Page 85 of Heart of Thieves

Cold splinters through me, seizing my limbs.

Laurel has had enough.

“But then you looked through the telescope,” Lola says softly, unaware of the ice plunging along every vein in my body as Laurel assumes control.

I fight back desperately. What might she do here, alone with Lola where neither Enzo nor St. James could protect her if things go wrong?

But Laurel’s too powerful, her hold too secure. She raises and lowers my shoulder, forcing a grin. “And when I looked through the telescope, there they were,” she says with my mouth. “The most spectacular stars I’ve ever seen. Too beautiful to be anything but gods.”

“What?” Lola blinks, her hand going still against my jaw.

“Sure, they seemed like burning balls of gas,” Laurel continues, “but only a pompous people idolizing their own selves would expect deities to look like them.”

Lola steps back, releasing me. “Where did you go? What just happened?”

Laurel moves me forward, each step a jerk of my leg sending disgust radiating through me. My heart roars in my ears.

Don’t you dare touch her, I want to scream.

But all I can do is watch.

“I’m right here,” Laurel soothes, “Astra.”

And now, suddenly, the fear is gone. The panic has dissipated. All that’s left is an irritation that has me seeing red.

I had this well in hand, but she just called Lola Astra, and now there’s no way Lola will fall for any damn thing Laurel tries.

“What’s happened to you?” Lola whispers, staring like I’ve grown a second head. “Where is Laurel?”

“Laurel?” Laurel laughs, a chillingly disjointed sound in my throat that makes the hair rise on the back of my neck. “She’s probably down-stairs trying to find clues to get out of the enclosure, just like everyone else. We won’t need to worry about her . . .” She takes a step closer, raises my hand to slide my fingers into Lola’s hair. “. . . interrupting, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Gods. Kill me now.

Lola’s eyes flick back and forth between mine. “What are you doing?”

“Did you miss me?” Laurel purrs, dipping closer.

Lola sighs, and her breath warms my mouth, tremulous and exactly as before. And gods, suddenly my lips are remembering the feel of hers, and my hands are remembering the curve of her hips, and my tongue is remembering the taste of her skin, and I wish I could shove Laurel out so I could claim this moment for myself.

“No,” Lola says quietly. “I miss Nic.” She pulls away from my grasp, crossing her arms.

As though realizing defeat, Laurel releases me back into command. Scrambling, I try to pick up the pieces of the disaster she just created.

“That was inappropriate,” I say. “Please accept my apologies.”

Lola’s eyes narrow. “No.”

We stare at each other, that word pressing us further apart some-how, cold and solid as a wall between us. I won’t be able to reach her again anytime soon. Best to finish things up and figure out another approach later.

“This is for you.” I extract a piece of paper from my pocket. “Make sure these twelve people are in the final round.”

“Ah. Our deal,” she says, taking it from me and unfolding it, reviewing the list Laurel and I put together. “Who are these folks?”

I open my mouth to respond, but Laurel, clearly frustrated at my lack of drive, jumps into the driver’s seat yet again. “Why are you doing this game, Nocturne?” she asks, sidestepping Lola’s question. “What benefit do you get from it?”

Lola glares, refolding the paper. “Why do you care which contestants make it to the final round?”

“So defensive, little thief,” Laurel says, and I hate that she picked up on that nickname. With Laurel’s lilt, it sounds like a curse. “So many secrets.”