Page 65 of The Dragon and the Dove

‘I’ll admit you’re a welcome distraction, Valerie.’

‘Nice honesty,’ she purred. ‘Now admit the other thing.’

‘Which is?’

‘That your prince is a tyrant and you feel trapped.’

‘Where will that get me?’ he said, dipping her.

‘Back into my good graces.’

He leaned over her, his breath on her cheek. ‘Have I been there before?’

They straightened once more. Sliding her hands up his chest, she rose to her tiptoes like she was telling him a secret. ‘The night you carried me home at Marvale, and let me sleep on your shoulder.’

He smiled against her temple. ‘And you drooled all over me.’

‘You probably kept it in a jar.’

He barked a laugh.

Drawing back she said, ‘Admit you’re better than this, Caruso.’

A beat of hesitation. She felt him waver, but then his gaze shifted to something over her shoulder. ‘Turn it off,’ he said under his breath.

‘What?’ She tried to turn her head.

He grabbed her chin, pulling her back to him. Against her lips, he said, ‘Your eyes. Turn. Them. Off.’

‘Twinkletoes!’ Lark’s voice rang out. ‘You’re not allowed to screw the puppets!’

A quick peek around Caruso’s shoulder revealed the Necromancer sauntering through the crowd in a slim black suit. No mask needed. Not when the skin on his face was as taut and grey as a week-old corpse. Lark was his own kind of monster, half rotted through. ‘Look alive, Dantes. We have somewhere to be!’

Val bristled.

‘Run along now, kitten,’ said Caruso, turning towards him.

She grabbed his cravat, yanking him back to her. ‘Where’s Andreas? Show me some damn courage, Caruso. Tell me something true.’

Hands sliding from her waist, he released her, finger by finger, like part of him was reluctant to let her go.

‘If you value your life, then get the hell out of here,’ he said, stepping away.

Stalking towards Lark, he added, over his shoulder, ‘While you still can.’

Truth, whispered the old voice.

Chapter 14 Seraphine

The provost was just the start of whatever Andreas was planning.

This was how it began. A corpse or two to whet his audience’s fear, a royal entrance followed by a dollop of pontification and then – rampant bloodshed.

‘We need to find the prince,’ she said with mounting urgency.

Anouk turned on her heel. ‘Wait. I’ve lost Theo.’

‘Where will we start?’ said Ransom.