Page 123 of A Tribute of Fire

“That’s a strange thing to admire.”

He jogged slightly ahead of me and started walking backward so that he could make eye contact with me. “I’ve always admired women willing to deal a little death when crossed.”

“I would be happy to cut your throat open,” I offered.

He came to a sudden stop and I wasn’t fast enough to keep myself from crashing into him.

Or I had been looking for an excuse to get close to him again and took advantage when the opportunity presented itself.

His hands went to my shoulders, holding me in place now that I was pressed firmly against him.

Our chests moved against one another as we breathed in and out.

“I’ll only agree to it on the condition that you promise to throw me up against a wall again, pressing your body to mine just like this.”

His lips lightly brushed against my forehead. Soft as feathers.

My whole body flushed with heat. I hoped he hadn’t noticed the way that I was shivering under his touch.

The look in his eye told me that he hadn’t missed a thing.

With a sound of disgust, I wrenched myself away from him. How could he be expressing condolences over the loss of Quynh in one moment and using his masculine wiles to seduce me in the next?

Even worse, how could I be so weak as to respond to it? Just a few minutes ago he’d been focusing all of his energy on courtesans. And they had been clinging to him, happy with what little attention he had deigned to give them.

That would never be me.

I wouldn’t permit it.

“So I’m supposing that means you would say no to my marriage proposal.” The teasing in his voice was unmistakable.

Why did he think himself so clever? “I’d sooner marry Prince Alexandros.” And I had no intention of marrying that man at all.

Jason let out a scoffing noise. “What does he have that I don’t?”

“Money? Power? A kingdom? Servants to do his bidding? Knowing where his next meal is coming from? Not being indebted to every gambling house between here and Locris? Women he doesn’t have to pay for?”

“All right, all right,” he said with a laugh. “I see your point. I wouldn’t trade lives with him, though. I prefer the freedom of going wherever I wish, whenever I wish.”

I had heard him say that exact same sentence before.I prefer the freedom of going wherever I wish, whenever I wish.

Only he’d said it to me in a dream. That caused a chill to settle into my spine, spreading slowly through me.

I’d told him I didn’t believe in coincidences.

So what did it mean that he was saying things in real life that he’d said to me only in my imagination?

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“To the docks,” I said. It was so much easier traversing the city now that I knew the correct ways to go. I kept my gaze forward, avoiding looking at the labyrinth walls as much as I possibly could. They all made me think of Quynh and the sheer terror I’d felt racing through here the first time.

“Do you know how dangerous the docks are?” Now he sounded slightly angry.

“In my experience every part of Troas is dangerous.”

He stayed quiet at my retort, silently acknowledging the truth of my statement before he said, “The docks are worse. Especially this time of night.”

“I can take care of myself.”

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