Reign of Darkness (The Prince's Assassin #2) - Ariana Nash Page 0,101

two hands, it’s remarkable. I wish…” Vasili swallowed the rest, probably because wishing changed nothing. “I must go back to Loreen, to Amir, and stop everything from spiraling out of control.”

“Didn’t we leave Loreen to escape Amir?”

“Yes, but his appearance in Seran, the beasts, everything he’s done… He’s revealed a weakness I should have seen before, one I can perhaps exploit.”

Talk of Amir rapidly soured Niko’s mood. He threw the cover back, planted his feet over the side of the cot bed, and grabbed his pants from the floor. He’d rather stay in the forest forever than see that bastard’s face again.

Vasili trailed his fingers along Niko’s bare thigh, tickling the fine, dark hairs, screeching Niko’s thoughts to an abrupt halt. Lounged on the cabin floor, Vasili looked like a half-unwrapped gift. The appearance of his coy smile coupled with his lazy touch had Niko’s cock rising in interest. Everything about the prince triggered Niko’s desire and anger, frustration and the desperate need to protect. His whole world had become Vasili and that thought was fucking terrifying.

“There’s something he wants,” Vasili said. “It’s consumed him since he was denied it. It was there when the flame took him, when he attacked Seran, but every time he’s close, it slips through his fingers. In his madness, he’s fixated on it.”

“Sounds like the perfect way to trap him. What is it?”

Vasili blinked. “You.”

The desire tumbled away as Niko’s suspicions rose. “I’m his weakness? And you want to exploit me?” Oh, they’d been here before, and it ended in Julian and Amir drugging him up and raping him. Niko brushed Vasili’s touch from his leg.

“But this time you’re complicit,” the prince said.

Niko stood and tugged his trousers on. “And that makes it acceptable?” Vasili wanted to use him to get to Amir? It was like Seran hadn’t happened, like they were back at the palace and Vasili was going to dangle Niko in front of Amir to distract him. “I foolishly thought you’d changed.”

“Changed?” Vasili frowned. “Why would I?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because you’d learned that fucking people over is always wrong.” He gestured at the cabin. “Maybe because of all this?”

Vasili shook his head and blinked up at Niko. “You’re being unreasonable.”

“I’m being unreasonable? You want to hand me over to your shit-weasel of a brother.”

“Will you listen?”

“I am listening, that’s the problem.”

Vasili pursed his lips, his glare turning sharp.

“Was last night all lies? Or does it go back farther than that? When you got me off on Yasir’s ship? You thought you’d… what? Fuck me, thinking once I’d gotten some cock, I’d roll over and let you fuck me another way?” Niko laughed hoarsely. “That’s it, isn’t it? You said you used pleasure to control Julian. You whipped him because he fucking got off on it, needed it even. And now you’re doing the same to me because I’m stupid enough to think you might actually care? That we might actually have something?”

Vasili dropped his head. “By Etara, you’re so gods-damned stubborn.”

“No. I’m right.”

“Amir learned about the Yazdans, the same as I did, and about you. He wants a Yazdan to control. He went to that funeral, not for me or for them. He went for you, Nikolas. The flame to him is just a means of getting what he wants, and he wants you, because you’re—” he cut himself off.

“Say it.”

“Because you’re mine.”

At least he’d hesitated.

Niko crouched, level with Vasili, and stared into his eye. Oh, he was angry too, barely restrained, still sitting against the bed, like he’d spring forward at any second and wrap his fingers around Niko’s throat. “Maybe you’d like to whip me into submission, Your Highness? I honestly can’t deny how I might fucking enjoy it.”

Vasili’s mouth twisted. He leaned forward, close enough his hot mouth almost scorched Niko’s. “Whatever you think of me, the fact remains, you are Amir’s weakness.” He wet his lips. “The same as you are mine.”

Niko’s racing heart stuttered at that last word, and the rage quickly crumbled away. Gods, why couldn’t he stay pissed at this bastard? Vasili would throw Niko to the wolves, and Niko—fool that he was—would willingly go every damn time. He thrust a hand into Vasili’s hair, holding him firm, eliciting a tiny, restrained gasp from the prince. “Sometimes, I fucking hate you.”

Humor sparkled in his eye. “Only sometimes?”

Chapter 31

Vasili steered Adamo back onto the unfamiliar roads with Niko tucked too damn close against Vasili’s back. Although, the distraction of having him pressed close