Page 42 of Of Curses and Moonlight

He’d agonized over whether to take the beans from her, but in the end he had, being unable to risk the chance that she might foolishly travel back within proximity of the swan assassins. Despite everything he had done for her, Zoya hadn’t cared for the arrangements, and she’d made her dissatisfaction obvious.

He stalked around the clearing, his breaths growing unsteady. “I must find a lead in my investigation, Odette. I must—”

“Why are you here?”

He paused and looked at her, taking in her defensive stance, the wariness in her expression. Was she upset with him? Perhaps standing up to the other assassins had cost her.

“Why did you protect my sister?”

Her shoulders dropped, and she glanced to the side. “It made little sense to kill her while you held us captive. It was too dangerous.”

Rothbart didn’t believe that for a second. “You could have killed her, hid the body, and claimed whoever was chasing her had gotten to her first.”

“Aren’t you glad she’s alive?” She slid a hand through her curls, messing them in a distracting way as she stared at him in bewilderment.

“Is it true that night, when you were supposed to kill me, that you hesitated?”

She must not have known he’d overheard Elna the day before because her eyes grew round and the color drained from her face. “Only for a moment.”

He came toward her, and she watched him like he was a cobra ready to strike.

“But you did hesitate to kill me,” he said. “A random stranger.”

Her hands shook, and she wrapped them around her elbows. “I would have done it.”

He moved closer, noticing her shiver, noticing every beautiful thing about her. “But what would it have cost you?”

She stepped back, vulnerable in a way he’d never seen her before. Her fingers dug into her elbows, her shoulders pulled in as if to protect herself from his words.

He stopped right in front of her. His hand itched to reach out and touch her, but instead he asked again, “Why didn’t you kill my sister?”

She refused to meet his eyes, looking over his shoulder. The top of her head came up to his mid-chest. She usually commanded such a presence that he’d never realized she stood so much shorter than him.

“Zoya was innocent and…” Odette bit her lip.

“And?” He studied her, his heart rating picking up.

Her eyes flicked to his and away. “Lina cares for her.”

“Lina?” he repeated, his voice flat. He wasn’t sure why he felt disappointed. Only that he had expected something… more.

She lifted her chin, her gaze meeting his. “Yes. And you saved Lina’s life, so…” She shrugged.

“So you didn’t kill Zoya because you owed me?” A skepticism filled him at her simple answer, at the way she tried too hard to put him off.

Her teeth clenched, and her expression dared him to doubt her reasons. “That’s right.”

A low chuckle ground out of him. “Since when did mercenaries become so honorable?”

She retreated another step, discomfort flashing across her face. “I think I should—”

“Are you a killer, Odette?”

She froze, looking as if he had rammed a knife into her chest. Her eyes locked with his, a watery sheen glistened in them. “Yes.”

The tone of that single word told Rothbart everything he wanted to know. It came out quiet. Sad. Filled with regret. He almost asked more, but worried that if he did, she’d leave and that wasn’t what he desired.

“The midwife who delivered Zoya. She might shed light on my sister’s past. I’ve spoken with the locals, and I have received directions to where she lives. Will you come?”

---