Page 74 of Cursed
I reached across the table and held out my hand. “Yes.”
“Splendid.” Samael clasped it with his, and we shook. “Now, be a good man and bring out the expensive stuff. We will wallow in decadence and gluttony while strategizing your mission.”
Chapter 24
Phoebe
One moment, I’d beentrapped against Samael’s clean scent; the next, I stood on the sidewalk in my front yard, the nearby light pole throwing a watery artificial glow on the street.
“You’ll be safe tonight, Phoebe. Malachi will be busy elsewhere this night.”
I opened my mouth to tell him Malachi wasn’t the only one I was worried about, but Samael blinked out of existence.
“Why can’t I just go back to being blissfully unaware Phoebe?”
I straightened my dress and finger-combed my hair, hoping I didn’t look as ragged as I felt. The yellow porchlight beckoned, which meant Mom waited up.
Tara’s ancient green Ford Fiesta rested in the driveway.
Crap. She must’ve left the masquerade when she didn’t see me at the library.What had happened after I’d disappeared?
Carefully, I picked my way across the uneven, broken concrete slabs serving as our walkway.
Had Cain’s spell—or whatever he’d done to make the students freeze—lifted and everyone continued as if nothing had happened, their memories wiped in the same way he’d taken mine?
This thought, more than any other, incensed me. He’d used me—or planned to—and then wanted to throw me into Hell with the devil, uncaring what happened to me afterwards. What kind of person did that?
Someone evil.
I traced the stair railing’s splintery wood and bit my lip, fighting the sting of tears threatening to spill onto my cheeks.I willnotshed one tear over him. Not one.
The low murmur of voices could be heard even through the closed door.
Grabbing the handle, I turned the knob and took a deep breath. Cain and all his other demonic family could kiss my ass. I didn’t care how much power they wielded. The next time I saw him I’d be prepared.
I shoved my other hand into my cleavage, where the infinity pendant rested against my skin.
