Trust Excerpt 2: Nic

 “Stop it,” James said, bumping his shoulder into mine. “I can feel your stress all the way over here.”

“I’m not stressed,” I said, glaring at him.

“Bullshit,” he said.

“What did she do now?” Nic asked as he sidled up to my other side, taking my hand.

“She says she isn’t stressed,” James answered.

“She’s a liar then,” Nic quipped.

“She isn’t even very good at it.”

“I’m right here,” I said, rolling my eyes. “And I’m fine. I’ve been fine. I will be fine.”

“Bullshit,” Nic and James said at the same time.

The two of them had become friends since we held the wall in Prush. I had been happy about it since Nic was jealous of him. Once they became friends… they like to gang up on me.

“Is Thomas still planning the coalescence ceremony?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Yep,” James said with a sigh. “I told him we should probably wait, but he doesn’t want to.”

“Why?” Nic asked.

“He is afraid if it doesn’t happen soon that it won’t happen at all. Either there will be so much turmoil that it keeps getting put off, or that someone we love won’t make it home to be there.”

“I can see his reasoning, but this is probably the worst time for it,” I said.

“Do you want to tell him that?” James asked with a smirk.

“No,” I said, giving him side eyes. “I like my head still attached.”

Nic tipped his head back and laughed. I pulled my hand out of his and glared at him. He reached for me again, but I dodged him and stuck my tongue out. He laughed again, shaking his head as he jogged ahead to snag Ty.

“Hey,” James said, reaching out for my arm. “How is… all of that?”

“Fine,” I said as I came to a stop.

“Fine?” he said rolling his eyes. “That’s not an answer.”

“I don’t know. It’s going.”

“You are happy with him,” he said. A statement, not a question.

“I guess…” I said.

“Don’t do that,” he said softly. “As the person who knows you better than anyone in the whole world, I’m telling you that you’re happy. You are playful again.”

“For now,” I said. “I don’t expect it to stay that way. A storm is coming, and that will change everything. I’m not going to be excited about this until we are done Vale.”

“I know it’s hard,” he said, pulling me into a hug. “Enjoy it. Whether it’s for a week, a year, a decade… whatever the time may be. Enjoy it.”

(All excerpts are taken from a lightly edited first draft. Contents are subject to change or may be removed from the final novel entirely.)