"And if you're even one minute late, I'm telling everyone at the academy about how you cried at 'The Perks of being a Shrinking Violet.'"
"I didn't cry."
"Your eyes were watery."
"It was dusty in the theater."
Naomi smirked. "Sure it was." She turned to leave, then paused. "Xavier?"
"Yes?"
"Be careful."
Xavier nodded, suddenly serious. "I'll be careful."
They parted ways at the next intersection, Naomi heading toward the market district while Xavier turned back toward The Frozen Hind. The pressure behind his eyes returned almost immediately, a dull throb that intensified with every block he put between them.
"Damn it," he muttered, pressing his fingers against his temple.
Okay Xavier, time to lock in.
Since this is a Narrative Gate, everything here served a purpose. Rachel hadn't randomly found him in the snow. She hadn't saved his life by accident.
The woman knew things—about him, about the prophecy, about the Heart of Winter. And she was letting him leave without her?
