Page 146 of House of Ruin
“We’ll see about that,” Norse said. Glass clinked somewhere in the distance. “Pick your poison.”
“I’ll have vodka. Neat.”
Blaze strained his ears to hear every small detail he could. He was looking for her heartbeat, for her breathing, anything and everything that could tell him how she truly felt in Norse’s presence.
The anticipation, the unknown, and not being able to do anything but sit there, listen, and wait was killing Blaze.
He lit a cigarette.
“Thank you,” Alecto said after a pause. There was a sound of glasses clinking again, as if Norse had offered a toast. “Have you memorized the lines for the scene?”
Pages shuffling came through the gramophone. Alecto was probably going through her script.
“I have read them a couple of times, yes,” Norse said. Once again, he was a little farther away from Alecto.
Good.
Blaze did not want him sitting anywhere next to her.
“I’m curious,” Norse said. “Why is it that you chose this scene in particular to read today?”
“Because it’s the only one we haven’t rehearsed just yet,” Alecto said. “Madame Raquel is expecting a lot from me with this role. I can’t let her down. So I thought it would be better to rehearse in advance, rather than risk performing it on the fly when we’re both onstage.”
Norse chuckled.
“If you feel uncomfortable with kissing, Norse, do tell,” Alecto said, her voice teasing now. “I have no intention of forcing myself onto you if you can’t stand the idea of having to kiss a half-breed.”
She had taken a word that was used to mock and humiliate her and turned it into her armor.
Blaze admired the strength, the resilience one needed to do so. But he also couldn’t deny the shame that came with the realization that he had been a large part of why she’d had to learn to wear it as armor.
He leaned his head against the couch and closed his eyes.
Whatever she had planned for him as her revenge, Blaze deserved every single drop of it. And even more so.
He had been nothing but vile to her for so long. Of course, she had learned to always be ready for another attack. Or to attack first.
Blaze had no right to be angry.
“I’ve never thought of you as that, Black. You know that,” Norse said, his voice smooth. “In fact, I’m looking forward to finding out what got Leveau so hooked, he doesn’t see anyone but you.”
Alecto snorted. “Let’s get to it. I don’t have all day.”
51
Alecto wanted to get this over with as soon as fucking possible.
She drained her glass and put it on the side table next to the armchair. Then she got to her feet, still holding the script in her hand. “Ready?”
Norse didn’t rush to stand, stretching his legs in front of him.
The door to the library opened, and three students walked in, chuckling amongst themselves.
“It looks like we need to change the location after all,” Norse said, his voice light.
Alecto shrugged. “Whatever. Lead the way to a place where we can rehearse in peace.”
Norse stood and motioned for her to follow him.
