Page 164 of To Catch A Rogue

"Oh, go ahead," Lady Hollis replied with a shrug. "When I watch you fall flat on your face at the foot of the gangplank, I'm not going to help you up. It's not as though you were poisoned and nearly died a couple of hours ago. It's not as though I had to hold your hand and beg you not to leave me. It's...."

The pair of them paused, as they realized Nikolai was standing between them and the long ramp that led to the gardens.

He stared at Obsidian.

There was no shock of memory in the other man's eyes. No look of understanding. They'd said he'd lost his memories, but Nikolai tensed as if waiting—hoping—forsomething.

They stared at each other, and then Obsidian arched his brow. "I understand you're Lark's brother."

His fingers tightened around the hilt of his own cane, just a fraction. "I am the new Prince of Tsaritsyn."

"Thank you for your assistance," said Lady Hollis. "We owe you a debt of gratitude."

"I didn't do it for you," he replied coldly, but he looked at Obsidian, and there were words hovering on the tip of his tongue. So many unspoken words.

Memories filled him of a boy who would race him to every tree, and wrestle with him when the weather was hot. A boy who'd always roll his eyes when Nikolai was scared of the thunder, but who would come and find him whenever lightning flashed, because he knew....

A boy who'd ripped pieces of the carriage off him, when they were first assaulted that long-ago night. Nikolai had been screaming as the pain slicing through his lower leg almost made him vomit.

"I'll get you out, Kolya. I'll get you out...."

And then their father had cried out, a horrible animalistic noise, and Dmitri's head had lifted as the clash of swords fell silent."I'll be back,"he'd promised.

But he never came back.

The next thing Nikolai knew, Sergey had been lifting him from the shattered remains of the carriage, his face grim."He betrayed you both,"he'd said sadly."But I will look after you. You are mine now."

Nikolai couldn't say a damned thing.

"Have you... come to see your sister off?" Lady Hollis asked, as if she sensed the tension roiling within him.

Nikolai nodded curtly and stepped to the side. He'd wanted to kill this man the second he laid eyes upon him, until Irina had told him the truth.

Looking at his face still made him furious.Where were you? You promised to come back.But those thoughts belonged to the boy he'd been. Not the monster he'd become.

"Safe passage," he told them and pushed past, limping toward the palace doors, where Chiyoh watched him with knowing eyes.

They didn't belong here anymore.

And he didn't belong with them.

But at least they'd have each other.

* * *

"Goodbye, Russia,"Charlie breathed as the airship’s balloon lifted them into the air. Gemma had wasted no time in seeing them aboard.

"Good riddance," Byrnes said.

"Come now, Byrnes, it wasn’t that bad. Nobody died," Charlie protested. "Nobody got eaten by vampires. We ruined all Balfour’s plans, rescued Malloryn, and—"

"Got the girl?" Byrnes asked with an arch to his brow.

Charlie shot him a smile. "Mission accomplished. Speaking of…." He reached inside his pocket and felt the locket Nikolai had given him. He hadn't had a chance to give it to her yet. "I have a little something for her. Do you mind?"

Byrnes clapped him on the shoulder as he stepped past. "Happy for you, sugarplum."

"Even if you didn't win your hundred quid off me?"