Chapter 9
EMBERLINE
My brother hadn’t recognized me, and I was entertaining some confusing suspicions about Gabriel’s intentions toward me. So far, the party was off to a rocky start, but my uncle hadn’t noticed me at all, so I’d take my wins where I could.
Draconi soldiers lined the grand ballroom and were posted in every hall, flanking the curving staircase leading to the private chambers upstairs. An impenetrable wall of keen-eyed brute strength you’d have to be a fool to challenge.
I was eying the narrow corridor leading to the rear stairs when an argument broke out between Rocco and Emilia, Rocco wildly waving around his cane and shouting expletives. Emilia finally cast a spell that sent him sprawling to the floor, where he landed flat on his back, glaring up at her.
Three soldiers peeled away from the end of the hallway and headed their way.
I moved, hugging the edge of the enormous room, completely forgotten as the drama-hungry crowd jockeyed for position, and Emilia took one precious second to peer at me over her shoulder.
Go, she seemed to say.
I darted down the side hallway. I hadn’t expected Emilia’s help, but she did enjoy getting over on my uncle. Of course, I expected that little favor would be another red mark in my ledger of growing debt.
The study was unguarded, and my pulse picked up as I touched the doorknob, then murmured the deactivation spell I’d memorized since childhood. Layers of magic unraveled, and best of all, my uncle wouldn’t get any warning his wards were broken because this was family magic.
My father’s magic.
Mine more than it was ever Giovanni’s.
“Now, what do we have here?” a low voice drawled from the shadows. “A little lost dove, looking for a place to nest. Or a viper in sheep’s clothing, more likely.”
Nico Draconi strolled out of the shadows, buckets of that strange darkness spilling off his shoulders, pale brown eyes shining with deadly intent. I’d seldom witnessed his threatening side, and he stole my breath away, all brawn and restrained violence and quite frankly, scary as shit.
“Are you lost, or should I take you somewhere quiet and ask you a few questions? Find out who you are working for?”
“Who says I’m working for anyone?” I hedged as the door opened with a faint, satisfying click. “Not all of us have masters, you know.” I retreated as he kept coming, crowding me into the tight space between the wall and his big body.
Gods, he was huge, cold pouring off him along with those living shadows as he curved his enormous body around me, blocking out the light.
“We all have masters, girl.” He braced a hand over my head, the end of his braid brushing my bare shoulder. “We all answer to someone bigger and meaner and more powerful. This section of the house is private. Why are you back here?”
I debated. I needed to make this fast, with the least amount of fuss, and Nico didn’t recognize me. At all. But part of me wanted to test Nico’s training, see how good this disguise was.
Part of me needed to already be in that room, sorting through the safe.
And all of me dreaded that once Nico knew who I was, this chance would be lost.
“I’ve never been inside such a grand place.
I just wanted to take a look around,” I hedged, staring up at that handsome face I knew so well and hardly recognized right now.
But at the same time, a dark thrill went through me, something dangerous, reckless, and completely out of character for this situation.
He smelled so good, all mint and cherries, reminding me I was starving. My fangs punched out, my stomach growled, and all I could see was the pulse beating in his throat, just beneath his skin.
“A likely story. You’ve been positioning yourself to slip by the guards since the moment you arrived. In fact, I saw Emilia’s signal before you snuck back here. Now, what do you say you cut the shit and tell me the truth? I really don’t want to get my hands bloody tonight.”
“I thought blood on your hands was a somewhat common thing.”
His brow furrowed, every inch of him edged in violence, and being crowded this close to him was doing weird things to my insides. I was hungry. I was warm. Hot, actually, and my head was starting to spin. If I didn’t know better, I’d say I was getting…
“Are you seriously fucking with me right now, girl?” Nico growled, fangs gleaming, sending another flush of liquid heat through me.
I considered answering him, then changed my mind. “Why are you guarding this door?” I looked up and down the empty hallway, curiosity prickling. “This seems like a low-priority location for someone of your station.”
Something didn’t add up. Why was Nico here, lurking in the empty hall outside my uncle’s study, unless…
“What do you mean… I’m asking the questions here,” he growled, gripping my arm.
“You were? Well then, ask away.” I beamed up at him with a vacuous smile. This was kind of fun, picking at Nico’s composure, watching him come undone.
“One last chance, dove, then your evening will take a turn for the worse.”
“The truth is, I’m looking for someone,” I whispered conspiratorially.
“Lost your date?”
“No, my husband.” I poked my finger into the center of his chest. “And I intend to get him back, no matter the cost. All you have to do is help me get inside this room.”
The look on his face… I’d have to remember that offended expression anytime I was having a bad day. Priceless. Simply priceless.
“And why the fuck would I help a thief?” He ground his teeth together, leaning in until we were nose to nose. “You have an elevated opinion of yourself, piccola, so I guess we’ll be doing this the hard way.”
Gods, he smelled so good, and his fangs looked so sharp, and I was breathing so fast, this couldn’t possibly be normal. But… time was slipping away too fast to dissect this weirdness between us.
I had to get inside this study. Soon enough, this hallway would be crawling with guards again, and my chance would have slipped away.
“Before we get down to the torturing part of the evening…” I grinned at his building fury. “What makes you think I need your help at all, Nico Draconi? You know how good I am at sneaking in and out of the safehouse. It’s not like you could stop me, even if you tried.”
He reared back, looking me up and down.
Once.
Twice.
Three times before horror dawned on his face. “Gods, Emberline, are you insane?” He tightened his hold on my wrist, as if he meant to drag me down the hall like an errant child. “You can’t be here right now. The security is… there are over a hundred soldiers.”
“Yes, I counted, and it’s a good thing you’re in charge of them, isn’t it? Now tell me why you’re here.”
“I’m here because tonight is our best chance to get a look inside your uncle’s study. I told Gabriel I’d see what I could find.”
“Do you know how to get into the safe?” I asked softly. “Or where the safe even is?”
Nico shook his head and let me go, pacing away.
“Well, I do. I’m here; all I need is fifteen minutes. I’ll shut this door, and you’ll walk away. Say the hall is closed for a private tour or whatever excuse you were planning to use.”
“Half the Dynasty is out there,” he hissed, looking like he was about to have a heart attack. “Your fucking uncle is in the next room. This is madness.”
“Thanks for the rundown. I hadn’t noticed all the possible threats as I carefully worked my way through the crowd. Now give me room to operate, Nico. I don’t have a lot of time.”
“Gods, woman, you’re impossible. Fine,” he muttered under his breath. “I’ll buy you as much time as I can, but if Giovanni heads this way…”
“He won’t,” I assured him. “My uncle is too busy holding court to worry about anything else. Now go do important security stuff and let me comb through his office and find my husband.”
“Always such a smartass. Be careful,” he sighed, like he knew he’d already lost this argument. “And Emberline?”
“Yes, my scary Draconi soldier?”
“If you’re caught, don’t do anything stupid,” he murmured.
“Hide or tell them you thought it was the bathroom. I’ll come and extricate you from the situation.
” He studied my face for a moment, then picked up a blond curl and wound it around his finger.
With a tug, he pulled me closer, and I could barely breathe, standing toe to toe, his intense gaze swallowing me whole.
“I won’t do anything stupid if you promise not to tell Gabriel I was here tonight.”
“You seriously expect me to lie to my boss?” He frowned. “Really?”
“It’s either that, or we both end up on his shit list,” I argued softly, watching his face. “A list neither of us wants to be on. And as soon as I’m finished in the study, I’ll go straight back to the safehouse, no detours.”
“You have yourself a deal, principessa. Don’t make me regret this.” His lips curved up, light dancing in his eyes as he wound that curl tighter around his finger. Forcing me even closer, so our breath mingled, so my head emptied out of everything except how good he smelled and how warm he was.
“This is Emilia’s work?” he asked softly, rubbing the strand between his fingers.
“You like it?” I tipped my head to the side, honey gold curls cascading over my shoulder. He noticed, pupils dilating and swallowing up the pale brown until there was nothing left but emotion and want.
So much want.
Breathing grew next to impossible, as if he was sucking up all the air in the hallway.
“Not particularly, but it’s effective,” he said hoarsely. “At least you don’t look like someone who will carve my balls off for the fun of it.”
“Looks can be deceiving.” I gave him a simpering smile that had him rolling his eyes and stepping away. “Now scootch, you pest, we’re wasting precious time.”