He squeezes me lightly. “Not you specifically, but I will say I have company. It will be best, otherwise he might believe I am ill, and then there will be healers parading through here. If I say there is awein my room, andwedo not want to be disturbed, there is no further explanation needed.”
I can’t argue with his logic, so I let it go. “As long as he doesn’t come into the room, that should be fine.”
Nico squeezes me again. “Emilio would not say anything anyway. He and Anna are very trustworthy.” As anticipated, there’s a soft knock, and Nico bolts over me, grabbing his pants from the floor and pulling them on while he stumbles to the door. Opening it a crack, he murmurs something to whoever is on the other side, most likely Emilio, then opens it enough to take a small tray with a mug, a pot of steaming liquid, and fruit. “Thank you.” Nico shuts the door, deposits the tray on the table, and crawls back into bed. “I have asked Emilio to turn away all visitors and not to disturb us until lunch.”
“So he has nothing to say about an unannounced overnight visitor?” I roll over and raise an eyebrow at him. “Do you do this often?”
He shakes his head, grinning. “He was a bit surprised. I got The Eyebrow.” I look expectantly at him until he continues. “When something out of the ordinary happens, or Emilio is displeased, he raises one eyebrow and stares at you until you explain yourself.” He points at my face. “Very similar to that expression right there. And it happens that I am quite familiar withThe Eyebrow, having both shocked and displeased him many times.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I need to hear all of those stories.” Nico pinches me as I roll away in a poor attempt to escape.
He crawls off the bed again and kisses my cheek. “I will be right back.” He stumbles sleepily through a door just to the left of the ones for the balcony. I can make out light stone-colored walls and not much else. There’s a long groan and splashing. That’s followed by the sound of running water. A few minutes later, he shuffles into the room, takes one look at me, grins mischievously, and makes a running leap at the bed. He flings himself on top of me before rolling to the side and flopping onto his back. Sometimes it’s difficult to remember he’s only three years younger than I am. We’ve lived such different lives. I laugh at his antics and take the opportunity to roll out of the bed to use the facilities myself. “You’re lucky you didn’t press on my bladder. Then we’d have a real mess to clean up.”
The bathroom is a marvel of witchwork engineering, rivaling some I saw in magazines on Earth. No expense hadbeen spared to install a tub big enough to fit four adults comfortably. Who needs a bathtub that big? After a bit of investigation, I locate the toilet in a small alcove and relieve myself, staring at the amenities with appreciation. Only two nights ago, I’d been staying across town in a room where a table and chair were a luxury.
I finish, wash my hands in what appears to be a mother-of-pearl basin, and dry them on a towel that is so soft I consider stealing it. When I walk into the bedroom, Nico is sitting at the table on the balcony. I step through the open doorway and join him in the warm morning sunlight. He brushes his fingertips along my arm. “Emilio brought another mug and more food. Are you hungry? Coffee?”
“Coffee would be appreciated. Thank you.” I sit and recall the last time I’d been in this very spot. My body heats up, and it’s not from the morning sun. “Although I haven’t seen much of it, what I have seen of your house is absolutely amazing.”
Nico hands me a steaming mug. “Therearea few benefits to being my father’s son.” He pours more coffee into his own cup and sits in the opposite chair. “I would love to show youmyhouse in Bayit one day. There are not a lot of neighbors, and the few I do have are not too close. It is somewhere you can actually breathe and hear yourself think. Mamma loved it there. We would stay each summer, when city life got too crowded and hot.”
I try to picture it, but all I can recall of my few assignments in the city of Oht is vineyard after vineyard and lots of dirt. I don’t mention that. “It sounds lovely.” I take a large gulp of coffee, and the remnants of sleep dissipate.My gaze wanders over Nico. “You look good all rumpled from sleep.” His curls go every which way, full lips crooked in a half-awake grin, and his eyes sparkle. He pulls a grape from the bunch and parts his lips, slowly placing it on his tongue before crushing it between his teeth. “You are such a tease. Be careful what you start because I may finish it.”
Nico continues to pick fruit from the plate and enticingly eat each piece while staring directly at me. “I have no idea what you mean, Bello. I am just eating breakfast.”
I chuckle and eat a bit as well, letting part of my mind consider an idea that began to form while Nico talked about Oht. “Tell me more aboutyourhouse.”
Nico’s eyes take on a faraway gaze. “It is incredibly beautiful. The rooms are bright and airy, with large doors leading to patios or balconies. There are lush gardens full of the flowers that Mamma loved, and from the terrace, there are amazing views of the Hamun Sea and the vineyards. The master bedroom is breathtaking. One entire wall is windows looking out over the gardens and the lake. The adjoining bathing area is twice as large as the one I have here.” He smirks. “The bed is amazing—large and comfortable. We could spend all day there.”
I grin, enjoying the suggestion. “And who takes care of the property when you aren’t there?”
Nico sips his coffee and absently runs fingers through his curls. “There are a few servants who live there. They keep the place going. I usually send word a few days ahead of my visit, and they get everything ready. Sometimes Emilio and Anna accompany me. It gives them an opportunity to visit relatives who still live in Oht.”
“And there aren’t any neighbors within close proximity to the house?”
Nico eyes me carefully. “No close neighbors. Why do you ask?”
I debate what to say. The truth, or at least part of it, is the best option. I look out over the lawn. “This assignment I have—the first part will be done soon, and I’ll need to find someplace to, shall we say, become invisible for a while.”
The silence drags on a bit uncomfortably. I finally risk a glance at him, only to find his penetrating gaze aimed directly at me. “Stay with me in Oht. Stay as long as you need—as long as you would like. I can tell everyone that I am going to check on the property, so no one will wonder. I can work from there for a few weeks without issue. When I must come back, if you are not able to return to Panah City by then, you can stay for as long as you need. Please Bello, let me do this for you.”
Overwhelmed by his earnestness, it takes a moment before I can respond. “You barely know me. You have no idea what my assignment is or whether you’d approve. You have no idea who I am. And yet you offer your home to me without question. Why?”
His silver gaze turns steely gray and latches onto mine. “I am a merchant, Bello. One of the best. My gift amplifies my already natural ability to spot a valuable opportunity and determine if it is worth the risk. I have a talent for seeing people as they truly are and not as they would have others perceive them to be.” I consider asking if he means hisClear Sight, but decide against it. “And you, I see very clearly. Yes, you are dangerous. Deadly, in fact. Youwould not have survived the Shabah training otherwise.” He stands and walks around the table, squatting beside my chair. “But I see the good in you as well. You live by a set of rules, and though they may be a bit morally gray,”—his lips quirk into a wry grin—“and some might find that questionable, I do not. As I said, I am a merchant. There are times we need to move in morally gray areas too.” He places his hand over my heart, covering the two daggers inked into my skin. “You are a good person, Bello. Here, where it counts. And that is why I trust you.”
I stare into his eyes and see nothing but guileless truth. I’m teetering at the precipice, debating which way to fall, wondering if I should trust my gut. But I have to. It’s a promise I made to myself after Kas’s death. No more self-doubt. No more ignoring my instincts. I wrap my fingers around his wrist and press it to the ink over my heart. “You asked me once what this meant. And it’s time you know.”
Chapter 14
Secrets Shared
With practice, I keep my heart rate steady and my breathing even, but beneath the surface, I’m waging a battle between habits that have kept me safe most of my life and taking a step closer to the person I think I might want to be. Someone more open and honest, free of the past and the taint of the corrupt Shabah.
A detached calm settles over me, as if I’m standing on the opposite side of the balcony, watching things unfold rather than trying to carefully choose my words. “I used to be part of a Shabah unit. They’re not common; we usually work alone. Kas and I trained together, ate together, shared assignments.” I pause and stare out over the peaceful garden, remembering Kas, every beautiful detail painfully clear. His light brown curls and warm olive skin. The easy way we worked in tandem, fighting or fucking, like we were one person, not two. The soft caress of his lips, the firm grip of his hand, how our bodies fit perfectly even with our height difference. My chest aches with the memory, but my voice remains steady, almost flat. “No one could touch us. We were invincible. Or we thought we were.” My mind helpfully shows me Kas’s wide-eyed shock and disbelief, the flash of betrayal, and then understanding and acceptance, all milliseconds apart.
“Very powerful people wanted to ensure that their associates came to power.” Rage consumes me as I think about the reasons Kas is dead and how little it matters to anyone but me. “Those same people still want that. We were given an assignment. Told it had to be ours. No one else could complete the contract. We followed through unquestioningly, as we always did. As we’d been trained to do.” I dig my nails into my palm. “After”—I struggle for words—“much later, I found out that we’d been sent into a trap. I watched my best friend, my love, die because of greed and ambition.” I remember Kas’s soft smile as he looked up at me. The light fading from his eyes as he died in my arms. “He accepted his death. Like he had any choice. His sacrifice was required solely to further the political gain of people who only see us as tools.” I press Nico’s hand to my chest, reminding him of the mark. “Kas is the beautiful, intricate, pristine dagger. And I’m the dark blade, devoid of beauty, dripping with innocent blood.”
“What did you do?”
