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EMBER HAD TAKEN OFF so fast, Paige practically had to run to match her long strides. “Slow down,” she called after her friend, trying to keep her balance on her high-heeled shoes. She understood the urgency for finding the tickets, but it wasn’t worth one of them tripping and falling.
When Ember headed for the dimly lit hallway to the right, she realized they were going in the wrong direction. “Wait.” She raced around the corner and found Ember standing in the middle of the floor, frozen like a store’s display-window mannequin. “Where are you going? The storeroom is the other way.”
“You won’t be going to the storeroom.” Selene stepped out of the shadows, a knife clutched in her hand. A ceremonial dagger used to perform dark magic. The same kind of blade she’d seen the warlock use on Alex and the other witches the night he resurrected the powers of the demon fire.
Her pulse raced. She stared at the menacing expression on Selene’s face and stepped backward. This is not good. She considered screaming for help, but they were too far away from the hall. With the music playing, no one would hear her.
She’d need to stay calm if she wanted to get them safely away from Selene. “What do you want?” Paige flexed her quivering hand and reached for Ember’s arm. She tried to pull her out of Selene’s reach, but her friend’s feet wouldn’t budge.
“Don’t bother. She’ll only take orders from me.” Selene sidestepped to her right, blocking their escape.
“What did you do to her?” she asked.
“A simple enchantment. It should wear off in about thirty minutes.”
This was worse than she imagined. “Why?”
Selene’s dark red lips twisted into an evil sneer. “It was the only way to get you away from Aidan without drawing suspicion to myself.”
Does she want him so badly she’s willing to kill me to get him? The agitated way Selene kept slapping the blade against her palm worried Paige. Made her think she might be one step away from insane.
“This way.” She pointed the knife down another corridor.
The direction Selene wanted her to go led farther from the main hall, away from people and away from help. “And if I don’t go with you?”
“I’ll slice poor Ember’s throat, and you can watch her bleed all over her pretty white dress.”
Paige swallowed the bile rising in her throat. It was like reliving her dreadful experience with the warlock all over again. Selene had the same psychotic look, and Paige had no doubt she’d carry out her threat. “Fine.”
Selene stepped in front of Ember. “I want you to stay here and wait until I come back. Do you understand?”
Her friend obediently nodded and remained in her trancelike state. Selene stepped forward and swiped her fingertip along Paige’s bare arm.
An ice-cold, numbing sensation skittered across her skin. She flinched and tried to back away. Her body wouldn’t react and refused to cooperate with her mind’s commands. “What did you do to me?”
“A mild compulsion spell to ensure you won’t try to escape.” Selene shoved her shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Paige had no choice. The evil witch had complete control of her. Like a puppet having its strings operated, her legs lurched forward, destroying any notions she’d had about stalling until someone could find them.
Her only hope now was Aidan. Surely he’d figure out something was wrong when she didn’t return and start searching for her. She only hoped he got to her before it was too late.
#
AIDAN FELT AN ANXIOUS twinge as he watched Paige leave with Ember. Her safety was his main focus, yet he didn’t want to hover, not when things were going so well between them. He tried not to worry, telling himself she wasn’t going far and she wasn’t alone.
When he entered the room set aside for snacks and refreshments, he noticed quite a few others who had the same idea. People were scattered around the room. Many hovered in small groups, talking, eating, and drinking.
He spotted Cassie, her mask dangling from her wrist, standing off to the side near one of the long buffet tables. Not surprisingly, she wore a strapless black gown etched with sequins matching the same deep shade of purple as her long braid. She appeared to be in the middle of an intense conversation. A tall, dark-haired man stood to her left, facing away from him. The lower portion of his face was hidden by the high collar of a long black cape draped across his shoulders, its length almost touching the floor.
She glanced in his direction, and motioned for him to join them. The caped figure turned, and Aidan recognized the grinning face of his other coworker. As soon as he walked up to them, Chance pulled off his mask and said, “Love your costume. Never figured you for dressing up.” He sipped a red liquid Aidan assumed was punch from a clear plastic cup.
He eyed the rest of his friend’s costume. The man was dressed entirely in black except for a wide red silk sash across his waist. “A vampire, really?” He shook his head, wondering how his exceedingly intelligent friend could be so clueless.
“What? You guys said costume. This is a costume.”
Cassie laughed and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. It’s definitely you, Professor.”
“Thanks, I think.” He wrinkled his brow and took another sip.
“Where’s Paige?” Cassie asked.
“Helping Ember with an emergency.” He jerked his thumb at the table behind them. “I’m going to grab something to drink, and I’ll be right back.” Aidan headed for the table stocked with water and took a plastic bottle. He unscrewed the cap and swallowed a long swig. He focused on the room’s empty doorway, watching for any sign of Paige.
He returned to his friends a few minutes later and found them talking to Alma. The older woman beamed with excitement when she saw him. “I wanted to thank you for helping out this year.” She glanced around the room. “Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.”
“My pleasure.” He hated to admit it, but he’d actually enjoyed helping with the committee, especially since he'd gotten to spend more time with Paige. He’d forgotten how much fun she was to tease, or her playful sense of humor. Not to mention the stolen kisses in the storeroom, or how good she’d felt in his arms.
“Alma, I love the new perfume. Where did you get it?” Cassie asked.
“It’s Selene’s special blend.” The older woman nervously wrung her hands. “I borrowed a little for tonight. Please don’t tell her I told you. She’d be very upset if she knew.”
“Your secret is safe with us.”
Alma sighed and said, “Thank you.” She gazed at Aidan. “And where is Paige? I thought she’d be with you.”
“She went to get more tickets.”
“Tickets for what?” Alma asked.
His earlier twinge transformed into a tight knot in his gut. “Didn’t you send Ember to find her?”
She pressed her hand to her chest. “I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Aidan glanced back at the doorway. Where the hell is she?
“Sage and amyris.” Chance snapped his fingers as if he’d been lost in thought and recently joined the conversation. “Didn’t Paige mention something about a similar smell right before she was attacked?”
His friend’s question blasted a hole in the wall blocking his memories. I am such an idiot. He’d been so preoccupied worrying about Paige, he hadn’t detected the faint fragrance Alma was wearing. Now he knew why the scent he’d smelled in Harker’s living room had seemed so familiar. It was the same combination Selene used when she cast spells. At least she had when they were dating.
He crushed the plastic bottle with his hand. “Holy shit. It’s not perfume.” “Selene is the killer.” The woman he loved was in trouble.
“I knew there was something diabolically wrong with her.” Cassie bent over and gripped the hem of her skirt. She hitched up the fabric, exposing a set of nicely toned long legs. Her phone was attached to a black lace garter stretched around her upper thigh. She unhooked the phone. “Go, find Paige. We’ll be right behind you.” She ran her thumb along the device’s screen. “I’ll call Drake.” At the same time, she reached over and closed Chance’s dropped jaw.
