Page 77 of Till Death

“I’d pick the new king. And not because he’s got a bone to pick with me. But the Maestro has been manageable for years. He’s a problem and a ruthless crime lord, but he’s not shaking up Requiem the way Icharius is. I don’t know, the king just feels more dangerous.”

“Because of the mystery?”

“I guess.” I waited a beat, wondering if I should truly ask the question burning in my mind, partially afraid of the answer. “Life Maiden on one side, me on the other. Who do you save?”

There wasn’t a soul alive that would pick me. I knew that. I wouldn’t even pick me. But I needed him to say it. I needed him to place the distance between us again. Because this was getting too comfortable, and each day I waited for him to come home made me spiral deeper into an illusion that somehow Orin and I could find a path. But rather than answer right away, he stood and moved to the doorway. With his back to me, I felt a small piece of my heart break.

“You could lie,” I whispered, letting myself be vulnerable. “You could lie, and I wouldn’t be mad.”

“I’m not going to lie to you, Deyanira. I’m going to choose you.” He turned back to look at me, a swell of emotion in his eyes I’d never seen before. “And I think I need to find a way to process that. I should choose the good of the world. I should be their hero. But I think when it comes down to it, I’d rather be yours, because you have no one.”

I don’t know how long it took me to move from my seat. He’d long since gone; the room had grown cold and dark. The others had returned home. And yet I sat there, repeating those words in my mind, wondering if he had actually lied on my command or not.

I’m going to choose you.

Chapter 32

“You snore.”

Orin’s growly voice woke me from an afternoon nap. Leaning against the door to my room in a white, long-sleeve shirt and black pants, arms folded across his chest, he pinned me with a heated look. I’d never seen him dressed so casually.

“Why do you enjoy being such a hateful dick?”

He smirked. “Because I know deep down you enjoy it. Why so tired?”

The back of my eyelids felt like sandpaper. The pure exhaustion from magic still vibrated through my aching bones. I could have slept for days, and that thought scared me. I would have. In this home with these people. The Syndicate house was safe for me, even if I was loath to admit it.

“I was out late. I had something I had to take care of.”

“I know what you were doing. You don’t have to dance around the truth.”

Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I sat up, tossing the blanket from my feet. “You hate me for it, and there’s nothing to be done about it, so I’d prefer to avoid the topic.”

“Man or woman?”

I didn’t want to answer, but I understood why he asked. Why those amber eyes beseeched me. “Woman. Caroleena Befrene. Know her?”

He looked at the floor, likely racing through his memories, but eventually shook his head. “Silbath or Perth?”

“Perth.”

He raised a brow. “You okay? Any trouble from the king?”

“Oh, yes. I forgot to mention I was kidnapped and beaten and barely made it out with my virginity intact.” I walked to the door.

“Virgin, huh?” He smirked. “Your sarcasm knows no bounds, Maiden.”

“Neither do your questions.”

I meant to walk past him, but he snatched my arm, spinning me before drawing me so near that I could smell the soap on his skin and see the gold flecks in his eyes again. Something primal raced across his features. I’d tried to discern the look, but it was gone within seconds. Still, my body thrummed, wholly aware of his hands on me.

“Do you have something to tell me?”

I drew back, wondering how he’d heard of Drexel’s visit.

“Not that I can think of,” I lied.

“There’s… What’s different about your eyes?”