I knew how to see through their glamour. As did Az.
However, Camillia’s eyes glazed over, and for a moment, I thought she really would try to climb into the tank to meet her doom.
But her hand reached for her necklace, and in the next instant, she shook herself, retreating backward.
She frowned as she studied the Siren again. “What a strange black aura,” she murmured to herself.
I had no idea what she meant. I didn’t see a black aura at all, but maybe the effects of the song were giving her hallucinations.
Az, on the other hand, crossed his arms at her subtle comment, his expression holding a note of interest.
The Siren quieted and reluctantly slipped back into the water, keening with disappointment as she extended long, gnashing teeth.
Camillia trembled once more, her grip tightening around her necklace.
“Well done,” I said, hoping my admiration didn’t show through my voice. “I didn’t really feel like scooping out whatever was left of you from the tanks. They’re a bitch to clean as it is.”
Camillia fell into step next to me, her spine seeming to erect once more. “Poor you,” she deadpanned. Then her gaze lingered on the other cages. “What is this place?”
“It’s a taste of what you’ll experience in the various trials,” I replied. “Take notes, because it’s all the help you’ll get now that you blew your chances with the benefactors.”
She likely could have seduced half the males in the amphitheater and scored more than one useful artifact with that outfit alone. My eyes wandered, taking in the way the fabric hugged her curves, cupping her ass in a way that made my hands ache to caress her.
But it was more than her alluring body that had drawn me to her. It was her fighting spirit.
Because she reminded me of someone from my past.
Which made Camillia a natural enemy to me, if nothing more than because of the emotions her presence seemed to evoke in me now.
That sense of doubt.
That need tohelp.
A desire that kept me up at night, one that frequently haunted my dreams ofher.Of Emelyn.
I’d been helpless once. And it had cost me the lives of everyone I’d once cherished more than existence itself.
I would never allow myself to feel vulnerable in that way again.
I cared about Az, but he could protect himself. I didn’t have to protect him. Just like the best friend from my childhood, Shade. He, too, could take care of himself. Thus allowing me to care about them both because they would never have reason to rely on me.
The same could not be said about Camillia. Fuck, she’d probably disappear within the week.
Her spirit might remind me of someone from the past. But she wasn’ther. She could never beher.
This unhealthy correlation was just a result of their similar spirits.
As evidenced by Camillia’s walk now—she’d gained some confidence after facing the Siren’s charms. She strode along beside me with her head held high, her expression almost bloody regal.
Which, of course, just reminded me ofhereven more.
Becauseshehad walked just like that.Owning the Midnight Fae Academy halls. Wearing that regal smile. Making everyone, including me, bow in her wake.
My chest ached with the memory, causing me to grit my teeth.Enough. They’re not the same. Stop thinking about it.
We finally reached the second half of the prison. The cells still had iron bars, but the insides contained luxurious furniture and a welcoming interior.
No bed. Just a tattered rug in the center that no one would willingly want to sleep on.
