Page 78 of A Taste of Bliss

“Told you to just follow the sound of sneezing.” Benny comes into view a moment later.

“Can I leave?” I ask immediately.

Benny and Evan both look around. “Where is your maze partner? Simon was very clear not to abandon the buddy system. He didn’t want you to get lost like the last time you were in a maze.”

“I was eight,” I say hotly.

Benny shrugs as if he’s not sure about that. “Simon says you cried for your mum.”

“Careful,” I warn, letting my siren teeth slide out. “I’m a little hungry.” And the rage from before when I was talking with Bliss hasn’t subsided.

Benny just grins, and I can’t resist the urge to tackle him into the hay.

I don’t bite him, just nip at him a little. But the absurdity of it is exactly what I need to cool off.

“You’re not eight now, either of you,” Evan says, sighing. Benny and I turn and look up at him. Catching sight of each other, though, we burst out laughing. Benny has hay all over him, stuck in his hat, caught on his jacket. I imagine I look much the same.

“Where is your maze partner?” Evan asks, looking around.

“Left,” I say simply, hopping back to my feet and brushing myself off. I reach out a hand to Benny, my teeth sliding back into my gums as I lift him to his feet. I make a show of brushing him off, letting my hands linger and using much too much pressure. He lets out a laugh and Evan shakes his head at us.

“You two realize you don’t have to be so touchy-feely off stage?” he asks.

Benny and I grin at each other. “We know,” Benny says to Evan with a wink.

“She’s wearing your hoodie, mate,” Evan says to me, abruptly changing topics, since he knows Benny and I will just be even more touchy-feely to annoy him. Evan doesn’t mind physical contact, but he likes to be in control, to dominate. And hugs aren’t really like that.

I let out a sharp growl from the base of my throat. “I know,” I grit out, a lingering bit of anger rearing its head.

“She showed up with it,” Benny prods.

“I know,” I repeat and let out an exasperated sigh. I explain to them how last night I saw her in the garden after I came back with a change of clothes. I knew everyone would want to see mein full costume so I obliged, but even though I’ve filled out quite a bit in the last year, I wanted to cover everything. My lanky arms, my scars. I didn’t like being so close to people that they could see them, even through the paint I wore.

So I ran into her. Bliss.

She looked so beautiful with the moonlight illuminating her soft creamy skin and making her golden-brown hair glow. And her eyes.

They were so fucking mesmerizing, a bluish green that I could get lost in, not to mention the left?—

“Pisces?” Evan pulls me out of my thoughts. I didn’t realize I stopped talking.

“So she had no idea who you are?” Benny says, prompting me to continue.

“No, she doesn’t.” I shake the hair out of my eyes. “She had zero interest in me, Pisces, but if Wrath had been here I’m sure then I’d have gotten her attention. Fucking hate people like that. Just trying to climb a social ladder. She also tried using her power on Simon. I overheard her trying to flirt with him.”

“Trying to?” Evan asks, curiosity setting his eyes alight. “She’s a succubus, right?”

I shrug. “Yeah, but Simon appeared uninterested.”

“Uninterested in a succubus?” Evan asks, amused again. “Odd.”

“You can say that again,” Benny says. “Has anyone else noticed him acting odd?”

They both look at me.

“I thought it was just the stress of taking on the role of band manager?” I muse. “The way he was with Bliss was odd, though.”

“Is she not physically his type?” Evan asks.