Page 21 of Games of Death and Desire

Casimir’s eyes widen. “What?”

Apparently the former general has no more patience for that subject than he does for me in general. His voice turns terse but firm. “She thinks diving right into the villainy is the best way to unravel it. Her arguments sounded reasonable. If she’s so eager to put her neck on the line, I don’t see why we should stop her.”

He glances around at the other men as if daring them to argue. I hold my chin high to show my commitment to the plan, even if I don’t love the way he phrased his approval.

Casimir catches my eye with a questioning expression, and I give him a smile I hope looks confident.

At the lack of overt protests, Stavros claps his hands together with a thump of flesh against wood. “Now let’s get on with determining how she can present herself as one of the villains.”

Six

Ivy

“What blasted book are you reading now?” Stavros demands as he strides into his quarters, back from another briefing with his contacts in the Crown’s Watch.

I bite back a snarky remark about how he should be glad I’m reading rather than tossing my illicit magic around. Somehow I don’t think the joke would go over well.

I tuck the book’s ribbon between the pages to save my spot. “It’s a journal written by a cleric who ran one of Prospira’s temples under Darium rule. She claims that Prospira chatted with her from time to time. I’m trying to figure out how true that is and if it could tell me anything about what Kosmel wants with me.”

Stavros pauses at the chest by the window. He retrieves his preferred prosthetic for the combat class he’s about to teach—the broader hooked metal loop—and screws it into the harness around his handless forearm. “And has it been at all enlightening? I certainly can’t comprehend his interest in you.”

I’m used to his acidic comments now. This one doesn’t even sting.

Well, it barely does.

“I don’t know,” I admit. “Her overall grasp on reality seems pretty shaky. And the things she mentions Prospira saying to her so far are, like, what to have the temple cooks bake for breakfast. It’s hard to believe a godlen would care.”

After reading her account, I’d almost be convinced I hallucinated the voiceIheard… except that would mean the man glowering at me and two of our colleagues hallucinated Kosmel’s sigil too.

“Better dictating the breakfast menu than encouraging one of the riven,” Stavros mutters under his breath.

I narrow my eyes at him. I might not be reckless enough to throw my unwanted power in his face, but I don’t have to sit silently while he lambasts me.

I get to my feet. “I noticed you have quite a few novels in your bedroom. Maybe you’re only harassing me about my reading material because you can’t do much reading yourself these days. My offer to assist with that still stands, you know.”

I say it mildly so he can’t accuse me of mocking him. An honest gesture of generosity from the monster he’s housing will irritate him more than if I returned his insults.

Ivy,Julita says warningly.You know how grouchy he gets about his sight.

But Stavros simply lets out a sound that’s half huff, half growl. He doesn’t dignify my comment with an answer.

I’m going to count that as a win.

And I need all the wins I can get. Because the truth is, when the former general marches over to join me, looming more than a foot both taller and broader than my gawky frame, every nerve in my body peals out in alarm.

And, okay, there might be a tiny bit of attraction still tangled up in there too. The man does cut an impressive figure.

But he isn’t simply putting on a show of being intimidating. The tension coiled through all that brawn is very real, and very much directed at the threat he considers me to be.

Isn’t it wonderful that our current plan requires me to go out into the hall and shout at him?

“Any interesting news from the Crown’s Watch?” I ask, possibly holding on to the slight hope that they’ve rooted out all the major conspirators without me needing to do anything further.

The sound Stavros makes in answer is definitely a growl this time. “Nothing at the brothel they inspected last night. And no suspicious activity around the orphanage. Now that Wendos is in custody, the scourge sorcerers must be taking extra precautions. Whatever other sacrificial victims they have in the city, they may have moved them to a new type of hiding place.”

Wonderful. Then as far as we know, our chances of uncovering the rest of the villains depend entirely on my fledgling plan.

I rub my arms to stop the creeping of my skin. “We’d better put on a good show, then. Are you ready?”

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