Page 125 of The Duplicity of Thieves

“And who are you?” I spit.

“Jo, please, just—”

“Princess Josephine, to you.”

“I know you’re upset,” he tries again.

“Upset?” I’m losing any patience I have left. I inhale deeply and blow the smoke in his face.

“This wasn’t how things were supposed to be. I tried to find you, but Stafford wasn’t easy to get a hold of.”

“Stafford knew?” Rage boils out of the darkness inside of me.

Stafford. Fucking Stafford. I was right not to trust him. He let me cry over Killian. He made remembrance toasts in his name. Every time we spoke of Killian, he made it a point to speak as if the man before me was dead.

“Don’t be angry with him he didn’t know. I only kept tabs on him. Now that I’ve found you, I’m going to get us out of here and out of this mess,” he says protectively. “Has Aedonaeus hurt you?”

His eyes land on the name carved into my chest, and he looks absolutely horrified.

“It’s been four years. I am not the same fearful girl you tried to make me be. I’m here by choice, Killian. He touches me because I want him to. He carved his name into my chest because I wanted him to. He is my husband because I want him to be. The only person who needs saving is you because I already saved myself. Don’t approach me like this again, because next time I will kill you because I want to. Make yourself unseen for the rest of the night.”

“Jo–”

I turn on my heel, tossing the cigarette at him, and stomp up the stairs. My body slams straight into the massive chest of Minos.

“Is everything alright, Josie?” Minos is huffing like a bull waiting for a fight.

“No, Minos, it isn’t,” I growl. “Did my sister make it out safely?”

He glances over my shoulder but says nothing. I don’t know if he saw Killian, but I would bet that he has an idea someone is back there in the shadows. Instead, he escorts me to the stairwell and up to the empty balcony. I settle onto a fancy couch and grab the bottle at the center of the table taking a long swig. It’s unsatisfying.

“Where’s Aedon?” I ask Minos, who sits across from me. He shrugs. Aedon is a grown man, and I’m not going to throw a tantrum about him missing if I can help it. Not sober.

I do have a jealous feeling that somehow he would end up with Eris, just like I was trapped by Killian. I brush the thought away and decide that Ten Drink Josie can handle it later. He’ll show up when he’s done with whatever mood he’s in, and maybe he’ll be in a better one.

“Are you going to stand around all night?”

“Yes, I’m going to watch you like my life depends on it.” He rubs at his neck again. A bruise is blooming from where Aedon choked him out. Oops. “What’s got you drinking?” There's a curious look on his face and not a good one.

“It’s a party. Isn’t that what people do?” I take another long swig.

“Josie,” he warns, tearing the bottle from my hands.

“A ghost.” I cross my arms, unnerved. I just want to leave. I might make a run for it without Aedon.

“A living breathing succubus isn’t a ghost,” he suggests. So he did see.

I level my gaze angrily. “He will be if I'm ever alone with him again.”

“How do you know him?”

“Is this an interrogation? I thought we were past this,” I grumble.

“No, Josie. It isn’t an interrogation. You seem thrown, and quite frankly it seems out of character for you. Aedon cares for you in an unnatural way. Hermes and I do as well by proxy, but you've also managed to worm your way into our wretched hearts. Are my questions related to yours and Aedon’s personal security? Yes. But do they also come from a place of concern? Absolutely.”

He’s not lying. I’ve somehow managed to make people like me. Imagine that. I haven’t told Aedon about that night. I never told him about losing my shit. Vivian is the sole witness of that event, but I don’t think that will last forever. With her gone, it’s time to face that reality. Something is brewing inside of me.

“There's something wrong with me,” I manage to say.

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