“Right,” Crow nodded solemnly when Penelope said she probably wouldn’t be able to leave again anytime soon. Once again, he felt a tangle of negative emotions over the situation he had put them in. He felt guilty for spoiling their one lead to find Jaxon, but he was also disappointed that it would likely be some time before he and Penelope could see each other for more than a day at a time. He wished there was some way that they could continue on as things were, living and traveling together without having to part, but of course, there was no way for that to happen as long as they couldn’t give her leaders a viable excuse for her absence.

[color=fff79a][b]“I just hope we can figure something out before the new supplies come in.”[/b][/color]

[i]New supplies?[/i] Crow tensed slightly as he remembered what Jaxon had said about a second raid on the knights’ camp. Could it be that the other thief had discovered the new shipment and was planning to intercept it? He swallowed nervously, biting his tongue to keep himself from impulsively warning Penelope to look out for the criminals. Though he was quite certain his hunch was correct, he couldn’t tell her what he knew. If he did, he would practically be begging Jaxon to take her life. He had to keep quiet for her sake.

When Penelope suggested that they meet again in two days after nightfall, he just nodded again in response. “That sounds like the best option we have at this point,” he murmured, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Gods, this whole thing is turning into some kind of mess, isn’t it?” He shook his head and smiled at her halfheartedly. “The only good that’s come out of it is that we get to see each other a little more often… although to be honest, I’m not convinced even that’s worth all the death that Jaxon has caused.”

Pulling her closer to himself, the thief pressed a kiss to her forehead and rested his hand against the back of her neck, feeling a wave of protectiveness as he thought again about how the murderer was threatening her life. “I just hope that one way or another, everything comes to an end soon,” he added softly. “Right now, going back to dealing with the war as it was sounds like a luxury…”