Three red rubies set into the chunky black ring glow in the iridescent lighting.
Our surroundings crash back into focus.
The red rubies!
Mother Kadris wants me to steal the rubies from Alexei’s assassin’s ring. Every assassin wears a ring—all different—each one imbued with power that gives the assassin superhuman strength, agility, and the ability to merge into their surroundings, becoming invisible to the eye. Even supernaturals can’t detect an assassin when they’re invisible. It takes assassins years of training to fully master their magic, but Master Assassins like Alexei are the strongest, quickest, and most dangerous.
I wonder for a moment if The Proprietor somehow mistook the magic in Alexei’s ring for some sort of inherent supernatural ability, but I shake off the idea immediately. She isn’t likely to be fooled.
Stealing the rubies will be an impossible task.
Nobody messes with assassin’s rings. The magic in them is too dangerous. I can only hope that the rubies are purely for decoration, so removing them won’t hurt me, but… the removing part worries me even more. The only way to steal them will be to distract Alexei. In a big way.
How badly do I want this? Enough to endanger my heart even more than I already have?
For a moment, my resolve falters, and I stumble against the bar.
His other arm darts out to steady me.
I meet his gaze again, clearing my throat and leaning into him. “Clumsy heels. I’d much rather take them off.” I glance around, a deliberate surveillance of our surroundings. I’m satisfied to see that all of the sunken couches are taken now because it gives me an excuse to move somewhere more private. “Do you think we could find somewhere quieter?”
“I saw some free seats downstairs,” he says.
I allow myself to smile, hoping I don’t appear too eager. “That sounds perfect.”
He leaves his drink untouched on the bar as he lightly takes my arm, but I scoop up the short glass, praying it contains vodka. Alexei’s drink of choice. I take a quick sip to make sure.
He gives me a curious look, his eyes widening when I tip back my head and swallow the whole thing. The cold liquid burns my insides, giving me instant courage.
I give Alexei a challenging smile as I sashay ahead of him, tugging on his hand before I release it. “We’d better be quick or all the seats will be gone.”
I twist back to him to check that he’s following me, catching the way his gaze travels from my waist to my feet.
I don’t flatter myself that he might be checking out my figure. A man like Alexei is always vigilant. His focus is on my pace. Hewon’t have missed the fact that I’m suddenly more than happy to walk on my heels.
Making sure my ruse plays out, I wobble on my next step, deliberately reaching for him to balance myself. A slight narrowing of his eyes is the only indication that he distrusts my motives.
Damn it, he’s too perceptive.
I hate myself. I’ve never played games with him. He may have always been blunt with me, but I’ve always been honest with him, too.
Still, I tell myself to stay the course.
I want that spell. I want him to feel emotion again.
If I don’t get the spell, I’ll regret it forever and I’m done living with regrets.
Not giving Alexei time to think, I draw him across the rooftop to the rainbow stairs, clambering through the neon cloud, squeezing past other couples walking upward, and leading him past the band as we return to the second level.
I’m grateful when he follows me, since I’m not strong enough to compel him to go anywhere. I quickly draw him past the purple cube and along the second-level walkway while the beat thumps around us and the dance floor lights glimmer from the level below.
Happily, I find that the circular chairs are all occupied.
I don’t want a chair. I want a cube.
It’s hard enough for me to let my guard down, let alone when I’m surrounded by people. What I need to do next requires me to let my guard down in a big way…
“Damn,” I say, my speech exaggerated. “We’ll be lucky to find a place to sit.”
