Unfortunately, it seemed like G’raha Tia wasn’t about to let her leave him at the back of her thoughts.

Regardless of how utterly impossible the idea was, her brain kept screaming G’raha at her in every interaction with the Crystal Exarch. If he touched a finger to his lips, well, it was exactly how G’raha would’ve done it. And despite the fact that G’raha had been an archer and not a mage, battling her way through Holminster Switch with the Exarch at her back had felt hauntingly similar to fighting her way through the Void with G’raha beside her.

And then he’d knelt before her and begged her to save his people, and she couldn’t have refused even if she’d wanted to.

The whole thing was causing her thoughts to scatter, and so on the celebration of the first night in over a century, Brynne found herself nursing a drink in a dark corner of the tavern, scowling at any random revelers who came a little too close.

She wasn’t exactly earning herself any points with the people of the Crystarium, but that couldn’t be helped. It was too hard to set her thoughts in order with company.

One drink became two, and then three, and she was pleasantly hazy by the time she strode out of the Wandering Stairs. The thoughts that had been bothering her seemed to fade out into a distant background hum. The clear night air hit her as she set foot outside, and she breathed it in, feeling much better about the universe in general.

G’raha Tia could go eat dirt for all she cared.

Her walk led her to the rookery, and then up the tower beside it, and she’d climbed all the way to the top by the time she realized she wasn’t alone up there.

Oh, of course.

The Exarch turned and caught sight of her just as she was thinking of retreating. “Not enjoying the celebrations, my friend?” he asked, tipping his head slightly. “Surely you, more than anyone, deserve to bask in them.”

Brynne sighed. Well, so be it. She moved to stand next to him, staring resolutely out over into Lakeland. “I could ask you the same question.”

He was silent for a moment, and then she caught the motion of his head as he nodded beside her. “I take your point.” He turned his face upwards. “I find it easier to enjoy the fruits of our labors – of your labors, more like – in solitude. ‘Tis difficult to think clearly in a crowd.”

The words were so close to being an echo of what she’d thought earlier that she turned to look at him after all. As always, his upper face was shrouded in darkness, but the moonlight accentuated the line of his nose, mouth and jaw. The crystal at his neck shone in a way that was near mesmerizing.  “I had that same thought,” she mused.

“Indeed?” He turned his head to offer her a smile. “Perhaps we are more alike than I had thought.”

The gentle upward tilt to his lips was so nostalgic it took her breath away. Brynne shook her head slightly against the feeling. As it had been with G’raha, the Exarch was not tall enough to tower over her like most men, and she found the small distance between their heights to be comfortable.

It really is like I’m talking to him again. For all their differences in manner and temperament, the smaller things were similar. Voice. Smile.

The desire to help others.

Mayhap the last wasn’t so small. Brynne regarded the Exarch again, hazily wondering if somehow, just maybe…

He tilted his head at her curiously as the silence stretched on. “Is aught amiss, my friend?”

She shook her head, more to clear it than to answer him. “No… forgive me, I’m a bit far into my cups. I’m afraid I drifted off for a moment.” Something occurred to her then. “Actually, there is one thing.”

“By all means, then, speak freely.”

Brynne was only too happy to take that offer. “You address me as ‘friend’ and ‘warrior’, but I haven’t heard you use my name once yet.” She raised an eyebrow at him pointedly. “If we’re going to be allies in this, I’d prefer if you addressed me directly.”

His mouth fell open, and for a moment she felt a tiny surge of triumph at being able to surprise him. Then he raised his spoken hand to his chin, tilting his head thoughtfully. “So I do. Habit, I suppose.” He offered a rueful-looking smile. “Very well. I shall address you as such going forward. Brynne.”

It had been a long time since she’d heard her name in that voice. It was momentarily disorienting as another wave of nostalgia flooded through her. Brynne shut her eyes, turning from him to face the view again. “I appreciate it, thank you.”

“There’s no need for thanks, my – Brynne.” There was a touch of humor in his voice as he corrected himself. “I’m afraid some old habits are not so easily changed.”

She grinned in response, and found herself relaxing a bit more. “Oh, tell me about it.”

They stood in silence for a long moment. Brynne took the opportunity to breathe deeply of the crisp night air and admire the view. Lakeland was beautiful at night. The deep purple of the trees carpeted the land, giving way only to water and crag. By moonlight, the lake gleamed and everything felt silent. Peaceful.

A sight made possible by her efforts. Hers, and her friends’.

Idly she wondered if G’raha would’ve been there to see it, had he not locked himself in the tower.

The thought had only just crossed her mind and she was already frowning, shaking her head slightly to banish it. What on earth had brought that on? Why would G’raha be here? He wasn’t a precious comrade of hers, only a casual friend she’d met on a single expedition two years ago. If anything, he’d be back in Sharlayan, wouldn’t he?

She didn’t understand why the thought felt wrong.

“Does something trouble you?” The Exarch’s voice broke into her musing, and she looked over to find him watching her. “You had quite the scowl on your face. I wondered if your thoughts might be causing you some distress.”

“No, no. I’m fine.” Brynne waved him off, shifting on her feet to begin to step away. In the process, she lost her balance, wobbling dangerously.

Before she could catch herself or fall, she heard a clatter and two strong arms circled her waist, pulling her close to a firm chest. “Are you all right?” the Exarch’s voice asked her, just above her ear.

Brynne looked up, blinking slowly. Her hands had braced on his upper arms automatically and she could feel the muscle in the spoken one, the other solid and smooth beneath her fingers. His chest rose and fell against her body, and she could see his face up close now, the top half shrouded – likely by some enchantment, if she couldn’t catch a glimpse even this close – and the bottom so near to hers that she could feel his breath brushing the top of her head. She stared dumbly for a moment, tracing the oh-so-familiar features – the line of his jaw, the slope of his nose, the curve of his lips…

Those plush, kissable lips she had wanted to press hers to so badly…

As the seconds passed, a flush was rising just beneath where the hood cut off, along the line of the Exarch’s cheeks. His fingers trembled a bit against her waist, lips parting just slightly as he regarded her in turn.

That kind of gaze, she could feel without even seeing his eyes. The heat of it was scorching.

Oh, she thought dumbly, her mind scrambling yet again. Oh. This man of mystery, summoner of heroes from across the Rift, enigmatic leader of men despite his own wishes… He was a spoken man after all, crystal or no.

“Brynne?” he inquired softly, almost hesitantly. The tone was so different from his usual, it felt… almost tender.

She blinked several more times in rapid succession, and then found herself. “Sorry,” she said, leveraging his arms to push herself up and away. His hands slid free of her, and she immediately missed their warmth. “I was miles away.”

It was not precisely the truth, but it would serve.

He seemed to collect himself. “No need for apologies. It would not do to have you injured, after all.” After a brief moment’s pause, he bent to collect his staff, and she realized he must have dropped it in his haste to catch her.

An impossible notion was arising in her thoughts. A dangerous notion, even. Perhaps foolish. But as she watched the Exarch straighten, looked at his features – so similar to G’raha’s – and thought of the sound of his voice when he’d said her name…

She had lived with some kind of regret since G’raha had sealed himself away. It was likely, she reasoned, that she was always wondering what could have been had she taken him to bed. The feel of his lips, the hard press of his body…

So very like the Exarch’s.

Brynne took a step inward, not quite inside the Exarch’s personal space, but close. “Exarch,” she breathed, noting how the man’s breath caught, lips parting again with surprise. She smiled, lowering her head just slightly so that she could look at him through her lashes. “Perhaps you might assist me with a… problem I have.”

He swallowed notably. “Of course. Anything in my power.”

“Oh, this is almost certainly in your power.” She reached out to touch the crystal hand on his staff, letting her fingers just barely brush his, and noted with satisfaction how the flush rose again on his cheeks in response. “You see, I’ve been… frustrated. Unsatisfied. For quite some time.”

“I… see.” He was staring at her again, that heated gaze she could feel on her skin. “And you believe I can assist with this… frustration of yours?”

Was he being coy, or simply not picking up her signals? Brynne decided to be more direct. “Come to my room,” she purred, returning his heated gaze, “and we can find out.”

His mouth fell open. The flush that had spread on his cheeks now curved along the edge of his jaw, deepening by the second. For a stark moment, he stared at her, clearly stunned, and then he let out a sharp breath and abruptly shook his head. “No,” he murmured, reaching with his spoken hand to extract hers from his other. “That… that I cannot do.”

It was like a dash of cold water. Brynne stared at him, perplexed – and slightly embarrassed. Had she got it wrong? Was it just her wishful thinking, her connecting him to G’raha in her mind, that had caused her to read him incorrectly?

Had she just made an enormous fool of herself?

“Oh.” She stepped back, turning away from him to face the landscape again, feeling an angry flush rising on her own cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

What an absolute idiot she was! Brynne berated herself internally, biting her lip and staring very hard at the crag in the middle of the sea of trees in front of her. Her stupid fixation had just caused her to proposition her host, completely out of nowhere from his perspective, and now she would have to look at him every time there was a briefing, and –

“Do not mistake me.” The Exarch’s voice cut into her thoughts, low and somehow… pained. “‘Tis not for lack of desire on my part, I assure you.” There was a fervency in his tone that had her looking up to him again, only to find him facing away from her. “I’m afraid circumstances… do not permit such things.”

Circumstances… Did that mean their current mission to bring back the night to the First? And then… ‘Tis not for lack of desire on my part, he had said. Which meant she had read him correctly, and he did want her, just… “You mean the Lightwardens?”

There was a moment’s hesitation before he dipped his head in assent. “Yes.”

“In that case,” Brynne said, emboldened, “once we’ve defeated the Lightwardens, you might be willing to talk about it again – is that right?”

Another poignant pause. And then, “Why me, of all people?” The Exarch did turn to look at her then, his shoulders set and mouth pressed firmly together. “You surely could have your pick of anyone in the Crystarium, and yet you’ve chosen an old man, halfway consumed by the tower. Why?”

She huffed a laugh. “You flatter me overmuch if you think I could have my pick.” Offering him a half-smile, she added, “The truth is, you remind me of someone. A person I.. wanted at the time, but never had the opportunity – no – ” She shook her head. “I did have the opportunity to bed him, but I squandered it, and now he’s gone.”

Somehow, saying it out loud made it feel that much more real. Brynne swallowed hard, unable to keep herself from turning her gaze to the side. It was true, though – G’raha Tia was gone. She had to accept it. Why was that so difficult?

“I see.” If he was offended by her reasoning – and she honestly wouldn’t blame him if he was – he didn’t show it. After another of those brief pauses, he added softly, “After the Lightwardens are slain, we can… revisit the matter.”

Brynne felt her ears flick, the words catching her off-guard. Then she smiled, turning again to face him. “I’d like that.”

There was a hint of sadness in his return smile that she didn’t understand, but he responded, again very low and soft, “As would I,” and she felt a heat low in her belly, very like anticipation.

She could wait.

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