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My emotions are a mess. I can’t deny that everything that brought us closer wasn’t part of a plan to kill him, but that’s not everything. I don’t want him harmed if he’s not the one responsible for the murders.
“Oh!” I jerk my head up and reach for him, remembering that I had cut him. But I stop myself, curling my fingers into my palms, and lowering my arms before I make contact. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cut you… I mean, Idid, but not?—”
Thomas rolls his shoulder forward. “You are not like other women, Lady Hall. You are quite skilled at fighting. I think you would have had me if I were human.”
I snort. All my life, I’ve been told I’m different. Sometimes as a complement, other times as an insult. Everyone loves to generalize about everyone else.
“You’re wrong, Lord Morgan,” I say. “I amexactlylike other women. We all have different skills and interests unique to us all, because we are all individuals.”
He blinks and his head tilts slightly. For a moment, he seems to struggle to form a response. “My apologies,” he says finally. “Of course, you are correct. What I should have said was: your fighting abilities were unexpected as such a skill is not commonly taught to many—man or woman.”
Realizing now isn’t the best time to quibble over semantics, I clamp my mouth shut.
“I cannot see through Mesto’s eyes, but they do tell me of things they see.” he says simply.
Thomas takes half a step closer. I retreat to keep the space between us. Something in him shifts. Whatever confidence I had moments ago vanishes like a hiss of smoke.
“Now that I’ve answered your question, perhaps you would be so kind as to tell me why you are really here?” he continues with a dangerous edge, warning that one wrong move could cut. He nods to the night-forged silver blade in my hand. “You don’t strike me as the type to steal valuable belongings for monetary gain—so you must want that for some other reason.”
My throat has gone dry. I’m not sure what I can say that wouldn’t be a lie, but not so truthful he will kill me for it.
“You apologized for wounding me. Which means you are either the world’s most empathetic assassin, or you don’t quite have the stomach for murder you thought you did.”
“I am not a murderer,” I rasp.Not yet, anyway,But I don’t say that part out loud.
“Then please, enlighten me.”He gestures with his hand for me to attempt an explanation.
I can tell he’s reining his anger in, though barely. The crimson rings flash in his eyes—this time they don’t dim as if he’s preparing to compel me to if I don’t answer him… and quickly.
“I came to stop you….”
Deceptive.
Murderer.
Monster.
Though I cannot bring myself to throw the accusations at him.
“Lady Hall, I might be a patient man, but I do not possess an an endless supply.” He reaches out and hooks a lock of my hair around a finger, then lets it slide back against my shoulder.
My hands have gone ice cold. I ball them at my sides, attempting to hide my shaking. “From killing anyone else.”
Thethump, thump, thumpof my pulse roars in my ears as I wait for him to react. There is little chance he’ll let me go as I am now that I’ve confirmed knowing about the one thing that could ruin him.
“You believe I am the one behind these murders?”
Who elsecouldit be?Is what I should say, what comes out instead is, “I don’t know.”
Thomas raises his gaze to hold mine. “Then why, Zadie?”
The hurt on his face knocks me aback. It’s so genuine that it only creates more doubt. It would be far easier for him to compel me into believing a lie, even threaten or kill me instead of manipulating me.
“This is what you were doing the night of the equinox,” he says more to himself.
He gradually pieces our plans together. My chest aches with a hollowness from my deception, and his form blurs in front of me.
“ So from the beginning, everything has been a lie?” Thomas asks.
