Crow looked up again when he felt Penelope put her hand on his shoulder. Even though he had tried to act like he didn’t care if his words had meant anything to her, he felt relieved when she said they mattered. It was good to know that she understood his situation to some degree at least. Things were probably going to be complicated between them on the battlefield because of their differing goals, but he was glad that she had been willing to listen to his perspective. He wanted her to know that he wasn’t just a killer now; he was just doing what he could to protect the people he cared about.

Now that the tension between them had died down, Crow was able to relax again. However, there was also nothing stopping him from noticing just how close Penelope was to him at that moment. His heart beat a little quicker as he held her gaze. Even though it was dark, he couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she still was. He liked the way her brunette hair framed her soft face and her eyes were full of compassion. Even the scar across her cheek wasn’t deterring, because to him it was just another symbol of how strong she was. As he held her in his gaze, he was reminded of all the things he loved about her.

So, when she stepped back, it felt like a trance had been broken. He blinked and looked away, remembering that she wasn’t his anymore. It was apparent to him that despite his efforts to move on, his feelings for her ran too deeply to fade after just a few weeks. It would be a while before he would be able to truly let her go. Until then, he needed to be more careful about keeping his emotions in check. After all, she had made it clear that she intended to marry Gavin. The future she had wanted with him two years ago was long gone, so he had no right to try and bring it back when she was happy with someone else, someone much better suited for her than a common thief.

As she said they should make their meeting quick, he nodded and followed her inside, missing the slight discomfort in her voice while he was caught up in his own thoughts. He sat down across from her at a table and listened attentively as she wasted no time in launching into her report. It was relieving to know that the knights didn’t intend to start another battle with the Younisians for a while. He and the other thieves needed a break after the last two fights that had only been two weeks apart. He was sure they would be excited to hear the news that they wouldn’t have to face another one for a while.

However, her following warning about Layth made him frown. He had expected the knight to hold a grudge, but it was concerning to know that he was actively seeking him out now. He just hoped Layth would search the northern parts of the outer villages since that was where they had run into each other. The thieves’ camp was to the south of the knights’, so as long as Penelope’s brother didn’t send out patrols to cover the entire forest around the villages, they would be safe. Regardless, he made a mental note to warn the others to keep watch for patrols whenever they went out for the next few weeks.

“Thanks for the heads up,” Crow nodded appreciatively. “I’ll be sure to look out for them.” He drummed his fingers on the table, trying to think of anything else they needed to discuss, but he couldn’t come up with anything. It would probably be best for them to just go back to their respective camps. After all, she had been right when she said it was late. He was exhausted from the long day and felt ready to try to get some sleep again.

Getting up from the table, Crow offered Penelope a tired smile, “I should go. We just got back to our camp today, and I need to rest.” Drawing the hood of his cloak, he dipped his head in a curt goodbye before meeting her gaze once more, “What day should we meet again?”