Page 91 of Cursed Lifeline

Alfred clears his throat and takes a step forward. “That’s right, and that’s what we wanted to talk to you about. Not only is Ember the mastermind behind all of this, but we’d also go so far as to say, she may be controlling Viktor.”

I give Alfred a flippant glare. He shrugs, suggesting it's true.

“What does she have against me and Felix?” Esme asks.

“What any bitter, jealous female would,” Celeste shrugs.

Esme and Evangeline turn questioning eyes Celeste’s way.

“Isn’t it obvious?” she chuckles. “She wants what she can’t have. She wants the fairytale. The happily ever after. If she can’t have it, she doesn’t want you to have it, either.”

“Viktor aside, how do we break the curse,” I ask eagerly.

“That’s what we need to find out,” Dimitri says, taking an intimidating step forward.

Alarmed, I pull Esme closer.

“What are you suggesting?” I ask.

“Working with the enemy,” Dimitri shrugs.

I immediately start to say no, not a chance, when Esme blurts out, “How?”

Dimitri and Talon eye Celeste. She squirms under their playful stare and retreats fearfully into the cushions of her red velvet seat.

“Ember will be waiting for Felix and Esme,” Dimitri suggests.

“So, we hit her with the unexpected,” Talon grins. “Infiltrate her sanctuary. Extract the information we need.” Licking his lips, cocking his head to the side, his eyes sinfully graze up Celeste’s frame in a way that makes the slayer's cheeks heat. He then proposes, “If that doesn’t work, in exchange for information, we could tempt Viktor to a savory snack he couldn’t resist.”

Realizing his meaning, Celeste snaps, “I’m to be used as bait?” Eyeing Talon differently for the first time since she set her gaze on him, Celeste rises from her seat and stalks toward the door with bitter, angry strides. “No thanks!”

In a flash, Talon mists to the exit, blocks the door, and stops her before she can get away. Celeste angrily turns and takes a heated step back, but he mists again. Standing in front of her, he prowls towards Celeste, backing her up like a caged animal into a nearby corner.

“What,” he grins, enjoying a little too much the way she twists from side to side, looking for an escape. “You don’t believe in the element of surprise?” he taunts. Leaning in, he braces one hand on either side of her head and growls, “That’s a shame because I’m still marveling at the mystery of how your smell takes my breath away.”

Talon bares his canines, and Celeste’s eyes grow wide. I’m about to put a stop to it when Silas bellows, “Enough.”

Talon takes an angry step back just as Celeste raises her hand and slaps him across the face. Clutching his wounded jaw, she angrily steps into him and violently whispers, “Try that again, and I’ll run a stake through your heart.”

“Dying by your hand would be an honor,” Talon grins. “Even if you continue to deny just how badly you want me to taste you.”

“Bite me,” Celeste barks as she pushes past him.

“Gladly,” he growls, spinning on his heels and following close behind.

She gives him a hostile glare as she returns to her seat. To my surprise, he keeps his distance. But what comes as an even bigger shock is when Celeste sits and says, “I’ll do it.”

“No,” Esme shouts.

She bolts up from her position on the armrest next to me, and stalks towards Celeste. Though the girls haven’t known each other long, they have become close over the time they’ve spent training together. Closer than I originally thought they ever would be when Silas and Celeste boarded the train to New York. That night, Esme emitted a jealous temper that only made me love her more. But as the girls started working together, she quickly saw Celeste was not a threat to what we have, more an asset to the mission at hand. Since then, the girls have been nearly inseparable.

“I can’t let you do this. This isn’t your battle. It’s mine and Felix’s.” Esme argues, but Celeste just shakes her head.

“It’s both our battles,” she smiles sweetly, taking Esme’s hand as she kneels by her side. “We didn’t choose this life. It chose us.” Truer words were never spoken. “If I can help, I want to.”

“I don’t want you to lose your life to save mine,” Esme cries.

Celeste shrugs and smiles sweetly. “Who says I’m going to die?”

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