Assassin's Heart (Assassin's Heart, #1)(46)

I was running out of time.

I leaned back against the wall of my space, trying to calm the fear and anxiety that had crept over me after Faraday’s letter.

A thump came from above. I jerked my stiletto from my boot and scrambled to my feet.

Alessio peered down at me from the hole in the ceiling, an amused expression on his face. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

I resheathed my stiletto, trying to decide if I was embarrassed. Clearly I was on edge from Faraday’s letter, but I’d rather overact to nothing than underreact to an actual threat.

He dropped through the hole, dust puffing around his boots. He was dressed in green trousers and a matching vest covering a loose-fitting linen shirt, his pendant resting against his chest. He looked clean, freshly washed, with his hair pulled back tightly in a tail and the short beard on his chin neatly trimmed.

Alessio looked me up and down, taking in the same stained dress I’d been wearing, and tried to hide a grin. He turned and examined my space, the empty floors, my saddle-blanket bed, my bags of weapons and supplies. Everything I owned, except for Butters stabled at the monastery.

“Is this where you’ve been staying?” he asked.

“And?” I snapped.

“Nothing. Four walls are always better than none once the ghosts come out.”

“What are you doing here, Alessio?”

“Les,” he corrected. “I want to show you something. And we can get some food on the way. My treat.”

This was the second time he was giving me food. Third if I counted the stolen fruit. “Are you courting me?”

He smiled, that ridiculous crooked smile of his. “Do you want me to court you?”

I stiffened. “Les . . .”

He held up his hands. “Lea, I simply want to make your stay here in Yvain easier. That’s it. If you’re not at your best, then your training won’t be your best either. I’m sure you’re starving, and honestly, I could use the company.”

“Are you going to show me how to make the timed bomb?”

He at least had the decency to feel embarrassed, judging by the way his throat turned red. “No, we can’t during the day.”

I glared at him. He had to be delaying things. I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t trust him.

“We had a deal,” I said. This was taking too long. I hadn’t accomplished anything yet, and Faraday’s letter urged me to hurry. I couldn’t spend any more time here.

“I know. We can work on it tomorrow night.”

“Tonight.”

He shook his head. “It’ll take me time to get all the supplies we’ll need. But tomorrow night. I promise. Now, let’s get something to eat before we starve.”

He was intentionally delaying things. I didn’t want to wait another night here. I wanted to head home to Lovero. I wanted to kill the Da Vias.

For now, I would stay on his good side. If I couldn’t get the bomb tonight, then maybe I could work on one of my other necessities. And Les was right. I was famished.

I smoothed the skirt of my stained dress. I desperately missed my closet of clothes. Each dress I’d owned I’d picked out myself, and they had been tailored to accentuate my good bits and hide the not-as-good bits. And wearing the same clothes over and over again just made it easier for Lefevre to spot me in a crowd. I needed a change, but for that, I would need more money. But there was nothing I could do about that problem.

I gestured to the back window. “Less chance someone will see us.”

We slipped outside, replaced the boards, and headed toward a city square. Alessio kept up a steady stream of chatter, pointing out landmarks and interesting facts of the city, and I nodded when it was appropriate and asked the occasional questions to make it seem like I was interested, but mostly I was lost in my own thoughts.

It seemed so natural to spend time with someone, a boy, Les, in broad daylight. Val and I had hidden in the shadows, kept everything secret. Which had been exciting, but looking back, it had also been stressful, sometimes, and tiring. It would’ve been nice to have Val court me for real, to go out in public with him and not worry about who might see us.

It didn’t matter. I couldn’t be with Val anymore. His Family had destroyed mine. Regardless of how I felt about Val, salvaging our relationship was not possible.

That didn’t mean, though, that I wanted someone else. I glanced at Les, his long neck, his large nose. He winked at me and pointed to a building where a priest had held off a dozen angry ghosts, armed with nothing but his faith, until the sun had risen hours later. Les was funny and kind, and he actually seemed to understand some of what I was feeling. But he also held the keys to the Da Vias, and I wasn’t here for friends.

Les paused and handed a beggar woman a coin.

“Why did you do that?” I asked when we were far enough away.

“Because she needed the help.”

“But she’ll probably just spend it on chetham leaves or something else.”

“Or maybe she’ll spend it on food, or a warmer shawl, or to pay back a debt she owes so she can greet Acacius gladly at the end of her life.”

I turned away from his eyes and how they seemed to see right through me. There was no point to helping that woman. She wouldn’t give Les anything in return.

“Here we are.” Les flourished his hand in front of a small street vendor, serving skewers of lamb. He bought us each one, and then led us away.