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Nikolas gave him one of his lazy grins. “I know, big guy. But you’re in luck. I think I spotted someone selling kebabs across the square.”

We moved through the market, sampling various dishes and delicacies.

Chunks of savory meat stacked on skewers.

Hot pastries sticky with honey. Flatbread that melted in my mouth.

Nikolas navigated the marketplace with easy confidence, drawing admiring glances as he purchased food and drink.

Women cast him looks from under their lashes.

More than a few men looked, too, appreciation evident in their gazes.

He appeared oblivious to the attention, his smile falling on me again and again as we moved from the market into the main part of the city.

“That’s the Library of the Serpent’s Tongue,” he said, pointing to a large building with a golden dome. “Supposedly named for a queen’s pet snake, but most people believe she named it after her lover.”

Dain gave me a look. “That’s a delicate way of putting it.”

I stared at the dome, which glittered in the sun. “What’s the less delicate way?”

Leaning close, Nikolas spoke in a conspiratorial tone. “The queen’s lover had certain talents with his tongue.”

My face flamed. “Oh.”

Nikolas chuckled, the sound rich and warm. He continued our tour, offering interesting and often humorous tales to go along with the collection of temples, gardens, and the occasional statue.

“That’s Myros,” he said, pointing out the marble likeness of a nude man rising from the center of a fountain. “A favorite god among thieves.”

“Why?” I asked, studying the statue’s smooth muscle. Myros held a sword in one hand. He clutched a bunch of arrows in the other. The god’s physique was impressive, but he was still smaller than Dain.

Everywhere.

Nikolas smiled. “Legend says Myros stole fire from the sun and gave it to the people of Saldu. He’s the patron of resourcefulness and audacity. Two qualities I can’t help but admire.”

“And possess in abundance,” Dain murmured.

Nikolas pointed out a long, square building supported by a row of fat pillars. The stones were a garish red almost too bright to look at. “That’s the Rust Market, where smugglers sell spices from across the Iron Sea.”

“And the Crown lets them do it?” I asked.

Dain gave a dry laugh. “The Crown takes a percentage of the profits.”

The men led me through parts of the city most visitors never saw. Crumbling but beautiful temples tucked into narrow passageways. Quiet gardens filled with flowering trees. Nikolas kept up his commentary, peppering history lessons with salacious tidbits that made me laugh.

Dain rolled his eyes, but he didn’t quite manage to hide his smile.

By midday, renewed hunger drove us to a street vendor frying bits of dough in a massive pot of oil.

“Best dumplings in Saldu,” Nikolas said, handing me a bowl.

“What’s in it?” I asked.

Dain snatched a dumpling and popped it in his mouth.

“Hey!” I clutched the bowl to my chest.

His eyes twinkled as he chewed. “That’s what happens when you wait.”

I bit into a dumpling, then groaned as flavors exploded on my tongue. Butter and sugar and spices that made me want to devour my bowl and then reach for Dain’s.

“Good?” he asked, smiling as he ate.

I mumbled my assent around a second dumpling, butter running down my hand. It was greasy and messy and utterly delicious.

We resumed our tour, sharing a flask of wine Nikolas purchased from a tiny tavern. As the afternoon wore on, I waited for the Dokimasi to pull me in a specific direction. But the magic remained stubbornly quiet, its presence a gentle hum rather than the urgent tug I was accustomed to.

The sun burned overhead, and the cloak dragged at my shoulders. The sensation was brand new, the discomfort stifling. In Lum Laras, I thrived in sunlight. Now, the source of my power had become an enemy.

As we finished the wine, Nikolas disappeared into a shop and emerged moments later with a length of red silk shot through with gold.

“Here,” he said, tugging me into a quiet alley. When he lowered my hood, I sucked in a breath.

“What are you doing?” I protested, reaching for it.

He brushed my hands away, then whisked the cloak from my shoulders and draped the silk around my hair.

His fingers were deft as he arranged the fabric, tucking and adjusting like he dressed women every day.

When he finished, my ears were covered, and the ends of the scarf trailed elegantly over my shoulders.

“There,” he said, stepping back to admire his work. “Much better. And cooler, too, if I had to guess.”

He was right. The breeze caressed my skin, its light fingers a welcome relief after hours of sweltering under the cloak.

“Did you steal this?” I murmured, fingering the edge of the silk.

Nikolas linked my arm through his. “Only hearts, my lady.”

The city was beautiful, but after hours of walking and wandering, I’d had my fill of architecture and history. I needed to find the sunstone. With every step, Corvus’s treachery sank a little deeper, worming its way into worry.

My frustration mounted as the sun sank and the Dokimasi remained stagnant. “Do you feel anything?” I asked Dain, anxiety nipping at me.

His face was solemn as he shook his head. “No. The connection is there, but it’s not pulling me in any particular direction.”

“I don’t understand,” I said, rubbing the center of my chest. “The magic should be guiding us. But it’s just…waiting.”

Dain frowned. “Maybe we need to be patient.”

“We don’t have time for patience,” I snapped, then immediately regretted my tone. The men had been nothing but kind, showing me the city and keeping me entertained. “I’m sorry. I’m just…”

Frustrated.

Failing.

Betrayed by my snake of a betrothed.

“Tired,” Nikolas finished for me. “We all are. Let’s find a place to rest for the night.”

Protests gathered, but I swallowed them. Nikolas was right. We’d walked all day. We couldn’t wander the city all night. Wherever Helios was, he’d sleep with the sun. I could resume my search in the morning.

“All right,” I said. “Do you know of a good place?”

Nikolas led us to an inn tucked against the city’s towering wall, which cast the modest but charming-looking structure in cool shadow.

Flowers tumbled from the window boxes, and a gently swaying sign out front depicted a slumbering bear.

The innkeeper, a handsome woman with silver-streaked hair, greeted us warmly.

Nikolas placed a stack of coins on the polished wood counter. “My wife and I are traveling from the countryside,” he said, slipping an arm around my waist. He hooked a thumb over his shoulder, indicating Dain. “With my wife’s brother.”

Dain lifted a hand. “Hello.”

Gaze on the innkeeper, I ignored the way Nikolas’s casual wife sent a peculiar rush of warmth over my skin. He didn’t mean anything by it. The title was just another one of his ruses, like swiping oranges or making coins appear.

The innkeeper counted the money. “I have the perfect room.”

She led us to a small but cozy chamber on the second floor. “It has a lovely view of the garden,” she said, opening the shutters. “And you’re welcome to use the bathing chamber downstairs. It has a sunken pool heated by the kitchen fire.”

“Thank you,” I said, excitement at the prospect of a bath bubbling within me.

She left with the promise to deliver a hot meal in an hour. After the sound of her footsteps faded, Nikolas turned from the door.

“This looks comfortable,” he said brightly. “And clean.”

My gaze fell on the chamber’s pair of beds, and heat crawled up my nape. Memories of the brothel intruded, and I avoided the men’s eyes as I went to the window and looked out.

Nikolas and Dain were silent behind me, but their stares burned into my back. We’d avoided discussing the brothel all day. But now, with another night stretching before us, images of our mutual pleasure swirled in my head.

And I had no business thinking about them. I had a sunstone to find and a kingdom to win. Corvus was squatting on my throne. Possibly, he’d sent men to ensure I never finished the Dokimasi. Pleasure was the last thing I needed to pursue.

Why not? a little voice in my head whispered. It’s right in front you.

I gripped the sill, desire stirring low in my body. Nikolas and Dain were so passionate with each other. What would it be like if they turned all that passion on me?

A shuffling sound made me tense. Nikolas cleared his throat. “Ezabell?—”

“I’m going to the bathing chamber,” I said, whirling from the window.

He and Dain frowned, their identical expressions humorous and a little adorable.

Oh gods, I could not fall for these men.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Nikolas said.

“I’ll be back in an hour.” I swept past him and Dain, braced for them to try to stop me. But they stepped aside, letting me go. At the door, I turned with my hand on the knob. “I’m sweaty and sticky, and my hair is a tangled mess. I’m having a bath. Alone.”

I opened the door.

“Wait,” Nikolas said. Crossing the chamber, he pulled a knife from a pocket I hadn’t noticed before. “Take this,” he said, offering it hilt first. It was the blade he’d taken off the villager in the forest.

“I have a dagger in my boot,” I said.

One corner of his mouth lifted, but his brown eyes remained steady. “Now you’ll have two.”

I accepted the knife. Dain watched over Nikolas’s shoulder, his frown in place. “I won’t be long,” I said.

I left, and as I made my way down the hall, I ignored the feeling that tried to rise in my chest.

But it felt like disappointment.