I bristled. “You say that like it’s an insult.”
“Because it is one,” he returned before dipping me to the floor once more, his nose touching mine. “You’re rejecting my heart. And I think you’re a fool for doing so.”
“I haven’t rejected him.”
“You haven’t claimed him yet, either.”
I grabbed Lucifer’s lapels, holding our bodies together as he righted us once more. “It’s hard to claim someone who is always playing games.”
“Then open your eyes and realize that he hasn’t been playing a game since you arrived here. He’s been trying to help, to ensure your safety while I calmed down enough to see reason.” He whirled me around, pressing his chest to my back yet again. “He’s your guardian angel, Camillia. Accept that. Or be kind and reject him.”
He released me to step around me, ending our dance.
I grabbed his hand on instinct, not willing to let him have the final word, and a thunderous energy rippled up my arm. Both of us glanced down at where we were joined, his brow furrowing.
I went to release him but couldn’t, my palm seemingly glued to his.
“What is this?” he demanded.
“I… I don’t know.” I tried to take a step back, but my legs refused to move.
No. Not my legs… myshoes.
“It’s this… thisdress,” I hissed, my free hand going to the fabric to pull it away from me.
Lucifer frowned at the offending material, then reached out to touch it himself. A snarl left him as he yanked his palm away, only the gown went with him as ice-cold power rippled through every inch of my being.
I shuddered in response, the sensation overwhelming and crawling over every inch of my skin.
Az, Ajax,I thought, trying to find them in the crowd.
Instead, I locked gazes with a ghost.
One I hadn’t seen in… in ages.
But those ice-blue eyes belonged to Mystika De la Croix.My mother.
“Camillia,” Lucifer growled, snapping my attention back to him.
I gasped at the sight before me, his pained expression and gritted teeth utterly at odds with the man I’d just been dancing with.
But it was the strange lock of white hair that really captured my focus.
It reminded me of the Source.
And it was a glaring difference from his otherwise dark hair.
“What…?” I… I didn’t…
His hand was still stuck to mine, his opposite palm holding my dress.
My now-glowingdress.
Gold flickers. White sparks.Freezing cold energy.
I inhaled, the power seeming to seep into my veins, reminding me of the time I’d borrowed his Source to fix the portal. Only this was different. It wasn’t intentional at all. It was… it wasforced.
The magic in the dress,I thought again, immediately trying to latch onto the strand I’d noticed earlier. The cool power reminded me of Melek again, except this couldn’t be him. He would never do this to Lucifer.
