Page 41 of The Devil's Waltz

She nods. “We’re in agreement.” Not surprising. They never had trouble getting along when it came to work. Just when it came to being in love with each other.

“In agreement about asking me to give up my life for what you want for me.”

“Please try to understand, Camille. Your dad and I—” She sighs, seemingly rethinking her words. “Now, more than ever, it is so important for you to have the skills to protect yourself against the demons. This offer I’ve presented you with is a compromise. You’ll have to put in more work to catch up, but once you graduate hunter training, you’ll be scheduled part-time so you can still attend classes and get your degree. Once you work your way up the ranks and step into a position in the Senate—which we can help with as well—you’ll work in association with the hunters.”

My heart is pounding in my throat and my stomach is roiling.They’ve mapped out my entire future.

“What about the job I have now?” I point out. It’s the least of my worries, considering my mom is giving me a near-irresistible offer—with a dozen strings attached. I need her to see how manipulative this is.

“You’d have to resign,” she says simply. “Think of it this way, you won’t need to be scraping together money to pay for school, so you won’t need a job. We’ll even provide a special training allowance for personal purchases.” She sure knows how to wrap a bribe in pretty packaging.

My head is spinning so fast, there’s a good chance I’d fall on my ass if I wasn’t already sitting down.

“It’s a lot to consider,” Mom cuts in through my frantic, racing thoughts. “We’re giving you one month to decide. After that, this offer will be rescinded.”

I nearly scowl. Of course, she’s putting a ticking clock on it. “Fine,” I force out, standing on unsteady legs and hurry out of the office, leaving the envelope on the table. I speed walk to the elevator, pulling out my phone to call Xander as I do, hoping that he can come back and get me away from this place.I should have asked him to stay. I wish I had a getaway car right about now.

The sound of muffled but distinctly angry voices makes me pause outside a boardroom with frosted glass walls. I take a few more steps to stand near the clear glass door, and vaguely recognize a few of the higher-level hunters from my time with the organization.

Every seat around the long table is filled with hunters, including Noah, who has his back to me.

“We need to be proactive here,” a middle-aged female hunter says in a firm voice.

“And we are,” Noah assures her. “Scott is sending a team from New York, and more are coming from Chicago and Boston. We’ll get him. I’ve sent around the profile, so you should all have a copy of it, including his photo. This is who we’re hunting.”

My brows draw closer, and just as I’m about to keep walking, someone minimizes the report on the screen to reveal a photo that makes my blood run cold.

THIRTEENCAMILLE

“Pick up, pick up, pick up,” I chant into the phone as the line rings through to Harper’s voicemail. After the beep, I say, “Call me back as soon as you get this, please. Fuck, Harper, things are really bad. I need you.” I hang up and fumble with my keys to unlock our apartment. The second I’m inside with the door shut, I text her.

Call me ASAP.

SOS!

“Harper?” I call out, my voice breaking. I cross the apartment and knock on her door before poking my head inside in case she’s home, but the room is empty. “Fuck,” I breathe, my heart pounding in my chest. Maybe I should have gone back to my Mom’s office after what I saw in that meeting instead of fleeing headquarters, but the whole thing happened so fast. It was like an out-of-body experience, and I still feel miles away.

Because in what world could Xander be a demon?

It doesn’t make sense.

Hesavedme from a demon the night we met. And then another one attacked him the other night after dinner with my friends.

The pit in my stomach doubles in size, a painfully familiar pressure building in my chest as each breath becomes harder to take. Bile burns my throat as I pace the length of our living room, unshed tears stinging my eyes. A strangled sound escapes my lips when my phone starts ringing. I’ve never answered a call so fast.

“Cami—”

“Harper,” I cry into the phone.

“Take a breath, babe. Where are you?”

“Home,” I force out. “I’m at home.”

“What’s going on?”

“I think…oh god.” I stop myself, shaking my head, as if that will make what I was about to say not true. I keep moving, walking into my bedroom and closing the door, falling back against it.

“Talk to me,” she says in a calm voice.

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