He leans back against his bedpost and starts walking me through his typical behavior. I let him talk, but I already know. I’ve been with him since he was younger. I could recognize him in darkness by the sound of his breathing alone.
What does surprise me is when he brings up Millicent.
“I like her,” he says. “I’ve spent some time with her. I enjoy her company. I keep it playful. I don’t pry, Cage,” he adds pointedly. “And, yeah, I flirt. Sue me. She’s a beauty wrapped in black hair and devastating eyes.”
“I’m not going to flirt with her,” I say flatly.
“If flirting gets us answers about this curse, you’ll flirt. Hell, you’ll walk on all fours and bark if that’s what it takes. We need this.”
I know he doesn’t mean it literally, but he’s not wrong.
This is our first real lead. And the mutations are spreading. More disappearances. More bodies. If we don’t figure this out soon, it’ll get worse. On top of that, we’ll be entering a coven of curse users who can hex us through thought alone. Add to that an unpredictable witch who can’t be trusted, and this simple questioning can turn dangerous extremely fast.
I listen as he explains other quirks I’ll need to mimic. When he finishes, I speak.
“The link will feel just like this,” I say. “You’ll hear me in your mind, same as always. The only difference is, you won’t see me for a few hours.”
We use mental speech often: during court meetings, public appearances, and anytime we need to speak privately. He listenslike a child on Winter Solstice Eve, giddy with the anticipation of gifts.
When we're done, I head off alone, beginning the long walk back to the solitary hall that houses both my room and Millicent’s. The air grows heavier with each step closer to her door.
Chapter 24
Cage
I RAISE MY FIST AND knock politely on Millicent’s door.
It opens moments later, and the sight that greets me knocks me slightly off balance.
Her witch marks shimmer under the chandelier’s light, exposed by the gown. The deep-red satin clings to her frame, the straps hanging loose off her shoulders. It frames a plunging sweetheart neckline. A corset-style bodice, detailed with black beading, hugs her waist. The fabric then flows into a fuller skirt that flares around her ankles.
A slit comes high up her left leg, revealing a golden snake cuff coiled around her thigh.
The gown is regal and expensive. The sight causes a sharp intake of breath before I quickly loosen it. I know, without a doubt, it’s Tyran’s doing.
“Well, at least you dressed up too. I could’ve just worn my coven garb,” she says casually—too casually for how she usually speaks to me.She’s talking to Felix, not me.
“We must make a statement. Besides, your coven gown is boring,” I reply, slipping effortlessly into Felix’s personality as I offer my arm.
“Rude,” she says, rolling her eyes. But she still slips her arm into mine, closing the door behind her.
“I figured you like the truth. Shall I begin lying?” I tease.
“I bet you’re a great liar,” she murmurs, her voice hushed. “You sneaky thing.”
Sneaky?
Did she run into Felix earlier? Did she go with him?
Did she know where he went?
Changing the subject—before I say the wrong thing—I slip back into character. “We’ll take one of the carriages and be escorted by my knights. It’s about a four-hour ride. Roads should be clear. Their coven has a gated road leading in. Seems they’ve built their own network of mansions.”
“I’m not surprised,” she replies, eyes drifting over the artwork we pass. “Curse users are the most emotionally stable. They don’t need humans for sacrifice, so I imagine they’ve embraced a more civilized lifestyle—especially living so near to humans.”
She continues toward the front of the castle where the carriage waits.
She often studies art in the halls. I’ve seen her do it before: pausing and tilting her head inquisitively. I never interrupt. I keep to the shadows, watching without being seen. It’s safer that way; I enjoy watching her sometimes, a feeling I don’t quite understand yet. It almost feels nostalgic at times before the reality of what and who she is sours my mood, dismissing me from her presence.
