One job, two paychecks, no harm done. That was a deal I’d die for.
Four
Leena
Standing in the center of my temporary room, I’d never felt so claustrophobic. Not because it was small, but because Ozias’s frame squandered all light from the outside hallway, blocking my exit. He leaned against the doorframe, and the wood gave a soft creak. How he ever survived as an assassin baffled me.
“Thanks.” Flush with the wall was a monstrous bed draped in down blankets. Heat spread from a small, coiled structure in the corner of the room. A low orange light simmered around it. A rycrim heater. Yet another thing I’d longed for during the cold nights at Midnight Jester. I shrugged off my jacket. “I’ll need to stop by my place tomorrow to grab my things.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Ozias folded his arms. “Kost will account for everything.”
I glanced at the oil-rubbed oak dresser to my left. “Clothes?”
“Kost will handle it.” Amused brown eyes bounced from my face to the armoire and back again.
“That seems unnecessary.”
Ozias shrugged. “Do you need anything specific?”
I pulled out the gray stool from the vanity and sank onto it. Slowly, I began the arduous task of unlacing my boots. “Toiletries?”
Pushing away from the doorframe, Ozias sauntered over to a door tucked along the far wall. “You share this bathroom with another woman.” He pushed it open and candles lit, muted yellow bouncing off mirrors and silver furnishings. He nodded toward a similar door on the far side of the restroom. “Just be sure to lock both handles when you’re in there. Unless you’re in the mood for some unexpected company.”
“Noted.” Standing, I pushed both boots to the edge of the bed. A soft moan escaped my lips as I curled and uncurled my toes.
Humor danced across Ozias’s broad features. His skin was a flawless, rich brown with cool undertones, and he had a dazzling smile. “Long day?”
“Just breaking in new boots.”
He kicked one foot out, displaying tan work boots with brass eyelets and faded laces. “I buy a bunch at once so I can break them in at the same time.”
My voice fell flat. “Not all of us get the luxury of multiple pairs of shoes.”
His smile disappeared, and my mind spun. His regret was instant and surprisingly human. He placed his foot back on the floor. “Sorry. Anything else you need?”
My brows drew together. Cruor was full of famed assassins. Their power over the shadows gave them the reputation of being legendary agents of death—nothing more, nothing less. The fact that there were people beneath that darkness…
“I’m going to wash up, but after, can you point me in the direction of some food?” Uneaten lamb surfaced in my mind, and I placed a hand against my stomach, trying to keep the gurgling to a minimum. “Since Kost so rudely interrupted my evening plans, I’ve yet to eat.”
Surely he wouldn’t offer me a decent meal. He’d laugh and walk out and tell me to deal with it on my own, possibly—
“That’s no good. Go ahead and clean up. I’ll wait. Then I’ll show you the kitchen.”
It was an effort to keep my shock veiled. I guess starving me wasn’t part of their strategy. Leaning against the wall, he nodded silently toward the bathroom. I made my way to it, shutting the door firmly behind me and locking the handle. Without so much as a window to sneak through, there wasn’t any chance of escape. And with an assassin waiting behind either door, well… I frowned.
I grabbed a washcloth and ran it under steaming water from the sink before scrubbing my face. When my skin was pink, I shut off the faucet and stared in the mirror. How on earth did I end up here? I’d been selling beasts for years, waiting for the Myad to appear so I could have a chance at returning home. And now, as soon as I got wind of the creature, I’d been caught. The gods were cruel.
I dallied longer than I should have, hoping Ozias would give up and leave me alone so I’d have a chance to escape. These people weredangerous. I could find another murderer in Ortega Key—no need to test my luck here. But when I emerged, Ozias was still there, waiting with a patient smile on his face.
“Feel better?”
I grumbled. “A bit.”
“Good. C’mon.” He led me out the door and down the hallway. Once we made it to the bottom of the staircase, he nodded toward an archway on the other side of the fireplace.
“I need to get some affairs in order for our travels, but you’ll find the kitchen through there. Take whatever you want.”
“Whatever I want?”
