Page 154 of Every Shade of Shadow

Lily gives me a loose smile. “So here we are, the three amigos.”

I have to smile at that. “Belles of the ball.”

Lily gives me a light snort. “You’ll have to fight Cassandra for that honor, and no, I don’t mean actually fuck her up again.”

I raise my hands. Power prickles to my fingertips. Since last night I’ve felt fucking electric—untouchable. “It’s fine. I’m done with Cassandra.”

“You sure?” questions Ava, picking at something on her shirt, which reads ‘Who Killed Marilyn?’

“If the Headmistress is Mortis, we’ll deal with her. I’ll go to Darkwood after the ball and come up with a plan.”

“I thought we weren’t sure?” asks Ava.

I pull in a breath. “When we were leaving her office the other night, I touched her robe on the way out, and I felt something.”

“Rabies?” Lily offers.

“No, but something seriously, seriously dark. Add that to the lock, seeing her after the second murder…”

I recall something else from touching her robe, something I’ve been unable to recollect until now. “I don’t think these murders are Mortis eliminating threats; I think it’s a way for her, him, whatever, to grow their power. Each kill makes them stronger.”

“Fuck,” exclaims Lily.

“So if the Headmistress is Mortis,” I continue, “we need to find a way to take her out before she becomes too powerful. Who knows how long she’s been at this, how powerful she has become.”

Lily laughs. “You can’t be serious. I thought we were all about defense, not offense.”

I shrug. “Well, not alone, no, but I might have picked up a thing or two with Damien.”

“Like how to gobble cock?” Lily says.

I shake my head and can’t help but smile. “You’re fucking terrible, you know that?”

She smiles back. “If it is Isadora, that bitch is going down. I’ll help…observe, supervise…something that doesn’t involve putting myself in mortal danger.”

“How heroic.” I look to Ava. “And you?”

“I’ll help too, but shouldn’t we try and get a message out, ask for help, or backup? Darkwood’s powerful, but Mortis? That’s an unknown.”

“You’re right. Leave it to me. Now,” I tell them, looking to the gown from Adams I’ve laid out on the bed, “anyone want to tell me how the hell I get into this thing again?”

*

I’m in a better mood once I’ve managed to constrict myself into the gown. It seemed so much easier back at the village store. Here I had Ava behind me, one foot against my back, holding the zipper, Lily crouched down holding the bottom basically eating my ass to get this thing on. If anyone had walked in it would have been quite the sight, but it’s on, and damn, it looks fucking amazing.

I thought the Dior was something special, but this gown, these gloves… It’ll be quite the debut.

The others leave, allowing me a moment of peace.

A threefold knock on the door snaps me out of my daydreaming in the mirror. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready?” I call.

“It’s me,” comes the baritone voice.

I rush to the door, opening to find Damien standing there looking like absolute poison perfection in a black tuxedo.

My gaze falls on a black box he’s holding underarm.

He looks down at it. “Soon, but first, tell me what’s on your mind, because I know you’re dying to get something off your chest, isn’t that right?”

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