Page 87 of Riv's Sanctuary

It took only a second for Xid to administer the download to his translator implant behind his ear and Riv gritted his teeth as the chip updated.

It produced a weird sort of feedback that lasted for a few seconds as the update went through.

"Is it painful?" La-rhen asked, and he stared at her.

Her voice.

He knew her voice was entrancing but now, being able to understand her added a level to it that he hadn’t been prepared for.

"Is there anything else you need?" Xid asked.

"So you can swindle more credits? No, thank you." He fastened the messhi around his face once more. "Let's go," he said to La-rhen and she slipped her hood over her head but not before he caught her searching gaze.

She was anxious about the language upload.

She wanted to speak to him.

For someone who hadn’t wanted to speak with her before this day, why did that terrify him so much?

"Where are we going now?" Lah-rehn’s voiced reached his ear and he glanced down at her.

He was thankful she couldn’t see his face because he didn’t know what to think right about now. There were too many conflicting emotions created by just the sound of her words.

Riv paused for a second, looking down at her.

"What happened back there at the Isclit merchant’s stall?” ee asked instead.

He wanted to know.

Her reaction had been too…alarming.

“Isclit?” She looked up at him. “Wait, can you understand me now?”

He didn’t answer. Couldn’t.

He couldn’t help but stare at her, watching her lips move as she spoke.

“Guess you can’t yet.” Her shoulders fell and what looked like sadness passed through her eyes as she averted her gaze to the ground.

“I can.”

Her head snapped up then, her eyes widening as if that’s the best news she heard in a while.

It made something within him develop a strange, unwanted ache.

“What happened at the Isclit merchant’s stall?” he tried again, zoning in on her as he ignored the steady stream of beings passing by them.

“Nothing happened. I don’t know what you mean.”

Was she going to start trying to deceive him with her lips now that he could understand her?

Something had clearly happened at the stall.

“Nothing happened? It sure seemed like something was happening. I couldn’t purchase the cloak fast enough. You looked as if you were ready to flee.” The anger and irritation that’d been missing from his tone was coming back.

“Oh.”

Her shoulders suddenly stiffened again and she seemed to sink further into the cloak.