Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game #1)(119)

“I was trying to help you.”

“Yes. Don’t do that.”

“You don’t normally need my help.”

“Enough.” Levi kicked him off the couch and stretched out on the cushions. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but he wasn’t anticipating getting much sleep. Not with the sirens calling from the streets below. Not while thinking about Enne asleep in the next room. He closed his eyes anyway and tried to quiet his mind.

The water in the bathroom was running. He peeked one eye open.

“I should say good-night,” he mused out loud.

“Yes, you should.”

Levi gave him a rude gesture as he stood up and walked to the bathroom. Enne was in a nightdress, leaning over the sink and removing the contacts from her eyes.

“You were right,” she said, blinking painfully. “They do hurt.” She snapped the contact case closed and turned to him, shaking her head. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot—and very purple.

“Stop looking at me that,” she snapped.

“I can’t help it.”

“I already feel like I’m wearing a costume, like this isn’t actually my face.” She pressed her hands against her cheeks, as if making sure her other features were still the same.

Jac shouted from the next room, “Oh, are your contacts gone? Do we get to see?”

“I’m not a sideshow,” she muttered.

Jac appeared in the doorway. He gaped at her, then gave an exaggerated bow. “You look like Queen Marcelline.”

“Before or after she was beheaded?” Enne shoved him away, grimacing. “And look at this,” she told Levi, leading him into the bedroom. Lola was perched on the edge of the bed, looking very absurd in one of Enne’s nightdresses. She glared at him suspiciously and wrapped a blanket around herself.

“Oh, is she showing you the ‘magic coin’?” Lola asked.

Levi scratched his arm nervously. “Is that a euphemism for something?”

“Lola’s just saying it like that because she can’t see what I’m talking about.” Enne grabbed a large bronze coin off her dresser, one slightly larger than her token. It was the same one she had shown to Zula. She pointed to the cameo of the king on its face. “Look at his eye. It’s purple.”

Levi examined both the coin and Enne with mild concern. “You’ve been wearing those contacts too long.” Behind him, he sensed Lola creeping out of the room.

Enne groaned. “I swear it’s purple. And feel it. It’s warm.” She thrust it into his hand.

“You’ve been holding it,” he said.

“It was on my nightstand! And you remember how Zula talked about it.”

He rubbed his temples and set it back down. They all needed some rest. “Yes. It’s very spooky.”

“You’re giving me that smirk again.”

“This is just my face,” he said, stepping closer and smirking wider.

She had to tilt her head to look up at him. “Yes. It’s very vexing.”

“I’m sorry my face vexes you.”

They grew silent. Levi was all too aware of the tumbling violet waves and smoky smells of her aura, of the heat of her skin, of how close they were to each other. What was actually vexing was that she was giving him that look again, that biting-her-lip, holding-her-breath look that tempted him so damn much.

“I’m not positive when we’ll next see each other,” he said.

“Vianca said she wanted to talk to me again in the morning,” she said, grimacing. “She said she has ‘plans.’ I’ll want to—I mean, we should talk afterward.” She flushed and looked away from him.

“I’ll find us a place in Olde Town to meet.”

That was how all their meetings would have to be from now on—secret. This was the life he had ahead of him, and he already knew the most dangerous thing he could do was fall for someone like Enne. Levi had flirted with disaster for over a year now, and everything in his life had crumbled for it. It was time he focused on the empire he was always meant to build. It was time he played his cards safe.

Even if he didn’t want to.

“It’s late,” they both said at the same time.

“Get some rest,” she said, smiling weakly.

“You, too.”

Levi walked back to the sitting room with his stomach in knots. He’d made his decision. But—so help him—if Enne had called his name. If she’d turned him around. Asked him to come back.

He would’ve surrendered to his desire without a second thought.

Lola and Jac were whispering conspiratorially on the couch.

“You can stop gossiping,” Levi said flatly. “Let’s all go to sleep.” He shooed them away, lay down and closed his eyes, making it clear he didn’t want to talk.

“We had bets,” Jac said.

“Good night, Jac.”

“I owe Lola three volts now.”

Sirens blared from outside the window, which didn’t make for the best lullaby. Levi listened to his pulse beat against the throw pillow. It reminded him of the timer ticking down during the Shadow Game and those ten seconds when he’d thought for sure he was a dead man.

But he wasn’t dead yet.

The City of Sin was a game, but not everyone was a player. Before tonight, Levi hadn’t just wanted to play—he’d wanted to win. He’d thought all that separated the players from the observers was desire.