Marjorie Liu - Within the Flames

“Thank you,” she said.

He blinked at her, unsteady. “It looks better on you.”

Lyssa’s cheeks turned pink. Eddie wondered when she’d last been given a compliment. Not that he was much better. He suddenly felt awkward and shy — like he was eleven years old with Suzie Mitchell on the school field trip, helping her catch insects while hoping, maybe, if nothing else, she’d say, I like you.

It’s better if she doesn’t like you. It’s better if you don’t like her. Keep your distance.

Words that Lannes had spoken, right before leaving to pick up Lethe.

She’s dangerous , said the gargoyle. Maybe you can’t feel it, but I can. There’s something inside her that isn’t right.

In what way?

I don’t know. I’m not wrong, though. If my brothers were here, they would tell you the same thing. But not as nicely.

So, what? I turn her loose? I don’t help her?

Does she even need your help? Lannes had been so grim. Let me put it another way, Eddie. I only get this itchy feeling around witches. Lyssa Andreanos is not just a shape-shifter.

She’s something else , Eddie told himself, watching Lyssa check her scarf and adjust it around her throat. Her movements were quick, delicate. An old habit, he thought. Always hiding. Even inside his jacket. She wanted to get lost in things, he thought. Like armor.

Lannes might not trust her, but Eddie’s life depended on reading people. Instincts mattered. Small gestures. This woman was hiding something, that much was clear. Was she a danger to be around? Probably.

But did any of that make her a bad person?

She’s no Matthew Swint.

Matthew Swint, who was free. Matthew Swint, who was free and knew that Eddie had killed his brother.

He exhaled and rubbed his forehead. “Why are the Cruor Venator hunting you ? There must be other people in the world who would be just as attractive.”

She shot him a look he’d seen in the mirror a time or two: afraid, angry, and desperate. But just as quickly as it appeared, the mask fell down, and all that raw emotion vanished — replaced by cold wariness.

“You should be more concerned about how they found me. I’m worried they might have gotten to Estefan.”

Eddie looked away, chilled. Her friend had been murdered. A fact that had been burning a hole in his heart since first invoking the shape-shifter’s name. He had wanted to tell her the truth from the beginning, but their few moments together hadn’t seemed right.

How could he tell her now? How could he say the words?

The Cruor Venator killed your friend, and that’s how they tracked you to this city. They drained his blood, skinned him, and ate his heart. But don’t worry, because I’m here to take care of you .

Right. Like hell.

She’ll blame herself. She’ll run from me. I can’t let her do that.

But silence stuck in his throat like a claw. It wasn’t honest. She had a right to know.

“Why you, Lyssa?” he asked hoarsely, hating himself. “It sounds personal.”

She was silent a moment. “They’re hunting me because that’s what they do. My. . blood. . is valuable to them.”

“Because you’re a dragon.”

She made an exasperated sound. “Don’t say that out loud.”

“No one’s around us.”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t like you knowing what I am.”

“You know my secret.”

“I don’t know anything about you.”

“You’ve been hiding for years. It’s a hard habit to break. I understand that.”

“No,” she muttered, looking down at the sidewalk. “No, you don’t. How could you?”

Because I killed a man when I was thirteen years old, then ran away from home.

Lyssa stumbled. Eddie caught her elbow, and heat roared up his arm. He let go, startled, and she gave him a haunted, troubled, look.

It was so quiet. Every sound, muted. Every car engine, every voice, dull in his ears. His beating heart was louder than it all.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he whispered.

Lyssa let out her breath. “Like what?”

Like you heard what I thought .

Eddie backed away and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I left home after the first time I lost control of. . of the fire. I was just a kid. I lived on the streets for years until it was safe enough for me to be around the people I cared about. So I know about hiding. About. . holding back.”

“You were homeless,” she said.

“About as homeless as a person can be,” he replied. “I think about it every day.”

Lyssa swallowed hard and looked away. “Hard not to, isn’t it?”

“You have some experience with the street?”

“You could say that. It was the only option for a long time.” She spoke with particular brittleness and gave him a lingering look full of doubt. “You said Long Nu told you about the Cruor Venator. ”

“Some. Not enough.” Eddie started walking again, needing to move, to focus on something other than her. “I asked Lannes to help me gather more information.”

Lyssa matched his pace. “You shouldn’t have. You’ll make him a target. Maybe I did already, by being in his home.”

Maybe, he thought. “I need to know what the Cruor Venator are. What they do. ”

Lyssa walked faster. “Witches have the blood of the fae in them. That’s what gives them their power, diluted as it may be. Sometimes it doesn’t even manifest, or if does, it can be mistaken for intuition or good luck.”

Eddie stared. “I. . the fae?”

“You know.” She wiggled her fingers and raised her brow. “Faeries. Sidhe.”

He had thought there was nothing left that could surprise him — but he was wrong. Crazy or not, though, it wasn’t worth arguing over. Not after all the other strange things he’d seen in his life.

“So why does everyone act as though the Cruor Venator are different from other witches?”

“Because they’re descended from a specific bloodline.” Disgust twisted her mouth. “Not fae. Demon.”

“No.”

“Yes. If you don’t believe me, that’s fine. But—”

Eddie touched her arm, stopping her. “I was told the Cruor Venator haven’t been seen in one hundred years. How come you know so much about them?”

Lyssa grimaced. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

“Can’t you just answer the question?”

“No. I shouldn’t even be here with you. I wasn’t. . thinking.” Her voice was sharp, but he heard a hint of pain that was all too familiar. Before he could say anything, Lyssa walked into the street and hailed an approaching cab.

Eddie stepped in front of her. “Not without me.”

She gave him a haunted look. “What is your problem?”

“You,” he said, and grabbed the front of her jacket, pulling her close with gentle, firm, strength. Lyssa made a small sound of protest, staring at him with huge, troubled eyes. The cab slowed, then drove past.

“You,” he said again, quieter.

Her hands rose to cover his, but she didn’t try to free herself. Her touch was soft and warm, and a terrible prickling heat rose beneath his skin, behind his eyes. It scared him, but only because she slipped so easily behind the walls he’d worked hard to build. Years of keeping his heart quiet and calm, segregated from emotions that were too strong.

Because it wasn’t safe. Fire reacted to the heart.

His heart reacted to her.

Her gaze flicked to his mouth, sending a bolt of hunger from his throat into his groin. Embarrassing, impossible to control. All he could do was keep his focus on her eyes, but if he looked at her delicate lips, the pale curve of her jaw. .