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I shuddered at his magic. His power over death both thrilled and terrified me.
“Are you afraid of me?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Ardis.” His voice fell to a rough murmur. “I vowed to protect you. I would never hurt you, not even if you betrayed me.”
He found a way through my defenses with a few well-placed words.
I couldn’t look away from his eyes. “Why would I betray you?”
“Because you’re a mercenary, and I’m nothing more than a necromancer you need.”
“That’s not true.” I swallowed hard. “My job would be a hell of a lot easier otherwise. God, I wish I could stop wanting you.”
His lips parted. “We shouldn’t do this.”
“Of course not.”
But I dragged him down regardless.
When he kissed me, it was slow and indulgent. One of my hands twisted in his hair, the other sliding beneath the hem of his shirt. The hard muscles in his abdomen tensed beneath my touch. He was still restraining himself, I could tell.
I wanted him to shudder with pleasure, the arrogant elegance of him unraveling into something raw and primal.
A knock rapped on the door to our cabin. We broke apart with a gasp. Wendel was pale enough that it wasn’t hard to miss the flush in his cheeks. He tucked in his shirt and raked his fingers through his hair. I tugged my clothes straight before answering the door.
Konstantin.
He glanced between us with sharp blue eyes. My skin heated with embarrassment. How much did he suspect?
“May I have a word with you?” When I stepped forward, Konstantin shook his head. “Not you, the necromancer.”
“Me?” Wendel twisted his mouth. “What have I done to deserve this honor, archmage?”
Konstantin met my gaze. “Ardis, would you give us a moment?”
“Of course.”
I stepped out into the corridor. Konstantin shut the door behind me. Like a bodyguard, I leaned against the wall with my arms folded. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but I wasn’t tryingnotto eavesdrop, either.
Their muffled voices carried through the door in fragments.
“…can’t do this without you.”
“Why?”
That was Konstantin, followed by Wendel.
A conductor strode down the corridor. “Ladies and gentlemen, we will be arriving in Budapest shortly. Please gatheryour belongings and make your way to the exits.” We nodded at each other as he walked further down the train.
“Archmage, you surprise me.”
“Is it so surprising? Your necromancy…to Project Lazarus.”
Project Lazarus? What the hell was that?
The brakes of the train whined as it slowed, approaching Budapest. Outside the windows, patchwork fields yielded to city streets punctuated by clock towers and church spires. A grand train station loomed ahead.
