Page 120 of Scattered Glitter

Koen exhales, his gaze dropping for a second beforemeeting mine. “It won’t.”

“Who’s the liar here, then?” I ask, giving him a hard look, even as my heart pangs.

Part of me wants to walk away, to leave them to deal with their mess. They lied, and I hate that I let myself trust them even a little. Levi lifts a shoulder nervously, catching my attention, and it reminds me of his earlier fear.

That was real.Thatwasn’t a lie.

I can’t be the reason why any of them—Levi, Koen, Sylus, or even Captain Bossy—wind up in real trouble. Maybe it’s stupid, maybe I’m already a little attached, but I can’t let this fail.

Koen steps closer, looking almost apologetic but not quite managing it. “Listen—”

“No.” The word cracks as I cut him off, emotion tightening my throat. “You all are fucking liars. And you know what? I don’t care. I committed to this, and when tonight is over, I’m giving you hell. For now, I’m doing what you brought me here to do.”

The words burn as they leave my mouth, but I refuse to let them see how much I’m affected by the deceit. I turn to Sylus, setting my expression as close to blank as I can, trying to mask the rawness. “I know I said you can’t hang around me tonight, but I’ll need your help for the next part.”

A grin spreads slowly across his lips. “Anything you need, baby.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Novalee

“You know…” Sylus leans in, his voice a low whisper meant for me, “… I always thought I’d make a good magician too.”

Sylus and I stand slightly apart from the main crowd at the exhibit about illusions. You can still hear the music and the crowd’s chatter, but it’s quieter here.

“You?” I huff out a quiet laugh, glancing at him skeptically. “Somehow, I can’t picture you on stage doing card tricks.”

“Oh, I could show you some tricks later.Real magic.” He nudges me with his shoulder, raising an eyebrow suggestively, the corner of his mouth quirking as he theatrically announces, “And for my next trick… watch me hide the sausage.”

“Behave,” I warn, though I can’t stop the smile from breaking through.

“Sure, sure. I’ll be good.” He lifts his hands as if in surrender, and he slightly straightens. “Heads up,” he intones with a lift of his chin. “Harrington is walking over here. Alone.”

“Is he in hearing range?” I murmur, my gaze fixed ahead.

“Not yet.”

“Remember to call me in ten minutes.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Sylus grins, his eyes flicking back to Nicholas before meeting mine again. He counts down just loud enough for me to hear. “Three… two… one.”

Showtime.

In a louder voice, Sylus asks, “So, you back at Fitness First on Monday?”

“Probably.” I shrug, making no move to acknowledge Nicholas’s arrival.

“I could come along…” Sylus leans closer with exaggerated charm, “… show you the ropes.”

I give him a curt smile and take a pointed step away, then swing my attention to an artifact behind me. “I’ll probably go early. Too early for your taste.”

“I’ll be there.” He winks, undeterred, before turning and swaggering off, leaving me to my real objective.

I roll my eyes, muttering under my breath, “I’m definitely going in the afternoon now.”

A chuckle pulls my attention, and I turn, feigning surprise at the sound. Nicholas stands there as tall as Sylus. His green eyes glint with amusement, a smile blooming on his lips.

So effortlessly handsome.

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