A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

say goodbye.”
    Not if Cass kept spawning her weird magic
on him. I put on my most compassionate expression. “I’ll tell them for you.” He
didn’t argue, just kissed my cheek, mumbled something about calling and took
off through the backdoor, vanishing as fast as he had appeared only an hour
ago. I watched him disappear into the darkness. For a while I just stood in the
middle of the kitchen, rubbing my arms through the thin material of my shirt as
a cold breeze blew in, ruffling the curtains. I always felt bad for lying to
Dallas, but the thought that I had done the right thing consoled me. No point
in dragging him into this crazy world. The sooner I got out of it myself, the
better. After returning to the living room and watching Cass’s face drop when I
mentioned Dallas’s departure, I realized maybe the demon liked him more than I
imagined.

Chapter 23

 
    Cass excused herself and left soon after
Dallas, and I saw my chance to leave too. After retrieving the backpack from
the kitchen, I returned to my room and locked the door, then snuggled onto my
bed, still clothed. I clutched Cameron’s photo to my chest, trying to conjure
up happy moments we’d shared, but I couldn’t remember any. The girl answering
my call, Cameron’s voice and the giggle still lingered in my mind. My eyes
moistened. I didn’t feel hurt, just a little betrayed and pitiful. Cameron
couldn’t remain faithful for a few weeks, and all Aidan wanted was an old book.
Why did I always get the nutcases?
    The soft knock on the door jolted me out of
my thoughts. I knew it was Aidan before he asked to come in. For a moment, I
considered pretending not to hear him, but what was the point? I’d have to face
him tomorrow anyway when we retrieved the book. Straightening up in bed, I inhaled
to steady my racing heart when his footsteps departed down the corridor.
    Whatever he had to say, he probably changed
his mind. I dropped back on the bed, unable to shake off my sudden
disappointment. What had I hoped for? The guy wasn’t interested in any sort of
commitment, which made him dangerous to my heart and sanity. And my soft spot
for him wasn’t helping my case either. I should be careful, run instead of
seeking his proximity, but for some reason I needed to be close to him. What
did I think he’d do once he had the book? He’d send me away. The more reason
not to get involved, because it’d end up in tears—and surely not his.
    Wood creaked near the window, startling me.
I turned my head sharply and shrieked, the sound dying in my throat.
    “A little jumpy, aren’t we?” The tall girl,
dressed in something that looked like a sheer, black nightgown with slits on both
sides of her hips and along the legs, laughed. Countless rings and bracelets
adorned her fingers and wrists.
    I shot to my feet, ready to bolt out the
door, then stopped as my curiosity got the better of me. “Who’re you?”
    “Well, we know who you are, you boyfriend-stealing
hussy.” The girl stood with her back turned to the window, the soft light of
the lamp catching in her raven hair and throwing shadows on her porcelain skin.
Her cat-like eyes seemed to follow my every move, but her features betrayed no
emotions. There was no need for it anyway because her eyes said it all. She had
the superior air of someone who knew she might have competition, but certainly
not in this room.
    “Has Aidan kept my existence a big secret?”
she said. “By the look in your eyes, I can tell he has. Now I’m offended.” She took
a step forward, long, lean legs peering between the splits in her nightgown. For
a second, I thought I saw a thin snake wrapped around her ankle. But the
illusion disappeared. “I’m Layla . You could call me
his—” She trailed off, leaving the rest to my imagination.
    Staring at the generous cleavage threatening
to spill out of the thin material of her dress, I could definitely see why any
guy would fall for her, but the name rang a bell somewhere at the back of my
mind. Layla .
Aidan had almost been killed by someone called Layla .
Was this the same person?
    I clenched my fists, my temper flaring. I
knew I should be afraid—whatever Layla was, she
was strong enough to imprison a vampire—but, for some reason, I felt I
could deal with her. “What do you want from me?”
    “I know how you feel, little mortal.” Layla took another step forward. “Look at you, all lost and
forlorn in this world you didn’t know existed.” Another step, and