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I shove those memories away as well as I can, which is admittedly not very well. He’s sauntering along next to me, his embroidered vest hanging loose over his dress shirt—which, in typical Benedikt style, he’s left open halfway down his chest.
Maybe I’ve denied my bodily desires too much in the past couple of years. The glimpse I get of the muscular landscape beneath nearly sends my mind reeling right back to my overheated imaginings.
I jerk my gaze to Benedikt’s face just as he leans his head conspiratorially close. “Why exactly are we following this fine lady? Out of curiosity.”
“She might have had something to do with the daimon going wild at the ball,” I say. “She also might have been the person who poisoned me the other evening.”
“All right, those are two very good reasons for me to delay my breakfast. I’m honored that you called on me for assistance and will assume it had everything to do with my extreme prowess rather than because I happened to be the only person around.”
I can’t quite stifle a guffaw. Even though I’m only holding his arm to keep him within shielding distance, I give it a quick squeeze. “You’re an excellent choice.”
He taps one of his sacrificed earlobes. “My gift might come in handy, depending on exactly what you’re planning. I have a knack for distracting people, just a little, when I want to get out of trouble.”
My eyebrow leaps up. “And how often are you getting into trouble?”
He waggles his eyebrows right back. “I’ve got to keep a few secrets to maintain my intriguing aura of mystery.”
I snort in amusement.
Honestly, it might be fun to have Benedikt along on one of my thieving exploits on the fringes. I can imagine him enjoying sticking it to a few con artists.
Picturing taking on the assholes in the outer wards with company warms me for a few seconds. Then I consider the stink and the dirt and everything else about those streets any noble would turn up their nose at.
No, he’d never actually stoop that low even for a lark, would he?
I hate the way my heart sinks with that knowledge.
Benedikt cocks his head. “I wonder where exactly Miss Possible Poisoner is off to?”
Romild has strode straight past the library doors and picked up her pace even more as she approaches the next bend in the hall.
Julita hums.It’s just the recreational rooms over there—cards, billiards, darts, and the like. Although I suppose that isn’t a horrible place to conduct a clandestine meeting without being too suspicious.
I slow as we reach the corner and peek around it. Romild is bustling onward, so Benedikt and I continue after her.
“What are you studying here anyway?” I ask him, to keep up the appearance that we’re having some important discussion. And because I’m interested, whether I should be or not.
Benedikt shrugs as if it doesn’t matter all that much. “Oh, a little of this and a little of that. Technically I belong to the leadership division, not that I expect to lead much of anything. As I mentioned before, responsibility isn’t really my forte. We royalty-adjacent types tend to get relegated into minor roles to keep us happy andmostlyout of trouble.”
“That does seem like it might be a difficult proposition for you.”
“But I’m very rarely bored.” Benedikt taps his chin. “I wonder what ‘favors’ I should ask Stavros to do for me in return? So many wonderful possibilities that would absolutely piss him off.”
My lips twitch with a smirk at the thought—and at the same moment, Romild draws to a halt outside one of the rooms farther down the hall.
She peers inside and hesitates. Then she folds her arms over her chest and starts to pivot on her heel.
Shit, she’s turning right back toward us.
I clutch Benedikt’s arm in warning, but his gaze is already fixed on our target, noting her movements.
He swings toward me without missing a beat and flashes his roguish smile. “Don’t stab me for this, Knives.”
Before I can wonder what he’s talking about, he nudges me up against the wall, leans his arm next to my head to hide my face, and plants his mouth on mine.
In the first instant, I think I must still be dreaming. But the heat of Benedikt’s very real kiss sparks a giddy thrill in me that’s beyond anything my imagination conjured. My body tingles from head to toe as if I’ve been struck by a particularly delicious bolt of lightning.
It’s far from my first kiss, but I can’t say I’ve ever been kissed quite like this.
