Chapter 22
Chapter
Twenty-Two
Iskipped through the crowd, ignoring the faces of old acquaintances who called out to me and dashed up the steps, holding my dress so I wouldn’t trip, my heart in my throat. Cecil bounded beside me.
“Susan!”
Fuck. Juliette stood at the top of the steps, blocking the door. A huge, dazzling smile split her face in two.
I lurched to a halt. “Oh. Juliette.” Oh, God, what had she done? I swallowed my panic. “Hello,” I managed.
“There you are.” She grinned at me. “I was worried you wouldn’t come. Aww, you bought a puppy.”
I studied her face. Juliette looked relieved and so happy. It made me want to throw up. “Yeah, this is my new service dog.” Quickly, I bent down and gave Cecil a pat. “Find Bart,” I whispered. “Get him out of here.”
His eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second, and he gave a soft doggy rumble. “GrrrruffBartisfinebecauseheisanoverpoweredshifteryoufuckingidiotruff.”
“Aww. He’s trying to talk. That’s cute.”
I patted him on the head. Hard. “He’s exhausted, weak, and coming down, which is your fault. No arguments,” I hissed. I got to my feet and faced Juliette again. “Uh, I have some allergies, so he’s trained to sniff them out and warn me. I hope it’s okay if he goes in and checks?”
She inclined her head, still grinning. “Of course.”
Cecil rolled his eyes at me and trotted up the stairs, weaving between people’s legs to get inside.
I managed a smile. “Thank you for the invitation.”
Juliette threw her head back and laughed. “You don’t have to play games with me, Susan. In fact, I think we should agree to be honest with each other from now on. What do you say?”
This sounded so goddamned ominous. Adrenaline pulsed through me, electrifying me. “Sure.” My voice was shaky.
“I know you weren’t planning on coming tonight. You didn’t RSVP, after all.” She smirked. “But I’m glad something happened to make you change your mind.” Winking, she weaved closer, coming out of the light so I could see her clearer. “I think I know what it was.”
My mouth went dry. What was she doing? What had she done?
She gave a little shake of her hips; her tight black snake-skin dress shimmered in the soft lighting. “Do you like my dress?”
“It’s lovely,” I said automatically.
“I’m the snake in the garden of Eden. The temptress. The true architect of the entire story of our creation as humans. The one creature who, above all, wanted Eve to see the truth. The creature that wants everyone to see the truth.”
“That’s, uh, that’s an interesting take, Juliette.”
“Isn’t it?” She took a sip of her champagne. “I think it suits me. And it suits the scene.” Her eyes flicked behind me, focusing on the crowd in the courtyard for a second.
I turned, half-expecting to see Connor and the Andresanos stride through the gate. But no, they weren’t here yet.
Who, then? Before I could study the crowd properly, she slid her firm, hot body up beside me. “Come,” she said, weaving her arm through mine. “You’re right on time. There’s something I want you to see.”
Just then, I noticed the music inside had changed. The light, cozy jazz gave way to the gentle-sounding strums of an acoustic guitar. A few beats later, a woman began to sing.
All around me, guests paused when they heard her voice. Women blinked, and men cocked their heads at the angelic sound streaming from the ballroom.
Juliette smiled.
My stomach dropped.
Audrina.