Page 336 of A University of Betrayal

I stared at him, matching my steps to his.

The citrus note fogged me, together with the masculine scent of his body.

Did he have to smell so good?

Ashamed of this thought, I broke eye contact first and looked around the room. Any one of these guests could be Erik. And he had probably spotted me long ago, toying with the idea ofnotgiving me the bracelet after all because I was busy dancing with a professor.

I felt his ring on my skin and wondered where his wife was. Would she approve if she knew he was here, dancing with me?

More warmth filled my face.

“The head of the Council doesn’t seem thrilled with your performance.”

I looked at him, intentionally not at the devil he was alluding to.

“My days of allowing these people to control me are over,” I said in a firm voice. “They can think what they want.”

I wondered how he had found out about her. How he was even able to use dark magic and what he had injected himself with, there in his office. Why he was researching the species... I wondered so many things, had been unable to get answers, probably never would. And maybe that was a good thing.

From today on, I shouldn’t care if the Circle was in danger. This man was no longermyproblem.

“And I thought you were her lapdog,” the professor continued, spinning us elegantly across the dance floor. “Her spy.” One of his blond strands fell into his smooth forehead, adorned by a vein protruding slightly from the side. “But apparently, you didn’t just foolher.”The right corner of his mouth turned upwards. “What is your goal?”

The word slipped from my lips, and I wasn’t the least bit shocked.

“Revenge.”

His smirk intensified. “We seem to have the same ambitions.”

I raised both brows.

“What wouldyouwant revenge for?”

A shadow flitted across his face, but he didn’t lose the smirk, even though it lessened.

“What wouldyouwant revenge for?” he murmured in a low voice.

I swallowed.

Certainly, I wouldn’t tell him. It was bizarre enough that we were having this conversation. On a dance floor while we were obviously under surveillance.

He was lucky that most of the guests were busy whispering about the hacker or watching the DeLoughreys.

“I don’t need to know what your reason is,” he continued quietly, pulling me further toward him, which sent a flutter through my stomach. He grew even quieter. “It’s enough to know we’re on the same side.”

On the same side.

I fixed his gaze, gripped his arm tighter, trying not to let his knowing smile irritate me.

He seemed to have a problem with the Councils. Was that why he was researching the species? Did he want to know more about them than they knew about themselves so that he could use that knowledge against them? But why? He was a human. What should someone likehimhave to do withthem?Quatura Circles existed to protect humans. Did he know that?

“Let me make you a deal,” he said with dangerous softness in his low voice, and the hairs under the fabric of my dress stood up as he pulled me a little closer.

“I don’t want your internship,” I said with determination, trying to hide the fact that this closeness was unsettling me.

“What if I tell you that you’ll get more than that?” he said, his eyes piercing me. “What if I can help you find out where this magic comes from and how you can control it? And what if I can offer you help against the Councils?”

I searched for empty promises in his eyes, but he held my gaze. The smile was gone.

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