Page 23 of Somnium

Kai’s news had confirmed the fear that had been building in Elias’s mind for the past two years—they were running out of options. The last thing he needed right now was one more thing to complicate their plans, and that’s exactly what Cadi was: a beautiful distraction that somehow kept getting thrown directly in front of him.

Elias let out a humorless breath of laughter. He knew exactly how she kept ending up in his path, but he wasn’t ready to face that yet. Even if he did find himself thinking about the delicate curve of her chin, or how the grime smudged across her cheek somehow made her eyes even more striking.

He gave his head a sharp shake, clearing the dangerous thoughts from his mind. Not now. It couldn’t happen now. Maybe once things settled down, and every day didn’t feel like he was living on the edge of a fucking knife.

Pushing off the door, Elias crossed back to his desk to gather the stack of papers and his tablet in one arm before grabbing his keys. He would worry about this mess later. Right now, he had a meeting to get to.

As far as he was concerned, the next time Arcadia Kismet had a problem, she’d have to handle it on her own.

8

CHAPTER EIGHT

CADI

The sound of titanium colliding with porcelain echoed through Cadi’s cramped bathroom as the barrel of her curling iron hit the linoleum right where her bare feet had just been. She hissed through clenched teeth at the searing heat radiating through her thumb, and the angry shade of red already spreading across the skin.

Careful to avoid the fresh burn, Cadi gathered up the cord to place the iron back on the edge of her vanity, grumbling as she dashed to the kitchen for some ice. She was familiar with the expression “beauty is pain,” but enduring second-degree burns hardly seemed worth it.

Over the last two hours, she had meticulously removed all evidence of her natural curl pattern in preparation for the club opening that evening, only to immediately put fake ones right back in. The whole process seemed excessive, but as she studied her reflection in the oval mirror above her sink, she couldn’t help but see the appeal. In place of her normal mess of unruly curls were columns of soft brown waves that perfectly framed her face, accenting her high cheekbones and falling gently across her shoulders.

Determined to ensure her hard work lasted at least through the first round of drinks, she proceeded to fill the tiny space with enough hairspray to choke a yeti, then stumbled into the next room for air.

Cadi stepped around the piles of discarded outfit options that littered her floor and picked up the faux leather leggings she had finally selected after trying on everything in her closet at least twice, then mentally prepared herself for the daunting task ahead of her. The tight fabric clung to her frame, refusing to budge past mid-thigh and forcing her to bend, twist, and squat in a series of moves that she was sure resembled the mating dance of some birds.

Several minutes later, she checked her reflection in the full-length mirror propped against the wall by her door, twisting back and forth to make sure everything was in place before slipping on a silver halter-style tunic. The soft fabric settled loosely over her curves, the bottom lightly brushing against the front of her thighs, with a neckline that dipped much lower than she was used to, exposing the delicate stem of an inverted black rose inked between her breasts. She tugged at the hem, shifting it higher, only for it to slip right back into place, accentuating her cleavage in a way that made her cheeks burn.

A soft buzzing sound drew her attention to where her phone rested against her nightstand, the screen illuminated with new messages from Sera and Zoe. Opening the one from Sera first, she grinned at the image of a dancing cat, followed by an encouraging reminder to have fun and not get too crazy. After sending a quick response, she tapped into the message from Zoe, her smile flickering as her eyes drifted over the screen.

Leaving now with Damon and Celine. See you soon!

Her stomach twisted when she read Damon’s name. With the distraction of getting ready, she had almost forgotten that he would be there. She glanced down at the deep V of her top, wondering if maybe she should change into something a bit more modest until a burst of annoyance shot through her. She liked the shirt and the way she looked in it—why should she have to change? There would be plenty of other women there, likely in outfits far more revealing, so with any luck he would be sufficiently distracted and she could ignore him.

She sent back a quick thumbs-up before stashing her phone in her small clutch. Taking one last look in the mirror, she gave her hair another quick toss, slipped on a pair of black pumps, and headed out the door.

The staccato tap of Cadi’s heels echoed off the brick walls that lined the street as she hurried down the dimly lit sidewalk. Despite Club Ambrosia being located in a nearly forgotten corner of the Fiddler’s Green industrial district, finding a parking spot that didn’t require crossing zip codes had been nearly impossible. She didn’t even want to think about what that meant for how packed the place would be.

Her fears were almost immediately confirmed when the sidewalk curved to the left, and she nearly collided with the end of a line that extended down the entire block. In the distance, she spotted the entrance to the nightclub marked by a tall black and gold sign depicting a golden chalice casting shimmering pink liquid over the rim. Cadi hurried past the queue of eager club-goers, scanning the crowd for any sign of her friends while also desperately trying to avoid making eye contact with the people she was about to cut in front of.

The booming bass grew louder as she approached the front of the line, and she might have missed Zoe calling her name if it hadn’t been for the tiny nymph bouncing up and down, waving with excitement, the shimmering layers of her pink, strapless dress reflecting the strobing lights like a frilly beacon.

“Yay! You made it!” she squealed, squeezing Cadi’s hands. Her eyes grew wide as they roamed up and down Cadi’s body, giving her a suggestive look. “Okay, where has this hottie been hiding for the past two years?”

Cadi breathed a nervous laugh, her eyes dropping to the ground between them as heat pricked the top of her ears. She had never been good with compliments.

A low whistle drifted through the crowd, and Cadi looked up to see Damon pushing off from the wall to join them. Her body tensed as he prowled closer while casually slipping both hands into the pockets of his black slacks. The sleeves of his white dress shirt were rolled up to his elbows, the top few buttons hanging open to show off the glistening gold chain resting against his chest. He assessed her slowly, a flash of excitement glinting in his eyes when they caught on her rose tattoo, lingering far longer than necessary.

“Damn, Newbie. You definitely didn’t disappoint.”

Cadi squirmed beneath the heat in his gaze, looking around for anything to focus on other than the way he was staring at her. As if in answer to her silent plea, a set of perfectly manicured nails slid over Damon’s shoulder, drawing both of their attention. Cadi felt something inside her relax the moment his eyes left her body, and she couldn’t help the wave of gratitude that washed through her at the timely interruption.

Even if it was because of Celine.

“Hi, Cadi,” she said, her voice so sweet it made Cadi’s teeth hurt. “So glad you could make it. And your outfit. Adorable.” She flashed a dazzling smile, the look in her eyes remaining flat and skillfully untouched by the gesture. Cadi’s jaw tightened, but she bit back the snarky retort poised on the tip of her tongue and reminded herself that everything would be a lot easier if she just played nice.

Slipping on an equally false smile, Cadi gestured to Celine’s shimmering sequined minidress. The sparkling garment hugged every one of the woman’s generous curves with a neckline so scandalously low Cadi wondered how she would be able to move without treating everyone to a free show. Then again, maybe that was the point.

“Thanks, you look amazing.”