Noc watched me for a moment before setting his sandwich down. “Tell me about yourself.”
There was a foreign strain to his voice that didn’t match his composed expression. He reached for a crystal bottle full of amber liquid and poured a hefty amount into his glass. A spiced burn lingered in the air, and he took a long swig.
“No.” I swallowed another bite. What was I supposed to say? The very people I had trusted most, the members of the Charmers Council, had exiled me without a second thought. If trusting them had been a grave error, then relaying anything to this assassin, active bounty or not, was surely a death sentence.
He chuckled, and a spark flared in his dark gaze. This bounty changed things. Yes, I’d broken the law. I’d traded beasts for bits, a cardinal sin for my people. But only because I had no other means of survival. Because I had placed my faith in a lover whose ambitions superseded our relationship.
If Wynn was coming after me now with the power of the Council at his back, the only thing I could do to survive would be to clear my name. Even if I escaped Cruor’s bounty, another would be placed. But owning a Myad would help. The legendary—and impossibly rare—creature’s trust alone would give them pause. All I needed was one moment, one chance to tell my side of things.
Noc’s voice brought me back. “What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing.” I brushed thick crumbs off my lips, and his eyes followed my fingers. “Why does it matter?”
He pressed his elbows to the counter and leaned forward. “Because you don’t fit.”
“Excuse me?”
His unexpectedly boyish grin pulled me in. “Meaning, you’re not the usual mark. You’re a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit, and I love a good puzzle.”
Gods help me, these assassins were not what I was expecting. Moreover, Noc really was a case of fire and ice. Where he’d been removed only moments before, now he was engaged. Active. Food forgotten before him, he studied me in a way that made me feel entirely too exposed.
This conversation needed to find safer ground. “Why don’t you tell me what kind of beast you want.”
Noc frowned. “I’m not overly versed in the beast world, but I’ll be sure to study up on our way to Ortega Key.”
Tipping my head back to the ceiling, I let out a low hum. “I’ll show you my bestiary. It’s far from complete as I’m only a B-Class Charmer, but that will give you a good idea of what you’ll have access to.”
Eyes dipping to the locket dangling below my collarbone, he leaned a fraction closer. “That would be fascinating to read.”
Heat followed his stare, and my stomach clenched. This man was pure danger. I could still feel the burn of his grip on my neck, and yet the adrenaline I felt had nothing to do with his ability to end my life and everything to do with the way his intensely curious gaze unraveled my nerves.
He edged around the corner of the island, bringing himself closer as if pulled in irresistibly by the mystery my bestiary represented. “How does it work?” His honeyed scent drizzled over me, and suddenly I was too aware of his presence. Of the way his fingers traced the rim of his glass as he thought, eyes drifting from my bestiary to my face. Lips slightly parted.
I grazed the chain of my necklace and swallowed. “Only a Charmer can remove it or open it. You’d have to have one nearby to turn the pages, too.”
“Good thing I have one nearby.”
I grappled with the urge to open the book for him right there. I’d said I’d share, but I hadn’t expected this level of intrigue. It was thrilling and unnerving, and I wasn’t sure how to process it. “I’m not about to just hand it off. It’s not a quick read, and there’s a lot of information to digest.”
“I don’t mind taking my time.” His mouth lifted at the corner. “If you don’t feel comfortable removing it, I can always read over your shoulder.”
Heat flushed my skin, and his attentive stare locked on my cheeks. And then he blinked, and the curious, almost warm man before me was gone. Lost. Noc took a definitive step back and glared at me as if I were a siren. He pressed his drink to his lips and drained the glass.
“Did you need something?” he said, his voice nothing but ice and steel.
The sudden switch left me reeling. “What?”
“I have matters to attend to.” He looked past me to the dark mouth of the hall. “You’re taking up time.”
“You were the one asking all the questions.”
His expression was cold. Threatening. “Thanks for answering. Always good to have information.”
Sothat’swhat this was all about. Ozias may have been genuine, but Noc was still a cunning assassin playing a human to get what he needed. Glowering, I pictured him roasting over a fire on a spit. “Thanks for the food.” I leaped from my seat at the island and sped out of the kitchen before taking the stairs to my room. Slamming the door behind me, I sent up a silent curse.
Angry tears pricked the back of my eyes, threatening to spill over.If only I were home. No. I shook my head, sinking to the floor and firmly pressing my back against the wall. My people cast me out long ago. I couldn’t think like that anymore. I was nothing to them, and they were nothing to me.
Splaying out my right hand, I channeled power into my emblem and watched as the rosewood markings bled to life. I sifted through the list of available beasts in my mind and settled on Poof, an E-Class creature the size of a child’s kick ball. When the light receded, Poof appeared at my feet, circular pink eyes blinking up at me.
