Her eyebrow arches.
“I can,” I repeat. “And don’t give me that look.”
“You’re fucking him.”
I uncap the water flask I have at my belt, focusing on keeping all my emotions off my face. “Why wouldn’t I be? He’s gorgeous.” I aim for insouciance. “Good in bed too.”
“Good?” She reaches out and taps my throat. “You have bruises everywhere. I’m fairly certain they look like teeth marks.”
I slap her finger away. “Fine. Great in bed.”
She grumbles under her breath.
“What?” I demand. “Why not enjoy the moment? I’m never going to see him again once this is done.”
“Really?” The way she drawls the word makes me want to punch her. “You see, there’s just a little problem with that….”
“Oh?”
“Teeth marks, Z. Possessive, territorial marks. All over you. And you’re blushing like a maiden after her first tumble.”
I roll my eyes. “Ridiculously mind-blowing in bed. It’s just sex.”
She’s so still, sitting on the ledge of the grotto like some sort of gargoyle. Her gaze grows distant as she returns her focus to the altar. “I keep thinking about that last quest. About the way we both failed.”
“I’m fairly certain you succeeded.” I can’t help it if my voice grows a little rough. Like most of our relationship, it’s easier if we don’t pretend it’s built on a foundation of betrayal.
This is getting dangerously close to topics we really shouldn’t be discussing right before we try to pull off the heist of the century.
“Did I?” Soraya turns all of her focus upon me. “The Dragon’s Heart. A relic with enough alleged power to tear apart the curse upon our people, and yet, when I placed it in Father’s hands it barely had enough magic within it to light a candle. Someone got their information wrong.”
My heart skips a beat. “Fine. I fucked up.”
“I was locked in a sarcophagus for a long time, Z.” Her voice becomes silken. “I had a lot of time to think about where it all went wrong. And I know you. You know what my mind keeps tripping over? The fact I was about to drive my knife through Keir’s heart when you appeared. You threw me off him and the amulet hit the floor. But you didn’t go for it. You stepped between us. You were protecting him.”
There’s a chill in the center of my chest. I can’t let her guess the truth. “Maybe I was a little furious. You had your tongue down his throat.”
“What can I say? The best way to get a man’s mind off his defenses is to give him a taste of what he wants.” She eyes me, noticing the way I shift onto my toes. “Jealous, Z?”
“You know what would be fun?” I turn the conversation on its head and smile sweetly at her. “Asking Mistmark what happened between the two of you. I’m fairly certain that would be an interesting tale.”
A scowl darkens her face. “Nothing happened. And nice attempt to deflect. You’re right. You fucked up. But it has nothing to do with getting the location of the relic wrong.” She laughs under her breath. “Your soul was on the line, Z. You had a chance to get it back and break free of Father’s geas. You had a chance for freedom. But you chose him. You chose his life over yours. Does he even know that?”
“I’m sure you have a point to make.”
“You knew the amulet was a decoy. You knew it wasn’t the Dragon’s Heart. That’s why you didn’t even glance at the amulet.” She shakes her head. “It was right there in front of me the entire time. He’s the key to our freedom, but you were protecting him.”
I tense.
“He’s a dragon,” she says softly. “He has the power to change an entire world—or to break our curse. His heart will power the entire spell by itself.”
Fuck. She knows. Indecision makes my hand hesitate, but she catches the way it hovers near my belt.
“Don’t,” she warns. “We both know who’s going to walk away from this if you draw that knife.”
“Maybe we did once, but I didn’t have anything to lose then.” I let my hand settle on the hilt. “You can’t say anything. If Father finds out—”
“Father underestimated the play,” she says coldly. “I underestimated the play. And I learned my lesson. I’ve also been doing a little bit of research since then.” Her expression sobers. “Everyone knows dragons were powerful, but all the books skirt around the fact there was no way to win that war against them. A single dragon king tore apart the combined forces of nearly all the Blessed courts. The only way they were defeated was to destroy them from within.” She shudders. “I’m not dipping my toe in that pool again, Z. I know when I’m outclassed. Whoever Keir is—whatever he is—I’m staying well and truly away. He can keep his heart. I can’t enjoy my soul if I’m dead.”
If there’s one thing I know about my sister, it’s that she weighs the risks of everything. It’s why she’s the best.
“You won’t tell Father?”
“If I tell Father where the real Dragon’s Heart is, he’s only going to send me after it. You may as well put me back in Malechus’s little stone box.”
The tension finally eases from my muscles. “Thank you.”
“You’re a fool, you know?” Her voice softens again. “He’s only going to get you dead. There is no escape for either of us. That’s another little reckoning I was forced to accept while I was contemplating life.”
I’m not going to give up. “What’s the point in surviving if you have nothing left to live for?”
The muscle in Soraya’s jaw twitches before the faintest of smiles escapes. “Stubborn bitch.”
I eye the grotto again. “Someone has to be. I’m going to beat him one day, Sora. Father’s not invincible. I just need my soul-trap—”
“And then what?” she demands bluntly. “You think he’ll just let you go? Father can’t
