Page 119 of Dance of Deception

“Because when you watch someone you get to know them better than they know themselves, Lyra.”

Carmine watches, too.

He doesn’t lurk hidden. But hewatches, and when Carmine watches, it’s with purpose. Like he’s claiming something, branding it for his gaze alone.

And I allow it.

God help me, Iwanthim to.

My hands clench into fists around my shins.Am I seeking out a man like my father?

The venomous, toxic thought burns like acid in my throat, nauseating me. There’s no denying the commonality: the darkness. The power. The way they both exist just beyond the edges of light, out of reach.

But Carmine’s darkness is different—isn’t it?

Isn’t it?

I squeeze my eyes shut for a second, forcing myself to sort through the tangled mess of thoughts clawing through my mind.

My father watched to control. To manipulate. To hurt.

Carmine watches because hedesires.

Is that better? Worse?

Or exactly the same?

A terrifying thought presses against the back of my skull, its weight suffocating.

It isn’t just that I’m drawn to Carmine’s darkness.

It’s that Iwantit.

He sees a part of me I’ve spent years pretending wasn't there—raw and hungry,answeringhis.

Was it always there, hidden behind the walls I built in the hopes they would keep me safe? Or is he the one pulling it out of me?

The worst part…

I don’t know if I want him to stop.

Thepas de deuxfinishes, and everyone starts to clap. But all I see is darkness beyond the lights. All I feel is the weight of unseen eyes.

Carmine’s presence lingers like smoke, curling into the crevices of my mind, impossible to ignore.

Maybe he was never actually here at all.

But deep down, I know he was.

And he’llalwaysbe watching.

23

THE HOUND

The underground cathedralspace that houses the Court burns with candlelight. Shadows flicker long and jagged across marble floors. Sin hangs in the air, thick and heavy.

Around me a decadent, orgiastic scene straight out of the decline of the Roman empire plays out.

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