From Darkness Comes - Book 2 in The Dissonance Series

Sleight of Hand

In the morning, he's gone. In the morning, I awake to an empty bed, still warm from where his body lay entwined with mine. My mind flashes with images of what we did last night. There's no going back. Things will never be the same. I'm not sure yet how I feel about that and I'm out of time to think about it.

I sit up quickly, realizing that the daylight means I belong to Cassius now. I gather my clothes from where they are sprawled out across the floor. Images flashing again through my head. Wyler's bare chest pressed up against mine. Wyler's eyes gleaming with amber flecks. Wyler's hand trailing gently down the length of my back. I squeeze my eyes shut tight, trying to stop the images. When they've passed, I open my eyes, slip on my shirt and pants, quickly getting dressed. For some silly reason, I make the bed. I'm stalling, hoping that Wyler will come walking through the door telling me that everything is going to be okay.

Rona alerts me to the presence of someone at the door. For a moment, the sound of her voice stops me, as if she's somehow cheating on me by being in Wyler's house, but I suppose she's everywhere.

I run excitedly to the door, stupidly realizing at the last minute that Wyler wouldn't be waiting at his own front door. Forgetting your keys doesn't happen in a place where fingerprint recognition is used for all the entrances.

"Coven?" I say with surprise as the door slides open.

"Is Wyler here?" He looks concerned and then he notices my disheveled hair and tries not to smile.

"No," I reply, rolling my eyes at him. "I'm not sure where he is," I embarrassingly admit. I didn't think Wyler was the be-intimate-with-a-girl-and-then-bounce kind of guy, but maybe I was wrong. "What's up?" I ask.

He steps closer and lowers his voice. "Jovie is missing."

"What do you mean 'missing?'"

"She's gone. Didn't tell anyone where she was going. No one has seen her since yesterday. And when I started asking around, I found out that she's not the only one that's missing."

"What?" I reply in disbelief, shaking my head, trying to think, trying to make sense of this information and trying to figure out what to do next. I know who will have the answers: the vile human being with whom I'll have to spend the rest of my days.

"Oh, no!" I cover my mouth with my hand, realizing now where Wyler has gone. How could I be so stupid? I never should have told him. "I think I know where Wyler is."

***

Within minutes we're back at my house. On the way over I brief Coven with what he needs to know. I tell him that I just need to grab a few things before we go to find Wyler. I'm about to head out the door when Rona chimes up.

"I have a message from Mr. Tarquin."

I stop what I'm doing, terrified of what she's about to say. Maybe he's decided not to wait for me to come to him. Maybe he's on his way to me right now.

"What is it?" I ask Rona, heart pounding in my chest.

"Mr. Tarquin says he won't be returning for a while longer."

Immediately, a huge wave of relief washes over me. My pulse slows. My whole body relaxes. Good, this will buy us some time.

"And there is one more thing," Rona adds. Again, my body stiffens.

"He says that he warned you that life would be most unpleasant if you went back on your arrangement." She says this without any inflection in her voice, as if it's a completely normal sentiment to be uttering.

Cassius knows about Wyler and I. Of course he knows. He's always watching. I was careless. I got caught up in the moment. Wyler's in trouble and it's all my fault. He must have gone to Cassius to try and stop the deal that I made with him.