Page 78 of Alchemy of Souls

“Hmmm,” he says, his eyes sparkling with interest.

“Which is also why I didn’t let her in here. She can’t be a part of these conversations or I can’t play the game,” I say, which is true but not for the reasons he thinks.

“You don’t make those decisions,” he tells me plainly.

“No, but she spooks easily. I need more time with her,” I say.

My uncle picks a piece of lint off his pristine shirt. “Time. Yes. Funny concept coming from someone who clearly has room in his schedule for not one buttwoparties.”

“Like I said—”

He doesn’t let me finish. “You have approximately nine days remaining, but given your leisurely attitude and inability to follow my rules, I figure you have time to kill. So, let’s make it seven.”

“You can’t—”

“I can. Figure it out. Get it done. Or I’ll happily take over. Are we understood?” he says, and I have no choice but to close my mouth.

“Understood, Sir,” I say, and turn.

I don’t make eye contact with Damien as I walk out, but I can feel him smirking.

Eloise, on the other hand, has traded frustration for indignance. She side-eyes me as we walk back to our suite.

When the door closes behind us, she doesn’t hold back. “You better have a damn good explanation for—”

“My uncle told me to seduce you,” I say, playing the only card I have.

She stops dead in her tracks. “Whatdid you just say?”

I push back my hair, exhaling. “When my uncle pulled me out of class today, he asked me about our progress. I told him I was right that the two of us need to be together for it to appear. And he told me to seduce you to speed things along.”

“That’s—that’sdisgusting,” she says, but then her eyebrows furrow and I don’t need my magical ability to recognize the look of betrayal on her face. “Wait, he told you to seduce me, and then you—”

“No,” I say forcefully. “That isnotwhat happened here tonight. I didn’t kiss you because he told me to.”

“Then why did you kiss me, Grayson?” she asks, and the question throws me just like the kiss did. She’s searching my face, searching for something I’ll never be able to give her. “Was it some game or strategy? Was it about the Key?”

I know I should downplay it and tell her it was just a simple kiss. I should lie.

But she looks up at me with those lioness eyes full of vulnerability, and even though I know I’ll regret it later, I say, “I kissed you for me. I kissed you because I wanted to.”

Her fresh spring scent drifts my way and I know I have to call it quits before this goes any further.

“But I was wrong to do it. I should never have complicated things. I won’t do it again,” I say to myself as well as her.

She opens her mouth and closes it, her hurt obvious. But if I don’t draw the line now, she’ll hurt more later. She turns around and goes into her room, throwing up a shielding spell on her door to keep me out.

CHAPTER 39Eloise

7 DAYS TO GO

I’ve been awake for a good half hour tossing and turning in bed. Grayson knocked once, but I didn’t answer. I’m humiliated. How did I not see this coming? How did I not realize that kissing Grayson Stone was going to blow up in my face? But the worst part is I can’t stop thinking about it, how his lips felt on mine, how he held all of my weight in his arms as he dipped me, how I’d have let him do it again.

I groan in aggravation, grabbing my pillow and smothering myself with it.

Knock.

I freeze, hoping he’ll think I’m still sleeping.