Chains of Silver (Alchemy Empire Book 1)

Chapter 10b

I didn’t want to make a scene and draw attention to the two of us, so I held my temper in check. “Where are Thea and Mr. Corker?”

“Still at the bar. Mr. Corker was only too eager to talk about the Peacock with Thea, and Lottie cannot escape hearing. Thea seemed hard at work, and I didn’t want to interrupt whatever mental crumb-gathering was going on.”

Blast it. I’d been hoping to grab Thea and bring her with us on the way outside. “Her talent does come in useful that way.” I tried to keep my tone neutral. But inside, it felt like a lit match had been thrown on the floor, and now the whole building was catching flame. 

Dietrich’s arm tightened. “Her talent certainly came in useful earlier this evening. Did you find out from me what you wanted to know?”

He was referring to Thea’s mental foray into his mind earlier. 

My cheeks grew warm. “Yes, actually.” I wasn’t going to be intimidated by him. I wasn’t the one sending mixed signals and confusing unsuspecting girls.

He leaned his head close to my ear. “Whatever you were searching for, you could have just asked me.” His voice had that low and seductive note to it again. Damn him.

I refused to be drawn in by it. “And be accused again of being childish? I think not.”

I tried to pull away, but he held onto my arm with his other hand. We exited the pub without further conversation. I felt as if my entire body were one big, pissed-off fireball. Once outside, he released me, and I marched across the still-wet street to the alley where I’d done my hair during my first visit to the Noggin. 

“Why are you angry at me?” He followed me into the alley.

I spun on him, breathing in the damp night mist. “What the bloody hell do you want from me, Dietrich?”

He took a step back, his expression almost haughty. “Whatever do you mean?”

“You’re the detached, all-seeing presul one moment, and then you call me your sister.” I paced the narrow width of the alley, giving in to the pent-up anger that had been building inside me ever since Dietrich Wolff showed up at the theater. “You scold me like you would a child, and then you look at me like—like—” Oh, blast it, I was just going to say it outright. “Like you want to kiss me.” I stopped and put my hands on my hips. “You know I’m scared of you. Why are you playing with me like this?”

He crossed his arms. “Understand this, Miss Mellor. I never play. With anyone. Besides, you said you weren’t scared of me anymore.”

“I’m not—but I am.” I let loose a groan. “I don’t even know how to explain. But you can’t do this to me. I can’t handle it.”

“But you can handle being with Raymond?” 

“I don’t know!” I kicked a tin can and sent it hurtling into a brick wall. “Holding hands was surprisingly nice. But he almost kissed me, and I couldn’t do it.”

“He what?”

Oh god. I couldn’t believed I’d been coggled enough to mention that. “You heard me. And why shouldn’t he? Give me one damn reason why I shouldn’t be able to flirt with and kiss a good, decent gent like that?”

“The only person who is saying you can’t is you.”

“Don’t you dare!” My voice rose, and I struggled to force it down. We didn’t need another rozzer investigating in the alley again. “Don’t you dare act like some wise, all-knowing voice-of-God.”

“I’m not.” His tone was measured and steady. As if he were trying to keep me calm.

It just made me angrier. I wanted him to be as out of control as I felt. “Why do you care about what I do with Raymond anyway?”