Элисон Ноэль - Shadowland

I press my lips together, wondering what he saw, if the twins gave him a tour, if Damen’s special room is restored.

“I think he was surprised to find me watching TV in his den, but once I explained, it went fairly well.”

“Fairly?” I raise my brow.

He shrugs, looking at me, gaze so direct, so open, it’s like a lover’s embrace.

Prompting me to turn away, voice shaky, unsteady when I say, “So how did you explain it?”

His cool breath on my cheek as he leans in and whispers, “I told him I found them at the shuttle stop and decided to give them a ride. No harm done, right?”

I take a deep breath and focus on Roman, watching as he hoists Haven onto his shoulders so she can dogfight with Miles. Splashing and playing, and, on the surface anyway, engaging in nothing but good clean fun—until Roman turns, and time seems to stop. His eyes meeting mine, gleaming, mocking, as though he knows what I’ve done. And before I can blink he’s back to playing again, making me question if I really did see what I thought.

“No. No harm done,” I say, a terrible ache invading my gut, wondering just what it is that I’ve started.

CHAPTER 46

After Miles’s third failed attempt to get me to dive in, he finally gets out, moving toward me as he says, “Hey, what gives? I know you got your bikini on—I can see the straps!” Laughing when he pulls me off the lounge chair and hugs me tightly to him, whispering, “Have I ever told you how much I love you, Ever ? Have I? Ever, Ever ?”

I shake my head and pull away, glancing at Holt just behind him, rolling his eyes and tugging on Miles’s arm, trying to convince him to leave me alone and quit dripping on me.

But Miles won’t have it, he’s got something to say and won’t stop ’til it’s done. Throwing a wet arm around my shoulder as he leans all over me and slurs, “I’m shlo shlerious , Ever. Before you came to this school—it was just me and Haven. But then—from the moment you shlowed up at our table—it became me and Haven and you .” He looks at me, head bobbing, struggling to focus, as he grips me tighter and fights to keep his balance.

“Wow—that’s really— deep .” I glance at Holt, the two of us stifling a laugh as we each wrap an arm around Miles and lead him into the kitchen for some coffee. Getting him settled at the breakfast bar just as Haven and her three immortal friends come in.

“You guys leaving?” I squint, seeing they’re back in their clothes, wet towels in their hands.

Haven nods. “Misa and Rafe have to work tomorrow, and Roman and I have an appointment.”

I look at Roman, holding his gaze. How can he be leaving when he hasn’t given me what I want? Hasn’t even begun to grovel, beg, and ask my forgiveness like I visualized?

How can he be leaving when it goes against my plan?

I follow them to the door, heart racing as I take in the tilt of his chin, the gleam in his gaze, and I know it’s not good. Something’s gone wrong. Terribly wrong. Even though I cast the spell exactly like the book said, from the look in his eyes, and the curl of his lips, it’s clear the goddess and queen have both failed me.

“Where are you going?” I squint, trying to peer into his energy but not getting anywhere.

Haven looks at me, brow raised, smile on her face as Roman throws his arm around her shoulder and says, “Private party. But there’s room for you, Ever. Maybe you can stop by a little later, you know, when you’re done here.”

My eyes meet his, holding his gaze until I break away and focus on Haven again. And even though I promised I wouldn’t do it, I peer right through her aura and into her mind, eager to see what’s lurking in there, what’s really going on, but not getting very far before I’m stopped, run up against a brick wall someone’s placed in my path.

“You all right ?” Roman asks, squinting at me, as he opens the door. “You look a little— peaked .”

I take a deep breath and narrow my gaze, about to say something more when Jude comes up and says, “Someone just hurled on the rug.”

And even though my attention’s only pulled for a moment, it’s still long enough for them to exit. Roman glancing over his shoulder, looking at me when he says, “Sorry to bail on you, Ever. Though I’m sure we’ll meet later.”

CHAPTER 47

I was expecting it to be Miles, but it turns out he’s fine. Helping to mop up the mess as he smiles and says, “And that’s what you call acting. Viva Firenze! ” He pumps his fist in the air.

“So really, you’re fine?” I hand him a clean towel, feeling bad for making him go through the motions when as soon as everyone leaves, I’ll just make it vanish and manifest a new one. “You’re not drunk?”

“Not at all! But the point is, you thought I was.”

I shrug. “The slurring, the loss of balance—all the signs were present and accounted for.”

He rolls up the towel, about to hand it to me when Jude appears by my side and takes it instead. “Laundry?” he asks, brow raised.

But I just shake my head and point toward the trash, looking at Miles as I ask, “So who did it, who brought the booze?”

“Oh, no.” He shakes his head and holds up his hands. “I’m sorry to break it to you, Ever, but this little get-together you orga nized, is also what’s known as a party . And even if you don’t serve it, it’ll still find its way in. You’ll get no information from me.” He clamps his lips shut, pulling the imaginary zipper that seals them, before adding, “I say you just ditch this old thing.” He points at the rug. “Seriously, I’ll help roll it up. All we have to do is move the furniture around and Sabine won’t even notice it’s gone.”

But I just shake my head, this vomit-covered rug is the least of my concerns now that Roman’s no longer playing along. Taking Haven on some mysterious appointment I can’t seem to crack, and what was that bit about us meeting up later? Was that a reference to the binding spell—or— something else ?

Miles leans in to hug me, gathering me into his arms and giving me a really tight squeeze when he says, “Thanks for the party, Ever. And even though I don’t know what’s going on between you and Damen, I have one thing to say and I hope you’ll listen and take me seriously. Ready?” He quirks his brow and pulls away.

I shrug. My mind preoccupied, in some other place.

“You deserve to be happy.” He nods, gaze intense, focused on mine. “And if Jude makes you happy, then you shouldn’t feel bad about that.” He waits, waits for me to respond in some way, but when I don’t he adds, “Party’s pretty much over once someone hurls, right? So we’re gonna bolt. But we’ll get together before Florence, okay?”

I nod, watching as he and his friends all head for the door, calling, “Hey, Miles, did Haven or Roman mention where they’re going?”

Miles looks at me, brows merged when he says, “Fortune-teller.”

I squint, stomach sinking though I’ve no idea why.

“Remember the other day when she wanted to book one?”

I nod.

“She mentioned it to Roman and he arranged a private reading.”

“This— late ?” I look to my wrist to confirm the time though I’m not wearing my watch.

But Miles just shrugs and heads for the car, making me wonder if I should head out too. Try to catch up with Roman and Haven and make sure she’s okay. But when I try to tune in to her energy again, I don’t get very far. In fact, I don’t get anything at all.

About to try again when Jude comes up and says, “You really need to ditch that rug. Smells awful.”