Page 95 of Till Death

“Is that why you dragged me in here?”

“No, but gods, if I have to sit at one more dinner with the two of you eye fucking, I’m moving out. What’s the deal?”

“First of all, there’s no eye fucking. I don’t even know what that is. And there’s too much bad history. Too much fighting.”

“Fighting is just passion. Get over it. Trust me when I tell you, life is too short for sitting around, wondering what might have been. I’d give anything to fight with Ezra again.”

Smiling sadly, I moved away from the window. “I bet you were a force to be reckoned with, Huntress.”

The moment the memories threatened to haunt her, she shook her head and began clearing a path to the chair, also covered with clothes. Gathering them in her arms, she tossed them onto the floor and sat, swinging her legs over the arm. “What’s the plan?”

“I’ve bargained that he cannot ask you anything about this, but it’s best to keep it between you and me, and we’re going to have to bring in Quill.”

Repeating the entire conversation with the Maestro, she went over and over all the words spoken with me until we both determined it was a solid plan. Risky, but there was hope.

“So, you’ll teach me how to dance?”

She snorted. “There’s no way you’re going to truly learn by tomorrow night’s show. But I have some pointers I can give you. As long as you’re half-naked and aware of the beat, you’ll be fine. If you can fight, you can dance. Just… touch yourself a little more. And yeah, we’re going to have to bring in Hollis, too.”

“Stop making that face,” Paesha growled, trying to put makeup on my lashes. “It’s going to smear, and no one’s gonna clap for smeared mascara.”

“I will,” Quill argued, sitting on the kitchen table beside us, legs swinging back and forth as she fed Boo from her dinner scraps.

“Thanks, kid.” I shared a smile with her, and for the first time since she’d walked into that office, she smiled back.

“We’re sure he’s not coming home, right?”

“Thea promised to keep him busy until showtime. She’s going to be pissed when she finds out we didn’t tell her. But she’ll get over it.”

“It’s just our secret,” Quill said again, a truth she’d been repeating all day, as if being in on the plan made her feel important. “And soon, everyone is going to be free, and then maybe we can open up our own theater. You can still dance, P.”

“Imagine,” Paesha said, dusting pink blush across the little girl’s nose until she giggled. “And you can perform, Quilly. No waiting for a grumpy old man to let you. No more bird cages.”

She adjusted the dog on her lap. “And Boo can come, and I’ll teach him to jump through rings and stuff.”

“That sounds lovely. Why don’t you run upstairs and get ready. We have to leave in ten minutes.”

With a squeal of excitement, she leapt from the table and dashed toward her room.

“She’s fine with leaving her friend behind.”

“It’s not her fault she isn’t scared of him. I’ve been in her shoes.” She gathered the makeup from the table and set it into a large bag as she continued. “When I was a kid, the Maestro hunted me, too. Before he had Misery’s End, my father was bound to him. Back when he was still a mystery to most and I felt like I was in on something important. I don’t know how he figured it out, probably ordered every secret from my father’s mouth, but as soon as he knew I’d shown Huntress power, he began challenging me. It was a game. Find me a red shoelace and I’ll give you a treat. See if you can find a man with a perfect circle birthmark. There’s a book in the library in Perth. Bring it to me. And every time I did, he made such a big deal about how important I was. He was learning my boundaries and how my power worked quicker than I was. He knew I’d never find the man because I’d had no contact with him, but I could find the book because I’d seen it on his desk. He’s clever and cunning. Dangerous, but oftentimes fair. If he really wanted to swing his hammer, he would cleave the world, but mostly, he’s a greedy collector.”

“That’s why you stick so close to Quill. You’re protecting her the only way you know how.”

She nodded. “I can’t save her from him. He’s forbidden my interference. There are… things we are not permitted to speak aloud.”

“Like how awful he is?”

She stared at me as if in confirmation. “But I can bring her home and make sure she’s safe. She’s smart, and eventually, my hope is that she will see the monster behind the mask. He’s not a pervert, thank the gods. He just thrives on curating fear and controlling others. Every person is a quest to be conquered and collected.”

“But why hasn’t Elowen told her?”

“Because the Maestro knows what he has in Orin. The heart of a mother will never compromise the safety of her son. She treads lightly, or the boss takes her missteps out on him.”

“So how did you end up bound to him? Or is that too personal?”

She set her bag on the kitchen table, picking at the loose strings along the frayed handle as she considered her answer, and then became wholly consumed by it. “I was always a smart kid. I figured him out a long time ago. I’d stick around for shelter and food when my father started spending more time at the opium den than at home with me. I refused him for a really long time, Dey. I knew the cost.” She paused, voice filling with an ache. “But then I saw you. That first night in an alley in Sinner’s Square. And I just knew you were hunting Ezra.