Page 21 of Entranced By the Basilisks

Ari’s gaze rests heavily on me and his lips curve. “Perhaps you are noticeable.”

I shake my head in frustration and to dispel his flirting words that don’t help this situation at all. Agoddesstook a special interest in me? No, thank you.

“So, how do I become unblessed?” I hurry forward, not wanting to sound terrible. “I don’t want to be insensitive, but I’m the wrong person for this.”

Ari’s brows rise before furrowing. “Unblessed? It’s not something known to be reversible. Usually, a Chosen occurs after years of worship and study. I’ve never heard of it happening by accident.”

The panic that’s waited in the wings since I froze Agnes as a statue is back with a vengeance. I try to take deep breaths, but it doesn’t slow my heart.

“That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a way for… Emilia… to become un-Chosen.” Jasper speaks slowly, some of the musical nature from before enters his voice and the presence calms me.

Ari’s eyes sharpen on the director and something significant passes over his face before it’s gone in a quick twist of a grin.

“Correct. It will take contacting people and much research, but eventually…”

“I could become un-Chosen,” I say, finishing Ari’s statement. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. A long and winding tunnel by the sounds of it, but a light all the same.

“It’s possible. I have people I can ask questions,” Ari says.

“We’ll have to keep this quiet,” Jasper says, not explaining why.

“Don’t worry, lover, I can be discreet.”

Jasper’s face pinkens and it takes longer than it should for my brain to pick up on why.Lover.

“I have my doubts,” Jasper grits out.

Oh.Oh.

So… Director Adder—Jasper—and Ari are a thing. Suddenly things start to make sense. The air of tension between them, the way the director was fidgeting before this meeting, the sharp smile Ari had given me when he’d called me beautiful.

I’d laugh and laugh at the fact that my body has reacted a ridiculous amount to the two of them when they are already in a relationship if Ari’s reason for dropping that detail was to let me know that Jasper is unavailable. But that doesn’t seem to be his purpose.

Not with the considering way he’s watching me and his open expression.

I think briefly of Grace and the unconventional relationship she has with her gargoyles. They added her to their triad. Is something like that why Ari is looking at me this way?

No, that would be ridiculous. There’s no reason to think that Ari is inviting me to be—not going to think about it. Even if Ari did issue an invite, there’s no way that Jasper would want me to accept. The tumultuous thoughts settle in my brain and Ari nods, as if we’ve had some sort of conversation.

Did I just agree to something?

9

JASPER

Ari is playing games.He must be.

Emilia blinks, absorbing the detail that Ari and I have a sexual history with raised brows and parted lips. He didn’t make it sound like a history, but our fight from last night dashed whatever agreement we’d had against the rocks. We don’t have a relationship.

My body still responds to him. His voice still strokes along my nerves like a tease. He loves to tease me with his brand of magic. After I’d calmed Ms. Rivera, I can understand the temptation.

Emilia.

I’d been curious what it would be like to make eye contact with my restoration expert, and the reality of it obliterated any expectation.

I can’t remember the last time I’d hypnotized anyone. Surely it had been in training. My power level makes hypnotizing more along the lines of suggestion rather than completely controlling a person. I’d never used the ability to calm someone down.

The surge of satisfaction at Emilia’s body relaxing under my grip had been… perverse, and had given more insight than I needed into the man who I’d shared my body with for years.

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