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My cheeks burned at the sight of him, but I'd already made a plan to handle the morning's incident. I'd completely ignore it.

He was the enemy. I would focus on the task at hand and ignore everything else.

"Late?" I drew the word out. "There's no way I took more than a few minutes. If we're late, it's because of you getting this — " I looked down at the small object wrapped in wax paper, and turned it over in my hand. "Whatisthis?"

"Food."

I rolled my eyes. "Obviously. But why?"

"Because you need food."

I glared down at the little pastry, confusion twisting in my gut as I unwrapped it to see a delicious looking muffin.

I was half-tempted to refuse it, but my stomach had been growling all morning. And if we were going on a mission, I needed the food.

Closing my hand around the muffin, I moved to stuff it in my satchel.

"No." His voice was a low rumble as he caught my hand and took back the pastry, thumb grazing mine.

I braced myself, expecting the same unsettling torrent of emotions his touch had brought the night before. But there was nothing. Or almost nothing …

I tilted my head to look up at him.How exactly did one's emotions go from a raging storm to a calm lake in one night …

He unwrapped the muffin and held it out. "Eat."

I shook my head. "We're going to be late," I snapped. "Remember? I'll eat it later."

His jaw ticked as he held the muffin in front of my face. "Eat while you walk," he waved it beneath my nose. "I don't want to listen to your loud stomach grumbling all morning."

Loud stomach?!? Why — that asshole!My jaw clenched, and I lifted my hand to shove the muffin into his damn face … but Frexin'slessonstilled my hand.

Who would pay this time? Liam? The Harlsteds? Some stranger …

Letting out a slow breath, I forced myself to grab the muffin and take a small bite. I could do this. Icouldobey.

I swallowed quickly, preparing myself to ignore the texture of the gritty bread we'd gotten occasionally on the ship.

But the pastry melted on my tongue immediately,releasing a sweet lemony tang, and I barely suppressed a moan.

Gods be damned.It was the best thing I'd eaten since the body mage festival.

I snuck a glance at Tye, chest aching. Had he remembered that night, too, and picked out the muffin because he —

What? Where'd he go?

While I'd taken my bite, he'd moved ahead, leading the way down the hall.

That was for the best. The past belonged where it was.

I devoured the delicious pastry in peace as I chased after him, the pain in my stomach finally starting to subside …

"So, Traitor," I drawled as we moved from the barracks to another building nearby. "I thought I was on Korym's team. Why areyouhere?"

His gaze slid to mine, yellow eyes cold, and for a moment I thought he wouldn't answer.

"Frexin demanded it."

Her name made my skin prickle. "But — I thought you had your own team?"