Gideon tore his gaze from Rune to glare at the man beside them. “Get the fuck out of here. Before I throw you into something worse than a wall.”
Rune rolled her eyes.
But she looked to William. “Go. I’ll be up in a minute.”
Gideon watched him leave. Only when William disappeared into the steam did he turn his rage back on Rune.
The heat of it burned her.
“Are you out of your magic-addled mind? What are you doing down here?” He glanced around them, taking in their surroundings as if for the first time. “I told you not to trust that…”
His eyes narrowed as some realization dawned on him.
“Merciful Ancients. This is part of your plan, isn’t it? You’re going to use theArcadiato smuggle your witches out of the Republic.That’swhy you’re down here.”
Rune’s heart fell. Was she so transparent?
To him? Apparently yes.
“You’re unbelievable.” Gideon stepped back, running a hand roughly through his hair. “Here I was, thinking he was trying to take advantage of you. But it’s the other way around, isn’t it?Youlured him here to use for your own purposes.”
Okay,thatwas too far.
Rune hugged herself, trying to shield herself from his anger. “Yes, Gideon. That’s me:a grand seductress.”
She’d had quite enough of this conversation. Moving to go around him, Rune started to follow William back to the party.
He stepped in front of her, blocking her way through the narrow alley. “You say that as if it isn’t true.”
A wave of anger swept through her. She wanted to shove him, but any amount of force she used wouldn’t budge him. It would only make her look pathetic.
“Let me pass!”
This time when he reached for her, Rune wasn’t fast enough to evade. He pulled her in close, his grip firm on her wrist. “I wasworriedabout you. Afraid you were falling prey to some cad, when I should have known better.” His gaze flickered over her face. “The Crimson Moth only ever pretends to be prey. In truth, she’s the predator.”
The words stung. But of course this was how he viewed her. Rune wasn’t someone doing whatever she needed to do to survive people like him. To Gideon, Rune was a cruel witch. A dangerous temptress. A master manipulator.
Just like Cressida.
His voice was low. Rough. “You’ve made a fool of me yet again.”
Caught in his grip, Rune gave up trying to pull free and glanced away, no longer able to meet his gaze. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t true—that it was William who brought her down here. Gideon would see what he wanted to see.
He stepped closer, taking up all the air. Raising her already sweltering temperature.
“Do you have nothing to say for yourself, Rune?”
Why did something so simple—him saying her name—threaten to shatter her into a million pieces? She hated his effect on her. She wished she could reverse it. Wished he felt half as agonized as she did.
“Did I wound your pride, Captain Sharpe?” she said, hoping to sting him the way he had stung her. “It wasn’t personal. As you said: I use everyone.”
She tried to tug her wrist free. But his grip held her fast.
“Sometimes I think I could forgive you for that—using me, to save your precious witches. I could understand it. But the thing I can’t forgive, the thing I will never understand, is how you could make me fall for you when all along you were in love with my brother.”
Rune glanced up into his eyes. His gaze was intense. A tempest of feeling. It wasn’t the first time he’d accused her of such a thing. This time, trapped as she was with him, Rune couldn’t let it go unchallenged.
“It wasn’t like that.”
