Page 57 of Decoy

BLAIR

Iwasn’t immediately sure what had woken me. Another assassin? I tensed and curled my grip around the hilt of my dagger hidden beneath my pillow, keeping my breathing slow and steady to better search the darkness. I seemed to be alone, so then what had woken me?

Soft footfalls sounded on the roof. I sat up and looked towards the ceiling. They were cautious, but I could faintly detect two people. I slowly eased from bed and tiptoed towards the window, opening it just enough for me to hear the sounds drifting from outside.

Quiet murmurs filled the night. At first I wondered if they belonged to the guards stationed below before determining their direction came from the roof where I’d detected the footsteps. I strained my ears. One of the soft timbres was Luke’s increasingly familiar voice, the other was a stranger.

No matter how much I focused, their words remained indiscernible, leaving me no hints as to the nature of their conversation. I was tempted to climb onto the roof to get close enough to hear, but Luke’s senses were far too attuned for him not to catch me in the attempt.

My acute inquisitiveness made me wonder if, despite that, it was still worth the risk. Unless he’d found the intruder from the other night, I couldn’t think of anyone Luke would be conversing with other than a comrade; given the amiable tone of their conversation, I suspected the latter rather than the man he was currently hunting.

Which could potentially be bad news for me. An assassin with an accomplice was far more dangerous, particularly one who didn’t share Luke’s qualms about killing and blood. Our tentative partnership would be meaningless if his fellow assassin decided to take matters into his own hands.

The conversation suddenly ceased. More footsteps sounded, followed by silence. I continued to listen. If I wasn’t mistaken, only one person had departed. I was just debating the wisdom of sneaking up to investigate when Luke suddenly leapt lightly onto the windowsill.

I stumbled back with a gasp. He pressed his finger to his lips before opening the window fully. “What are you up to, my little spy? Can I take your eavesdropping as a sign that you missed me?” He tugged down the cloth of his assassin mask that usually covered the majority of his face to expose the mischievous grin he was always so generous with during our time together.

“You only have yourself to blame for not being careful enough not to alert me to your presence.”

“I made no effort to hide my conversation; your senses are far too attuned not to detect us directly above you. But I didn’t mean to wake you.”

I frowned. “Then why didn’t you meet somewhere else?”

Gravity sobered his charming smile as he evenly met my gaze. “With the current dangers I want to remain close to you, should anything happen.”

My heart swelled, causing my earlier doubts that had wondered if Luke would ever ask someone else to murder me in his stead to vanish, leaving only my burning curiosity. “Who were you meeting?”

“I’ve recruited my friend to assist in uncovering the intruder after you and have several developments to discuss with you. Come.”

He climbed onto the roof. I followed him onto the narrow ledge and accepted his proffered hand to ascend after him.

We didn’t venture far to prevent our footfalls from being detected by the occupants of the rooms beneath us and settled onto the slates. The velvety night was a clear backdrop of glistening stars and pools of silvery light cast across us by the nearly full moon. For all its loveliness, a chill filled the spring air, compelling me to lean towards Luke’s warmth.

He noticed my shiver. “Are you cold?”

I was reluctant to admit any form of weakness to him, but words proved unnecessary. His assassin outfit hugging his frame left him without a cloak to offer me, so instead he wound his arm around my shoulders.

I stiffened. “What are you doing?”

He paused, a rare display of hesitancy to his usual confidence. “My apologies, I just wanted to warm you but should have first sought your permission.”

He started to withdraw, but I hastily scooted myself closer before sense could dissuade me. “You surprised me, but…I don’t mind.”

My burning blush at this embarrassing admission alone was enough to dispel the night’s chill without his assistance, but I allowed his arm to come back around me and nestle me against his side, a closeness I welcomed far too much to ask him to withdraw.

Rather than use this opportunity to my advantage to gain whatever information I could, instead I became lost in the moment, when schemes and investigations no longer mattered. Words grew even more impossible when he started to play with my hair, curling a loose strand around his finger with seemingly unconscious movements.

The careful boundaries that usually maintained the necessary distance from a man who for all his charm was in many ways still my enemy seemed to have entirely crumbled after the two kisses we’d shared, leaving cuddling on the roof a natural matter of course, bringing with it the elusive peace I hadn’t experienced since my family’s deaths.

Sense eventually reminded me of my initial purpose, forcing me to break the comfortable stillness I could bask in forever with him. “You’re keeping your secrets close, giving me reason to wonder if your claim to have obtained information is nothing more than a bluff.”

He chuckled. “I wondered when your curiosity would finally get the better of you.” He shifted his body to better face me, though thankfully he didn’t withdraw his arm I’d already grown accustomed to. “My friend Malik visited. He’s the one who’s…assisted mein past missions with the tasks I’ve been unable to perform.”

Which meant he effectively acted as Luke’s sword. As I’d suspected, Luke was acquainted with a man who wouldn’t hesitate to spill my blood.

Luke felt me stiffen. “Don’t worry, he won’t kill you.” But his hasty reassurance wasn’t given with his usual confidence.

“But hewouldif needed.”

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