Blackfall: No More Restraint

Jealousy

Chapter 8

Kael Arden had never considered jealousy a useful emotion. Anger had purpose. Fear had purpose. Suspicion had purpose. Even hatred could be useful if directed carefully enough. Jealousy, however, was irrational. It made otherwise intelligent people careless, encouraged them to act without considering consequences, and had a remarkable ability to turn perfectly reasonable situations into unnecessary conflicts. Kael had watched men ruin alliances over it, watched criminals kill each other over imagined betrayals, watched powerful Anomalies lose control because someone had looked at the wrong person for too long. He had always considered it beneath him. Jealousy was weakness dressed up as possessiveness. He had no intention of becoming that kind of man. Unfortunately, Elara Finch had apparently decided to test that particular conviction by smiling at another man for approximately four seconds. Kael had been trying to convince himself that he hadn't noticed. He had failed. Miserably.

The problem was that Elara didn't know she was doing anything wrong. That was what made it worse. She stood behind the counter of the café with her hair tied loosely behind her head, laughing at something Daniel had said while she prepared an order. The afternoon sun filtered through the windows, turning the steam rising from the coffee machine into pale ribbons of light. Kael sat in his usual corner, one ankle resting over his knee, a cup of black coffee untouched beside him. He had been there for twenty minutes. He had read the same line of the newspaper six times. He had no idea what it said. His attention kept drifting toward Elara. More specifically, toward the man standing on the other side of the counter.

Kael disliked him.

He had decided this almost immediately.

The man was young, perhaps twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with blond hair, an easy smile, and the irritating confidence of someone who had never had his nose broken. He wore a dark green jacket and carried himself like the world had never given him a reason to be cautious. He was talking to Elara as though they had known each other for years.

Perhaps they had.

Kael's fingers tightened slightly around the newspaper.

The paper crinkled.

Elara glanced toward him.

Their eyes met.

She smiled.

Kael immediately relaxed his grip.

She returned to her conversation.

The blond man said something.

Elara laughed.

Kael looked at the newspaper again.

The paper folded in his hand.

A voice from the table beside him spoke.

"You're going to destroy that."

Kael looked up.

An elderly man sat across from him, drinking tea.

Kael glanced down at the newspaper.

He had accidentally bent it into a shape resembling a weapon.

"Poor quality."

The elderly man looked at the paper.

"That's a very expensive newspaper."

"Poor quality."

The man chuckled.

Kael returned his attention to Elara.

The blond man leaned closer.

Kael's eyes narrowed.

He was not jealous.

He was observing.

There was a difference.

A very important difference.

The blond man smiled.

Elara smiled back.

Kael's coffee cup cracked.

The elderly man looked at it.

Kael looked down.

A thin fracture had appeared along the ceramic.

"Poor quality," he repeated.

The elderly man laughed.

Elara had noticed Kael staring.

She had noticed him staring for the last ten minutes.

She was beginning to suspect he wasn't very good at pretending he wasn't jealous.

That realization was unexpectedly delightful.

The man talking to her was Marcus Hale, an old friend from university whom she hadn't seen in almost two years. Marcus had always been friendly, charming, and just slightly too confident for his own good. They had studied together, worked on several projects together, and remained friends after graduation. There had never been anything romantic between them, although Marcus had once asked her out during their final year.

She had said no.

He had accepted it.

They remained friends.

Which was why his appearance today was perfectly innocent.

Kael, however, apparently had not received the memo.

Marcus leaned against the counter.

"So you're still working here?"

"Still."

"You said you wanted to move into publishing."

"I do."

"What happened?"

"Life."

Marcus nodded.

"Fair."

He looked toward the corner.

His eyes landed on Kael.

His eyebrows rose.

"Is that...?"

Elara sighed.

"Yes."

"Blackfall?"

"Yes."

Marcus stared.

Then looked back at her.

"Why is Blackfall sitting in your café?"

Elara tried to think of a reasonable answer.

"He likes coffee."

Marcus blinked.

"Blackfall likes coffee."

"Apparently."

Marcus looked at Kael again.

Kael was already looking at him.

Their eyes met.

Marcus smiled politely.

Kael didn't smile.

Marcus looked back at Elara.

"He doesn't like me."

Elara bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself laughing.

"You've barely met."

"That wasn't necessary."

"No."

Marcus leaned closer.

"So..."

Elara knew that tone.

"What?"

"You and him?"

She frowned.

"What about us?"

Marcus smiled.

"You know."

Elara glanced toward Kael.

He was still watching them.

"There's no 'us.'"

Kael's expression became slightly darker.

Elara saw it.

She had to fight the urge to smile.

Marcus noticed.

"You like him."

Elara looked at him.

"Maybe."

Marcus nodded slowly.

"Wow."

"What?"

"I genuinely didn't expect that."

"Neither did I."

He laughed.

"You always did like complicated."

"He's not complicated."

Marcus looked toward Kael.

"Elara."

"Okay."

"He's literally Blackfall."

"Yes."

"He's wanted by the Vanguard."

"Yes."

"He's terrifying."

"Sometimes."

"Sometimes?"

Elara smiled.

"He's different with me."

Marcus looked at her for a moment.

Then smiled.

"Then I hope he's worth it."

Elara's smile softened.

"He might be."

Across the café, Kael heard every word.

He hated how much that last sentence affected him.

He might be.

Not he is.

Not yet.

Kael looked down at his coffee.

He had faced people stronger than him.

People faster than him.

People who could manipulate fire, electricity, matter, even thought.

None of them had ever made him feel as uncertain as one woman saying that he might be worth it.

He looked toward Elara again.

She was smiling at Marcus.

Kael's jaw tightened.

Marcus said something else.

Elara laughed.

Kael stood.

The elderly man from earlier looked up.

"Leaving?"

"No."

"Then why are you standing?"

Kael looked at him.

The old man smiled.

Kael walked toward the counter.

Elara saw him coming.

Her smile widened.

Marcus turned.

Kael stopped beside Elara.

"Hello."

Marcus nodded.

"Blackfall."

"Kael."

Marcus looked surprised.

"Right."

Kael looked at Elara.

"You didn't introduce us."

She smiled innocently.

"I thought you two already knew each other."

"We don't."

"Then this is Marcus."

Kael extended his hand.

Marcus hesitated before taking it.

The handshake lasted exactly one second.

Kael released him.

Marcus flexed his fingers.

Kael had not squeezed hard.

He hadn't needed to.

Elara stared at him.

"Was that necessary?"

"No."

"Then why did you do it?"

"Politeness."

Marcus laughed.

"I think we have very different definitions of that word."

Kael looked at him.

"Probably."

Elara sighed.

"You two are ridiculous."

Marcus smiled.

"I'll leave you to it."

He looked at Elara.

"Call me sometime."

Kael's eyes narrowed.

Elara noticed.

"Sure."

Marcus left.

The door closed behind him.

Elara waited.

Kael said nothing.

She waited longer.

Still nothing.

Finally, she smiled.

"You're jealous."

"No."

"You're absolutely jealous."

"I'm not."

"You squeezed his hand."

"Normal greeting."

"You nearly crushed his fingers."

"I didn't."

"You wanted to."

Kael looked at her.

"Maybe."

Elara laughed.

"There you are."

"What?"

"The honesty."

He leaned against the counter.

"You enjoyed that."

"Maybe."

His eyes narrowed.

"You're doing it deliberately."

"Doing what?"

"Making me jealous."

Elara smiled.

"Maybe."

Kael stared at her.

She could see the amusement in his eyes now.

"You are enjoying this."

"Very much."

He stepped closer.

Elara's smile faltered slightly.

Kael stopped in front of her.

"Then perhaps you should be careful."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Because I'm learning."

She laughed.

"Learning what?"

"How to play your game."

He leaned closer.

Not enough to touch.

Just enough that his voice dropped.

"You keep trying to make me jealous."

His eyes flicked toward her lips.

"One day, you're going to discover what happens when you succeed."

Her heart jumped.

She whispered, "What happens?"

Kael smiled.

"You'll find out."

He turned away.

Elara stared after him.

"That was unfair."

He looked over his shoulder.

"What?"

"You can't say things like that and then walk away."

"I just did."

She glared.

He smiled.

Then continued toward his table.

Elara watched him go.

She had the distinct feeling that she had just made a mistake.

A very enjoyable mistake.

Kael spent the next hour pretending he wasn't waiting for Elara to come over.

He failed.

Eventually she did.

She placed a fresh cup of coffee on the table.

"I didn't order this."

"I know."

He looked at her.

"It's for you."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Because you broke your cup."

He looked at the cracked ceramic beside him.

"I didn't break it."

"You absolutely did."

"It was defective."

"Of course."

She sat down across from him.

Kael studied her.

"What?"

"You've been smiling."

"So?"

"Why?"

"Because you're jealous."

He stared.

She laughed.

"You're adorable."

Kael blinked.

The word seemed to confuse him more than anything else had.

"Don't call me that."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

She smiled.

"Adorable."

His eyes narrowed.

"Elara."

"Kael."

She laughed.

He couldn't help smiling.

She noticed.

"There."

"What?"

"You smiled."

He looked away.

"You're imagining things."

She reached across the table.

Her fingers touched his hand.

He looked down.

Then back at her.

The teasing disappeared.

Her thumb brushed slowly across his knuckles.

"You know," she said softly, "you don't have to be jealous."

"I know."

"Then why are you?"

He was silent.

Then he turned his hand over and intertwined their fingers.

"Because I don't like the idea of someone else having your attention."

Her breath caught.

"That's possessive."

"Probably."

She smiled.

"I don't mind."

Kael's eyes softened.

He lifted her hand.

Pressed a slow kiss against her knuckles.

Elara stared at him.

"You're getting good at this."

"At what?"

"Making me nervous."

His mouth curved.

"I'm learning."

He leaned forward.

His voice dropped.

"But I don't want you nervous."

"What do you want?"

His eyes held hers.

"You."

The answer was immediate.

Elara's heart slammed against her ribs.

Kael stood.

He moved around the table.

Stopped beside her.

He lowered his head.

His lips brushed her temple.

Then her cheek.

Elara closed her eyes.

His hand settled gently against the back of her chair.

He leaned closer.

His breath warmed her ear.

"I don't like sharing."

She opened her eyes.

"You're very dramatic."

"I know."

"You've been watching too many romance films."

"I don't watch romance films."

"You should."

"Why?"

"Maybe you'd learn how to flirt."

He smiled.

"I don't need to."

She looked at him.

"Why?"

He leaned closer.

"Because you're already blushing."

Elara's eyes widened.

He smiled.

Then kissed her cheek once more.

He stepped back.

She stared at him.

"You are becoming insufferable."

"Good."

"Why good?"

"Because you like it."

She hated that he was right.

She smiled.

"Maybe I do."

Kael looked at her for several seconds.

Then his expression softened.

"Maybe I do too."

And for once, neither of them joked about it.

Outside, Ashfall City continued moving.

Sirens screamed somewhere in the distance.

A train thundered between towers.

The Vanguard Authority continued searching for Blackfall.

Someone continued watching Elara.

Someone continued planning.

But inside the café, for a little while longer, none of that mattered.

Because Kael had finally stopped pretending he wasn't jealous.

And Elara had finally stopped pretending she didn't enjoy it.

Neither of them noticed the woman sitting alone at the far end of the café.

She had been there for almost an hour.

She hadn't ordered anything.

She hadn't spoken to anyone.

And when she finally stood, she left a small black envelope on the table.

Written across the front were four words.

FOR ELARA FINCH.

Then she disappeared into the crowd.