Page 56 of The Devil's Waltz

My head spins and my stomach clenches in ways I’ve only ever felt with him.

Finally, I force myself to break the kiss. Resting my forehead against his, I press my lips to Xander’s and then I whisper, “I’m not going to help you hurt people I care about.”

He lifts his hand and cradles the side of my neck, holding me in place. “It would be so much easier if you did,” he murmurs, his eyes flickering with the darkness of his demon side.

Fear digs sharp claws into my chest, planting me there.What have I done?Why did I let him kiss me? Why did I think we could ever be more than we are?

“I can’t,” I force out, swallowing and forcing the fear down. “Iwon’t.”

He sighs, and his fingers slip away from my neck. “She’s not going to stop until she gets what she wants. It doesn’t matter who gets hurt in the process, Camille.” He lowers his voice, and the air of sadness is unmistakable when he says, “You won’t win this.”

I step back, forcing myself to stand straighter, to appear more confident than I feel. “You’re so sure I’ll lose. What’s your plan, then?”

Xander rubs his jaw, his chest rising and falling slowly. “You—”

“What are you going to do?”

His brows inch closer. “Camille—”

I blink past the burning in my eyes, refusing to cry. “Are you going to kill me if I don’t do what your mother wants?”

“No,” he practically growls, a muscle feathering along his jaw.

“Then what?” I snap, venom dripping from each word. “What are you going to do? What’s. Your. Plan!”

“I don’t fucking know!” His eyes fill with darkness, and I stumble back. He reaches for me, grabbing my shoulders to stop me from falling into the water.

My eyes widen, and I stumble over my next words, still reeling in surprise. “Y-you caught me.”

“Always,” he murmurs, his eyes returning to normal as he guides me further away from the end of the dock.

Silence stretches between us until I finally break it. “What are we doing, Xander?”

He tilts his head to the side, pressing his lips together briefly. “Exactly what you think we are.” He drops his hands to my hips and leans in until his nose grazes mine. “We’re pretending I’m not a monster. That you don’t hate me. That we’re both going to make it out of this alive.”

I suck in a breath, my eyes burning, threatening tears of anger, sadness,fear. “I hate this,” I admit before I can clamp my jaw shut.

“I know,” he murmurs, his lips brushing mine. “So, let’s pretend for as long as we can.”

I wish more than anything I had the strength to walk away from Xander. But I don’t. My hands rest against his chest, my eyes closing as his heart beats steadily against my palm. He slants his mouth over mine, sealing our lips together, and I can’t help but feel he’s sealing our fate in the same breath.

SEVENTEENCAMILLE

Xander and I walk back to the house, and I don’t pull away when he laces his fingers through mine. At least here I can tell myself I’m allowing it to keep up appearances in front of my friends.

The party is still in full swing, and the rest of the night passes in a blur. I sip on the same cup of spiked lemonade, scanning the room with what feels like new eyes. Every person I look at, I can’t help but wonder—worry—if they’re a demon. Xander doesn’t leave my side all night, so I’m less concerned about being targeted myself and wary of my friends’ safety.

Except, what if…No. There’s absolutely no way any of them are demons. Right?

That’s what you thought about Xander.

My back stiffens, and I grip my cup tighter, frowning as liquid sloshes over the side.

“Camille,” Xander murmurs in my ear. “No.”

I lick the dryness from my lips, turning my head to look at him with furrowed brows.

He chuckles softly. “You’re not exactly being subtle. It’s not too difficult to read what you’re thinking at the moment.”

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