Page 55 of What Is Dark Within Me

“No,” he snorted.

“Why not?” Aleja tapped on the glass of a locked display case, within which a beautiful sickle rested on a velvet pillow. The metal of its blade was almost translucent, with waves of pink, mint green, and violet passing over it like the bands of the northern lights. She wondered what the hell she was supposed to be looking for.

“He’s not the sort of person who interests me.”

“And? What sort of person interests you?”

“It’s a case-by-case basis. Sometimes, I’m drawn to people who might actually learn a lesson. It’s rarer than you think.” Nicolas seemed uninterested in any of the room’s objects, including the sickle, which Aleja was certain could be sold for enough cash to buy a private island. He crouched in front of the large writing desk at the room’s center, tapping at the drawers with his index finger. She tried hard not to stare at his hands with their glossy black nails.

“Did my great-great-grandfather and his brothers learn their lesson?”

“No. A miscalculation on my part, but at least I could save others from their misery. Ah. Clever doctor. There’s Otherlander magic here. Tricky to get past, even for me.” He sat back on the chair, his elbows propped up on the desk.

“So it is possible to hide something from the Knowing One?”

“Not for long,” he said. “Come here.”

He held one of his hands to her. She wasn’t afraid of him, not anymore, but when his eyes met hers, it felt like her blood was being pumped backward through her heart.

“What do I do?” she asked.

“Nothing. The physical contact should be enough to channel some of your—my—power back into me. It’ll be like when we scried together.”

She raised an eyebrow, forcing him to continue.

“Our marriage—the bargain already linked us. The bond doubly so.”

“Ugh, fine. Just get it over with.”

The sensation started in her lower stomach, spreading down her inner thighs and up into her chest. It was like sinking into a bubble bath. It was like the first cool rain after a heat wave. She couldn’t tell if Nicolas was similarly affected, but his eyes were glazed as he examined the locked drawer.

She had to stop herself from sighing as he pulled her so close that she practically fell into his lap. “Sorry, I—”

“It’s the bond. It’ll pass in a moment,” he said in a rasping voice.

They jumped as the door creaked open. Nicolas was on his feet before she could register that someone else was entering the room. His hand flew to her mouth, dragging her back into a shadowed corner as light swept across the office. She stared in horror at the two figures that came stumbling into the room, clinging to one another.

It was the woman who’d been barefoot downstairs; now, she’d also shed the silk scarf in her hair. She gave a soft laugh as she leaned into the man Aleja recognized from scrying with the Unholy Relic. He wore a well-cut suit, though he too was disheveled, a bit of gray chest hair poking out from the undone buttons of his shirt.

Nicolas relaxed his grip and maneuvered Aleja behind him.

The woman kissed the doctor on the mouth, her hands looping around his belt, before she gave the room and its relics her attention. “Do you really have some here?” she said. Her voice was low, graveled by alcohol. Aleja noticed a faint, sea-water green bruise on the woman’s collarbone. She was pale beneath the bronzer on her cheeks.

“Not enough,” the doctor said, pulling his mouth away.

“But I can take the sip you have?” the woman asked. Her eyes—which were framed by impressively symmetrical winged liner—scanned the shelves but passed over the strange floating lights and precious flowers as if they were trinkets at a corner store.

“My, Louisa. One might think you were only at my party because you wanted something from me,” the doctor said. He had an accent that wasn’t exactly British, though his vowels were rounded and lyrical. It reminded Aleja of the way people spoke in old movies.

Louisa gave another sultry laugh and slapped his arm. “Of course not. I’m also at your party to drink your nice Champagne and find a rich occultist to marry. The well water is a pleasant bonus.”

The doctor’s eyes softened, and Aleja understood why his expression made her feel queasy. He was a fucking liar. This was the exact way he’d looked at Violet as Aleja watched him through the relic’s memories.

“It’s progressing quickly,” James asked, running his index finger along the dip above Louisa’s collarbone. Aleja wanted to retch.

“Is it that obvious?” Louisa sighed. “I like you, James. I’m not just here about the well water, you must know that—”

“I’m sorry,” James said, “It’s my profession. I can’t help but notice. Why don’t you head back downstairs? I’m sure everyone has trickled out by now. Go look at the night garden in peace, and I’ll bring the water down to you. We can visit my brother together later this week.”

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