Page 257 of Night's Fall

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I pressed my lips together.

When he said nothing,Inodded to confirmIwould tell no one.

“After we lostAntheme, we had a rogue agent of theRS, infuriated, as he would be that one of their own was brought low, who defied law and administered truth serum to the assassin caught at the gallery,” he informed me.

“By the gods,”Iwhispered.

“This agent is being dealt with.Butit can’t be denied, the information gleaned is crucial.”

“What is that information?”

“I’m afraidIcan’t tell you that.”

Space, patience, space, patience.

“Simply rest assured, the picture is becoming clearer,Laura,” he carried on. “You’llbe safe in the meantime.Andthe best minds in four realms are working together to handle it.”

The best mindsin four realms?

ByLilith, it had been confirmed.

It wasArnaud.

Arnaud was up to something.

Something big.

And terrible.

“I don’t mind you coming to bed late or sleeping fitfully,”Isaid quietly.

“I won’t sleep at all ifImust worryI’mdisturbing yours.”

I was down with space, butIwasn’t sure aboutthis.

“Aleksei—”

He cut me off.

Unwaveringly.

“The decision has been made,Laura.”Hesaid this like what was left unsaid was,Andnow you’re dismissed.

“If you need to talk—”Ibegan.

“I’m fine.”

“Even so, so much is going on, if you?—”

“I said,I’mfine,Laura,” he clipped.

Okay, back off andpatience.

I wanted to find it, but there was so much fretting and yearning and aching going back and forth between our creatures, along with me feeling all those same things (crushingly), it was muddling my head.

I honestly wasn’t sureIcould sleep without him.Icouldn’t imagine being just rooms away, and not being with him when the stars were out.

Oh yes.

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