Page 44 of There is No Devil

“This is Shaw’s bid for the sculpture in Corona Heights Park! If chosen, he’ll do a larger version of this. And I haven’t even received your design yet. The deadline is this week …”

“I know the deadline,” Cole hisses.

“Well, better hurry,” York says, his eyes glinting wickedly. “You’ll have to come up with something good to beat this …”

York hurries away again, probably spurred by the murderous look on Cole’s face.

My own feelings of repulsion are so strong that I find it hard to speak. I feel exactly as Shaw intended: enveloped in this web, trapped by it, screamed at from all sides.

Cole says, “He would never have had the confidence to do something like this before.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, turning to look at Cole’s black stare.

“Everything Shaw has ever made is commercial.” Cole gestures around at the brilliant, dripping ropes. “You can’t sell this. It’s an experience.”

I nod slowly. “He’s leveling up.”

As if summoned by those words, Alastor Shaw himself materializes, striding toward us.

He navigates the web with confidence, easily maneuvering his bulk through the fluorescent strands.

Shaw glows with health and happiness. His golden hair, rich tan, and shining white teeth beam at us. His shoulders seem a mile wide as he stretches his arms open, greeting us in his booming voice.

“Mara! Cole! So glad to see you!”

He’s so loud that a dozen people turn to observe our meeting. Camera flashes wink at us. Everyone loves atête-à-têtebetween their two favorite rivals.

We’re frozen in place. Trapped in his web. Watching the spider approach, grinning at us both.

“Cole.” Shaw slaps Cole on both shoulders, with such a loud sound that it feels like a detonation between us. “My oldest friend. Look at you. You know the thing I love about you? You’re unchanging. Your principles unwavering. That must be what Mara loves about you, too.”

While I still don’t know everything about the dynamic between these two, I understand the barb all too well.

Shaw abducted me as a provocation. To try to tempt Cole into breaking his own rules.

And it worked. God, how it worked. Better than Shaw ever could have dreamed.

Cole is breaking every rule for me, and me for him.

We’ve ensnared each other, more deeply than Shaw could ever have dreamed.

Coleischanging. And Shaw is mocking Cole’s pretensions of discipline and stability. I see how his words dig under Cole’s skin.

Still, Cole stands silent—it’s too true to refute.

Now Shaw turns toward me. It’s my turn for a blast of his smug sarcasm.

“Mara,” he says, his face twisted up in an expression of mock sorrow. “I heard about your friend. Erin, wasn’t it? You know she and I had a fling once. She was quite the wildcat.” He winks at me. “You know what I mean.”

His pretend pout has turned into a lascivious grin.

I am boiling with anger. Shaking with it.

How fucking dare he talk about Erin to me. How dare he stand here, flushed with happiness and triumph. Gloating right to my face, in front of everyone.

I look at Cole, expecting him to say something. Expecting him to cut Shaw down to size with some devastating retort.

He’s silent, the garish colors of Shaw’s web reflecting on his pale face, in his dark eyes.

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