Page 59 of The Devil's Waltz
Taking a deep breath, I knock on the frosted glass door, waiting to hear her muffled invitation before pushing it open and walking inside. Harper is right behind me.
Mom glances up, then between us before standing. She rounds her desk, pursing her lips as we meet her halfway.
“Hey, Mom,” I say in a low voice.
“Camille.” Her eyes shift to Harper. “What’s going on?”
I take a deep breath, focusing on Harper’s shoulder brushing mine, anchoring me. “I, um, need to talk to you. About Xander Kane.”
Her eyes widen briefly as they cut back to me. “What do you know about the prince of hell?”
I know what he tastes like.
The blood drains from my face, making my head spin. “I…Maybe we should get Dad on the phone?” Having to repeat this conversation isn’t something I’m going to want to do.
Concern etches into her features, but she nods, returning to her desk. Harper and I follow, sitting in the uncomfortable chairs on the other side, while she stands and hits a button on her phone.
“Scott Morgan,” he answers before I even hear it ring.
“I have our daughter in my office,” she says, keeping her eyes on me.
His voice is softer when he says, “Hey, kiddo.”
“Hi, Dad,” I force out. “Harper’s here, too.”
“What’s going on, Rach?” he asks.
Mom sighs, her brows scrunching together. “I’m not entirely sure. Camille, would you like to explain?”
I grip the armrests until my knuckles are white. “The night I was attacked outside Hallowed Grounds, the hunter who stepped in and saved me was Xander Kane.”
Mom’s face pales. “What?”
“Please,” I rush to say, “let me get everything on the table before you start reprimanding me.”
Her eyes are wild, as if she’s going to start yelling despite my plea, and Dad remains silent on the phone. Finally, she nods.
I let out a shaky breath. “We started seeing each other shortly after that. There was another demon attack one night after Xander and I were leaving dinner, and I—” My voice cracks, and I swallow twice before trying again. “I daggered her to save him.”
“You killed a demon?” Dad asks, his tone laced with concern.
“Yeah. It all just happened so fast, and I didn’t have time to think about it.”
“Was this before or after we spoke about your future with the organization?” Mom chimes in.
I can feel Harper’s eyes on me, because I hadn’t had a chance to tell her about the offer my mom presented me that day. Honestly, I have noidea why it even matters, but I say, “It was before. But right after our conversation is when I discovered Xander’s true identity.”
She presses a hand to her lips, nodding slowly. “And what happened between then and now, Camille? That was over a week ago.”
I exchange a look with Harper. “I was…figuring things out.”
“We’re going to need more than that, sweetheart,” Dad says.
Harper puts her hand on my knee, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“Xander didn’t come into my life by coincidence. His mother, the queen, had a plan for him to get close to me. To use me to infiltrate the organization with the intention of destroying it.”
The anger on Mom’s face makes me want to hightail it out of here, but I wrap my ankles around the legs of my chair.
