The Shadows Lie

3-That Red Dress

REMY POV

“What do you think about these?” A pair of red heels land on top of the book currently lying open in my lap.

I grunt with disapproval.

For the past hour, Chloe's been going through every clothing choice I have in my tent, trying to decide which outfit I should wear to the big shindig tonight. She's been strutting around like a mad woman in all of my clothes. I still have no idea why she feels the need to try it on before I do, but whatever floats her boat. As long as it works well enough in a fight and I have room for weapons, I could care less what I wear.

Another pair of shoes land near my book and I almost throw them back at her. “Could you try setting them down until I am ready to look at them, rather than throwing them at me?” I push the shoes onto the hand-built wooden floor—eliciting a loud thud—and get back to reading.

This book is my family’s personal spell book. It’s more of an autobiography about our origin and some about close knit families. Its ragged leather binding is falling apart at the seams. I could press some magic into it—stitch it right up, good as new. But it would take away the unique aspects of it.

“This book isn’t just some library book, ya know.”

I hear Chloe dig around in my makeshift closet. Her oohs and ahhs baffle me considering the only clothing I really have is black and grey working attire— all of which are leather. Aka—not her style.

“Ooomphf.” She had clearly fallen over, I stifle a giggle.

Her excitement over the party tonight isn't surprising. She's always been into dressing up and acting fancy.

I flip a page to continue reading.

“I feel like you could care less about the fact that you will be fighting three armed men who hate you and really want you dead.” She peaks up through the mass of clothes thrown out of my closet and I give her a small shrug. Her eyes narrow at my careful avoidance of the topic.

We haven't spoken about Jason all night.

“If they really want me dead, they wouldn’t have offered to meet so soon after our last meeting.” I pause, glancing back down to my book. My lip presses between my teeth as I read the same line I'd read seconds before. Chloe is seriously disturbing the short amount of time I have to study before leaving.

”They want something. Something I need to be alive for.”

I called Jason earlier in the week to ask for a meeting; he'd agreed with very little words. The call didn’t last more than a minute—a perfectly staged Jason type of phone call. I didn't have a chance to push through for an aura reading. I'd had small hopes of catching a tidbit of their plan to capture me, but it never hurt to try.

He instructed me to meet Cade, Kenneth, and himself at the auction ballroom at seven on Saturday night. The casual way he'd slid Cade's name into his statement had me grinning like a maniac. It was a subtle warning—albeit a little petty on his part.

But boy do I love games. All is fair in love and war, so they say.

One thing Jason will never be able to one up me on is reading someone like a well-loved book. I can see through the smallest of lies. I can drill into someone's darkest secrets with a flick of my head, burning my personal imprint on their flesh as I do.

Nobody lies to me twice.

I've been working relentlessly for two days now to figure out why in the Elf Jason would ever bury himself deep to work with Cade. If Jason hates anyone more than me, it would be Cade. I was honestly surprised and had hoped I’d been wrong to assume that Jason was working with the enemy.