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“I’ll have someone bring down more blankets,” he replied, his tone serious now. All traces of teasing gone. He was like the old Nik one second, then he was entirelyNoctanithe next.

“You could let me out of here… ”

The ghost of a smile graced his mouth, but there was no humor in it. “Not sure that’s a good idea, Firecracker.”

That wasn’t a no.

I pushed to a sitting position, wrapping the brown blanket over my shoulders as I approached the bars of the cell. He took an involuntary step backwards away from me, and I arched my brow at him.

“What, are you scared of me Nikolai?” A smile lifted my lips as I narrowed my eyes at him.

If this was my one opportunity to get out of this cell, I was going to take it. If I could prey on his weaknesses, appeal tohis softer side that had shown itself these last few days, then I might have a chance.

“Never.” His voice was a challenge.

“Then why not let me out? Surely there is somewhere warmer up there we can go and talk,” I replied, nodding towards the ceiling of the prison.

I was desperate to get above ground.

Nik bit his lip with a fang, stuffing his hands into his pockets. It was such ahumangesture, but he wasn’t human at all anymore. Or was he?

“If I don’t get rid of this chill in my bones I’ll die. Not only will you have robbed Donika of the pleasure but my magic will return to the earth. I don’t think Donika would ever forgive that.”

His gaze snapped up to mine, his eyes roaming my face as he warred with himself.

There was a piece of him that was still fighting. Maybe there was a chance to escape this after all.

“You aren’t safe from the others,” his voice was ragged as he ran a hand through his blond hair.

“Then don’t bring me near the others,” I suggested, a wicked smile on my lips. I tried my best to ignore the cold that threatened to rattle my teeth.

I put on my best flirty voice as I gazed at him beneath my eyelashes. “I would kill for a warm bath and some clean clothes. Please, Nikolai. You know you want to.”

“I do.” He swallowed hard, his voice almost… strangled. “Will you try to run? I know you, Firecracker.”

I shook my head. “I won’t run.”

Not yet, anyway. I needed to find out where we were. Needed to find some kind of weapon to use against him, then escape without any of the other Noctani noticing. He was faster and stronger than me, and I wouldn’t make it out alive unless I was armed. There had to be weapons above ground wherever we were, and I needed to find one. Discreetly.

To do that, I neededoutof this cell.

“If you do, I’ll have to punish you.” His voice was all velvet now.

He might be Noctani, but he was still a man. I could surely use his inner primal instincts to my own advantage.

“We wouldn’t want that,” I teased, shuffling the blanket away from my shoulder to reveal my collarbone.

It was so damn cold down in the dungeon, I wouldn’t be surprised if the expanse of skin he saw there had turned blue. He slowly moved towards the iron door and fished in his pocket for the ring of keys. My heart almost stopped beating in my chest as he finally pulled them out, finding a long brass key and inserting it into the lock.

My chest tightened as the lock clicked and the door sprang open between us.

I was treading in dangerous territory here. A lick of fear ran up my spine as I walked across the threshold, Nik’s hungry eyes locked on mine. He was glancing at me as if I would be his next meal, and the thought made me swallow hard.

There were two ways that could go.

This plan of mine could easily go wrong, and I needed to be careful. Nikolai was Noctani, and he was dangerous. I only needed to find a way to escape, and once I had I wouldn’t lookback. Nik led the way to the door at the end of the corridor. My heart was beating so fast I thought it might jump right up my throat and out of my mouth.

This was it.