“What?” he said with disdain.
“If you’re so unafraid of death, why does it matter what the devil wants you to do? Why suffer under his command, carrying out his orders, only to be murdered regardless?”
Cyrus’s cold expression grew somehow icier. It was a long moment before he said, finally, “I must die on my own terms.”
“Why?”
He smiled, and there was anger in it. “If you’re unable to imagine why I can’t risk an untimely death,” he said, “then you, like all others, have built your understanding of me upon a faulty foundation.”
“What nonsense.” Alizeh felt a flash of irritation. “Are you being intentionally cryptic?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.” Her irritation vanished. “Because of Iblees?”
“There’s precious little I can say on this matter,” he said with a swift shake of his head. “So I will say only this: if I’m careful with my life now, it’s because I must live long enough to accomplish something crucial. Beyond that, my beating heart is of no consequence.” He hesitated. “You have no idea what’s at stake. My life is the least of it.”
The nosta warmed at this admission, and Alizeh felt a spike of fear.
“I see,” she said softly. “So you mean to imply that you act now not in your own self-interest but for the benefit of other—”
“Do not speculate.” He cut her off, his voice taking on a note of panic. “Do not theorize out loud.”
“Okay,” she said, and swallowed. “All right.”
Heavens. This confusing web grew only more tangled by the moment. Alizeh could not then even wonder at what might be motivating Cyrus’s actions. She didn’t know enough about his life, his weaknesses, or his wants to hazard a guess.
“You appear to be in quite a predicament,” she said quietly. “Will you not tell me what you received in exchange for your bargain with the devil?”
He laughed in response, but the sound was soulless.
“I will take that as a no,” she said, and frowned.
Cyrus sighed. “And I take it you will not accept the terms of my offer.”
She lifted her head, meeting his heated eyes. “No,” she said. “But I can promise you this: I will sincerely consider it.”
Cyrus went briefly still.
Relief hit him slowly, then suddenly, so much so that he looked as if he’d been knocked back a step. He closed his eyes as he exhaled, reaching unsteadily for the wall to support his weight.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you.”
“I’ve not promised you anything yet,” she said, approaching him with some caution. When still he didn’t move, she gently prodded his chest with one finger. “You shouldn’t be so pleased.”
Cyrus opened his eyes, and for the first time since she’d met him, he looked almost happy. It turned back time on his face, made him look more youthful. His eyes were bluer,brighter. He smiled, and it was real.
She had to fight the urge to smile back.
“Come with me,” he said, straightening, and held out his hand.
Alizeh eyed his outstretched hand warily, biting her lip as she hesitated. “Why? Are you going to throw me off a cliff again?”
“Maybe later,” he said lightly.
“Then what?”
“I thought you might like to see Tulan.”
