She raises an eyebrow at me, as I continue to stare.
“Uh, hello. Nice to meet you—I mean, nice toseeyou.”Fuck! Dammit!I scratch my forehead. “I mean… Hi, just hi.” I cringe. What in the actual fuck is wrong with me? I try to smile as I imagine transporting myself out of here, finding a damn drink, and wallowing in my mortification.
Her cheeks turn pink, and her eyes twinkle with amusement before they drop to the floor. “I see you’re still working on that smile.”
I drop my chin. “Yeah, and some other things.”
Her head turns to feign interest at the wall. “You wanted to see me?” she asks, her cheeks darkening.
I wish she would look at me. I want to see those beautiful eyes.
Take her out on a date.
A what?
Dammit. Must I tell you how to do everything? Take her on a date. Take her out on several dates. That’s how you get to know someone.
And just how am I supposed to do that? I didn’t make plans for that. A rumbling growl rolls around in my head.
Fuck this! I’m taking over. Watch and learn.
Before I can protest or transport out of the room, my inner demon takes over. I am no longer in the driver seat. I can hear everything, see everything, and speak my mind, but my words do not come out of my mouth. They linger in my mind, just as the other voice had a few seconds ago.
Chapter 24
Dancing in the Moonlight
JESSICA
Seven Years Ago
I’ve seen more of Shadow since my birthday than in all the time since I first met him. We explored the public areas of the LS. We ate lunches and dinners together. We enjoyed one of Emily’s roller derby tournaments, took in a movie, and strolled through three museums. He took me, the Blackguards, Sixes, and the twins on a tour of Harvard—transportation courtesy of his magic—and tonight, we’re all going to see Charlie in concert.
Standing in front of my bathroom mirror, I sigh, thinking about Shadow, as I apply the concealer over the scar on my face. I hold the makeup wand and listen to Emily and Sixes’s hushed conversation. When the direction of their conversation doesn’t change or falter, I continue to apply the foundation. I don’t want them to notice that I’m spending time covering the scar. I’ve been doing it more lately, especially when Shadow comes around. I have a crush on a man I have no business crushing on. He’s older than me and more mature. He’s graduating from lawschool. More importantly, he’s a guard. I pat the foundation over my skin, blending in the concealer.
Two weeks ago, Shadow stood in the mansion’s sitting room, awkward and unsure, different from how he normally carries himself. He also looked like he struggled, as if enduring an internal dialogue. His eyes darted back and forth, his body stiff and ready for a fight.
Then, in a snap, he transformed right before my eyes. His posture relaxed, and the irritated look on his face melted into a comfortable ease. An amused smile flit across his lips, and he exuded something dark and sinister. Even the blue of his eyes darkened to almost black. He walked toward me with a confident swagger, unlike the stiffness I saw the day we first met.
What shocked me the most was when he asked if he could take me somewhere. He claimed it was a surprise to make up for not getting me a gift for my birthday. I didn’t know what to make of his unexpected request. Why would this handsome mysterious man want to spend time with me? What the hell was someone like me supposed to talk about? Maybe out of some morbid curiosity and giddiness, I agreed to go with him.
The more time I spent with Shadow, he slowly metamorphosed into a different person. He had more animation in his features, with a hint of a boyish quality. His eyes lightened to a sapphire blue that twinkled with mischief. Even his clothing changed from suit sets to more casual jeans, t-shirts, and hoodies.
He isn’t the only one changing. For the first time in months, I feel like my old self again, not that scared, sad little girl that sat broken on the bed tucked away in a corner room of the clinic. I feel like that girl who settled into her new home, who worked on the dairy, who loved playing the piano, writing and composing songs, playing the guitar with Duck in his garage band. I am thegirl who loves being around her family, with ambition to finish college and make something of herself.
That girl returned to the surface again, and despite the scars reminding me of where I started, I love what I see in the mirror. I have Shadow to thank for helping me restore my confidence. I haven’t decided when, but I’m ready to talk about what happened that night before the guard ball, as well as the weird things happening to my magic—or lack of magic—lately.
Emily and I stumble into my bedroom, drunk on the high of the night and seeing Charlie in his element. My ears still ring with the roar of the crowd screaming his name. Women and men held up handmade posters professing their love for him. There are no words to describe just how happy I am for Charlie, to be there for him, to see his dream come true.
“You were freakin’ amazing!” Emily cries, bounding on my bed with leftover excitement. “For a minute there, I thought you were going to chicken out and run.”
“I was going to,” I admit as I join her. Shadow saw my short moment of panic when Charlie called for me to join him on the stage. He whispered to one of the stagehands, who scurried off and returned with a baseball cap and sunglasses.
“Pretend you’re at home singing with the dairy hands,” Shadow said as he placed the items on my head. He bent low and made eye contact as he adjusted the sunglasses. “Or you could pretend that you’re singing for someone special, waiting for your confessions of love.”
My breath stuttered, and my cheeks flamed with heat.
He winked before standing to his full height. Was he flirting with me?
