An hour and a half later, and they had already searched three different places top to bottom for any sort of key, or clues that might trigger Blackwellโs memory as to its whereabouts. All to no avail. The plain room at the end of the secret corridor hadnโt had much to look at, so it was easy to rule out. The next place Blackwell suggested had been a drinking parlor, complete with a stocked bar and a hair-raising chill.
โDid you only bring me here so you could get a drink?โ she accused.
โOf course not,โ he had told her right before knocking back an entire glass of amber liquid in two gulps. โI brought you here for the romantic ambiance.โ
The room had been slathered in cobwebs and grime.
The final place Blackwell had suggested was the library. The massive room was covered wall to wall in dark oak bookcases that were stuffed with novels and journals. In the center of the back wall of shelves was an enormous brick fireplace, a gilded oculus mounted above its intricately carved mantel. It smelled like charred earth and old books and was much less drafty than the rest of the manor.
Blackwell was lying back over a chartreuse chaise in the sitting area before the burning hearth, and after digging through two of the bookshelves by herself, Ophelia was ready to throttle the Phantom. While he had his nose stuck in some old fairy tale, she was choking on dust, pulling out tome after tome and checking to see if any might be hiding hollowed out spaces for stowing objects such as keys.
โDoes anything here feel familiar to you at all?โ she threw at him after another coughing fit.
โMaybe,โ he said as he flicked his gaze leisurely over the book she currently heldโa thick encyclopedia wrapped in distressed brown leather and embossed with gold foil. โMaybe not.โ
That was it. She chucked the tome at his head with all her might. He switched into his non-corporeal state a second before the projectile would have smashed into his face.
How unsatisfying.
When he solidified himself once more, there was a lazy smirk on his face. โIf you want to play rough,โ he drawled, โI have better games we can play. Ones that involve less clothingโ โโ
โUgh,โ she groaned, fists balling at her sides. โNo wonder no one has ever been able to find what youโre looking for. Youโre impossible to work with.โ
โHave you ever thought that, just maybe, Iโve already looked through all of this before? Iโd remember if anyone had ever found anything of interest in these books.โ
โWould you? Because you didnโt even remember you met me and told me about it.โ
โThatโs because I met you before the competition. Which has never happened before.โ
โSo, you can remember everything within the competition, but nothing that you do in between,โ she realized. The way heโd made sure to ask if their first encounter was agreeable suddenly made sense.
โCorrect.โ
She threw her hands up. โThen why are we in here getting my dress covered in dust?โ
He blinked out suddenly and reappeared right in front of her, making her startle.
โBoo.โ He grinned.
โOh, Iโm so glad to see thatโs a habit of yours,โ she said, tone dripping in sarcasm.
He gently pried the next book sheโd been ready to launch at his head from her grip, discarding it to the floor as he explained, โI chose you because you have been able to see and find things none of the others could. But right now, youโre still looking on the surface. I need you to dig deeper.โ
โWould it torture you to speak plainly for once?โ
He reached out and placed a hand against the frame of the bookshelf at her back. โSomething you need to understand if our partnership is going to workโwe are on the same side. I want you to be successful more than you do, I promise. You found the Whispering Gate and you made that room in the secret passage appear just fine. Thatโs what I mean when I say โdig deeper.โ Find things I havenโt looked through a million times already. Look beyond the books, the obvious.โ
โFine, I get it.โ She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to ignore the way every time he got this close to her, it sent her pulse into such a frenzy the only thing she could hear in her head was the roar of her own heartbeat. โIn the meantime, it would be helpful if you made yourself useful in some way. Perhaps helping me get to know you? It seems when I find these places by accident, itโs because something inside me needs to at that exact moment in time. I need to feelโฆ connected to whatever it is Iโm looking for.โ
Blackwell tilted his head. โAlright. What would you like to know?โ
She looked him square in the eyes. โWhatโs your earliest memory of being here? Do you remember ever existing anywhere else?โ
He contemplated her question for a moment, tapping his fingers against the shelf above her head as he searched through his memory. Once, twice. She reached backward and tapped her finger against the shelf to complete the trifecta he had started.
His green eyes tracked the gesture, but he didnโt bother to comment on it; he only answered, โNo. There is no before in my mind. I remember every contestant Iโve worked with, and every city weโve traveled to, but nothing outside of Phantasmaโs competitions. A shame, too. I feel robbed of my first time laying eyes on you.โ
Heat bloomed on her cheeks as a ripple of butterflies went through her stomach. He was too charming for her own good.
โWhat ifโฆโ She cleared her throat. โWhat if you died in Phantasma?โ she pressed on. โMaybe you were a contestant at one point and thatโs why youโre tied here?โ
โIโve thought of that possibility.โ He nodded, his expression turning morose. โBut a lot of Apparitions who are here were contestants who died in the competition. Yet I became a Phantom rather than a regular Apparition. Thankfully, the bargains Iโm able to make ensure I donโt become a Ghoul.โ
โPhantoms can be created in several different ways,โ she told him. โMost often they are created when an immortal dies and does not pass overโsomething about the power of an immortalโs soul creates a stronger type of Ghost. But there are definitely other ways, too.โ
Especially because immortals didnโt die often, given the fact that they never aged and were semi-invincible. But still, it wasnโt impossible, and she wondered if something of the sort was at play here. Unfortunately, Phantoms were elusive enough that her Necromancy studies hadnโt taught her much more about the subject than that. She wasnโt sure her mother had ever even met one.
โHmm,โ he said thoughtfully. โPerhaps that is it. I was an immortal in my past life. A Vampire, maybe. I do like to bite.โ He clacked his teeth together in demonstration before giving her a wink.
She made a noise of surprise, her cheeks heating at the prospect of his teeth sinking into her skinโฆ
He grinned at her involuntary blush with satisfaction.
She quickly changed the subject. โMaybe we should just start with the basics. Whatโs your favorite color?โ
He lifted a brow at the mundane question but reached out with the hand that wasnโt propping him up and tugged at the tail of the velvet ribbon tied in her hair. โRed.โ
The ribbon perfectly matched the rest of her ensemble: a high-collared, scarlet chemise with long gossamer sleeves that puffed at her shoulders and tapered then flared at her wrists, beneath a black velvet corset.
โThatโs at least one thing we have in common,โ she noted. โDo you have a favorite book?โ
โThereโs a book here about a doctor who uses a bunch of different dead bodies to create his very own monster. I enjoyed that one.โ
She straightened up with excitement. โI know that bookโ โโ
Before she could finish her thought, someone else blinked into the room, humming a tune reminiscent of the jazzy melodies one might hear in the French Quarter. It was the man who had let her into Phantasma, his top hat and black-lined eyes unmistakable. His song paused when he noticed the two of them.
โBlackwell.โ The man dipped his chin in greeting to the Phantom, but his shrewd eyes stayed on her.
Blackwell straightened himself away from her, crossing his arms over his chest as he gave the other man a measured look. โGood evening, Jasper.โ
Jasper removed his top hat and set it down on a table. Ophelia swallowed a gasp. The hat had been hiding a third eye embedded into his forehead. A Devilโs Mark.
Jasper gave her a knowing grin. โI wouldnโt have pegged you as Blackwellโs first choice. What did you do to get his attention?โ He flicked his gaze over to Blackwell now. โOr is this one of those rounds where you just picked the prettiest contestant in hopes that youโd get to ravage them in dark corners?โ
โJasper,โ Blackwell murmured, a hostile edge beneath his smooth tone. โGet lost.โ
โSorry, handsome.โ Jasper shook his head. โNo can do. Why donโt the two of you rip each otherโs clothes off elsewhere?โ
Opheliaโs entire body flushed at the suggestion. โWe arenโtโthatโs notโ โโ
โDonโt tell me he hasnโt even kissed you yet?โ Jasper flicked his eyes between them. โTaking it slow this time, Blackwell?โ
Blackwell didnโt deign to answer, the look on his face somewhere between bored and irritated.
โThere have been a few past contestants he made a deal with that damn near broke Phantasmaโs cardinal rule for our handsome friend here,โ Jasper continued. โMight want to mind your heart around him, or the trials wonโt be the worst thatโll happen to you.โ
โLetโs go,โ Blackwell told her, gesturing with his head for her to follow him out.
She eyed Jasper warily as she went, and the Devilโs third eye winked open. The third eye wasnโt the same warm brown color as his other two, but a bright goldโand the way it homed in on her face sent a shiver down her spine. She rushed out of the library and down the hall after Blackwell. Back in her bedroom, she could tell that Blackwell was tense, though he was trying to pretend otherwise.
After a few beats of silence, she finally said, โIs kissing usually part of your bargains? Am I just not your type?โ
Blackwell froze for a moment. Then he tilted his head back and let out a deep laugh.
โI have no type,โ he told her with a pointed look, turning to face her fully. โJasper was just keeping up his habit of being a pain in the ass. Thereโs only one contestant Iโve kissed in recent memory, and thatโs because they were a dreadfully dull conversationalist and absolutely horrid at searchingโthere werenโt a lot of options for me that round. I figured we might as well do something to pass the time.โ
โI suppose I should really start thinking of more interesting topics of conversation, then,โ she told him.
โIs the thought of kissing me that horrible?โ he murmured.
No.
โYes,โ she answered.
โDid you know that every time you lie, your left eye twitches a little?โ
She crossed her arms. โIt does not.โ
Blackwell opened his mouth to say something else, but the dinner bell tolled through the manor. A glint of something she couldnโt name sparkled in his eyes.
โI suppose weโll have to table this argument for later,โ he said as he went over to open the door for her. โBetter hurry so you can get something to eat before level two begins. Once youโre in the trial, you need to make sure to summon me so I can guide you out of it.โ
As she shuffled past him in the doorway, she asked, โDo you know which Circle of Hell this one will be based on?โ
Blackwell pulled the door shut behind them and then brought his mouth down to her ear to whisper a single, spine-tingling word.
โLust.โ