Chapter 10 A Time to Regroup
A Time to Regroup
Frustrated by the unsatisfying area for pacing in my tiny room, I drop into the chair and glare into the fire.
Cosimo’s gone. He and several members of House Vitorio left this morning for Hap.
The trip is supposedly for a contract negotiation, but word is spreading about the break-in at the Vault.
This meeting could mean Assembly-level plotting or targeting.
It could also mean Cosimo’s trying to calm fears and shore up allies.
Either way, he’ll be gone for weeks, leaving me with nothing to do but wait.
And that means lying low for Founder knows how long.
Too agitated to sit still, I thrust myself out of the chair and pace the room again.
If I stay here, I’ll end up overthinking everything.
Again. I need a distraction. For the first time in weeks, I willingly let my thoughts drift to Nico.
Not that he hasn’t been on my mind anyway.
Even when I tried to stay focused on Cosimo, memories of that night, Nico’s beautiful face, and how good he felt would distract me.
Does he know anything about Kas’s death?
Is he disappointed that I haven’t tracked him down?
It’s not like I had a choice. He’s too close to everything, and if he’s at all involved—.
I make a disgusted noise, sick of the circles my thoughts run in if I let them. Fucking hells, I need to get out of this room and out of my head. Dousing the fire with a dampening spell, I cast Cloaking on myself and slip out of the inn, heading into the city with no particular destination in mind.
The streets are mostly quiet. I keep to the shadows and rooftops, and barring the random guard or two, who I easily avoid, I don’t encounter many people.
It’s good to be in the fresh night air. As if leaving the cramped room has freed my lungs as well as my mind, I inhale deeply, and the tension leaves my shoulders.
This is exactly what I need. Physical exertion has always been my way to relieve stress.
I obviously haven’t been able to train the way I did on Earth or when I was with the Shabah, so it’s no wonder that after so many weeks I’m this tense.
For the next several hours, I wander through the city, burning off the excess energy while trying not to think of anything at all.
It’s only when the larger homes and walled-off compounds come into view that I recognize I’ve drifted into the wealthier section of the city.
If the high walls and sturdy gates hadn’t alerted me, the buzzing of protection spells on the properties would have.
They thrum through the onyx in and on my body.
Though none of those spells would keep me out if I really want inside.
My attention is snagged by deep, melodious laughter and slightly off-key singing coming from below me.
I lean over the edge of the building I’m perched on, and watch the revelers pass.
Two men stumble down the street, trying to prop each other up.
One tries to drink from a mostly empty bottle of wine, and the other switches between singing and slurring words while gesturing wildly.
They pause beneath me, and I swear under my breath.
The two drunken idiots are Marek and Nico.
“Best night of my life.” Nico gestures with his free hand. “But s’just a one-time thing. Neeeeever gonna happen again.”
Marek attempts to drink from the wine bottle. “Nicolas, stop. S’all you talk about. Who wants to hear ‘bout him again?”
Nico stops, grabbing Marek’s face with both of his hands, bringing their noses so close they could kiss.
Something tightens in my chest, and I briefly wonder which of my daggers would make it to Marek the fastest. “You do not un’erstand.
We had a c’nection.” Nico presses his hand over his heart.
“Here. N’he was so handsome. But he disappeared like smoke.
Poof.” He makes a popping gesture with his fingers.
“N’now I will never see him again. My Bello.
” Nico pouts, and it’s in no way charming.
Marek tries several different ways to get the bottle to his lips with Nico’s hands pressed to his face. He only succeeds in pouring the remaining wine onto the ground. “Waste of wine.” He tosses the bottle into the gutter.
Nico lets go of him and stumbles a few paces, pointing at a massive iron gate protecting a lovely two-story villa, with arched windows and doors and a tiled fountain in the front courtyard. “You are home anyway. Go to sleep. I am going home too.”
Marek gazes at him like a lovesick puppy, and my insides roil. “You could stay with me. If you want. I am here. I have always been here.”
Seething, and not at all sure why these feelings are happening, I fight the urge to drop into the street and slit Marek’s throat.
Or at least punch him squarely in the face.
“I know. You are my bes’ friend. You have always been there for me, Marek.
” Nico waves. “G’night. See you t’morrow.
” He stumbles a few paces backward before tripping further down the street, missing the forlorn expression on Marek’s face and the way he dejectedly lurches through the gate and into his house. But I don’t.
I move silently down to street-level, keeping to the shadows until I catch up with Nico. “Seems like you could use some help.” I duck under his arm and slip my own around his waist, pulling him against my side.
He staggers a bit trying to stop. “Bello. You found me.” He tries to hug me, and we both crash into the nearest wall.
Chuckling, I struggle to keep us upright. “You are beyond drunk. This isn’t very safe behavior, Nico. What if I’d been a thief?” I grin at my own joke and purposely don’t pay attention to my pulse racing or how I can’t stop smiling.
Nico attempts his own bit of humor. “Maybe you’re the thief who stole my heart.” He leans his forehead against mine. “Missed you.”
Snorting, I pull him closer and scan the street, but it’s still empty. “Of course you did. What’s not to miss?” Nico rubs our noses together. Sober, it might have been cute. Drunk, it hurts, and I pull away. “Ouch.”
He snorts and leans his temple on the top of my head. “Sorry.”
“Come on. We need to get you home. Which one is yours?”
He gestures further down the street. “At th’end.
The big one with th’iron gate. S’not mine though.
S’my father’s.” He leans down to whisper loudly in my ear.
“Mine is bigger.” He snickers and nudges my side, almost falling over in the process.
“My house is in Bayit. On the coast. Mother left it to me.” He sighs dramatically. “I miss her.”
I push against him and get us moving in the direction of his vague wave.
Can I get him to tell me anything useful while he’s drunk?
That line of thinking goes a long way toward settling my nerves.
I didn’t come out tonight looking for Nico.
I only wanted to clear my head. But under these serendipitous circumstances, I might actually get some much-needed information. “I’m sorry, Nico. When did she die?”
He sighs. “I was fourteen. She died one month ‘n four days after my twelfth name-day. S’been…” He valiantly tries to count, and his total concentration on his fingers, rather than where he’s placing his feet, almost causes us to stumble.
“Twenty years?” He’s pleased with himself.
“See? Even after a few glasses of wine, I can still count.” Nico leans into me, pushing us toward my side of the street before gesturing to yet another two-story home protected by a stone wall.
It has a tiled walkway that leads up to wide stone stairs, and a large wooden front door.
There are wide pillars supporting a small second-story balcony surrounded by a wrought iron railing. “That one.”
We stumble up to a huge gate, and Nico gestures at it, but nothing happens.
He tries flicking his fingers and grasps the ruby around his neck.
There’s a surge of unfocused magic, but the gate doesn’t budge.
Not surprising considering how drunk he is.
“Let me.” I push his hand down and place the Guild sigil against the lock.
The thrum of magic flows through my tattoo, and there’s an almost imperceptible click before the gate shifts inward.
I shove it with my shoulder, pulling Nico into the compound behind me.
Kicking it closed, I gesture at the lock.
The inner workings snap into place while I help Nico up the few steps to the front door.
With no trouble, I let us in, and steer us toward the large staircase.
“When we get to the landing, which way is your room? Left or right?” He makes a grab for my face, trying to kiss me.
Chuckling, I pull back. “Not right now. Help me get to your room.”
He grins. “Yes! That is a wonderful idea.” He attempts to waggle his eyebrows suggestively but only manages to look a little confused and very cute. “S’to the right. Up the steps.”
I manage to get us to his room without either of us falling, though it’s a close thing.
What’s strange, though, is even with the late hour, there aren’t any servants around.
No one comes to investigate the laughing or loud shushing that Nico is doing.
I open his bedroom door, and we stumble in.
It’s a cavernous room, with a large four-poster bed against the far-right wall.
I gently maneuver Nico in that direction.
He drops onto the edge of the mattress, and I kneel down to remove his boots.
“Why did you stay away? You never came, and I missed you.” Nico tries to hug me and almost falls on the floor.
I catch him and push him into a sitting position before tugging off his shirt. He flops backward onto the mattress, and I try not to stare at his beautiful body. “I was very busy.”
Nico makes an annoyed sound, which quickly changes to a pleased hum as I work open the front of his pants and pull them off. “M’naked, Bello.” As if I can’t see that for myself. He tries reaching for me. “You could get naked too.”
I can’t hold back my laugh. “You’re in no condition for naked activities other than sleeping. Maybe we can try that some other time.” I swing his legs onto the bed and throw a blanket over him.
Quicker than I thought he could manage this drunk, he grabs my hand, holding on tightly. “Stay! If you leave, I may never see you again.” His eyes turn sad, and he frowns. “Do not leave me, Bello. Please.”
I won’t be swayed by the pretty face and sad eyes. Gently untangling myself from the drunken groping, I take a quick step back. “If I promise to come back tomorrow, will you go to sleep?”
Nico eyes me skeptically through his drunken haze. “Will you really?”
It takes more willpower than I care to admit not to brush away the stray curl on his forehead. Or to lie down next to him. I need to go. And I should stay far away. “Yes. I will.”
He squeezes my hand. “Promise. On m’mother’s ashes. If you promise you will come back t’morrow, I will go to sleep.” His unexpectedly intense gaze catches and holds mine. “Promise me, Bello.”
I find myself nodding. “Yes. I promise on your mother’s ashes that I will return tomorrow. But it’ll have to be at night. It’s too dangerous during the day.”
Nico smiles and relaxes into the mattress. “Good. You can sneak onto my balcony ‘n into my room.” He makes a very drunken attempt at a wink.
I laugh again and kiss him on the forehead.
“Go to sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow evening.
” Nico rolls onto his side. His breathing slows into a restful rhythm, and a moment later he’s softly snoring.
I struggle to ignore the soft feelings taking root in my chest. “Fucking hells.” Unable to resist, I brush the same stray curl from Nico’s face before quietly backing away.
A glance around the room reveals a set of doors that most likely leads to the aforementioned balcony.
I walk across the soft carpet, silently depress the brass handles, and step onto a lovely terrace, tiled in neutral colors with an intricate scroll border and protected by a thick, stone balustrade.
I step to the edge and peer into a landscaped garden that runs to the tree line.
Beyond that is Lake Shadh, shimmering in the moonlight.
A conveniently placed trellis connects the balustrade to the patio below, and I swing my leg over, climbing down easily.
From there, it’s a quick jog along the side path around the house to the front gate, where I let myself out, locking it behind me.
I mentally mark which house belongs to the Medinas, then hurry back to the inn and my own empty bed.