Page 97 of Lust

Rowena's eyes widen, her expression softening as she processes my words.

"I tried to find him," I continue quickly, wanting to get it all out. I gesture with my hands, emphasizing my urgency. "That's where I was just now."

"So what happened? You were only gone for five minutes." She raises an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Noémi's goons were at the elevator doors," I explain, my voice tense.

She leans forward, concern evident on her face."They saw you?"

"No," I shake my head. "They were facing the other way. It’s weird. It’s almost as though they were watching for people escaping the lower level rather than trying to get in."

She leans back, processing this information. "So, what are you going to do?"

“I don’t know. I need to go to the ball in the hope that Noémi will give me a score without my Dade but I think Asmodée and Arch will be there. They guard Noémi like hawks. If they are, I’ll have to sneak out before the points are awarded and find Dade. Then we’ll all have to tell Noémi what’s going on. That brings me on to another thing.” I look up at her. “I think Anthura might hurt you if Felix tries dancing with you.”

Rowena snorts. “Believe me, that’s not going to happen.”

“I’m not so sure. I don’t trust Anthura as far as I can throw her. If I do manage to get to the lower level tomorrow, I want you to stick to Juliette like glue. Don’t let Felix or Anthura split the two of you up.”

Her face turns ashen. “You think Felix is in on this?”

“Honestly, no, but he might be. Just stick with Juliette.” I pull out my Hell Cell. “I’ll call her now and get her to come over here. I’ll feel safer with both of you here.

“Don’t bother,” Rowena says as she folds the fabric into a neat pile. “She’s been out pretty much every night since we got here. She’s still fucking Orlin and pretending she isn’t.”

I scrunch up my nose. “Do you really think she is?”

Rowena shrugs. “I honestly don’t know, but she’s up to something. Come on, try your dress on. It’s pretty much finished, but seeing as you are here, I can see how well it fits.”

I don’t want to be playing dress up with Dade stuck downstairs, but I’m at a loss.

Tomorrow, this is all going to end one way or another. I may as well be dressed spectacularly when it does.

47

INFERNAL NIT PICKING

FELIX

“Darling. Try this one on. It’s specially made.”

I wave off Anthura and her infernal nitpicking. “I already have a suit. I don’t need another one.”

She’s been at my side needling me for hours about how everything needs to be perfect.

“Just try it on for me,” she purrs in my ear. “We have to look better than anyone else at the ball and you need all the help you can get with your face looking like…” She pauses and idly waves her hand at me, “…that.”

“Damn it Anthura.” I gnash my teeth together, angry at how fucking pathetic I feel in her presence. I despise everything about her and yet I know she’s the only one that’s going to get me through this.

“You think that bitch Noémi won’t be giving out points for how we dress?”

“I’m going to be shackled to Rowena, so what either of us wears won’t mean a fucking thing if she turns up in one of her flowery monstrosities.” I ignore the jolt the prospect gives me.

“Fuck that shit,” she says, holding out the suit to me and giving me a sinister grin. “You’ll be with me. When Noémi sees how powerful we are together, she won’t be able to keep points from us.”

“Look at my face, Anthura.”

She puts her eyes anywhere except the dent where part of my skull used to be. It’s healing insanely quickly, but there’s no way half my skull is going to grow back in one day.

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