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Is this what it felt like to them? I thought.

I shook my head, snapping myself back to the moment. My looks had never been something I’d thought about before, but I couldn't help but enjoy glamour’s effect on me. Although if it were up to me, I would at least be able to choose what clothes I wore.

Turning over my hands, I admired my pale skin, shining in the dim lighting. All the while, knowing what was hidden beneath them, and that was much deadlier than any mask I was currently wearing.

The air was thick with smoke as I stepped back out into the mass of bodies and sweat. Blue and purple neon lights washed over the haze, but despite the overload on my senses, I could still smell the darkness seeping out of the people in the club.

Eyes followed me as I moved through the crowd. Men and women’s heads turned, their gazes lingering, their bodies revolving around me like I was the sun, slowly pulling them into my orbit. The curse's glamour worked just as it was designed, and a part of me was thrilled by it, but a feeling of guilt bubbled just below.

Over time, I’d come to realize that everyone had darkness in their hearts, but they all felt, smelled, and tasted different. It was almost like there were levels of it, and I’d learned to distinguish between darkness overflowing with rot and regular darkness.

The pull from my chest towards the right one was usually my guide, but I also just seemed to know when something felt wrong about someone, and the feeling reminded me of him.

I didn't even have to seek them out. People were simply drawn to me with ease, like I exuded my own irresistible lure that they couldn't help but swallow whole, and I happily reeled them in every time.

I’d fed on quite a few hearts by now, learning with each one. The oily sheen of rot that clung to them was always a dead giveaway for me, besides the smell. It shimmered around them, invisible to others, of course, but as sharp as a knife to me. Their desires, obsessions, cruelties—it's festering manifested itself differently, but unmistakable every time.

I found a spot near the window and took a seat, staring out at the very water I’d risen from only moments ago.

Sitting and watching the waves lap at the shoreline below, I was reminded of Dad. We used to sit outside after work, looking out at the bay like this. I winced, pressing my eyes closed, exhaling deeply.

Fuck…why’d you let yourself go there?

Eddie’s terrified face flashed in my mind. His words continued to haunt me.

Oh…I’m sorry to tell you, but Mr. Graymore passed away, about a week after his daughter went missin’.

My stomach twisted. The thought of him dying alone, not knowing what happened to me—it was too much. Despite it all, the rage inside me burned hotter than the fires of my grief.

Preston had taken everything from me. I was alone in this new world and determined to destroy every single thing that he cared about, as well as anyone who stood in my way.

The pang of hunger broke through the moment, twisting itself in my stomach and ripping me back to what I came here to do—hunt.

That's when I felt it, shooting through me like a jolt of electricity. Whoever tonight’s target was, they’d just arrived. His darkness’s putrid and intoxicating scent was so intense I smelled it from here.

I stared at the window pane as the flurry of lights and bodies danced in its reflection. I pivoted around towards the bar as the tug at my chest pulled its magical tether, and then I saw him.

He leaned back against the counter, flanked by two men, all in expensive-looking suits. Platinum-blonde hair was matted to his skull, reminiscent of Preston, which was only more infuriating.

Even from this far away, I saw the glazed-over look in his eyes—drunk, high, or maybe both. Immediately, I knew he was the one between the three of them. The oily sheen of darkness glowed around him like a beacon, and the darkness of the other two paled in comparison to his.

Wisps of rot coiled and undulated around him so thick they practically choked the air. My stomach turned with revulsion and anticipation in equal measure.

Someone deserving. Delicious.

The men laughed at something he said in a performative way, and I got a sense that they must all work together. Probably one of the tech bro’s that had overrun all of Seattle. It didn't matter to me. All that mattered was that I knew what I wanted, and now I just needed to wait till he took the bait.

It didn’t take long before his friends eventually left him, leaving him to prowl the club alone. Their relief was obvious as they turned and left.

I watched as he ordered a shot from the bartender, wincing at the burn of it as he threw it back. I kept my eyes on him until finally he caught my gaze.

His face changed immediately—mouth slightly agape, eyes wide, his body fully turned toward me. He looked mid-thirties, handsome on the surface but a douchebag beneath it all, and clearly wealthy.

He raised a glass towards me, his wedding ring catching in the light. He hadn't even bothered with taking it off. A true piece of work.

Too easy, I thought, holding his gaze and smiling.

My blue eyes gleamed amid the flurry of neon lights that danced around us. I could feel my alluring magic coiling around him, his body drinking it in.