The Stage is Set

The Countryside

“I THINK we can open the curtains now,” Tytania said as she leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. Her arm was freshly wrapped in bandages. She had been lucky; the slash on her arm had been long but shallow. As long as she kept it clean, it should be fine to heal on its own.

Zosia hmmed, lifting the bottom edge of the curtain to peer into the night. A few lights speckled the darkness, likely small cottages or farmhouses on the outer edge of the suburbs. Partyn was a heady glow in the distance. Beneath the bump of the carriage, Zosia sometimes thought she could hear the horns of the police force, but at this point she knew it was just the echoes of her anxiety.

“Well?” Tytania reached out with her good arm to brush at Zosia’s leg.

Zosia dropped the edge of the curtain, startled by the touch. Even through the fabric of her pants, the other woman always felt so warm.

Tytania raised an eyebrow. “You can relax now. Or what, do you think that chief of yours would chase us all the way out here?”

From what Zosia had seen of Chief Ainsley in her short time undercover in the Partyn Police Department, it was clear that the chief didn’t care what happened to the crystals. Assuming the tired woman had enough cigarettes to get her through the mayor’s tantrum, she would probably be pleased that the spectacle she had been forced to handle against her will was finally over. Zosia could picture the chief now, reclining in her messy office while she ordered Angela to write up her resignation papers.

It wasn’t just the chief, either. Although Zosia hadn’t been there long, she had gotten the distinct impression that most people in the Partyn Police Department prioritized their pleasures over their jobs.

“No,” Zosia answered truthfully. “I don’t think so.”

If anyone took the loss of the crystals to heart, it would be the mayor. He was probably cursing them and the police department to the celestial heavens and back. At the same time, Zosia reasoned, he had a working cover up already in place. The public had yet to find out that the crystals on display at the museum were replacements. If he kept pouring his money into making sure word didn’t get out, there was nothing preventing the noble from continuing to use the flashy exhibit as a show of his power. His efforts would be better spent in Partyn than on chasing two fugitives across the sea.

“Alright,” Zosia acquiesced. “Open them.”

Tytania tossed the curtains to the sides, pressing her face against the glass to stare at the fading lights of the city in the distance.

Not wanting to be caught staring, Zosia peeked at Tytania from the corner of her eye. The four moon crystals placed in the corners of the carriage roof cast a soft glow over the other woman’s features. Her face appeared relaxed, so perhaps it was the somber light that made her seem somewhat sad as she stared out into the night.

“You’re going to miss the rest of your performances,” Zosia realized out loud. In all the chaos, it hadn’t occurred to her until this moment. Neither of them could go back to Partyn. Maybe it was a ridiculous of her—and Zosia still thought it was risky for Tytania to have been involved with a second job while on a mission—but she couldn’t help but feel bad for the other woman. It was clear how much Tytania loved the theater.

“Yeah,” Tytania mused, still looking out the window. “But it’s alright.”

“...Really?”

“They have a standby.” Tytania said, but it lacked her usual luster. “A terribly grabby woman. I think she tried to poison my water a few times. She’ll be thrilled I’m gone, to be honest.”

Something crossed over Tytania’s face, like a shadow passing across a light. Then it was gone. She sat back with a stretch, melting into the cushion with a long sigh.

Zosia was curious, but she also didn’t want to force Tytania to talk about a sad situation she couldn’t fix. Besides, they were co-workers, but were they even friends? They had certainly been through a lot together—including a kiss that Zosia was trying not to think about—but were they at a point where they could ask about personal matters, or would that be overstepping?

Stuck in her internal debate, Zosia crossed and uncrossed her legs.

Minutes passed in soft silence. The cushions were comfortable and most of the adrenaline had seeped out of Zosia’s veins. But her mind swirled with possibilities, what-ifs, and conflicting thoughts of the woman across from her. It seemed that, once again, sleep was beyond her grasp.

Outside, the carriage rustled along the path through the darkness.

Every now and then, Zosia glanced over at Tytania. The other woman looked at ease, but her gaze was set fixedly out the window. Like Zosia, she also looked lost in her own thoughts.

When the quiet became too much, Zosia sat up.

“So,” she said, her voice sounding a bit too loud to her own ears. She coughed lightly into her fist. Murky relationship thoughts aside, there was something else on her mind that she hadn’t gotten an answer to. Now seemed as good a time as any to bring it up. “Back in Partyn, when we were leaving the museum, you mentioned something but didn’t have a chance to finish. What happened to…” she dropped her voice to a whisper, mindful of the carriage driver on the other side of wall. It was unlikely that she could hear anything, but still. “…you know?”

“I know?” Tytania cocked her head.

Oh for the love of—

Zosia gave her a pointed look. There was a high possibility that Tytania’s comments as they had escaped the museum had been nothing but cocky nonsense, a tease fueled by adrenaline in the moment. Zosia was hesitant to entertain hope on such a slim chance.

“Ah, that, ” Tytania said, snapping her fingers. “Yes.”

Zosia waited.

Tytania smiled, her crossed leg bouncing along with the movement of the carriage.

“ Yes , what?” Zosia pressed.

“Yes to your inquiry.”

Zosia’s heart squeezed. “You didn’t.”

“I did.”

Zosia sucked in her breath. If Tytania had somehow stashed away even just one of the crystals, it would turn their complete failure into something salvageable. Maybe there was some hope for them after all.

“Show me.”

“With pleasure,” Tytania grinned, then lifted her shirt.

The breath Zosia had just taken in got wedged in her throat. Beneath the blood-spattered hem of the stolen militia jacket, Tytania was wearing a waist corset. The bottom of the tight garment appeared to be sewn directly to the trousers she had on. The corset strings were laced tightly, pulling the boned material to gracefully accentuate Tytania’s waist. Above the intricate laces peeked a sliver of creamy skin.

“What are you doing?” Zosia asked. There was a horrid little waver in her voice that she tried to swallow away.

Tytania winked at her, then started tugging at the laces. She winced as she moved her injured arm too quickly, then tried to readjust by holding the jacket up beneath her chin so her other arm could work at the strings. Doing so revealed a further stretch of her stomach along with the lower curve of her breasts peeking out beneath the lifted jacket.

No bra. Gods.

Zosia suddenly wished the crystals in the carriage weren’t so bright. At least then she wouldn’t have the sinful image of Tytania with her shirt up emblazoned into her mind. Nor would she have to worry about the other woman seeing the blush that was definitely spreading across Zosia’s cheeks.

“Just a moment,” Tytania said as her good hand stumbled with the ties, trying to keep her arm straight. She didn’t seem to be making much progress. Perhaps it was more difficult than it looked.

Zosia watched nervously.

“Do you want… umm…” Zosia trailed off, gesturing vaguely at Tytania’s clothes. That the other woman was untying. To take off. Shit.

“Oh, how sweet of you. That would be lovely,” Tytania’s smile was way too bright.

Zosia had the sudden treacherous thought that maybe the actress had been faking her difficulties.

She wouldn’t— Zosia eyed that grin. No, she would. She absolutely would.

Still, it was too late to back out now that Zosia had offered.

Zosia rose hesitantly, not only because of the jerky movements of the carriage on the uneven countryside roads, but also because she felt like she was crossing into the den of an unpredictable and hungry beast.

She settled warily on the bench next to Tytania. The seat was meant for two, but it was still a bit of a squeeze. Their thighs pressed together warmly.

Tytania watched her, and although the other woman’s features were neutral, Zosia could have sworn there was a spark of glee in her eyes.

“I’ll just, uh,” Zosia reached out, pulled her hand back slightly, then, gathering her confidence, reached for the laces on Tytania’s corset.

The string was warm in her fingers. Zosia tried her best, undoing knots and tugging at the stubborn laces to loosen them one by one. The corset was slowly easing open beneath Zosia’s administrations, but Zosia felt sure her heart was going to squeeze up through her throat before she could finish.

What is this? Am I seriously undressing Tytania right now?

Zosia swallowed and almost dropped the string, clutching it at the last moment. She was feeling rather lightheaded, and the fuzzy feeling was only increasing with each new hint of Tytania’s toned stomach that was revealed. How much did the other woman work out? Were these abs a theater thing too? No—better to not think about Tytania’s body right now. It felt much safer to focus on how sweltering it was in the carriage. The tight space was way hotter than it ought to be, which was ridiculous considering the chilly temperatures at night during this time of the year. Unless, it wasn’t the climate that was causing Zosia to sweat. The thought was a startling one.

She suddenly became aware of Tytania’s heavy gaze on her.

“I’ll just—” Zosia moved to pull her hands back, but they were snatched by Tytania.

Zosia looked at Tytania’s traitorous hands wrapped easily around her own. So much for having a hard time with the laces…!

“And here I thought you wanted to see the crystals,” Tytania said coyly. “Change your mind?”

Zosia kept her gaze pinned down. The other woman’s hands were larger, her fingers long. One of her pointer fingers curved around, the pad pressing into Zosia’s pulse at her wrist. Zosia could only pray her heartbeat wouldn’t give away her rapidly devolving thoughts.

She swallowed. This was not the time for Tytania’s flirting games! Not only because Zosia genuinely did need to know the status of the crystals; she had also come to learn the hard way that she couldn’t keep up with the other woman’s games. Tytania always came away the victor, leaving Zosia behind and breathless.

“Stop playing with me,” Zosia said, forcing her voice to stay neutral and aloof, regardless of the tango her heart was dancing. “Do you have them or not?”

“You’ll find out,” Tytania remarked, “or you won’t. But I’m not giving away the surprise. If you want to know, you’ll have to play along. That’s how it works.”

Zosia glared up at her. Pressed thigh-to-thigh, with Tytania keeping Zosia locked in place with the grip on her hands, they were as close as they had been in the dressing room.

The memory of Tytania’s lips against hers pushed its way unbidden into Zosia’s mind. It was a difficult thought to dislodge.

“Fine,” Zosia hissed. “If you want it so badly...” She shook off Tytania’s grip and, perhaps a bit more forcefully than she meant to, grabbed the partially-undone flaps of the corset wrapped around Tytania’s waist. Doing so pulled Tytania towards Zosia, which simultaneously drew a low sound from Tytania’s mouth. Perhaps it was just a startled noise, Zosia reasoned hurriedly, but it sounded right on the very dangerous border of being a moan.

That thought cut Zosia off for a second, her thoughts flickering like a dying crystal. Her useless brain supplied the idea that it had been a very nice sound.

She wouldn’t mind hearing it again, actually.

Tytania blinked down at Zosia innocently as she shifted her hips in a not-at-all innocent way. The fabric of her corset pulled taunt in Zosia’s hands. “Well? Continue.”

Zosia’s fingers stumbled over the last strings. The corset was finally loose enough that it could be shifted. Zosia tugged it down until it rested on the curve of hips, revealing the tight lines of Tytania’s stomach in full.

Zosia had to use all of her self-restraint not to stare at the dip of her hip bones, or— oh, moonlight —the soft-looking trail of hair that traced a path from Tytania’s midriff down into the dark fabric of her underclothes.

It took an embarrassingly long second for Zosia to remember what she was supposed to be looking for. Once her mind skidded back to the actual task she had set out on, she spotted it—the corner of a small leather pouch pressed flush behind the curve of Tytania’s hip.

“Go on,” Tytania said, her voice a purr. Zosia didn’t dare look up. She could practically feel the gloat emanating from the woman. Whether it was from successfully keeping the crystals that were supposedly in the pouch or from getting Zosia to undress her in the back of a carriage, Zosia couldn’t be sure. Probably both.

Zosia reached out. Beneath her fingers, the leather was as hot as skin. It must have been squished into the corset and been pressing against Tytania’s lower back this whole time. It wasn’t entirely flat, either; as Zosia’s fingers brushed against the heated leather, she could feel several bumps—small, acorn sized shapes. The crystals.

“Tytania,” Zosia whispered, something stuck in her throat. Having these changes everything. “You really...”

She looked up, and found her nose brushing against Tytania’s.

When had she leaned in? Zosia had been so preoccupied with the strings and the skin and the discovery of the crystals that she had pressed even closer to the other woman.

Excitement was thrumming through Zosia’s body. It was still so dratted hot in the carriage. Like the intoxicating sleep gas, all Zosia could smell was Tytania—the spice, the mountain air, the hint of sweat, all mixing with her heat and the rush of adrenaline that was pumping through Zosia’s veins.

She was completely struck by the other woman. They were squeezed thigh-to-thigh in the back of a dim carriage, rolling through the hills of the nameless countryside, and yet Zosia felt like she was seeing Tytania back on center stage, framed in the spotlight and heralded by cheers from the masses. Did she preemptively bring the crystals with her to the crime scene tonight? A stupid, risky move, if so—but yet it had changed their failure into a partial success. Even if they didn’t have the final crystal, the others should be more than enough to satisfy the Under. Not only did they no longer have to worry about any potential punishment from the shady criminal group, they would get their mission payment. Zosia would have enough money for her mom’s medical expenses and then some. She might even get that vacation she had been dreaming about after all.

Zosia’s tired mind and body were no match for the waves of emotions barreling through her. She felt like she was about to ascend to the skies. She was so happy, she felt she could kiss someone.

It was just situational, then, that Tytania happened to be the closest person.

Lips met lips in a soft press as Zosia kissed Tytania. It lasted for a single heartbeat—then the elation charging through Zosia’s body was tempered by shock at her own actions.

What am I doing!?

Zosia pulled back, her eyes wide and fingers flying to her lips. Sure, she was going on two nights of no sleep, but being tired wasn’t an excuse to lose self control like this. “Sorr—”

The word was cut cleanly from her mouth as Tytania pressed forward, recapturing Zosia’s lips with her own.

Zosia melted into her.

Her chest was tight with the scramble of emotions vying for attention, but rather than try to sort through the ecstasy, guilt, delight, desire, and whatever else was swarming, Zosia pushed them all aside. Tytania clearly didn’t mind. On the contrary, as the other woman shifted eagerly into the kiss, it was obvious that she was quite pleased with what they were doing.

The idea that this was just another part of their games bubbled up in Zosia’s head, but she swatted it away with all the other thoughts she didn’t want to entertain right now. If this was a game, she no longer cared. The stress of this mission had kept her on a razor’s edge, but it was done—far behind them, left in the tracks of the carriage and the searchlights that were no doubt still flashing through Partyn.

Their mission to get the jewels was over and they likely wouldn’t be sent on another mission anytime soon, so what did that make Zosia and Tytania now? Co-workers? Friends? Something else?

Perhaps the question wasn’t so much what they were, but rather, what they could be.

Zosia found she didn’t have any strong reason to not give in to Tytania. Besides, although it had been pushed along by a rush of adrenaline, hadn’t it been Zosia to initiate the kiss in the first place?

Tytania sighed into her mouth and Zosia devoured the sound. The angle suddenly wasn’t right—they weren’t close enough. Zosia wanted, needed more. The kiss in the dressing room had been so fleeting that Zosia hadn’t had the chance to enjoy it. This was different. With every press forward, every slide of warm lips together, Zosia felt the rest of her fading away, like clouds of worry dispersing in sunlight. It left her open and vulnerable, but also desperately craving more.

Zosia moaned lowly, pressing back. Tytania shifted, angling her head so they fit together even better. This new position helped immensely in Zosia’s goal to get closer, and Zosia sighed against Tytania’s mouth—but it still wasn’t enough.

The carriage jumped, likely a wheel hitting a rock, and it jerked the last of Zosia’s inhibitions away with it. When Tytania gripped Zosia’s thigh, her blunt nails digging in, Zosia caved. She broke the kiss so she could swing one leg over Tytania.

With one knee pressing into the bench on either side, Zosia perched over Tytania’s lap. Beneath and between her splayed legs, Tytania looked like a present that was already partially unwrapped, her corset wrenched open and her jacked lifted to reveal her bare stomach.

Zosia couldn’t believe it was happening, but she certainly didn’t want to stop now.

Tytania trailed her fingers up Zosia’s sides, sending shivers in their wake. She looked up at Zosia with hungry eyes, opening her mouth to say something, but Zosia beat her to it—capturing her already kiss-flushed lips in another embrace.

Mouth preoccupied and unable to talk, Tytania used her fingers instead. She slid them lower to press and tease around Zosia’s hip. Her touch dragged forward. Fingers slipped under the front hem of Zosia’s shirt to press temptingly at the sensitive skin there.

Zosia gasped at the feeling, shifting her hips slightly to give Tytania better access. She had no idea when the other woman had done it, but the button on Zosia’s trousers was open.

Tytania, smirking into their kiss, continued to dip her fingers lower, teasing flushed skin.

Zosia could only moan, her shoulders losing their strength as she leaned forward into Tytania, pushing for more of the woman’s touch.

A sharp knock on the front wall sent Zosia jumping an inch off Tytania’s lap. Tytania’s grip latched onto her hips and held her in place in a move that might have been protective, possessive, or both.

The window to the driver’s seat slammed open. It was too dark to see through, but a very disgruntled voice yelled in, “What did I fucking tell you two? Last chance to behave yourselves or I’m leaving you here in the woods.”

The window slammed shut. The grumbling continued outside, muffled, but undeniably pissed.

“Someone’s jealous,” Tytania murmured. She smiled up at Zosia, her gaze still heated. “Now, where were we…?”

She trailed a hand up and down Zosia’s side, the implication heavy.

“We can’t,” Zosia said, pushing against Tytania’s chest. She could only imagine the color her face must be right now. It would be a lie to say the offer to give back in to Tytania wasn’t tempting, but they couldn’t lose their ride. Even if Zosia’s hunch was right and they weren’t being urgently pursued, walking all the way to the nearest international harbor would be an exhausting chore.

Refusing to meet Tytania’s sultry gaze, Zosia wiggled out of her grasp and collapsed onto the other bench. She straightened her clothes and redid the button on her pants, her fingers still trembling slightly.

The heat of the moment had cooled significantly. Now, without Tytania-fueled lust clouding her thoughts, Zosia was left rather embarrassed with herself. It wasn’t like her to give into adrenaline and jump into something so reckless so easily, yet Tytania had caused her to do it twice, all in the same night. What was this woman becoming to her?

Zosia shook her head, avoiding both the deep thought and the temptation from Tytania, who was still wiggling her brows suggestively at Zosia from across the carriage.

Zosia pressed her hands against her forehead. She took a slow breath as she pulled the strands of hair clinging to her temples back into their proper place.

They had been talking about something important, hadn’t they? Zosia glanced down and spotted the pouch. It had fallen off in their… activities, and now lay wedged between the seat cushions.

Right. The crystals.

That had been quite the distraction from something that was very important. It occurred to Zosia that there was a possibility that Tytania had seduced her in order to evade the conversation about the crystals. It was not an appealing thought.

Zosia narrowed her eyes at Tytania, aware that she couldn’t look intimidating when she was as disheveled as she was. “You distracted me.”

“You weren’t complaining.” Tytania shrugged. She leaned forward, resting an elbow on her knee to hold up her chin as she watched Zosia. She trailed a finger teasingly at Zosia’s leg.

Zosia brushed the hand away, firmly ignoring the spark in her chest at the touch. She held out her own hand, palm up. The request was clear.

Tytania sighed. Her kiss-swollen lip stuck out in a pout. But after a moment she snatched the pouch next to her and, with no fanfare at all, tossed it over like it was a piece of unwanted trash; as if it didn’t contain priceless gems that determined their fate.

Zosia caught the pouch with a frown. The leather had cooled, which felt strangely like a loss. Still, it was bumpy with treasures inside. She yanked the flap back.

The pouch was longer than it was wide, and Zosia had to shake it to dislodge the cargo inside. After a firm rustle, the moon crystals above illuminated the far more expensive crystals hiding in the pouch.

Zosia sank back into her cushion in relief. Seeing them with her own eyes had dispelled the last dredges of worry.

We really have them. We did it.

On the other side of the carriage, Tytania sat with her arms crossed. She was smirking, but her eyes were tight at the edges. She looked almost disappointed.

“There you go,” she said. “Your crystals.”

Unable to resist, Zosia dug one out. The stone was small, but the bottom had been carved to a slight point. Even with the leather pouch as a barrier, it couldn’t have been comfortable for Tytania to have them pressed against her for so many hours. Yet the other woman hadn’t complained once.

Zosia lifted the gem carefully, holding it firmly in case the carriage hit another bump. It was even more beautiful than it had appeared in the museum. As Zosia turned it in the dim light, vibrant colors pulsed within the galaxy crystal, as distant and mesmerizing as the night sky over the mountains of northern Lythenor.

Zosia cupped the priceless stone, then carefully shook out the others from the pouch. “One, two, three, four, five…. six.”

The final crystal fell delicately into her palm. The sixth crystal—the one that cost them their positions. How and when the other woman had managed to snatch the final gem in the chaos tonight and get it into the pouch was beyond Zosia. That cursed corset must either have a trick, or Tytania was even better at maneuvering her clothing and numerous secret pouches than she let on.

“Well?” Tytania leaned forward, a hopeful look twinkling in her eyes. “Did I impress you enough for another kiss?”

Zosia scoffed, but it lacked any bite. She refocused on the jewels in her hands. They twinkled in the light of the carriage—priceless, ephemeral. Each one was worth more than a house, more than the museum they had been kept in, or perhaps even more than the Grand Opera and Theater.

They were also, from what Zosia could tell as she handled them, entirely useless. The sparkling aura emitting from the six of them didn’t shed anywhere near as much light as the moon crystals on the walls around them. None of them created flames or redirected the wind, none of them held heat or cold—for all Zosia could tell, they were just very pretty rocks.

Tytania huffed loudly, causing Zosia to look up. The other woman’s legs were now crossed as well as her arms. She was pouting again.

“What?” Zosia asked. She can’t be that upset about the interruption. Besides, we have the gems. What is there to be cranky about?

“Do you think they’re worth it?” Tytania asked, eyeing the jewels with the displeased look of someone who had ordered tea but found only hot water in their mug.

Zosia studied the crystals while she thought. When it came to monetary worth, it was obvious—galaxy crystals like these were legends. Both in the sense that there weren’t many around and also because they were mysterious; no one was quite sure where they came from. Naturally, things that were rare, curious, and beautiful carried a high price tag.

But were they worth the hassle Zosia and Tytania had gone through to attain them?

“Maybe,” Zosia replied. “Maybe not. But it’s not important. The Under wants them for some reason and that has to be good enough for us.”

Whatever the purpose or desire behind obtaining the crystals was, Zosia wasn’t high enough in the organization to be told. And that was fine with Zosia. She didn’t care about the Under and whatever goals they had, she just wanted to be paid for her work.

“Really?” Tytania said. “Because I would have guessed you cared about them a lot, seeing how you’re practically drooling over them.”

Zosia tore her gaze away from the gem for a moment to shoot a flat look at Tytania before turning back to the stone.

Was it wrong to admire them? They were exceptionally beautiful. Zosia had handled countless treasures as a detective—both the legal side and the not so legal parts—but what other relic or item could compare to this? It was like holding a piece of the cosmos in her palm.

It also wasn’t hers. And it could never be hers, unless she wanted the entire Under on her tail.

Zosia placed it carefully back in the bag. “I care about the mission. That’s all.”

“That’s all?” Something passed over Tytania’s face. She crossed her arms, pushing back into the cushion. “So at the museum tonight...” Tytania paused, studying Zosia carefully. “You did that for the mission?”

Zosia hesitated. If she had come to learn one thing about Tytania, it was that the other woman was an enigma wearing a mask. What is she really asking?

Zosia had a small guess, a slightly startling one, but just like earlier with the gems, she didn’t want to get her hopes up for nothing.

“It was a success in the end, wasn’t it?” Zosia replied.

Her vague response hung heavily between them. It wasn’t really an answer and Tytania must know it too.

Across the carriage, Zosia watched the rise and fall of Tytania’s chest. Her face was blank, fixed in neutrality. Zosia watched, searching for the slightest hint of something, anything—but found nothing on the actress’s face.

“I suppose,” Tytania said, her voice as empty as her mask. After a moment, she turned to the window, fixating on the darkness beyond.

It felt like a dismissal.

Zosia felt a small pang of something… disappointment? Longing? She had the feeling she had somehow messed up, simply by being honest and doing her job.

The rest of the trip passed in silence. The crystals were nestled securely back in the pouch on Zosia’s lap. Tytania hadn’t asked for them back.

Zosia focused on them for a while, lulled by the bump of the carriage in the night, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the woman across from her, like a lost ship in a whirlpool. She knew she had misstepped somehow, somewhere. But how could she fix it, if she wasn’t quite sure what she had done? The other woman spoke and acted in mysteries that didn’t have logical solutions.

Could she just ask her? Zosia hated that she still wasn’t sure where they stood with each other, or if she could believe the words that came from Tytania’s teasing mouth.

Additionally, even if Tytania spoke the truth, Something told Zosia she might not be ready to know the answer.

Tytania was… Zosia wasn’t sure. But somewhere along the line, she had let Tytania in and now Zosia was susceptible to the other woman.

Zosia hunkered down to ponder, her mind running in circles.

The rest of the ride passed in tense quiet.