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Layne continued, his tone melancholic. “While you swim these waters freely, and use your glamour to hunt on land, you’re still ultimately trapped by the curse—by the Siren you’ve become.” He leaned toward me, and my eyes raked down his body. Quickly catching myself, I looked away. “You and I both understand what it’s like to be bound to a prison with no bars, Evelyn Graymore.”

Having something in common with Layne was not something I expected, but what he said was true.

“Who did this to you?” I asked, leaning into him and matching his closeness. A nervous twitch spread across his face, and some part of me reveled in it.

Layne’s jaw tightened, and a flicker of nervousness flickered across his face but quickly disappeared. He leaned closer, his breath ghosting the shell of my ear as he whispered, “That’s not a story for tonight, darling.” His devious grin returned, along with the smugness, thick in his voice.

I pulled back and rolled my eyes. “It’s always games with you. Would it kill you to just be real for once?”

“Now, now, let’s not be greedy. I’ve told you more than I’ve told anyone in over a century.”

My eyes widened.

Century? How old is this guy?

“That’s…a very long time to be alone. I can’t even imagine what that feels like.” I’d never actually considered what Layne’s life had been like before we met. The sarcasm, darkness, and his stupidly handsome face had become the only side of him I’d known. In fact, I couldn’t picture Layne outside of the shadows at all, but a tiny part of me wondered what that might look like.

Layne nodded slowly, regret flickering in his eyes as he realized he may have said too much. I couldn’t imagine being stuck down here in the darkness and silence for that long.

Something like that would drive me insane, drive anyone insane. For the first time, I found myself feeling sympathy for him. No wonder he turned out like this, I thought.

There was a part of me that understood him a little better now, and the feelings it stirred inside of me were confusing, to say the least.

The many facets of Layne Murrows continue to surprise me, I thought.

“I’m sorry…” I said, my voice soft and tender.

Something cracked across Layne’s face as I said it, and he slowly brought his hand to my cheek, hovering right above my skin. Watching, gauging my reaction. I was struck by how large it was, but I didn’t flinch.

He caressed my cheek, tracing my jawline as he slowly tilted my chin up with one finger to meet his gaze.

Normally, I would have pulled away, pulled him into a whirlpool, or simply told him to fuck off.

And yet, I didn't do any of that—not this time.

The closeness of his body and the warmth of his touch against my skin felt…different. Usually, everything Layne did infuriated me. But for the brief moment he’d let me look over that shadowy wall he’d been hiding behind, I’d seen a different side of him tonight.

There was a realness to the man I had deemed a monster, just like me. I saw the sadness inside of him, and sadness was something I understood. Layne held a hurt, a loss, of something I might not ever know, but I didn’t need to.

Without thinking, I slowly leaned into his touch. Something about him was so dangerous and magnetic all at once, and I hated that I wanted to give in to its pull.

We floated together in silence, the drowned tree gleaming behind us as we stared into each other’s eyes. The blue gleam of my gaze was held tight within the golden glow of his—like fireflies under moonlight.

Layne’s thumb traced my jawline. “You terrify me, Evelyn Graymore.” His voice was just a whisper.

“At least we finally agree on something then,” I whispered back.

The space between us grew smaller and smaller as Layne’s shadows pulled me in. His lips hovered just above mine, and I could already taste his darkness on my tongue.

“Evelyn, I…” His voice caught, rough and unsteady. His heart pounded beneath my palms, wild and rapid, his usual composure betrayed by its strange beating.

A slow rolling heat teemed inside me, curling around my ribs, traveling lower, and lower, answering the beat of his heart like the tide to the shore.

What am I doing? Not…not with him.

“I’m sorry…I—I have to go,” I said, turning and propelling myself into the darkness as Layne’s golden gaze burned behind me.

“Evelyn, wait!” Layne called out.