He takes a hearty sip of his black coffee and his smirk turns playful. “Is that so? What a scandalous new life. Cream, black-market dealings… What will you do next?”
“I learned how to drive a car.”
He laughs, and I didn’t realize how much I missed it until now. The ice is gone from his gaze, his smile bright and genuine. “Oh, I’m sure the population in Havenport dipped as a result.”
I return his smile. “I’ll have you know, I’m quite skilled at it.” Lies. Lucas swears he aged a decade that day. A giggle escapes and I cock a playful brow at the small table between us. “No breakfast? Such poor service. Your host skills are lacking.”
“My apologies. Please don’t tell my mother about the lapse of decorum.”
“Ah, yes. The dreaded Rossana review. Don’t worry, I won’t subject you to such a thing. I might be a vicious criminal, but even I have my limits.” What I wouldn’t give for a plate of the famous Bauer ginger scones, not because I feel hungry, but for the enjoyment of the treat. They’re the perfect balance of sweet and spicy.
Wait—I quickly count the hours since I ate. Fuck, I should be hungry, but there’s nothing. Not even thirst. I add more cream until my coffee is beige, with the promise that I’ll ask for food after my plan is completed. I can’t risk my power reserves oversomething so trivial as forgetting to eat at a time like this. I nearly scald myself from the massive gulp.
Hunger and thirst might be absent, but my other bodily desires are completely unharmed by the corruption symptoms. I can’t take my eyes off Valen. The amount of desire I still have for this man is staggering. Even exhausted, he sits with an elegant grace that few could ever hope for. My eyes travel up his slacks to his shirt, lingering on the open collar, where his throat dips so perfectly. I want nothing more than to lick along it, my lips closing around one of the framing tendons. My gaze returns to his beautiful face and our eyes lock. Time slows to a moment of breaths and I almost cross the space to fall into his arms, plan be damned.
But Lucas.
I swallow another sip. As subtly as I can, I take a calming breath before shifting my expression to one of concern. “Were you in the hidden library this whole time?”
Valen doesn’t answer immediately. The silence spikes my anxiety, and it’s made worse by his assessment of me over the rim of his cup. “I was. And I discovered where your amulet is.”
The world spins. My eyelids flutter, breath huffing out. It’s an effort not to slump in my chair or openly weep. “And?”
Valen’s smirk transforms his face and all the staggering relief vanishes with the dropping of my stomach. This shift takes all the softness from him and now I’m facing a devil.
A little nagging thought suggests that if I hadn’t stolen the unicorn hair from him, then he might’ve been more willing to simply give me the amulet, but I shove it viciously aside.
I lean on the chair’s arm, my opposite shoulder dropping. The robe slips partially down my arm. “What do you want, Valen?”
“That is the question, isn’t it?” His gaze lingers on my exposed collarbone and neck, where the mark he left glows in thefirelight. But instead of coming closer and falling for my trap, he leans back in his chair. “In return for my assistance in retrieving it, and for my silence, I want you to come back.”
Laughter explodes from me before I can stop it. I lean away and cover my mouth to muffle the sound. “That’s all? Abandon my life and everything I’ve built and come back. Why don’t I rope the moon while I’m at it?” I shake my head. “Come back. Insanity.”
He sits, perfectly calm, a smug tilt to his smile.
I pause. “You’re serious?”
“Deadly.”
A scoff comes unbidden. “Be reasonable, Valen. That’s hardly a fair trade.”
“I’m being very reasonable, seeing as I have your magician locked away.”
Rage burns my face. I almost bolt to my feet, but force myself to stay seated. Taking covert breaths while in a corset is much harder than I remembered, but I must find a way to remain calm and keep my composure. Losing this game is not an option.
My eyes narrow. “Valen, I’m dead if I return to the city without that amulet.”
“I’m unsurprised. Only a desperate fool would steal from my family and here you are doing it twice. Well, attempting to,” he corrects with an arrogant smile.
I glare. “How long are you going to hold that over me?”
“For however long I wish, my dear. I’m not the thief here.” He takes another careful sip. His eyes glint. He’s confident. His body relaxed, his hand resting on his knee.
Of course, he would use this to force me back to the Order. It was his original motivation for seeking me out. His father gave him a task, and Valen isn’t one to fail. I chew on my tongue furiously. “How about a counteroffer?”
“I doubt you have anything that could sway me from this, but you are free to try.”
My stress surges. I need to get him to concede quickly. Corruption is advancing faster than I anticipated and I’m becoming slower and slower to recognize it. Like a slip into insanity, the farther I fall, the less I’ll notice, until I’m so far gone that I am more rotting creature than weaver. And then there are my threads to worry about.
