Reign of Darkness (The Prince's Assassin #2) - Ariana Nash Page 0,45
rested his arms on the balustrade and peered out at the silvery ocean. “There’s nothing dangerous back there. I almost wish there had been.”
“Well, then clearly you’ve never dallied with high society.”
“I’ve dallied with the Cavilles. They make the Yazdans look like harmless kittens.”
Yasir chuckled, finished his wine, and set the glass on top of the balustrade. “If you were mine, I’d take you in my arms, tell you you’re not alone, and well…” he gestured loosely, “you can gather the rest.” He handed Niko back his glass, his face sheepish.
The flirting… He’d assumed that was just how Yasir was. Not that he’d genuinely wanted a more physical connection. “Yasir, you’re a good man—”
He laughed sharply. “Please don’t apologize. It’ll just make this awkward, and I didn’t say those things to make your life more difficult, just to let you know that you have friends, if you’ll let them in.”
He downed the wine and leaned a hip against the balustrade. Yasir smiled back, albeit softer and pulled down at one corner with regret. “It’s not personal. I’m having a hard time trusting anyone, even myself.”
“I know. Vasili told me how you were both betrayed.” He lifted his face to the evening sky. “Vasili should be here.”
The balcony was a long way from the crowds, and mention of the prince wouldn’t be overheard, but Niko’s heart skipped at his name nonetheless.
Yasir sighed. “He’d look like a fucking work of art on this balcony.”
“Hm,” Niko grumbled, “I wouldn’t trust myself not to shove him off.”
Yasir barked a bright, carefree laugh. A chuckle bubbled out of Niko too, and all the weight from earlier fell away.
Yasir draped an arm around Niko’s shoulders and led him back toward the gathering. “Shall we see if I can introduce the formidable Nikolas Yazdan to his potential grandfather and then you can get back to your prince?” Niko shot him a warning glance, and Yasir grinned back. “Watching you both dance around each other is pure entertainment on my part, but I do wish you’d just fuck already.”
Niko opened his mouth to deny everything, but Yasir’s comical look of You’re really going to argue this? silenced him. Instead, Niko said, “I think you’re mistaking sex for the desire to kill.”
Yasir chucked. “Much the same thing.”
The sunken gardens were as busy as before. The shah stood atop the steps, presiding over it. He had a warrior’s physique and would have made a solid soldier in his youth.
Niko caught the shah’s blue eyes as Yasir maneuvered him through the crowd. Blue eyes. Dark hair. Bronze skin. Niko could hardly hide his own resemblance, but there were plenty of other similar individuals in the crowd. They couldn’t all be bastards.
“Shah Yazdan.” Yasir bowed. Niko quickly echoed the motion. “May I introduce a good friend of mine, Lycus Kazemi. He’s recently settled in Seran. It would be remiss of me not to bring him to one of your wonderful gatherings.”
“Lycus,” the shah grumbled, his voice resonating honor and pride. He touched his forehead and offered his hand. Niko smiled, dipped his head, and took his hand. A ring glinted on the shah’s finger.
“I hope you’re enjoying everything Seran has to offer?” the shah asked, withdrawing his hand and folding his fingers and the ring into a loose fist.
“The city is a wonder.”
“Where do you hail from, Lycus?”
“The north.”
“Hm, you don’t look it.” The man who might be Niko’s grandfather smiled. His eyes filled with warmth. “Means wolf, doesn’t it?”
He hesitated, briefly scrabbling around to understand the question. This was beginning to feel like an interrogation. “Lycus? Yes.”
“A dark wolf,” the shah mused. “Aptly named. You have hungry eyes.”
The nearby crowd had stopped chattering to listen, and Niko found himself the center of attention. There would be no better time to ask the shah about the flame. He might not get another chance, but all he could think of was how looking at the shah was like looking in the mirror at an older version of himself. “Can I ask, Shah, your family crest? It’s interesting.”
The shah lifted his hand to admire the ring. “The flame, you mean?”
“I wondered about it, having seen your family wearing it this evening.”
The shah narrowed his eyes. “Lycus, you say?”
Subtlety never had been Niko’s talent. The shah was not convinced. “I… yes?”
“An old northern name.” The man’s tone had hardened. “And a lie.”
Niko swallowed. He couldn’t possibly know the name was a lie just because of its origins. Could he?