“Had I known you were coming, I would have made an itinerary for all the lectures we should attend,” he spoke sweetly to her, enticing her with familiar speech. “Have you seen some of the upcoming patents in the pharmaceutical section yet?”
“We just arrived!” Alina said excitedly before she looked back at me, a concerned look on her face when my demeanor changed. “Silas was kind enough to bring me,” she awkwardly introduced, circling back to my side.
Good girl.
“Would you like to join us, Viktor?”
No.
“Of course!” Viktor smiled, joining her on the opposite side.
“The more, the merrier.” I forced a rigid smile, but my attention stayed on him.
As we circled to what looked like the biology segment, I noticed some illustrations of plants and some bottles lined up by one of the displays. There were some inelegant men in very questionable fashion in deep conversation about a diagram while holding tinctures.
“Alina, head off that way. I think I will stay behind,” I told her, plucking a pamphlet from the table at the room’s entrance, placing it in her hand, and guiding her forward. She glanced inannoyance at me, but soon found her attention on the many enticing distractions.
Viktor went to follow her, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the wall, away from the crowd.
“Let her be,” I warned.
“What is it? Afraid she may disappear with me if you lose sight of her?” Viktor teased, leaning against the wall as his eyes followed her.
“I have full confidence in her ability to navigate a crowd without getting kidnapped by her creepy peer.”
“Kidnap? I was thinking of asking her nicely to come with me. Just becauseyourmind is in a gutter doesn’t mean mine is as well,” he mocked. “I can be quite charming when I have to be.”
“Off-putting is more like it.”
“I get that you are upset. There is no need to take it out on her though. We are working together whether you like it or not.”
“What do you study anyway?” I mumbled. “I find it hard to believe you are a student.”
“While I am flattered that I do not look like the scholarly type”—he laughed—“I am studying orthopedics.”
I raised my brow at him.
“The study of bones. Though I find my calling in the spine.” His stare burned into mine as he paused, a devilish smirk creating a dimple in his cheek. “Spinal fluid is almost as valuable as blood to the body, you know.”
It’s him. It’s Luka.
I departed abruptly, pushing through the crowd until I found my shadow gathered by some plants. They were in the middle of a discussion, but I didn’t need her spending a single minute here. If only I had known that the danger had followed her despite my efforts to create distance between her and those looking for the Poisoner.
“Alina, we are leaving.” I grabbed her hand and pulling her through the crowd and away from the presentation.
“What was that? You don’t need to be rude.” She glared at me.
“Apologies. Can’t help myself,” I muttered distractedly, pulling her to the exit.
Over my shoulder, I could see the third person in our little relationship. Those dark eyes followed us out of the crowd from the corner of the room, though there was no expression of contempt. He raised a brow at me before checking his timepiece mockingly. Luka Novikov turned his back and disappeared into the crowd.
I pulled her into the first coach parked out front.
“I thought we would spend longer,” she complained.
I pulled a long rectangular wooden box from my coat pocket, holding it out to her, which made her lose her train of thought completely.
“Open it,” I prompted her.
