Page 90 of This Monster of Mine

Boots clicking on the tiles, she closed the door behind her. Behind the desk, Kadra raised his head. His office was even simpler than his study in Aoran Tower. Rolls of parchment nestled in cramped shelves along the walls. Light filtered in from a floor-to-ceiling window, occupying the left side of his room. She glimpsed the mouth of the hallway from it and realized he’d seen her conversation with Gaius.

She avoided his eyes. “I know about the bounty. I gather I’m to hide here until Admia’s trial and the trial on the scuta are heard?”

He inclined his head. “If you’d like.”

“I wouldn’t.” She couldn’t work in this cramped space with him, where he could see too deep and hurt her more. “I’d prefer to work in the Hall of Records.”

His cavernous gaze sought hers. She examined the floor with single-minded determination.

“Why?” he finally asked.

“Decimus and the archivist at the Hall of Records kept saying that Jovian spent almost every night in there. He was searching for something,and seeing as he was killed for knowing about the scuta being defective, he must have found out through less-illegal methods than I did.”

“And his evidence would prove your case at trial.” Kadra looked thoughtful. “Unless it’s gone.”

“Unlikely. Jovian knew he was going to die. He took the trouble to return home just to paintmodraiover the walls, and wrote letters in Urdish when barely anyone in the south can still speak it let alone read it. He would have secreted his evidence away. I’ll find it.”

“Good work,” Kadra said approvingly, and she stamped out a spark of pleasure. “But you still haven’t told me why.”

“Why I don’t want to work here with you?” She pretended to think. “I’d like to keep my neckonmy shoulders.”

A faint tightening of his temples. “Is this about my being a ‘havïdsadist’?”

Her breath caught at the way he elevated the filthy curse into something dark and elegant.

“Can I work out of the Hall of Records or not?” She leaned forward, hands on his desk, before realizing her mistake.Too close.

Kadra’s eyes narrowed, fastening on a point below her jaw and she realized she hadn’t tugged her collar back up. A vein in his temple rose to prominence as he studied the bruises.

“I’ll charge him with assault.” Every word was a chip of granite.

Truth.She snorted. “Why? You called Tullus there. You—” She broke off before she cursed him again. “You knew he was violent.”

Kadra’s shoulders tensed. “He wasn’t supposed to touch you.”

“And does everything always go as you plan, Tetrarch Kadra?” Satisfaction filled her when his jaw clenched. “So don’t bother when this wouldn’t have happened if you’d—”

“I won’t always be here.” Kadra’s features were remote. “In this job, you’ll encounter hundreds like Tullus, down to diplomatic officials who’ll expect you to service them to keep the peace. I can shield you from the very worst, but I won’t be there every time.”

“I’m aware, damn it! I know you caused the strike yesterday. You’ve more than kept your end of our bargain. I’m not angry because you didn’trescueme from Tullus!”

“Then?”

Damn him, he wasn’t even denying that he’d just engineered the deaths of two Guildmasters. “How am I to work with you when you give menothing?”

The tautness of his face slackened like she’d said something bewildering.

“Yesterday, if you’d told me that Aelius and Tullus were on their way, I’d have done thesamething, but I’d have been faster or better prepared with a scutum from Admia’s home as proof. You hide, and you obfuscate, and you playeveryonelike puppets and you don’t understand why I can’t work with you? Kadra, you only see me as a tool.”

“Never,” he grit out, and she stilled. The icy intensity of the word told her that he’d tried to relegate her to that role. That he’d failed.

“Not once,” he repeated.

Truth. She suddenly felt buoyant. “I see,” she stammered. She didn’t. She’d never been more confused.

Kadra’s eyes dropped to her neck. Muttering something that sounded suspiciously like a curse, he took the material of her collar and gently drew it over the bruises.

“Work at the Hall of Records if you must, but see that a healer looks at that.” His voice lowered to a rough growl. “Yes?”

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