But what came out was: “Yeah. You should have.”
Lehrer moved round the arm of the sofa now, into Noam’s line of view. His face was still set in a mask of false concern. “You know I only ever do what’s best for you, Noam. Such experiences are educational.”
Noam stared back at him with a flat gaze.
Lehrer tapped his tongue against the backs of his teeth, an admonishing sound. “This petulance is unbecoming. You should have grown out of that by now. You must, if you ever hope to gain real power.”
Noam’s answering anger was too quick, too waspish to control: “And how much power is left to go around, Chancellor?”
Lehrer’s expression stilled—and when he tilted his head, the light from the hearth cast long shadows below his cheekbones, at his temples, transforming his face—however briefly—into something terrifying and macabre.
But when he spoke again, his voice was soft, even paternal. “What brought this on?” he murmured. He moved closer, away from the flickering fire and into the lake of yellow light that fell beneath the lamp on Noam’s end table. His steps were slow and sure, movements steady as a ship cutting through cold water. “It wasn’t so long ago you still believed in what we can achieve together. What have I done to convince you to abandon everything we’ve worked for?”
Really? He was really asking that question?
Noam shoved his book aside and stood. Not that it did him much good; Lehrer still towered over him, same way he towered over everything.
“Maybe I’m sick of your methods.”
Lehrer drew nearer still, until Noam had to take a step away, putting the coffee table between them. “It’s Dara, isn’t it?” Lehrer said softly. “You’ve been going over there ... letting him put ideas in your head ...”
“It has nothing to do with Dara.”
“Of course it does. Everything does, with you—with both of us. Don’t lie to me, Noam.”
Persuasion.God, it was—had to be.
Dread fell like a heavy stone into Noam’s gut.
Noam shook his head once, roughly. “I’m going,” he said. “I’m leaving. I need to—I’m going back to the barracks. We can talk about this tomorrow.”
Something crossed Lehrer’s face then, a shadow far deeper than any the fire had cast. Noam turned and headed for the door, quick strides—he needed distance, needed a shut door between the both of them—
But Lehrer was faster. Always faster.
He caught up with Noam in the hall, hand grasping Noam’s wrist and tugging him back hard enough Noam stumbled.
“Don’t,” Lehrer said. Their gazes met; Lehrer’s glittered with something unseen and dangerous. “We aren’t finished here.”
“Let go of me.”
Lehrer didn’t let go.
“Where is it you have to go so quickly?”
“I told you, the barracks—”
A smile twisted Lehrer’s lips. “And that’s where you’d rather be, is it? Not here. Not with me.”
Noam pulled his arm against Lehrer’s tightening grip. It accomplished nothing. “Calix. Let—”
He didn’t finish. Lehrer’s mouth crushed against his, swallowing up the words in a kiss. Lehrer pressed him back, pinning Noam against the wall with one hand braced over his shoulder, Lehrer’s teeth catching his lower lip, Lehrer’s other hand abandoning Noam’s arm in favor of sliding down from his waist toward his thigh.
“Don’t pretend you don’t want this,” Lehrer said against Noam’s numb mouth. “Don’t act like you don’t—”
Noam twisted his head aside, forcing Lehrer’s kiss to graze his jaw instead—and somehow that was what it took to make Lehrer release him, taking a sharp step back toward the opposite wall.
Noam’s pulse was a wild thing between his ribs, his skin alight with chills as he pushed himself upright. He and Lehrer stared at each other for a moment, Lehrer gone still like he was actuallysurprisedfor once in his ancient life.
