My breath leaves in a sudden rush, my fingers on his arm going limp. “You… knew?”
“Of course, I knew. He had his fucking family’s ring on his finger.” His lip curls. “Any good thief knows the Bauers and that dragon’s hoard of a personal museum they have. It’d be the heist of all heists and the acquirers are hungry to get their hands on it.”
He steps towards me and my eyes burn, looking up into his darkened gaze. “Tell me. Did Valentin want his side piece back? Miss slumming it while bathed in luxury and riches?” He’s angry, I can see it written all over his face, but not at me. “Why did you two end it? Did his daddy get mad when he found out? I can’t imagine Vincentius took the relationship well when his son was betrothed.”
Perhaps it’s shock from Lucas’ assumptions of who I was, or maybe it’s spite from the belittlement of what I had, but the words slip from my numbed lips. “I was his betrothed. It was him I got the hair from.”
Silence rings. Lucas’ eyes widen, jaw going lax. I can’t breathe, my throat tight. He whispers, “Who are you?”
Shame ripples down me and all I can do is take in breaths to keep the tears from escaping. My gaze drops.
It’s the wrong thing to do. I know it the moment I hear the pain in his exhale. I prepare my words, all my reasoning, all my excuses. I prepare for the argument that I’ll meet head-on with all the anger my pain fuels, so I don’t have to feel anything else.
What I don’t prepare for are the sounds of his boots retreating.
My eyes snap up. “Where are you going?”
He reaches the three small steps to the front door without looking back or responding.
Panic throbs all-consuming within me. My magic pulses and thrums in my body. Time slows and I step, pouring my power into the dash that will shred my muscles. My body doesn’t tolerate the pour of magic into it to enhance strength and speed well. My head spins, but I don’t care.
I beat Lucas to the second step, throwing my hands out. His chest collides with my palms and air whooshes from my lungs. I pant heavily, my legs shaking.
Lucas stumbles back into the main foyer. His honey eyes go from wide in surprise to narrow in vexation. “Move.”
I match his glare. “No.”
He tries to push by me, but a barrier crackles angrily. Lucas’ breath catches before he glowers down at me. “Trapping me?Really?”
His rings splutter before glowing and he flexes his fingers. The gold threads pierce my magic like needles through my chest, and a pain-filled breath leaves me. The threads fall limp before shimmering out of existence.
Rage, or frustration, flashes across his face. He glares down at me and I drop the barrier. For now. I’m ready to throw it back up if he tries to step forward again.
A few tense moments pass before Lucas releases a frustrated breath. “Astoria!”
My jaw clenches stubbornly. “Don’t call me that.”
“Why? It’s your name and you’ve made it abundantly clear that I’m not important to you. You wouldn’t let that blueblood asshole call you ‘Tori,’ so maybe I shouldn’t either.”
“How can you say that? Lucas!”
“What?” He steps up to me, his gaze shadowing. “Tell me. Why would that not be true?”
I’m out of breath for a whole new reason. Pain and panic lacerate my heart. I bleed all my emotions into his name. “Lucas.”
His voice is low. “What, Astoria?”
The burning gets worse.
“Say it.”
I swallow. “You’re my friend.”
A small sob escapes. Tears slip free from the poorly patched dam of my emotions. It takes a few desperate breaths before I can speak again. “I know you’re mad at me and need space, but—” I point at the door. “If you leave, you’ll be exposed and in danger. Your rings aren’t fully working. Lucas. Lucas!” I accidentally scream his name when he looks away and his attention snaps back to me.
He’s searching me, his face carefully closed. Panic and fear suffocate me. “What if this is a trap? What if this isn’t about me, but about you?” My mind grapples with this other aspect, even though it’s not nearly as plausible. But I’ll say anything to keep Lucas safe in this shop. “What if the book and the venom were all so Dimitar can finally have his revenge for you leaving the Guild? What if it’s so he can cut off your fingers to get your rings?”
Round and round, my mind spirals. My eyes are too wide, my breathing out of control. Sparks crackle from my fingers as I rake them through my hair, the magic causing the strands toshift and flow around me. “I can’t… I can’t…” I gasp for air, eyes closing. “I can’tlose you, Lucas.”
