My body clock thought it was late afternoon. Staying up through five hours of darkness was going to be a challenge. At least if I made it most of the way, I could just sleep for an extra few hours and wake up tomorrow local time.

The short solar days were going to break my brain. Nothing to do but keep busy.

I called Luna to my shoulder and turned to Torran. “How do we get to your office from here? Specifically, how did the thieves get to your office?” I gestured him ahead of me. “Show me.”

Torran’s eyes narrowed at the command, but he turned back down the path and ducked behind a tall, leafy plant. I followed him, unsure what to expect. The small, covered entrance was completely hidden from the trail. I heard a click, then Torran pulled the door open.

“Is this door kept locked?”

“Yes.”

I rolled my eyes and prayed for patience. Loquacious he was not.

I entered the house and found myself in a pale cream hallway that I hadn’t seen on our way to the guest wing. “Where are we?”

“This is the family wing. My bedroom and private office are here, as well as spare rooms for family guests.”

“Do you have any family guests staying with you currently?”

He flinched, very slightly, then shook his head.

From the way his expression hardened, I wouldn’t get any more information out of him about family guests, so I moved on. “Was the ring in your private office?”

“Yes.”

“Show me.”

Torran inclined his head in agreement, but before we made it to his office, whichever door it was, Nilo appeared at the end of the hall. He hurried our way, a wide, apologetic smile on his face.

Before he could say anything, Luna chirruped at him. His face softened into genuine warmth, and he reached out a hand. “May I?”

I nodded. “This is Luna.”

Nilo closed the distance between us and reached up to scratch Luna behind her ears. She stretched forward, purring deep in her chest. Nilo’s eyes cut to mine, his expression open. “She adores you,” he murmured.

I smiled. “I love the little fuzzball, too.” Nilo and I stood intimately close with just a handful of centimeters between us. I glanced up at him. He was incredibly handsome, with his fine bone structure and gold-streaked green eyes, but I didn’t feel any of the tight anticipation that I felt around Torran.

Before I could dwell on what that meant, Torran cleared his throat.

Mischief danced in Nilo’s eyes as he leaned closer to me, and I suddenly understood exactly why Lexi had waited for him in a hotel bar. His gaze invited play, and it would’ve been an irresistible temptation for my favorite thief.