“The point is, I paid a really high price for this amulet,” Han said. “There’s no way either of you can use it. And I’d rather it was melted down and destroyed than back in your hands. Do you believe me?”

“I believe you,” Fiona whispered, her face even paler than usual. “But you’re a fool if you continue to use it. You don’t know how dangerous it is.”

“I’ll take my chances,” Han said. “You know, Micah, that first night, when I saw you on Bridge Street, I wanted to kill you. I wanted to cut your throat and watch your blood soak into the dirt. I wanted to wrap a strangle cord around your neck and throttle you while you kicked and messed yourself.”

“I’m shaking in my boots,” Micah said, looking Han dead in the eyes.

Han stood and took a step toward him. “I’m what’s hiding in the side street when you walk home from The Four Horses,” he said. “I’m the shadow in Greystoke Alley when you go out to take a piss. I’m the footpad in the corridor when you visit the girlie at Grievous Hall.”

Micah’s eyes narrowed, his self-assurance wilting a bit. Han could tell he was going back over a hundred suspicious sights and sounds. “You’ve been following me?”

“I can come and go from your room, any time I want,” Han said. “I can tell you what you say when you talk in your sleep. I know what your down-low girlie whispers in your ear.” He laughed. “You can’t keep me out of any place I want to be in. I would’ve known about Cat sooner, but you always met with her when I was in class.”

Micah licked his lips. “Perhaps you take some kind of perverse pleasure in stalking me, but—”

“What I’m saying is, if I wanted you dead, you would already be dead a dozen ways. I let you live because now I got a different plan. You Bayars need to learn that you can’t have everything you want. I’m going to teach you. This is just the beginning.”

Micah’s eyes narrowed. “Is that a threat?”

“Absolutely.” Han smiled. “Any time you start a fight, you’d better know who you’re coming up against.” He stood. “Be seeing you.”

C H A P T E R  T H I R T Y - T H R E E

MATRIMONY
OR MURDER

It was a gray and gloomy Thursday—though warmer and more humid than any April day had a right to be. Raisa was done with classes for the day, but she didn’t want to go back to Grindell Hall and watch Amon watch her. He’d been edgy for days, even before the episode with Han.