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It was like a game. If my gaze wandered downward... to his lips... or his Adam's apple... I would lose.

“If anyone should leave, it should be you, because you're the last person I trust in this whole thing,” Miles sighed, his eyebrows raised.

He crossed his arms over his chest, just the way that DUIO Ruisangor always did when he negotiated new illegal arrangements with my uncle, such as hiring that economics professor from his clan. The fact that this new professor was Miles' father didn't make it any better.

“This is about my uncle. And as far as I know, you don't have any family members involved in this.”

To emphasize my point, I crossed my arms as well, but then realized that I looked too much like Miles, so I lowered my arms again and put my hands on my hips.

I felt like an idiot.

“Surprise.” He stepped closer and his pleasant masculine scent reached my nose. “This is about my uncle, too.”

Irritated, I backed away.

I tried to find out more by checking his expression for lies. But he seemed honest, serious, upset.

I searched for other emotions, as if I wished there were more. As if I were insane.

Somewhere inside me, that stupid, pathetic heart was beating, and Miles DeLoughrey was the reason. Proof that human biology was deceptive and treacherous.

Unable to hold his gaze any longer, I looked at his lips.

And lost.

What had this dance done to me? Had I really fallen so deep?

I am your downfall, Emely. And I cannot lose. Because when I fall, you fall with me.

His words echoed through my mind.

I swallowed, and his gaze wandered down too. To my throat.

The urge to swallow again was overwhelming.

“What did you find?” Julie asked.

Remorsefully, I turned away from Miles and walked closer to Bayla.

Distract yourself, Emely. Listen to the reasonable people in this room. Maybe that would work better. Even though no one here seemed to be reasonable.

“This fell out of the book.” Bayla held up the elegant brown paper card with the gold lettering and the snake. “An invitation. In the form of a riddle.”

“What?” Julie stared obsessively at the card.

“Okay, crazy,” said Larissa, who still seemed a little confused.

Julie literally snatched the paper from Bayla and began reading it intently, something I had already done at least ten times.

The message was relatively simple. A riddle meant to lead the invitees to a meeting place. Along with a warning that I didn't quite understand.

Everything pointed to it being something fishy. Like everything involving Alarik.

“Are you sure this is part of our mission?” Miles asked Bayla, raising an eyebrow, before he moved closer to the girls to read along with them.

She nodded.

“Even if it isn't.” Larissa tapped the sturdy paper, concentrating on the card in Julie’s hands. “East corridor and snakes. That sounds like our university.”