Page 99 of Heart of Thieves

He brushes a tear from my lashes. “Your game is spectacular, Nocturne,” he says softly. “As are your illusions. The Liar’s Den would be lucky to be run by a seaspawn of your caliber.”

“Seaspawn?” I reply with a coy smile. “How do you know my magic comes from the Deep? Maybe I’m actually starblessed. Sent by the gods to rule the world.”

He chuckles. “Starblesseds are not capable of kissing people the way you just kissed me. That was utter sin, little thief.”

The sound of the nickname draws contented goose bumps along every inch of my skin.

That’s how it’s supposed to sound, how it’s supposed to feel.

“Why don’t we find somewhere else to hide before Laurel shows up?” he says, leaning in to draw his lips along my jaw. “She’s not going to take kindly to being ejected from my body.”

“Okay,” I gasp, trembles chasing through me.

He pulls me upright, then bends to retrieve my discarded jacket. But as he rises, his attention snags on my wrist.

On my tattoo.

His smile fades. “You’re a Tentacle?”

“He’s all I have, Nic.”

“What about me?” His gaze raises to mine.

“You said no, remember?” The tears stinging in my eyes are hotter now, as though full of all the anger and pain I’ve had to keep at bay. “You told me what happened between us was a lie. You turned me away.”

“But you returned to him? Surely you knew better by that point.” His voice comes out harsh, echoing against the walls.

“Where else was I supposed to go?” I snap, jamming my arms into my sleeves and pulling the bloodstained jacket back on. “Honestly and truly, Nic, think for two seconds. I had no one else.”

“My brother kept you secluded and controlled. Surely living on your own would offer more freedom.”

“Freedom, maybe,” I say, viciously doing up the buttons. “But not answers.”

“So why did you not simply ask him your questions and leave?” That vein is pulsing in his temple again. “You didn’t need to join his starsdamned gang for that. You didn’t have to have him”—his nostrils flare—“branded into your skin.”

I finish my buttons and cross my arms over my chest, nerves starting to buzz under my skin. Enzo’s clearly noticed the barrage of emotions I’ve experienced over the past quarter hour, but I don’t have time for his scrutiny, not now. I shove him down. “It’s not a brand,” I snap at Nic. “It’s a tattoo.”

“Do you care about him still? After all the lies he told you? The way he manipulated and controlled you?” Nic’s words are slow and steady, but his fists clench so tightly his knuckles turn white. “You deserve so much better than that.”

I shake my head. “It’s not that simple.”

“It is, though.” He studies me for a moment. “Did you get your answers? Has he treated you better? Has he apologized at the very least?”

“He has. A thousand times,” I say quietly. “But no answers yet.”

“Why not?”

“It’s . . .” I swallow as the buzz in my skin intensifies, and I rub my palms over my arms, trying to make it go away. “The Unbreakable Lie, actually. I rolled it to make him believe I trust him.”

He squeezes his eyes shut. “You didn’t.” He raises a quivering hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. “You were warned . . .”

“Yeah,” I snap. “You said ‘be careful of the deception you sow . . . for it cannot be undone.’ Very nonspecific.”

“What else was that supposed to mean?” he asks.

“No.” I shake my head. “You could have said, ‘Hey, Lola, this die is going to force you to conform to whatever it thinks you need to do in order to keep the person you lied to from discovering you did so.’ Would have been a lot more helpful than your stupid riddles.”

“So you’re a Tentacle now. With no answers. And a curse.” He opens his eyes. “And you want me to take the blame for that?”