When he first began his heartbreaking tale, Envy had said the Unseelie King had taken from him twice. If the mortal was the first thing, then what else had the king stolen?
If she solved that mystery, Camilla suspected she would finally have the answer to what Envy was after, and why winning the game was worth any cost.
THIRTY-FOUR
ENVY STARED AT the bottom of another empty glass, wondering what had possessed him to share that story with Camilla.
No one knew the whole truth.
Not even Alexei. And one of the main reasons Envy had taken the vampire on as his second-in-command was to rally certain members of the vampire court to his cause, should a battle between House Envy and the Unseelie King ever happen.
It had been nearly two hundred years since Alexei had come to House Envy, and he’d been present for a handful of previous games throughout that time. All had been frivolous back then. But Lennox had also been less sadistic, more interested in Fae trickery than true torment.
Envy had slowly seen the change in Lennox, sensed trouble simmering in the Wild Court. If he were to actually win this game, he wanted to prepare for any outcome.
He’d been less cunning back then. He would not make the same mistakes now.
Envy had spent the years since then becoming someone new, someone who could not be defeated. Now every move he made had a purpose, a strategy.
He planned for all possible outcomes, slowly moving pieces into place, waiting for the chance to make his ultimate move.
Envy fixed himself another Dark and Sinful and sat on the overstuffed sofa of his sitting room, where Lo’s staff had laid a crackling fire.
He’d lied once again; he knew exactly why he’d told Camilla about the Unseelie King. He needed to ensure that the artist would not be tempted by Lennox. Envy had little doubt that their paths would inevitably cross as the game drew closer to an end.
If Camilla knew how dangerous the Fae were, she stood half a chance of surviving an encounter with them.
The knock was quiet but drew his thoughts into the present.
“Enter.”
Sloth shut the door behind him, his gaze slowly sweeping the room.
The scheming bastard had placed Envy and Camilla in a shared suite connected by a bathing chamber and this sitting room. He’d claimed it was to keep them close together for their comfort.
Envy had taken one look at the rumpled bed she must have napped in earlier and headed straight into the communal room, needing distance from her scent and his swirling thoughts about those sheets.
“Miss Antonius isn’t here,” he said, jerking his chin toward her room.
Sloth nodded as if he didn’t already know that.
“Good. I wanted to discuss something with you privately.”
Envy motioned for him to get on with it.
“I used my sin on her.”
“And she resisted it.”
“It happened with you as well,” Sloth surmised.
“No, Lust attempted to seduce her in Waverly Green. At first, I assumed it was because that realm dampened his power somehow. I believe she succumbed in the Sin Corridor, but barely.”
Sloth nodded again, taking it all in.
Envy knew he was sorting and compiling facts, taking his time.
Finally, Sloth spoke. “An amulet warding against dark magic is the simplest explanation. Or perhaps she has an enchantment inked onto her person?”
He looked Envy over clinically.
“Have you noticed any tattoos hidden on her yet? Maybe a symbol or initial?”
“You know my rule.”
“And I suppose she’s still here, so perhaps you don’t know.”
“I thought you’d interrogated Camilla?”
Envy suddenly wished to know what else his brother had talked with her about. Camilla had mentioned a tour but had changed topics quickly. Now he wanted to know why. What had his damned brother tried?
“Easy, your sin is infringing on my circle.”
Though his words were light, Sloth’s tone held a warning.
He was especially testy, making Envy wonder what he was preoccupied with. Hopefully some secret lover was driving him as mad. Sloth didn’t feed his passions often or as widely as the rest of them, but he’d had a few serious relationships over the centuries. First Liam, then Ivy.
No tragedy or heartbreak was involved—the relationships simply ran their course, ending amicably each time. Sloth avoided drama. The bore.
“I’m simply suggesting you get on with it and pay attention to any marks on her body,” he said, as if exhausted by Envy’s antics.
“I’m not going to bed her for information.”
Sloth grinned at him, slowly, immensely amused.
“What?” Envy snarled.
“Morals look interesting on you, brother. Did you ever stop to wonder if she might be your next clue? She’d make for an interesting riddle, and you know how cunning Lennox is.”
Envy was silent. Of course he had. The moment he’d deciphered the last clue, he’d considered that Camilla was a larger part of the puzzle, but he’d since dismissed it.
Mostly because he didn’t want her to be part of the game. That Sloth had also landed on the possibility indicated that it was something he needed to explore.
Envy had said time and again that the game was all that mattered.
It was time to prove that. He didn’t think she was a player, but something was driving her, something more than simple curiosity. He’d almost sensed it before he took her to the void between realms, then she’d walled that emotion off.
Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she was a player, and he was just a pawn on her board.
“If you don’t want to seduce her for information,” Sloth continued, “simply pay attention when you make love to her. Knowing you, you’ll make your one chance quite… thorough.”
“I will not take her to some borrowed, subpar bed here.”
Mischief glittered in Sloth’s eyes.
“This wing is warded for privacy. No one will hear her, if that’s your concern. I know modesty is a consideration for most of her species.”
“Humans.”
“Mm. I assume you haven’t felt any power in her either.”
“No.” Envy debated the merits of keeping the next bit of information to himself. “She does possess a rare talent with art, but other than that, I haven’t sensed anything.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“It doesn’t concern you.”
“Interesting.”
Envy truly despised it when he said that.
Sloth studied him very carefully again, like Envy was nothing more than an insect for him to pin down and dissect.
“Did you see the latest gossip?” Sloth asked at last, far too casually. Envy stared until his brother elaborated. “Gluttony’s reporter printed this just today.”
He pulled a newspaper from his pocket and slapped it against Envy’s chest.
Envy glanced at the headline, then scanned the article.
RUMORS ABOUND!
A mysterious game seems to be afoot, drawing players to the Seven Circles from across the realms. Some insiders claim the Unseelie King is up to his wicked ways, pulling the strings of our very own Prince Envy.
The prize is rumored to be something worth killing for, tailored to each player and tempting enough for them to sell their souls. Though it’s unclear if murder is or is not permitted this time around. We’ll hope to find out.