down in the empty seat. He heard a clink, a sip, and a disgruntled cough. “Really?” Kallia set her coffee cup down with a loud clank. “Cold coffee? That’s mature.”
“It was hot when I ordered it.” He casually folded the paper and smiled. “Funny how things cool down when enough time passes. Would you like another?”
“I’m fine with this, thanks.” She took another sip as if in rebellion.
Daron was tempted to order a whole pot of fresh coffee anyway at her ragged appearance, the way her hands gripped her coffee cup as if clinging to whatever meager warmth she could. Still recovering from her last act, it seemed.
“Stop pouting. It’s not so unbearably early,” he reasoned. “I’ve seen you wake up before the crack of dawn on purpose.”
“That’s before a performance.” She swished the remnants of her coffee.
Seeing her so unguardedly cranky was a far different version of Kallia than the glamorous one who strutted around him. This side of her intrigued him, and he did everything in his power not to appear so amused. “We agreed upon this time.”
“You agreed.” Kallia downed the rest of her cold coffee, impressively straight-faced. “I swear, for someone who didn’t even want this, you know how to be quite insufferable about it.”
“Really? And here I thought I was the only one you could tolerate.”
She squared him with an even drier look. Though for all her protests, she remained. She would undoubtedly laugh at what he was about to suggest, but avoiding each other had somehow only heightened their tension. The only other solution lay in the opposite.
“This might not be a favorable hour for you, but we must use this time to our advantage.” Daron pushed their empty cups to the side, leaving nothing between them. “The Conquering Circus will be performing in public for a short period. After that, there will be a party at the Alastor Place prior to the final show.” Kallia perked awake at the mention. “And even with all that, there’s not nearly enough time.”
“For what?”
“Trust to build.”
She arched her brow as if he’d grown five heads. “Pardon?”
Daron steepled his fingers beneath his chin. “I may not participate much in the handling of the act, but this is one request I must insist on. How can we even begin to work together when we don’t know a thing about each other?”
She angled her head, as if she’d never considered it. “Is it really that important?”
“It’s important for a proper partnership. And it’s good that we start off on something slow, since you’re still recovering.”
Her expression iced. “I’m fine.”
It was no surprise she wanted to hit the ground running, and he certainly understood her skepticism. Everyone had their secrets, him more than anyone. But that wasn’t what this was about, and he hoped they would be able to treat it as such. For the good of the show.
“Look, I’m not asking you to bare your soul to me. I certainly won’t. We simply need to find a level of comfort with each other so when it’s time for our act, we don’t appear like total strangers.” He’d witnessed performances where the assistants and their magicians clearly weren’t getting on. Their acts suffered for it. “From my experience in stage partnership, it’s always beneficial to get to know each other. Look at you and Aaros.”
Kallia’s eyes briefly flashed to his. “You had an assistant, too, right?”
He stiffened. Figures she’d have heard something by now. Most everyone knew, a good and bad thing. Everyone toed around the subject. He didn’t even have to dodge it on his own. Until now.
Daron looked away. “Ultimately, when we go on stage, you’re not alone. There’s no point in separating yourself when you don’t have to.”
A long silence stretched between them. She’ll never go for this. He’d worried about that possibility without any other plan to cushion the blow. He was in no shape or form a teacher, nowhere near qualified in his current state. There was nothing more she could possibly need, nothing he could give her, when she was already so powerful. All on her own.
“And what do you propose we do?”
For once, the ice in her face was not as hard a mask as she usually kept it. Both surprise and relief loosened his shoulders at the rare sight, before he offered her his elbow with a grin even he couldn’t fight. “Let’s start with a walk.”
29
Their first walk was quiet. So quiet, Kallia thought she might explode. It wasn’t that she