Page 17 of Forever Touched

Right at ten o’clock sharp, I entered my silver cage and prepared for the pulley system to lower me. As much as I didn’t like being cooped up in this contraption while I danced, at least I didn’t have to worry about anyone touching me. I could tune out the world for the next two hours and lose myself to the music and dancing.

Except that Heath had told me to secure more clients, which meant that I needed to keep an eye out for prospects. Stifling a groan, I pulled myself onto the bar suspended in the cage right as it began to lower. So much for pretending this hellhole didn’t exist. No matter. I’d keep a sharp eye out and hopefully score another client or two.

Today was my day.

Nothing was going to get me down.

But, as the cage and music stopped, leaving me suspended several feet above the crowd, I made the mistake of looking toward the booth in the darkest corner of the club.

My stomach bottomed out.

Him. It was him.

He’d come back.

And he was looking right at me.

5

EVERETT

Every inch of me balked at being here again.

Coming back felt all sorts of wrong, but I’d spent the past twenty-four hours thinking about the time I’d had with the silver-haired witch. I couldn’t get her out of my head. Couldn’t stop analyzing the moment we’d shared, rehashing every detail.

She was a blood whore, no doubt about it. I’d been with countless of them, especially in my earlier years, but none of them had been a witch.

Blood whorewitchesdidn’t exist. Or, at least, they shouldn’t. My brothers and I had made certain of that. So it didn’t make sense for Star to be at this club.

Something wasn’t right. I’d felt it last night when she’d stiffened at my touch, and I felt it now as I observed the goings-on around me with fresh eyes. My father might be right after all. Dreamscape Lounge appeared to be a harmless nightclub from the outside, but something dark was brewing on the inside.

And the witch was somehow involved.

No one bothered me as I claimed my usual booth in the darkest corner of the club. After what happened last night, though, I wondered if sitting here was wise. The owners might not realize who I was yet, but they knew that I’d visited Star’s room. She would have told them. Maybe even given them a loose description of me. The witch was probably too young to figure out who I was, but heremployers weren’t.

No matter. By the time they figured it out, I would have this place cracked wide open.

My phone buzzed with an incoming text.

Father’s wondering if he needs to bring on a couple new maids. He noticed that you didn’t seem all that interested in the ones he sent you last night. His words, not mine.

At Loch’s lame attempt to stay neutral in all of this, I quietly snorted and texted back,Tell Father that I’m perfectly capable of finding females all on my own. My sex life is none of his business.And tell him to start texting me himself. It’s about time he joined the twenty-first century.

Will do, my brother replied.Not that it’ll do any good. You know how he’s been lately.

I sure did. Our father had been so focused on the welfare of his second child for the past century that I didn’t know how to cope with this sudden shift. NowIbore most of his attention, and he seemed hellbent on finding me a love match.

Probably because Loch was so happy with his wife and two children. He wanted his eldest son to experience that same joy.

But I wouldn’t force something that wasn’t there. I’d never cared about the females I’d been with more than a passing interest.

Maybe I wasn’t capable of that kind of love.

When Father had asked me to check out Dreamscape, I’d jumped at the chance to get away from the castle for a little while. He rarely left our home these days and often used me as his proxy. I was the crown prince, after all, and would someday take his place as king. Something he’d been reminding me of more and more lately.

Sighing, I checked the time. Ten o’clock. Unbidden, anticipation swirled in my gut. I curled my lip, disgusted with myself, but thefeeling wouldn’t go away. The witch had enchanted me somehow. That was the only logical explanation. Never in a million years would Iwillinglybe attracted to her kind. She’d bewitched me, and I could only hope the spell would wear off soon.

I couldn’t afford to be distracted again. My father was relying on me to keep the kingdom safe, and I didn’t take that lightly. Protecting my family always came first, and this insane infatuation with a witch couldn’t get in the way of that.

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