Allegiance (Causal Enchantment #3)(83)

And then a small groan changed everything.

Julian unfurled his body and I saw that life was returning to Amelie. I hadn’t killed her!

“Help me, Eve …” he pleaded, begging me with his glassy eyes. “Make her understand, please. I can’t lose her.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’ll try.” We sat in silence as Julian gently stroked Amelie’s forehead, waiting for life to flow back into her limbs, for her face to round out again, for her lips to plump up, for her vibrant emerald jewels to shine. Most importantly, we waited to see which side of Amelie would greet us—Dr. Jekyll or Mrs. Hyde.

“Oh, Julian,” she suddenly murmured, blinking. “What just happened …”

I recognized the gentle lilt of her voice. Whether temporary or not, whatever had snapped inside her had reset itself and the old Amelie was back. I needed to take advantage of the moment.

“Amelie,” I struggled to keep my voice calm. “Just hear me out. It’s not at all what you think, I promise! Amelie.”

Her head rolled to the side, peering up at me with beautiful catlike eyes. In that split second, I knew exactly what she looked like when she was five years old. Innocent and confused. The words tumbled out of me.

“There has never been anything more than friendship between Julian and me. Caden sensed my tension around Julian and he guessed it was because something happened between us. I didn’t correct him. I let him believe it because it was safer for Julian that way. And I didn’t tell you guys he was the Sentinel because it wasn’t his fault. He was forced into it. He isn’t helping them, Amelie. I promise!”

“It’s true, Amelie,” Julian jumped in. “My parents forced me into it. I didn’t think anything of it back then. I was a stupid kid. I didn’t care. I only knew Viggo and I wanted him dead, so what did it matter?” He leaned in to lay a gentle, lingering kiss on her forehead. “I would never let anything happen to you. I’d kill them all before that happened.”

I could see she was listening, processing our words, and so I continued. “I found out what Julian was when we were at the Tribe and they were healing him. He was undressed and he moved and the blanket moved and then … that’s when I saw it. I swear to you. A complete accident.”

Amelie’s gaze shifted from Julian’s face to mine and back to Julian’s again. I couldn’t read anything from her look—was she weighing our words for the truth or plotting our deaths? And then a tiny quirk of her mouth changed everything. “He does have a cute butt, doesn’t he?”

The air rushed out of my lungs as I exhaled in relief.

“I’m so sorry, Amelie. I didn’t know how to tell you. I was so scared you wouldn’t forgive me,” Julian finally whispered, his fingers running along the length of her cheek. “I don’t want to keep any secrets from you.”

She offered him a small, weak smile. “Maybe you should start talking then …?”

“Talking about what?” Bishop’s deep voice boomed suddenly from the entrance. He appeared in Julian’s room so quickly, I yelped.

Julian, Amelie, and I shared a knowing glance. A silent agreement passed between us. The fewer people who knew about Julian’s marking, the better. There was no need to divulge everything to everyone. While Amelie was willing to listen, not everyone else would. Thank God Max was busy hunting …

Amelie gave the slightest shake of her head. “I just went a little crazy about Julian’s friendship with Evangeline for a moment, that’s all.” I raised an eyebrow and looked at the pile of kindling that, just moments prior, had been a beautiful antique.

She let out nervous giggle and an apologetic shrug. “You know me.”

“I can see that,” Bishop said, eyeing the mess. His attention shifted warily to Wraith. “And what … did he put you in your place?”

She frowned. “No … Evie did.”

A flash of worry pierced Bishop’s beautiful charcoal irises and I shrugged. “I might have, though I don’t know how.” Inside my head, the voice screamed at me. It’s happening! It’s real!

“Evie,” Amelie’s airy voice grabbed me and I focused on her remorseful expression. “I don’t know what came over me. I wasn’t myself … I’m so sorry.”

I smiled and winked, though it did nothing to dislodge the stiff rod of tension rammed along my spine. “I deserved it. Well … maybe not the whole dresser-launching part.” Amelie’s lip curved into a pout. “Don’t worry about it,” I said. But in her defense, if she’d kept something like that from me, I’d be angry enough to launch furniture too.

“And you decided to play darts with fancy daggers as well?” Bishop added, pointing at the protruding ivory-and-diamond handle of my Christmas present. In an instant, he was across the room and yanking it out. “What’s this from?”

“It’s mine!” Suddenly desperate to reclaim my gift from Caden, I stalked over, my palm out in front of me. “Hand it over.”

He gave me that wide grin of his as he tossed the dagger into the air, letting it spin before catching it in his fingertips by the blade. “You sure you should have a weapon? You’re bound to hurt yourself with it.”

I snorted. You have no idea how right you are. “Yes, I’m sure. I need it.”