Page 166 of Powerless

Electricity.

Everything beautiful, everything bold, everything breathtaking—that is what I feel in her gaze.

That, and terrified. Terrified of what she is doing to me.

She is a vision, a nightmare, a dream.

A grim reaper clad in black, come to steal my soul and my heart.

I’ve never seen something so beautiful, so bold, so blatantly wrong for me.

She is a devil.

She is a deity.

She is a man’s downfall in human form.

She ismydownfall.

Then her eyes drift to Kitt.

The connection snaps.

And I’m left feeling empty besides the jealousy growing inside of me.

Why did I ever think I could have her, ever think she would have me?

Because beasts don’t get the beauty.

ChapterFifty-One

Paedyn

I’m avoiding him.Not the best way to deal with a problem, I’ll admit. But Kai is a very pressing problem. A very desirable distraction.

So, I keep myself busy, though I still manage to notice that he is doing the same. Girl after gorgeous girl finds their way into his arms and onto the dance floor, all of them wearing glowing smiles and green dresses.

I bury the emotion I don’t want to identify as jealousy, though it claws at me nonetheless.

I have a job to do.

I turn my attention back to my partner for the dozenth time. Kitt smiles, continuing our easy conversation that my mind keeps wanting to wander from. I force myself to focus on his words rather than the thing I need to steal from him. We spin, and I catch a glimpse of the keyring against the inside of his suit coat pocket. My fingers twitch, itching to tap into the thieving instincts I’ve suppressed while in the castle—for the most part.

“You look beautiful.”

I startle at Kitt’s soft words, forcing my gaze up to meet his. He’s smiling at the look on my face as he says, “You shouldn’t be so shocked by that.”

We are quiet for a moment before I finally form words. “You shock me.”

“Do I?”

“Yes,” I answer honestly, “you are not what I expected.”

His grin looks almost too boyish to belong to the future king. “Did I disappoint?”

I wish.

“No.” His smile widens at the word, and I hurry to add, “Not yet.”

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