Lords & Thieves: Chapter Five
The prequel arc of ✨The White City✨ — a weekly serialized urban fantasy series
Previously in The White City:
Tensions—and heat—began to rise between the artist and the soon-to-be art thief
Ticket prices at the museum were insane! But so was the way he held her close, stole a kiss, and made her forget it’s “just pretend”
It shouldn’t have taken her longer than ten minutes to circulate through the east wing. There was only what, three short halls and a veranda overlooking some star charts?
Yet between a scout troop, three young families, and a marvelous selection of medieval art, Elena ended up taking more than twenty minutes to get through the section. Without spotting a single astrolabe or anything remotely resembling a compass, of course.
She didn’t exactly beat feet through the museum to rejoin her frustrating companion, but it was a fair speed-walk that wound her through the main foyer, down a hall she didn’t recognize from earlier, and finally the west wing.
Of course it was the “cooler” side of the observatory.
Cade just had to have everything go his way, even when she was the one calling the shots.
This section of the museum was plastered in neon backlit posters of nebulas, multicolored planetary rings, and galaxies that spun in slow, glittery spirals depending on the angle the viewer looked at them. Displays portraying Chicago’s “true sky” and future projects to minimize light pollution filled the main area with interactive exhibits and open invitations to support each innovative measure. Central to this space was “the old planet dome thingie”, a huge metal sphere with holes meticulously punched in patterns meant to replicate the constellations.
Next to the planetarium—the actual term—was the entrance to another exhibit: some governor family-sponsored, full-bodied view into the continuously expanding universe.
This is where she found him, standing at the entrance as if he wanted to go inside but feared whatever lay within. She almost didn’t approach him, not wanting to interrupt whatever it was running through his mind that made him seem so…so…lost.
Something tugged at her heartstrings. It didn’t feel right to just walk away. Not with the way his face softened and the artificial starlight glistened in his silvery eyes as if he were truly gazing out over the galaxies with heartfelt wonder.
“Nothing over there,” she casually remarked when she finally approached. “Find anything here?”
Cade blinked. Swallowed. Not once did he look away from that long, dark hall. “Yeah.”
He didn’t elaborate.
Elena rocked on her heels. Ooookkaaayyyy… “So, yeah. What do you want to do now?”
When he finally turned his head to look at her, she felt her breath catch.
Were those…tears?
Cade held his hand out to her but didn’t force her to take it.
He didn’t need to.
Something just felt…right…when she slipped her hand into his. Even better when he laced their fingers together and held her like he didn’t want to let her go.
“I want to show you something.”
