Page 45 of Midnight Deception

All of this must show on my face as he watches me closely, his black eyes gleaming. “Oh yes, I know.”

“How?” I whisper, shaking my head as if this will stop this conversation. I feel flushed and dizzy as my deepest secret is revealed.

When he smiles again, he flashes too many teeth. I don’t think he’s trying to threaten me, but this male is dangerous, and I need to keep my wits about me when I’m around him.

“My power warps darkness,” he explains, tilting his head to one side as his eyes lock onto my chest. “And the thing inside you calls to me like nothing I’ve ever felt.”

He stares at my chest, but there’s nothing sexual about the way he’s looking at me. The hunger I see on his face is all about the presence within me and the power it contains, like he can see exactly where it sits inside me. Taking several deep breaths, I try to calm my rapid heartbeat and not focus on the worst-case scenarios. The most important thing is to find out why he’s telling me this. Is he threatening me so I’ll do as he orders? Or is there another reason? He’s the queen’s closest confidant, so it makes sense that anything he knows, she does too, or will soon, and that thought terrifies me.

Glancing around to make sure we’re truly alone, I take a half step closer even though my body rebels against me. “The queen—”

He starts walking again, speaking to me over his shoulder. “Oh, she doesn’t know. I’ve not told her.”

Frowning, I have no choice but to follow him, needing more answers. “Why?”

“I’m loyal to my queen, but you were sent to us for a reason.” He doesn’t stop as he speaks, moving through the corridors effortlessly. “If she learned just how powerful you are, then she would have you killed.”

My hands tremble, and my chest tightens at the way he’s casually discussing my death. Star pushes against the boundaries I have her locked behind, demanding to be free. My shoulders are rounded forward as if to protect myself and keep Star within me.

“What do you want for your silence?” I wait for his demands. He wouldn’t keep this knowledge from the queen unless there was something he wanted. There’s no way of knowing if he’ll keep my secret, even if I give him exactly what he wants, but I don’t have much choice.

“Oh, I don’t want anything. I’m just here for the show.” He gives me a grin that I think is supposed to be friendly, but his black eyes and too many teeth make me cringe.

I find it very unlikely that he’s doing this out of the goodness of his heart. Pursing my lips, I face forward and take in the seemingly never-ending corridor that looks exactly the same as all the others. “Why should I believe you?”

From the corner of my eye, I notice him shrugging in a very casual manner, his hands hanging loosely by his sides. “I’ve done nothing to prove that I’m untrustworthy.”

Snorting, I raise an eyebrow at him. Sure, as far as I know, he’s done nothing to betray me, but I’m being held here against my will after being kidnapped, so trust isn’t something I’m easily going to give to anyone here.

Something strange happens then. Ivar’s expression shifts, and I see some true emotion. Although he still gives me the creeps, his expression makes me pause. He looksexhausted, his shoulders slumping as if he carries the weight of the world on his back.

“Look, I don’t have anyone here other than the queen.” His voice sounds different now, like the power he wraps around himself like a shield has moved back and allowed his true self to come forward. “No one trusts me because of my power. But you’re different, like me. Can you not just trust that I’m trying to help you?”

I stare at him, taking in his hunched posture and the raw vulnerability in his eyes. Looking inside myself, I listen to my instincts, and although they are telling me to be wary, the fact that he’s shown me his true self has gone a long way in helping me believe him. He was alone, with only the queen to talk to, until I came along and stirred everything up. I nod, and his tiny, hopeful smile is both sweet and unnerving. Until he proves otherwise, I’m going to choose to believe him.

Clearing my throat, I resume walking. This seems to snap him back to the Ivar I’m used to seeing, the scent of magic in the air as he surrounds himself with his darkness. Lifting an arm, he directs us down a small passage that leads to a stone spiral staircase. It’s tiny and nothing like the other grand staircases in Haven. It’s much colder here too, a draft making the exposed parts of my skin tingle, and even though there are lanterns here like in the other corridors we walked down, it feels much darker. That could be because the walls are so much closer together, and we have to walk one behind the other.

This feels too much like I’m being led down to the dungeons, even though Kano assured me that Nicolai was in a suite. Ivar descends the stairs, and the sense of going below ground makes me feel shifty, so I have to search my mind for something to ask, needing a distraction.

“I thought you were a lie detector for the queen.” I say it lightly now that I know what his power really is.

“Oh, I am. I can taste people’s souls. They go sour when they lie,” he replies equally as lightly, not even looking back as he descends the stairs.

Well, that’s terrifying. “What does my soul taste like?” I’m almost afraid to hear the answer, but I can’t help asking, my morbid curiosity taking over.

“Like unlimited power.” His voice is filled with glee, which makes me shudder.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he turns to watch me take the last few steps, his pensive expression making me forget my reply. We’re in another corridor that looks the same as all the others, but this one is short and only has one door, which is guarded by two witches. They watch us closely as we approach, but when I look closer, I see they are actually tracking Ivar with their narrowed eyes.

Excitement and nervousness take over, knowing that Nicolai is just behind that door, and I forget all else, needing to see my friend.

“Before we go in,” Ivar begins, his voice low and quiet now that we’re no longer alone. I have to force myself not to snap at him as he pauses, thinking on what he’s going to say next.

“Whatever it is, you can tell me later.” I just about manage to keep the edge from my words, but my body language is impatient as I shift from foot to foot.

Reaching across, he bars my entry into the room. I growl, my lips pulling back in a warning snarl. He’s keeping me from Nicolai, something that I don’t take lightly.

Ivar’s only reaction is to tilt his head to one side as he examines me, his expression blank. “You need to know that to survive, your friend had to… change.”

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