As Penelope giggled and agreed to meet him in four days, Crow couldn’t help but grin. He always liked the sound of her laughter. It was both endearing and calming to him, and he took pride in being able to draw it out of her. He leaned in when she moved to kiss him and then chuckled softly as she teased him before meeting his lips. Her playfulness sent his heart racing, and he wished they had more time to be together. At least now, they would only have to wait four more days before the next time they met like this. Surely he could manage that much, especially considering the fact that they’d had to go whole weeks apart for a while before.

When Penelope eventually pulled away from him, he nodded at her words. “I shouldn’t keep you then,” he sighed, letting his arms fall as she stepped out of his embrace. “I love you too… Be safe.” He added the last part after a moment’s pause as he was reminded again of Jaxon’s threats. But it wasn’t even just that anymore. Now that her camp was at such a disadvantage against the Younisians, she was also in danger of getting swept up in another battle. If the thief didn’t kill her first, the enemy knights still could.

[i]It’s just four days,[/i] he thought, taking a calming breath. [i]She’ll be fine.[/i] Right now, he needed to focus on more pressing things, such as how he was going to play off his latest lie about hearing a rumor in Black Hollow. With no way out of it now, it looked like he and the other thieves were going on yet another time-wasting trip to the northern village. He sighed. It was going to be a long four days.

With nothing left to say to Penelope, Crow leaned down to touch a final parting kiss to her lips and turned to head back to his camp for the night.