own private discussion before. She pulled me inside, the door clicking closed behind us, and yanked me down into the heap of pillows and blankets spread out on the floor.

‘Is this where you’re staying?’ I asked her.

She nodded. ‘Yeah, Xander and I claimed it so we could let others have the bigger rooms and we could have some privacy.’

‘Ah. Well, I owe you an apology then.’

She cocked her head. ‘What for?’

‘Cadmus and I used this room.’

She scrunched her nose and made a sound of disgust. ‘Gross!’

I frowned, confused. ‘How is that gross?’

‘You fucked Cadmus in my bed!’

I reared back, the venom in her accusation alarming. ‘What? No! I didn’t fuck him. We just talked.’

She visibly deflated, her relief apparent. ‘Oh, good. I thought I’d been sleeping on your sex juices or something. No thank you.’

I snorted a laugh, completely taken aback by my strange friend. ‘If I was going to fuck anyone I’d do it in my own bed, thanks.’

Her nose wrinkled again. ‘Good to know.’

But something she said struck me and I eyed the sheets beneath us suspiciously. ‘Does that mean I’m sitting inyoursex juices?’ I asked her curiously. I couldn’t feel any wet patches, but they could have just dried.

She threw her head back and laughed. Loud and boisterous yet still somehow delicate and feminine. Must have been a Griknot thing. Yet, I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it, but I thought I caught an undertone of bitterness to the mirth.

‘No. Xander and I don’t have sex, Arty.’

I didn’t see why that was funny…

Noting my confusion, she suddenly went very quiet and still, her entire body flushing a deep magenta as she became uncharacteristically timid. ‘I… um… I’m asexual.’

My brows jumped so high into my hairline I was sure they disappeared entirely. ‘Oh.’

‘Yeah…’