Rand’s remark about Clevon had been a mistake. Few things threatened Gerred more than a comparison to his predecessor. But what was done was done.
When Bacchus heard what had happened, he wanted to ditch the plan and attack Gerred. In the end, though, James and Rand prevailed with a more cautious approach. Gerred didn’t trust them, but he was a careful planner and slow to act, and they only had three more days until the handoff. So they laid low and kept their routines the same, doing their best not to push Gerred to action.
In the meantime, James inspected Thalia’s jewelry. He picked a pair of two matched silver pins as long as her hand. He filed one to a sharp point and left the other one blunt.
“Coat the blunted one with poison and leave the sharp one clean,” he said. “This way, you won’t poison yourself if your hairpin grazes your scalp. When you’re ready to use them, pull them out together. Get used to holding them like this.” He pressed them into her palm so that the sharpened pin protruded slightly farther than the poisoned one. “From here, aim for the throat, just as you did with the dagger.”
She did as he instructed, slowly angling the hairpins toward his neck. With the fluid motion of habit, James intercepted her hand and grasped the base of her palm, slowing and guiding her motion until the sides of the hairpins pressed cool against his throat. Their eyes met.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked. “You could forget about Hamel. Come with us when we leave.”
Indecision flashed across her face, but then she shook her head. “I can’t.” When she saw his frustration, she gave a wan smile. “Who knows? Perhaps I can kill him and escape.”
He stayed silent, biting back words. “Perhaps,” he said finally.
She looked into his eyes, silently acknowledging the doubts he hadn’t said. Then she took his face in her hands, drawing it down toward her own. Tentatively, almost shyly, she kissed him on the edge of his jawline, his lower lip, the corners of his eyes. Then she stepped back.
He allowed his gaze to roam over her, from her pleading eyes to the curve of her cheeks. He saw her collarbone, the hollow at the base of her throat, her breasts beneath her gown. She was completely still except for the rising and falling of her chest. There was no calculation in her expression, just an acceptance of whatever he would give.
James let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding and pulled her close.
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Thank you for reading! The entire Poison Dance novella is available for purchase in ebook and paperback at all major vendors.
Buy links here: http://liviablackburne.com/poison-dance/
Poison Dance is a prequel to my novel Midnight Thief, coming in July 2014 from Disney Hyperion. Learn more and preorder here: http://liviablackburne.com/midnight-thief/