Page 116 of To Catch A Rogue

Lark started to reach for her knife, but Nikolai appeared out of nowhere, his hand locking on her arm. "Don't you dare," he told her. "You can fight only once."

"Watch me."

"You cannot save them all."

"And so you save none?" she challenged him.

A muscle in his jaw ticked as he looked away, and he tapped the ash from his cheroot. "It's been a long time, Irina. You forget the rules of this country. This world. The softhearted are punished here. If you show your throat then they will tear it out."

"This world is not all bad. I remember my father," she whispered. "He believed that to be strong was to stand for your convictions, no matter how much it cost you. A powerful man protected those who could not protect themselves."

Nikolai's fingers froze on his cheroot. "In the end, it cost him his life."

"You could save her."

"What would I do with one of the Silent?" he asked scathingly.

"Please." Lark squeezed his wrist. "The Kolya I knew would have stood against such an injustice. He wasn't afraid to confront such bullies."

"That Kolya died and all that remains is this ragged shell."

"Please."

The girl was begging, pleading, as Count Berensky dragged her away.

"If you fight for nothing, then you live for nothing," she said. It was one of their father's favorite sayings.

Nikolai breathed out a wreath of smoke, dropped his cheroot, and ground it with his boot heel. "I swear I'm starting to regret ever laying eyes upon you again."

"If you save her, then I will tell you anything you want to know."

Their eyes met.

Lark could feel in him the hunger to know the truth, barely reined in by his cautious nature. She saw it in him, because she recognized it in herself. It was what had driven her to reveal such potentially fatal half-truths the second she realized who he might be.

"I will hold you to that deal."Nikolai pushed past her. "You have something I want, Berensky."

The count froze, turning around incredulously. He laughed when he saw who faced him, and gave a sharp jerk on the leash, so the girl fell prostate at his feet. "Ah, the Crippled King wishes to give challenge, does he?"

Titters of laughter spread throughout the congregation.

Nikolai leaned on his cane and returned Berensky's stare. "I give challenge."

Berensky's laughter faded. He tossed the leash to one of his friends and strode forward. "You insolent pup. I'll take your challenge. If you win, you get the girl. If I win, I'll put you on a leash for the night and take payment for your arrogance out of your hide."

Nikolai unsheathed the sword within his cane, tossed the sheath to Lark, and began to strip out of his coat. "Agreed."

* * *

"Remindme not to ever cross your brother," Charlie murmured as Nikolai stood over the fallen body of Count Berensky, dragging his gloved fingers along the blade of his cane sword and flicking Berensky's blood contemptuously across the man's face.

"Ssh," Lark whispered. "You shouldn't say that out loud."

She turned to the young Silent woman.

"They didn’t hurt you, Nadezhda?"Lark asked her.

"No,"she signed back."What will he do to me?"