Intrusion

[Noémi Jourdain]

Noémi wondered at the thoughts that passed behind his eyes in those moments. The smile, so faint, felt strangely intimate; something born of more than the polite politik of a cursory introduction. Connection forged of a fleeting moment, soon to be forgotten no doubt, yet no less beguiling for its brief spark of life. She didn’t smile back, though neither did she look away from the captivation. She relished it in a quiet way; a woman sensitive to the nuance of detail.

She acknowledged the Consul’s arrival and greeting with a demure nod, flowing seamlessly, and expectant of dismissal. There was no curtness in the tone, but Noémi regretted that the moment might be taken for fawning on her part. It was unlikely to be considered a blemish, but it touched Noémi with a shadow of ordinary she did not care for in the Consul’s eyes. Not an early impression she wished to make.

Another incline met the Ascendancy’s final words, her name shivering like a parting gift to pull her attention just for the way it sounded when he said it. It was an informality on his part she did not miss, despite the Consul’s gentle correction, though given the gulf of their positions perhaps the warning had been for her. She could still feel the cool graze of his skin against her palm.

A single moment, transient. Her maman’s words laced the armour of her heart. Yet his gaze pulled for possession one last time; that she did not imagine.