Something clicked then, a brilliant flare of warmth right in the center of my chest. I gasped and pressed my head against the wall while he tasted my neck. A steady hum thrummed through my veins, a new frenzied beat like another heart racing alongside mine. It was the exact opposite of carnal. The exact opposite of what I’d sought out in past flings. Fear and passion battled with each other, and I brought Noc’s lips back to mine to keep myself from running away.
Wrapped in the heat of him, I didn’t notice the inn door swing open until Noc was thrown off me and into the rain. He barely had time to steady himself before turning his wild eyes to the man in the open doorframe.
Hands shaking, Kost leveled me with his glare before turning his ire to Noc. “Don’t be a fool. Cool off.”
Hard eyes skewered Kost, but Noc pressed his lips into a fine line. Water dripped down his face, trailing the length of his cheekbones before sliding off his jaw. He spared me one pained look. I could’ve sworn I saw a glimmer of ice-blue flash from the inky black depth of his eyes, but it faded in an instant. And then came the wall of cold so sudden and violent that I swear the rain turned to sleet around him. Every muscle rigid, he strode past me without a second glance. Slammed the inn door behind him.
So cold.I brought my fingers to my lips, hoping to reignite the heat he had left. Why had he acted that way? With Noc gone, my body ached to follow him. To understand. Had he felt our connection, too? Maybe that’s why he’d shut down. It was so intense and unexpected. Even with Wynn, another Charmer, I’d never felt such a pull.
Kost swiveled in place, shined shoes clipping against the wood, and he pinned me with his stern expression. Frustration bubbled over, and I narrowed my eyes. “What’s your problem?”
Kost snapped. Baring his teeth and towering above me, he cornered me against the wall. “You, Leena, are my problem.”
Pressing my palms flat against his blood-red formal tunic, I shoved him. He didn’t budge, so I leaned forward, bringing my nose inches from his. “Get out of my way, Kost.”
“Leave Noc alone.”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
Kost formed a fist with his gloved hand and held it tight for a solid minute before uncurling his fingers. “Leave. Him. Alone.” The vein along his temple throbbed.
I itched to smack him. To knock his glasses to the ground and mess up that perfectly styled gods-damned hair. “What do you have against me, Kost?”
“You’re ajob,” he said. I winced, but he kept going, voice trembling. “You don’t even realize what you’ve done. You’ve jeopardizedeverything.”
“Kost—”
“What is it about you that makes him throw caution to the wind?” He studied my face for answers. Apparently came up empty, because he grimaced. “I hate that you fit.”
My body went numb. “What?”
“You’re like a gods-damned puzzle piece. And the rest of us? We’ve been helping him put together the larger, more important picture for years. But there you are, the single piece he can’t ignore. The only one thatfits. There’s nothing quite like that feeling of relief and satisfaction when the last piece finds its home.” A tight laugh punctuated his words. “It doesn’t matter how long the rest of us have been lying around.”
“Us?”
“Us!Me. I…” His expression cracked, and his shoulders curled toward his chest.
His words shattered like lightning, striking in the small space between us and rooting me to the ground. A quiet ringing followed his outburst, and he slid his fingers between his spectacles and his nose, hiding his eyes. Realization hit me with the force of the turbulent ocean waters.
“Youlove him.” My words were barely a whisper, but Kost flinched.
“Don’t act like you know anything about me, Leena. This is for Noc’s sake, not mine.” His voice hitched an octave higher. Caught on a shuddering breath.
I tried to get a grip on my racing thoughts. “Does he know?”
“Enough.” He slipped his glasses from his face and polished the lenses. “Just stay away.” Gaze unobstructed by frames, he peered at me. Hurt laced the fields of green, and my throat constricted. How long had he and Noc been friends? And for me to just come in and change their dynamic… To be Noc’s missing piece, at least in Kost’s eyes… Words shaped and disappeared, nothing substantial enough forming in my mind.
Finally, I managed a weak “Kost, I’m sorry. It’s not serious—”
He barked out a fragile laugh. “Where Noc is concerned, everything is serious.” He turned away, took several visible breaths. After a moment, he replaced his glasses. Ran his hands over the length of his tunic. Only then did he glance over his shoulder at me. “Tell me, what are you willing to risk? Because if it isn’t death, you may as well leave now.”
“You’d risk your life for him?”
Muscles jumped along his jaw. “I’d risk anything. Remember, Leena, assassins don’t fear death. You’ll always be one step behind when it comes to that.”
Seventeen
Noc
