“A sea witch. You like?”
“It’s adorable,” my mother says with zero interest, her gaze still locked on the wicked trio before us. “You don’t think they’ve cast a spell on him, do you?”
I crane my neck in their direction. “He does seem awfully interested.”
Mom swats me. “Brielle, see if you can cast a spell and make sure I’m the only woman Demetri sees.”
“Mother!”
“Oh, Skyla.” She’s right back to swatting me. “I’m teasing, of course.” She sighs hard because clearly, she’s not. “But look at him. He looks impeccable tonight.”
Bree moans as she gazes his way as if she were swooning herself, so I take a cue from my mother and swat her.
“Bree, he is the king of evil and he’s not in the least bit attractive.”
“I’m not sure about that,” she muses. “I mean, I don’t know what he’s done, but tonight, for the first time, I can tell he’s definitely the father of Gage and Wesley. Something about his face is just different. Definitely cuter.”
“I see it now,” I say, stunned. “Not the cuter part, but the rest of it. That’s really weird. Maybe he’s wearing their faces like a Halloween mask? He is a shape shifter extraordinaire. For all we know, the Demetri we’re used to seeing is a ruse and he’s nothing but a big ball of dark energy.” I frown over at my mother. “BTW, that’s all fact and zero theory.”
Mom scoffs. “Well, FYI, he’s always been that attractive. The two of you are just now seeing it. He’s the same old Demetri. He simply got a haircut and is letting the scruff on his cheeks grow out like all the young men do these days. It’s quite a comely look on him. Don’t you agree?”
Another contraction hits me, this time hard and fast, and I let out a horrendous groan as my body tenses in a big ball of fire.
Mom nods, her focus still very much pinned on him. “I knew you’d come around, Skyla. You just can’t deny animal magnetism like that.”
Perfect. My mother thinks I’m lusting after Demetri of all people with a verbal show of appreciation of his naughty-hottie good looks.
Dominique wraps an arm around him as the three of them howl in laughter—probably at my mother. Thankfully, the music pumping from the speakers is so loud it quickly drowns them out.
Mom shudders. “I can’t take it anymore. I have to intervene. Those women aren’t interested in Demetri as a person. They’re simply enticed by his power or worse yet, they’re money-grubbers. I’d better get over there and save him. I’ll be doing everyone involved a favor.”
I roll my eyes at Bree. “Tad has money. I don’t see anyone hopping on pop to get their grubby little hands on that gold he’s got buried in his mouth.”
Bree nods past me. “I don’t know about that.”
I turn to find not one buttwowomen dressed as seventeenth century harlots—oh, wait.
I’m about to head on over when another private earthquake rattles my belly, and this time it’s a nine point five on the Richter scale. I grab ahold of Bree’s arm and give a hard squeeze.
“Ouch, Skyla. I get it. I’m pissed, too. That man belongs to your mother, but that’s no reason to initiate your Celestra strength.”
I’m about to correct her, or howl at the top of my lungs—one or the other—when Chloe and Gage crop up like a couple of unwanted apparitions. Crap. I would have gladly taken anyone else.
Come to think of it, a couple of wicked apparitions would have been a welcome relief.
I bet I could have bribed one of them to find my mother.
Chloe is dressed as a naughty nurse in a tiny white dress and matching fishnets. It seems fitting. I’m sure the first thing she did with Gage during that throne room debacle was probe his every orifice with her tongue.
“Skyla!” Chloe’s eyes bulge with glee.
In truth, Gage’s eyes might be bulging with glee as well, but I refuse to look in his direction. It’s bad enough I can see him in my peripheral vision. He’s still dressed in his West football attire, ever the twin to Logan. But I don’t dare make eye contact with him.
Chloe’s chest gurgles with a laugh. “I’m in love with your costume. A knocked-up teen? A walking, taking, throwback Thursday is an ingenious idea. Don’t you think, Gage?”
“You look very nice, Skyla.” It comes out wooden.
My natural instincts take over and I turn my head the other way. It irks me to no end to have my name come from his mouth. He said it once in love way back when I believed him, and now it sounds as if he dips it in hostility and beats it down with hatred before it ever leaves his lips.
