Reign of Darkness (The Prince's Assassin #2) - Ariana Nash Page 0,53
know what was real with him?
“It’s true…” Yasir confirmed. “You should… I can take you there, if you like, I—”
She bolted from the chair and out of the courtyard.
“I should… go after her,” Yasir said. “She’s going to need help. Are you both safe here?”
Vasili stood with his hands gripping the back of a chair, his head down. It all seemed so real.
“Are we safe, Vasili?”
The prince lifted his face. The dark didn’t coat this eye; he was still Vasili. But he’d slipped before. “Go with her, Yasir,” he said.
“Meet us on your ship,” Niko added. Yasir nodded and left, and now the small open-air courtyard sheltered just the two of them, an oasis of quiet in Seran’s center.
“Amir…” Vasili said the name like spitting something foul. “He’s in the city.”
“You were here the whole night?”
Vasili looked up. The fear had vanished like it always did, buried beneath layers of Caville misdirection. Did Vasili make them all think he was in this coffeehouse, when in fact he’d been the one to sweep through the Yazdan house and destroy everyone inside?
“You’re wearing my ring.” He sauntered toward Niko.
“I’m wearing two.” He lifted his hand. “I was with the shah when he died. He gave me his ring. Do you know what name he said with his dying breath?”
“By the way you came at me moments ago, I can certainly guess.” Vasili’s hand slipped into his slim waistcoat pocket. His fingertips came out coated in blue powder. He raised it to his lips.
Niko caught his wrist, the same wrist he’d broken a year ago, the bones so brittle now. “Don’t.”
The prince blinked slowly. “Why not?”
“We need you clear-headed.”
He smiled and stepped closer, closing the distance between so they almost touched. “We or you?”
“Vasili… I have to know. Were you here all last night?”
The lashes of his left eye fluttered. “If you discover the answer to that question, will you tell me?”
Oh gods. He didn’t know. He wasn’t lying, he just didn’t have the answer. That was so much worse than the truth. He could have killed those people. He was more than capable.
“I have to get you somewhere safe.” Niko twisted his grip on Vasili’s wrist, controlling the hold.
“Hm, then you’d better let go.” Vasili inched closer and leaned provocatively against Niko. “Unless you plan on dragging me out of here,” he purred.
He should let go, but his fingers stayed loosely clamped enough to feel Vasili’s pulse lightly tapping against his fingers. “Did you kill them?”
His pulse quickened, and Vasili yanked his wrist free. “No.” His fingers fluttered to his forehead. “I don’t know. Perhaps I did? I truly don’t recall.”
If he hadn’t been so damned high, he’d have known. “What do you recall?”
“Lashing out at Roksana. Coming here with her, then going back… for my ring, for you.” His cheek twitched. “Of course, you weren’t there, because you’re never where you’re supposed to be. And then…” His brow pinched. “I don’t fucking know, Nikolas. Does it please you to know your disgust at my continued existence is correct? I’m everything you hate, and soon, you’ll kill me to stop me, just like you’ve always wanted. Will that finally make you happy? Will you smile over my grave or spit on it?”
“You don’t disgust me—”
“You’ve hated me since the moment you saw me.”
“No, I hated the ring and everything it stands for.”
“You hate me,” he jabbed a finger at Niko’s chest, “because in your simple life, I should have fixed everything. You believe me to be a failure. You believe I’m weak. I see it in your eyes every time you look at me. I let the elves in. I killed your parents and the thousands of others I failed. I’m the source of all this madness. It’s my fault Julian hurt you. You taunted Amir to no end, but it’s my fault he fucked you—”
“He didn’t—”
“This whole fucking war is my fault.” He pulled from Niko’s grip and stalked away. “Gods, you’re so damned righteous. So fucking right about everything.” He stumbled and fell against the table, then shoved it away, sending the chairs crashing to the floor.
“The spice…” He’d seen him like this before. Spice amplified everything. The moods, the manic behavior, the madness behind it all, trying to tear free of him. It was all part of who he was, but not all of him. Vasili lashed out when threatened.
Niko glanced at the door behind him into the coffeehouse. They hadn’t drawn much attention but would soon. “Vasili, let’s