Page 61 of Seduce Me in Shadow

Sydney’s face softens. “There’s no one else. For the record, I didn’t tell Holly to show you the door. In fact, I mentioned my concerns about you before we ever shagged.”

“We did more than that, Sydney.”

She looks crushed. “Holly is my trusted mentor. I only asked her for advice. Whatever you believe, I never thought she’d sack you. I even asked her to reinstate you, but she refused.”

“It’s all right.”

“If you weren’t stealing my story, then why so many questions?”

God, I want to avoid answering that and simply ask if Anka is her source. But Sydney would only barrage me with more questions. The first would be, how do I know Anka, a magical woman? If I’m honest and say that she’s my brother’s former “wife,” Sydney will know I’m close to magic. After she finishes haranguing me for withholding, she’ll demand more information about magickind that isn’t mine to give—or safe for her to know. She might even think I’m one of Mathias’s minions, looking to torture Anka again. She’ll likely shut me out completely.

Not that we have any future.

“I promise, stealing your story was the last thing on my mind.”

“Then what were you doing? Why romance me? Was any of what happened between us real?”

Bloody hell, she continues to prove how direct she is. As always, I admire—no, I desire her—for it. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things I can’t say. But I owe her as much of the truth as I can divulge.

“Everything I felt, every touch, every concern, was completely real. Being with you was incredible. It was…everything. This is a terrible time in my life for romance. I should’ve stayed away. But you’re damned hard to resist.”

“So are you.”

Sydney is still looking at me expectantly. The more information I give her, the deeper down the rabbit hole she’ll try to drag me. I’ve fed her lies upon lies upon lies, and I hate them. But the truth is hardly better. The more I give her, the more she’ll insert in another story, further putting her life in danger.

Finally, a godsend of an idea makes it through the quagmire of my fatigued brain.

“I came toOut of this Realmlooking for a witch named Anka. Nothing has helped my brother’s condition, and I spoke with a…healer who believes Anka has magical powers that could help Lucan. I’ve tried everything else to make my brother whole, to no avail. Anka disappeared recently, and when I started reading your stories in the paper, I wondered if she was your source.”

Not a lie…just not the whole truth.

Regret and sadness cross Sydney’s face. “I can’t tell you that. As much as I want to help your brother…” She grimaces. “I can’t.”

I refuse to coerce her into compromising her ethics and giving me her source’s name. She’d resent me, and I can’t tolerate adding more fuel to the anger she’ll feel after tonight. Already, I feel beyond guilty for stopping the story that could help her prove her merit to the world and her stodgy parents.

“I know. And working with you under false pretenses was wrong. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be dodgy. I was desperate.”

After tonight, I’ll have to devise another strategy to locate Anka. But that’s a tomorrow-me problem.

Now I have to deceive Sydney again. I can barely think beyond my exhaustion and my need to touch her. Knowing I have to lie to her again burns—even if it’s for her own safety. And magickind’s.

“Let me prove I have no designs on your story. I came here because I’ve found two people who are experts on that old book Aquarius got you, the one you want to write about.”

“Youtoldpeople about it?” She huffs. “Too late. They can’t beat me to press.”

“I merely mentioned the book to people who can help you understand it. I swear, no one has designs on your story.”

She hesitates. “All right. Everything I’ve written about it so far is conjecture, so if you brought me experts… I’ve already turned in the next installment, but I’ve got a bit of time?—”

“You’ve written about the book?” At her nod, my stomach lurches. Fuck. She’s painting a huge red target on her forehead for Mathias. “You have until tomorrow afternoon to change it, yes?”

“Unless Holly releases it sooner. She’ll let me know in the morning.”

“Call her and tell her to hold it. You’ll want to, once you talk to my connections. Olivia Gray owns a local art gallery and is an expert in antiquities. She’s handled something remarkably similar before.”

Sydney’s face blooms with excitement. “Has she?”

Despite my searing guilt, I nod. “Indeed. I also spoke with Simon Northam. He’s?—”

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