Page 12 of Twisted Gift

“Okay,” I whisper after a few beats of silence.

We relocate to the loft where I find out Nikolai lives. He unlocks the door, gesturing for me to walk ahead of him. I step into the apartment and look around. The small, updated kitchen is right off the entryway. It’s simple: stainless steel appliances, faux marble countertop, white cupboards. I can’t picture Nikolai preparing meals for himself, but the dishes in the sink displace my assumption that he doesn’t cook.

The kitchen island and seating area opens into the living room, an open concept design that makes the place feel modern and large. Flat screen television, L-shaped couch, dark wood coffee and matching side table—the space is simple and impersonal. The complete opposite of Nikolai.

He stands in the kitchen and brews a pot of coffee, pouring us each a mug before joining me in the living room and settling onto the couch.

He takes a sip before setting his mug on the coffee table, then turns to look at me. “I’m going to ask you to start at the beginning.”

I sigh, sipping on my own coffee, willing it to sober me up. I no longer enjoy the fuzziness in my head. “The beginning as in the night Max kidnapped me?”

He frowns. “Why don’t we start with the night you killed Jules?” The suggestion is gentle, but that doesn’t make the thought of talking about it easier to handle. I haven’t spoken to anyone about it, and the idea of opening up to Nikolai, someone who knew Jules—hell, his second-in-command—feels wrong.

I wet my lips. “How do I know I can trust you?”

His smile is faint. “Are you sure you’d like me to answer that? Because I will.”

My nod is hesitant, but I have to know.

“There have been ninety-seven perfect opportunities for me to kill you since you killed Jules two months ago.”

My eyes widen. “I... what the hell?”

“I’m second-in-command for a reason. I’m not only around to take the place of a leader if the need arises, but here to protect the current leader.”

Choosing not to comment about how he wasn’t around to protect Jules from me, I glare at him from behind my mug as I take another sip. “And yet you just told me you thought about killing me almost a hundred times since I replaced Jules.” Not to mention how he did nothing to keep me from dying at the hands of that other fae the day we met. I wasn’t a fae leader then, but still. It’s messed up.

He shakes his head. “That’s not what I said. I told you the number of times Icouldhave. That doesn’t mean I was going to.”

“Could you right now?”

He blinks. “Yes.”

“Fucking hell,” I mutter.

He chuckles. “Relax, Aurora. I already told you, I’m here for you. I have no desire to kill you or to see you dead by any other means. Jules was toxic. I was his second because I care about our people, not because I agreed with his tactics. I’m not angry he’s gone. I am, however, interested to see how you grow into this role.”

My responding laugh is breathy. “Good to know.” I take a drink and set the mug down. “Why do you want to help me?”

“I don’t have some hidden agenda if that’s what you’re worried about. I want you to succeed because, if you do, the light fae do. I care about them like they’re family—because they are—all I have left, anyway. With light fae still disappearing at the hands of dark—and I’m sure vice versa—I think you’ll agree there’s plenty of work to be done.”

I can’t argue with that answer. Instead, I pose another question. “What were you doing the day we met?”

His brows rise. “I figured that would’ve been your first question the other night.”

I shrug. “Yeah, well, I wasn’t exactly expecting to see you on the stage—or anywhere for that matter.”

“What’d you think?”

“About what?”

“My performance,” he clarifies.

“I told you then. You shouldn’t feed off humans like you did.”

He rolls his eyes. “Not what I meant. We’ll come back to that, though.”

I shake my head. “Okay?” I run my fingers across the soft cotton throw on the back of his couch. “You meant your singing? Are you actually fishing for compliments right now?”

---