Vansh looked like he’d been kicked. He was quicksilver, a ripple-less pond one moment, rapids rushing toward a waterfall the next.

He squatted down next to Naina but no words came.

“This is my project now too, Hari,” Naina said, and something trembled through Vansh’s body next to her.

Don’t jump to conclusions, she warned him with a sideways glance, and a smile returned to the edge of his mouth. A little too exhausted for Vansh, but a smile.

“We’re a team,” she said, looking at Sadiya and Makayla and, yes, at Vansh. “And wherever you feel most comfortable in that team is where you should work.”

“Are you angry?” Hari asked Vansh.

“Not at all,” Vansh said gently.

He didn’t add how much was already riding on the app. He didn’t push Hari, and the awareness of how very good he was at this whisperer business sparkled through her.

Then Vansh winked at her. “What matters is that Naina thinks we’re a team.” He stood and high-fived Hari. “You got us into the circle of trust, my friend!”

Hari beamed, when that hadn’t felt like even a remote possibility minutes ago.

“Another slice of pizza?” Naina asked, and Hari’s smile got wider as he took it.

“I do have only a little bit to go before the mock-up for the app is done. Maybe I’ll finish that,” he said.

Vansh whooped and jumped in the air. “Why don’t we forget all this for the rest of the day and play hooky? Go ride that roller coaster? I know Naina’s been dying to.”

“That sounds like a fabulous idea,” Sadiya said.

“I can’t believe we’ve never done that,” Makayla said.

“I’ve always wanted to ride the roller coaster,” Hari said. “I didn’t think I was allowed to.”

“Why would you not be allowed to?” Naina said. “You work here and it’s for all employees.”

“All employees who aren’t too chicken,” Vansh said as he offered her a hand along with the challenge.

She took the hand—she wasn’t interested in the challenge—and stood. “Guilty as charged. I’ll watch.”

His smile could lull even the most jaded. Yes, she was guilty as charged with that as well.

“She said we’re a team, didn’t she?” Vansh asked the others. “The team doesn’t watch. It plays!”

They hooted, everyone including Hari, and filed out to tell Mariel the news of their spontaneous field trip.

“You can hold my hand, Knightlina,” he said, standing a little too close. “I’ll keep you safe.”