Page 137 of Gilded Wicked Mirrors
“No, don’t. I have nothing.” Quinn cut her off, knowing that whatever Seren said would be heard by the other vampire still leaving. “Don’t talk about this.”
Seren’s mouth moved but she was unable to form the next words.
Quinn ran a finger down her dress, hovering over the canvas. “It’s yours.”
Seren’s mouth worked and was blocked. Emrys said that whoever held their paintings could control them.
An anchor dropped in Quinn’s belly. It was a sickening feeling to control someone else. To command them, and that feeling spread to Quinn’s hair, which darkened to a sickly deep green. The idea of controlling someone else made her want to vomit but it also might be the advantage she needed.
“You will tell no one that I have the paintings.” Quinn’s voice was laced with an unbreakable command.
Seren nodded.
“Why do all of this?” Quinn asked, stepping out into the room.
Seren followed. “Because I love Gideon.” That was all the answer she was willing to give unless forced. Quinn opened her mouth—
“And what does Jevon want?” Giselle asked the question that was bubbling at the back of Quinn’s mind.
“Revenge,” Seren said. “The council condemned him to death for trading with a mirror and becoming a monster, so he vowed to get revenge. He wants to release the vampires at the ball and expose the prince as a blood-sucking devil in front of the entire city.”
Quinn let the words sink in, and a plan stirred in her stomach.
It was a foolish plan and had little chance of succeeding, but it could work.
If they were very lucky.
“Alright, here is what we are going to do. First, Seren will tell us the logistics of Jevon’s plan. Second, Giselle, you’ll get the Fantômes and ask for help. And third, we’re going to find the rest of the vampires who belong to these paintings.”
Forty-Six
One hour late to the ball.
The party was in full swing, and the room smelled sweet, like lavender and honey, but it tasted like rotten wishes.
Quinn hated it. Jevon’s plan for utter destruction was to take the jubilance floating through the air, turn it sour, and make it decay.
The anticipation of it all caused Quinn’s hair to fade into a shade of midnight black as terror danced along her spine. Bad luck fizzled in her stomach, and she knew, despite her best-laid plans, something would go wrong. But even knowing that, Quinn marched on. She had to follow the plan and see it through. If she didn’t, people would die.
So, with no other recourse, Quinn swallowed her fear and walked on.
As she reached the top of the stairs, the music crashed to a halt, and a footman announced her presence. “Quinnevere Ashelle, the prince’s personal guest.”
Her attention snapped to the footman. What in all thefuckingmirrors did he just say?Personal guest?Where the fuck was Emrys, and what did he mean by that fucking title? He couldn’t be going through with this suitor ball, could he? And hecertainly was not going to choose her, right? That was a terrible idea. She would make an awful princess.Truly terrible. Besides, they had far bigger issues to deal with than a foolish marriage proposal.
Every eye in the room latched onto her as they, too, heard the title the footman had given her.Personal fucking guest.
Quinn felt naked, despite wearing a ridiculously large ballgown that fell off her shoulders in a wave of golden fringe. The dress looked like stars crying molten teardrops. The golden bodice clung tightly to her curves with its embroidered crystals and translucent lace set to a pattern of mermaid scales while the sleeves swam with cerulean tassels.
It was beautiful, but danger lurked beneath its pristine elegance. A scalpel was sewn into a pocket, and the paintings were fastened to her leg.
“Quinny!” Seren whispered, gripping Quinn’s arm and keeping her from walking down the stairs. “I know you have a plan, but it’s not going to work. Fighting will only make him stronger. Jevon’s power feeds on chaos.”
Quinn gulped. If Seren were telling the truth, the plan would definitelynotwork. Quinn planned on using the vampires to fight back until Giselle could set off the glitter bombs, and the gang could get the humans to safety.
In the chaos, they were meant to get ahold of Jevon’s mirror, but if his powers fed on chaos then the whole planwas doomed—because she had been planning on chaos, too.
However, her one advantage was that Jevon didn’t know. He thought she was compelled and doing his bidding.
