Page 164 of Claimed By Fangs and Darkness
I ignored her question like she had ignored mine. I didn’t want her talking about Kylo. Eventhinkingabout Kylo. “You want to be sisters because you feel alone.”
I had dreamed of sisterhood when I was a girl. On days Mama was particularly cruel, I wondered what it would be like to have a sister. I loved caring for Idris. But this was a different fantasy, one where I didn’t have to be the lone eldest daughter. Perhaps I’d wanted my pain to be shared, or to see myself reflected in another so I didn’t feel as painfully different from everyone else.
Juliette’s shoulders dropped. She gazed into the distance. “You were promised to Sir by Lillian. He never forgot you, even when he was giving me all of his heart.”
“That’s touching,” I said. “Anyway, I think you were right.”
Juliette’s gray eyes suddenly beamed with hope.
“I’m on a path of darkness,” I said, voice low and eyes frenzied. I played up the drama just like she had—a perfect mirror. I oozed false fear. “I’ve abandoned Lillian’s plan for me, and I feel trapped.”
Her eyes flashed, unable to hide her emotions. “I understand completely.”
Behind her, I saw a mirror. And that mirror reflected a mirror behind me, creating a loop of Juliette and me facing each other that spanned an eternity.
I swallowed, focusing back on her. “Can we meet?”
“We’re meeting right now, silly!”
I smiled, forcing my body to reflect ease. “I mean, in the flesh.”
Juliette rocked back on her feet. Her forehead creased. “Aren’t you coming back Friday? Sir says we’re going to have a tea party—the three of us. Maybe Conrad too…”
She watched my face, clearly searching for something. Was that what her accusation was about? Was she afraid I had feelings for both Conrad and Aster?
“Yes, I’m coming back Friday. But I was hoping you and I could hang out, just us.”
A smile slowly crept across her face. “Okay. We canhang out,Evie.”
I smiled back. This was almost a normal interaction. Shocking.
She cocked her head. “How about we meet at Celeste’s?”
My smile dropped.
Juliette batted her eyes innocently. “What’s wrong? You love Celeste’s.”
“Is that a threat? How long have you been watching me?”
“Nooo, it’sinsurance.” She winked.
Great. Glad I’d taught the psychopath a new term.
Juliette took a step back with a shrug, the infinite mirror images shifting as she moved. “We’re going to fix all of this. You just have to remember that youcan’t have it all, okay?” She nodded and smiled. “Since you don’t want me to meet yourfriends, I’ll see you Friday, Evie. Don’t be late… or I’ll have to go looking for you at all your favorite places!”
“No, wait?—”
She disappeared in a fit of white smoke and screams. Demon dogs roamed in the distance. The mirrors shattered.
I woke up.
Kylo was still gone.
I told Vesper everything.
We were enjoying our usual morning coffee ritual, this time on the back patio of our home where it was more private. The yard was lush, my new garden already thriving under my care and magick. In the distance was the small grove of trees where Kylo liked to read—where he tattooed me under the stars.
Vesper wore a deep burgundy corset and sleek black skirt. It was a sharp contrast to my pastels and florals. She had styled her hair in a slicked-back ponytail.
