Page 88 of Riv's Sanctuary

Releasing her hand, he crossed his arms over his chest.

He could still feel the imprint of her hand against his palm, almost as if her touch had left a lasting mark.

“Explain.”

She shifted, glancing around them.

“Can we talk about this later.” Her gaze head hopped again. “Not here. Not now.”

The talkative human didn’t want to talk.

He could sense that whatever she was hiding, it was deeply serious.

Nodding, he glanced around them too.

They stood in the middle of the throng with beings moving around them, and he spotted where they needed to go.

He couldn’t believe he was about to do this but he started moving before he changed his mind.

"Where are we going now?"

"Home."

They were having a conversation.

Before, her nonsensical nattering had been easy to ignore. But now he could understand her and ignoring her wasn’t so easy.

"So..." She paused."Will I be staying there, then?"

Riv swallowed and forced himself not to look at her.

He didn’t need to see hope in her eyes.

It would only make things harder.

Nothing had changed between them. She was still leaving. Maybe not today but maybe tomorrow or the next day.

She couldn’t stay.

"Until I can get rid of you, yes."

She glanced around. His words must have affected her for she was silent for the next few moments as they walked.

"This is the way to your hovercar?"

No, it wasn’t.

As they turned a corner and headed down another side of the market, it didn't take her long to see where he was taking her.

This side of the market had garments and living things.

"Choose what you need. Enough for a few days."

La-rehn stopped and froze on the spot, and it wasn’t until he’d taken a few steps ahead that he realized she’d stopped walking.

What now?

When he moved back to her side, his face set in a frown, big brown eyes met his.