For a few brief moments, there was no game. No court in trouble. No rules to break.
There were only Envy and Camilla, pretending this was what life would always be. Dancing in magical lagoons, naked, and wild and free.
They danced with only the sound of the splashes and droplets as their music, their laughter and the echoes softly bouncing back to them.
Much too soon, Envy stepped back, pressed a kiss to her palm, then led them to the other shore. Daydreams were not real. And a nightmare still lay ahead.
“Dress quickly.” Envy summoned their clothing, then turned to give Camilla privacy.
“I sense Abyssus waiting for us.”
FIFTY-FIVE
CAMILLA STARED DOWN at her clothing, shaking her head.
Envy had magicked more than what she’d been wearing, improving upon her clothes for their next destination. He really thought of everything.
A long-sleeved dress, a delicate slip, undergarments, thick stockings, and a velvet cloak were folded neatly at her feet.
Silken slippers had also been replaced by sturdy boots. Supple leather, butter-soft, and finely crafted. Her ring and necklace sparkled in the strange glow of the Shallows.
She pulled her clothes on, stealing looks at the prince as she did so. He stood fully clothed with his back to her, ramrod-straight, muscles taut, tension radiating around him.
Gone was the male who’d surprised her by accepting her dance in the magical water, holding her close and humming softly. The cold, remote Prince of Hell had returned.
Focused, ruthless. Attention fixed only on his game.
Camilla wondered whether Envy even realized he’d been humming a tune for them to dance to. For a few precious moments, he’d seemed completely at ease. It was the first time she’d ever seen him so relaxed.
He’d been even more tightly wound after their night had come to an end. Like he was fighting some invisible foe Camilla couldn’t see. But in the Shallows, in a place where they clearly couldn’t lie, he’d been free.
No scheming or plotting, no hiding behind cool arrogance or indifference.
She’d only meant to start their dance as a game. But he’d pulled her closer, like it was the one moment he’d permit himself to take what he wanted. To show a softness he’d never let anyone see. He’d cradled her against his body simply because he wished to hold her.
It would have been far easier if he’d tried to kiss or seduce her.
Even with his insistence about his one-night rule, Camilla would understand his admitting to wanting to take her hard and fast in the water, unleashing his carnal nature, setting a punishing pace for breaking his rule.
Passion and lust were simple, animalistic urges. Completely natural. Uncomplicated.
His softness was much more dangerous than those sharp edges.
Camilla could snuggle into that tenderness, let her guard drop, realizing too late that she’d been carved open far deeper. She’d bleed out before she knew she’d been cut.
They both needed to realize that one night was all they’d get. Because as much as he seemed to fear another night for his own reasons, Camilla needed to protect her heart.
She would regain her stolen talent from the game master, then return to Waverly Green. She’d cuddle Bunny and give her extra treats and warm cream to make up for leaving her. Envy would restore his court, then continue with his games here.
Sometimes two people weren’t meant to be more than one moment. Wondrous and unforgettable though it might be, not all good things were meant to last.
“Ready?” he asked, still facing forward.
As if they weren’t far beyond modesty with each other.
As if they hadn’t been inside each other’s skin.
Each time he tried so hard to put up a wall between them, it made her want to batter into it, remind him that they did share more than a casual encounter. Even if it wasn’t for more than a few hours, it was still something worth appreciating.
“Almost.”
Camilla tugged her boots on, then finished with her ring and necklace. She wasn’t sure what had made her take the ring earlier—it was only meant to be used in Waverly Green, to convince society they were betrothed. It certainly didn’t symbolize that here.
They’d slept together. And while it was an incredible night of passion, that was in the past now. It would never happen again. He’d made it clear his rule still stood. And Camilla was all right with that, more than all right. She wanted uncomplicated, and Envy was anything but.
Yet the ring… Camilla liked it. That was all. When their time together ended, she’d give it back.
Fully dressed, she strode to where he waited, leaving their moment of tenderness behind with the Crescent Shallows.
He looked her over. “Stay behind me. If Abyssus takes an interest, you’re to return to the Shallows immediately. Do not let it touch you.”
Camilla opened her mouth to respond, then shut it.
“Touching is half the fun, Prince.”
Envy hadn’t been the one to speak.
The male voice was not nightmarish. It didn’t sound demonic. Or rough. There weren’t many layers screeching together, no clicking of tongues or smacking of teeth.
No growls or roars.
It spoke in a silken purr, a low murmur that curled around your senses, rubbed against them like a house cat seeking affection. And was far more dangerous for it.
Envy pressed her behind him.
“I have a gift from the queen,” he said, holding up the vial.
“What care do I have for kings or queens?” Abyssus asked. “Perhaps I seek company. Conversation. A taste of emotion, a kiss of skin. Perhaps I crave oblivion.”
Camilla did not like any of those options, least especially the last few.
If Envy responded, she would never know.
The world suddenly vanished as if it had never been there at all. There was no cave, no ground or walls or ceiling, no tunnel. No Envy. No ancient, sweet-voiced creature.
Camilla was alone. Completely. It was solitude in a way she’d never experienced—there was always some form of life. Whether it was grass or clouds or sky. Birds chirping, bugs buzzing, wind blowing softly through leaves. She’d never realized how much life there was all around her, always.
Here was… empty.
No earth. No stone. Nothing. Vast, unending, nothingness, stretching in every direction, swallowing everything. Worse than the void outside realms, this was heavy and oppressive.
“Hello?” she called, voice echoing into nothing.
Nothing responded. She wasn’t sure whether she was relieved or more frightened at that.
She took a step forward, hands outstretched, searching. It was like walking through space, except there were no stars lighting the sky. No form beneath her feet.
Her heart pounded.
She could be falling or standing still, nothing registered.