Page 84 of Alchemy of Souls

“And if I do this, you’ll tell me what the cobbler said?”

The scent of her hopefulness wafts toward me and I’m snared by it. I’m used to people being hopeful because they want things from me, but never because they want thingsforme, or for me to be better.

“I’ll consider it,” she says, and even though she’s being noncommittal, it’s hard to deny her.

“Something I’ve never told anyone?” I clarify.

“Yeah, something exactly like that.”

I open my mouth and close it again, unsure.

She huffs. “Fine, you know what? If you’re scared, I’ll go first.”

“I’m not—”

“Our kiss? That was my first,” she says bluntly, and I nearly trip standing still.

“Hang on,what?” I say, my mind going blank.

“Not ever, ever,” she continues. “I’ve kissed people in childhood games. And once at the Academy. But I wasn’t really into it. What I mean is, it was the first time I’ve been kissed by someone I’m attracted to.”

Damn. Why did she have to say that? Because now all I want to do is kiss her again.

In pure self-defense, I tell her something I never thought I would, the secret I’ve guarded since the moment I realized it as a preteen. “I can scent emotions.”

Her eyes widen. “What did you just say?”

“I usually ignore it, since most scents are dull. But yours I can scent perfectly. From across an entire dining hall apparently,” I continue.

“What kind of emotions?” she asks nervously.

“Everything,” I reply. “Fear, anger, frustration, but also happiness, excitement, and… attraction.”

The blush on her face migrates to her nose.

“Wishing you never asked the question?” I say.

She shakes her head. “No. I’m not going to make you feel bad for telling me who you really are. I asked. And I can handle the answer, especially because it’s true.”

I stare at her for a long moment, not sure how to respond. There’s something about the way she just accepts it that has me off-kilter.

I try to steady my pulse, but the damn thing isn’t listening. “I think you should tell me about the cobbler now,” I say, needing to change the subject.

Actually, what I need is a cold shower.

“Okay, listen, because I’m only saying this once,” she says, pointing at me. “If I take a leap of faith and trust you here, it’s the last time, do you understand? Youdo notbreak my trust again. Agree to that or I’m not saying another word and compromising that nice old man.”

“I can agree not to lie to you directly,” I concede, not recognizing myself. “But I might lie by omission.”

She stares at me. “I have no idea what to say to that.”

“You and me both,” I reply.

But she does tell me. Every detail. Only when she gets to the bit about Brachan’s lover named Moore I stand very still, so still that I stop breathing and I hope like hell she doesn’t notice. Because I know that last name. It’s Sage’s.

CHAPTER 42Eloise

Grayson parks in front of his stupidly beautiful mansion and turns to me. “There are a couple of things I want to clear with you before we go in there,” he says, and now I’m suddenly nervous.