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Chapter no 21 – YOU CALLED

Phantasma (Wicked Games, #1)

When they landed back in the dining hall, there was no aching crash like before, Blackwell keeping them both on their feet. He wasted no time guiding her back to her room.

โ€œWell, I suppose the debate on whether or not you think itโ€™d be terrible to kiss me has been settled,โ€ he declared as he kicked the door shut behind them.

She jabbed a finger into his chest. โ€œDo not tease me right now. That wasย horrible.โ€

โ€œOf course it was,โ€ he agreed. โ€œNo illusion could possibly replace myโ โ€”โ€

โ€œThat isย notย what I meant,โ€ she gritted out. โ€œImagine you believe, with every fiber of your being, that something is real, and suddenly you get an inkling that it isย not. I have to live that nightmare every single day in my own mind! Do you have any idea how terrifying it is to have your reality so distorted that you canโ€™t trust your own thoughts, your ownย sight?โ€

โ€œNo,โ€ he answered, sincere. โ€œBut itโ€™s over. You figured it out before it was too late. You finished the level.โ€

โ€œBut how do I know that!โ€ she exclaimed, fear creeping into her voice. โ€œHow do I knowย thisย is real and Iโ€™m not being tricked by another illusion into a false sense of security?โ€

He watched as she began to pace back and forth, the amusement in his eyes slowly dissipating the more anxious she became.

โ€œIt was too easy to get out of there.โ€ She shook her head. โ€œI canโ€™t trust my own judgment, clearly. I have to get out, I have toโ โ€”โ€

โ€œOphelia.โ€ Blackwell sidestepped into her path, making her stop short. โ€œThatโ€™s the point of this place. Itโ€™s desperate to make you question your sanity. That trial is set up the way it is to make you paranoid the remainder of the time youโ€™re here. Itโ€™s a mind game.โ€

โ€œHow can I trust you?โ€ she sniffed, refusing to make eye contact. โ€œYou were there too. You were there and you were pretending to be protective of me, youย kissedย me, but itย wasnโ€™tย youโ โ€”โ€

โ€œLook at me,โ€ he demanded, reaching out to lightly pinch her chin and tilt her face up to his.

She swallowed as she allowed her gaze to slide back to his.

โ€œThis is real,โ€ he promised. โ€œIโ€™m real. Iโ€™m sorry the illusion used my likeness to trick you. I need you to know if you were to ever let me touch you, in any way, the moment you wanted to stopโ€”I would. No hesitation.โ€

He spoke with such vehement intensity that she didnโ€™t have a single doubt in her mind they were true.

She swallowed. โ€œOkay.โ€

His shoulders relaxed a little and the corners of his mouth tilted up again. โ€œIโ€™ll try not to be insulted that you believed whatever stale pleasure that imposter was giving you could have come from me. I think in the future it would be objectively beneficial to let me prove to you exactly what it feels like to be kissed by me, just in case such a thing were to ever happen again.โ€

โ€œAlright, maybe I am inclined to believe this is real.โ€ She rolled her eyes as she grumbled, โ€œYour face might be able to be replicated, but your ego canโ€™t. What if I had said it was the greatest pleasure Iโ€™ve ever known?โ€

The mischievous glint in his eyes was back inย full force as he leaned down. โ€œIf you thought that was your threshold of pleasureโ€”imagine being worshipped by the real thing.โ€

Her breath caught in her throat and any ability she had to form a coherent retort was lost then and there. A response wasnโ€™t needed anyway as his focus shifted to her mouth. He reached out and rubbed his thumb over her split lip, eliciting a quick, sharp pain. He brought his thumb to his mouth, now painted with a smear of her blood, and licked it clean. She had to swallow the whimper crawling up her throat at the sight. Something about him consuming any part of her made her belly warm.

Get it together,ย she admonished herself internally.

โ€œIt looks like you gave that imposter a Hell of a fight at least. Good girl.โ€ His fingertips warmed as he reached out to brush them over the wound once more, and she relished the relief of his magic as it healed her. โ€œThere.โ€

โ€œThe illusion wasnโ€™t the one who did that,โ€ she corrected, lightly brushing her own fingertips over where the split had been moments before. โ€œActually, I had completely forgotten about that.โ€

He stiffened as he asked, โ€œWho was responsible, then?โ€

She shrugged. โ€œOne of the other contestants.โ€

He narrowed his eyes. โ€œWhich one?โ€

โ€œWho cares? Iโ€™m fine. You healed me. We need to get back to our quest.โ€

โ€œI care. We have a bargain. Iโ€™m supposed to protect you from harm while youโ€™re here,โ€ he told her, his tone a little too casual. โ€œSo again. Who did that to you?โ€

โ€œThe one named Cade,โ€ she admitted. โ€œHappy?โ€

Without another word, Blackwell disappeared.

Phantasmaโ€™s library was back to its original, orderly state. After Blackwellโ€™s abrupt departure, Ophelia had spent anย hour pacing her room, too much anxious energy pent-up inside of her to be still. And the moment the Shadow Voice had begun its whispering, she knew she needed to occupy herself with something other than worrying about Genevieve and reliving her kiss with the fake Blackwell over and over and over. Especially because the latter led directly to her thinking about kissing the real Blackwellโ€”and that was officially forbidden territory in her mind.

โ€œHeโ€™s done nothingย thatย special,โ€ she muttered to herself as she strutted through the library. โ€œAnd heโ€™s got me on a wild goose chase. There is no reason to let him linger on my mind like this.โ€

Someone cleared their throat.

โ€œOh.โ€ Ophelia came to a halt when she spotted Luci, huddled near the fireplace with a book. โ€œI didnโ€™t see you there.โ€

Bash her face in, break her nose. She didnโ€™t help you, she was a coward,the Shadow Voice hissed in her mind at the sight of the girl.ย It would be so easy to make her hurt, make her bleedโ โ€”

Shut. Up.ย Ophelia ordered the intrusive presence, giving her head a vigorous shake as if it would make the voice leave her alone. Luci gave her a strange look.

โ€œAre you alright?โ€ Luci asked.

โ€œYes,โ€ย Ophelia answered, the response automatic, practiced. โ€œWhat are you reading?โ€

Luci shrugged and stood. โ€œSome romance about Angels and Demons. It was the first one I picked.โ€

Ophelia nodded like she was listening, but her feet were already itching to turn around and leave. Luci noticed.

โ€œWait,โ€ the girl pleaded. โ€œI wanted to tell you I was sorry. About what Cade did.โ€

โ€œIt isnโ€™t for you to apologize for,โ€ Ophelia told her.

Luci bit her lip. โ€œI know, but we all just stood there and let it happen. He had usย convinced thatโ€ฆโ€

โ€œI know.โ€ Ophelia waved off the words she knew were coming next. โ€œIt doesnโ€™t matter. No one owes anyone anything here, right? We are all going to do what it takes to survive. When you see Cade again, you can remind the bastard of that for me.โ€

Luciโ€™s eyes widened a bit at the darkness that had bled into Opheliaโ€™s tone. The Shadow Voiceโ€™s influence, she supposed. But for this, she didnโ€™t mind. She hoped Luci took her words seriously and delivered the message.

โ€œItโ€™s justโ€ฆย I of all people should have known better about you. But Leon said you did something in the first level,โ€ Luci disclosed, โ€œto make the Hellhoundโ โ€”โ€

โ€œFor fuckโ€™s sake.โ€ Ophelia pinched the bridge of her nose. โ€œThe way people will find a way to gossip throughout even the direst of circumstances. Iโ€™m assuming Leon is the scrawny kid I had to haul out of there? Maybe he should be talking less about me and work on his stamina. He could barely keep upโ€”and I was wearing a corset.โ€

โ€œHeโ€™s not scrawny,โ€ Luci defended, blushing. โ€œHeโ€™s just leanโ โ€”โ€

โ€œOh noโ€ฆโ€ Ophelia cut her off. โ€œYouย likeย him? If I could give you some advice? This place seems to like to twist good, sweet things until they break. Donโ€™t let it.โ€

Soft hearts donโ€™t survive here.

The girl became visibly flustered at Opheliaโ€™s words, but Ophelia couldnโ€™t have cared less. She was right. Blackwell was right. She didnโ€™t know what stakes in Luciโ€™s life led her to this place, but anyone could see the girlโ€™s soft heart from a hundred miles away.

โ€œItโ€™s lonely in here,โ€ Luci confided. โ€œAnd the hauntsโ€ฆย Iโ€™ve never had nightmares like this before. We made a pact to take turns sleeping and watching each otherโ€™s backs. Itโ€™s nothing more.โ€

Before Ophelia could sayย yeah right, someone else entered the room.

โ€œSpeak of a Devilโ€ฆโ€ Ophelia murmured.

But it was no Devil; it was Leon. His gaze darted between the girls as he approached. There were beads of sweat on his temples and his breathing was a bit ragged, and Ophelia wondered if he had just been running.

โ€œThere was a haunt in the dining room,โ€ he panted. โ€œSpiders and snakes andโ โ€”โ€

โ€œI know the scene,โ€ Ophelia interrupted before he conjured up the grotesque vision in her head. โ€œAnyone dead?โ€

His eyes widened a bit at the directness of the question, but he answered, โ€œNot that I know of. But Mason forfeited. His sisterโ€™s room is right next to mine, when she made it out of level two, she found him gone. Iโ€™ve never heard crying like that before.โ€

โ€œIโ€™d leave if I got my mouth magically sealed, too,โ€ Luci said with sympathy. โ€œI just feel bad for Edna.โ€

Leon nodded in agreement. โ€œItโ€™s on her shoulders to bring back their brother now.โ€

Ophelia lifted a brow and Luci explained. โ€œThey lost their younger brother a couple months ago in an airboat accident. Their family runs swamp tours for tourists out on the Atchafalaya Basin. It was a nasty ordeal.โ€

Ophelia made a face. โ€œDoes everyone here know each other?โ€

Luci and Leon shared a look, then Luci said, โ€œMany of us have met previously, yes. We run in the same social circlesโ€”or our parents do. I have a few friends who entered in earlier groups.โ€

โ€œSo do I,โ€ Leon inserted.

โ€œAnd youโ€ฆย youโ€™re Genevieve Grimmโ€™s sister,โ€ Luci finished.

Ophelia rocked back a step. โ€œYou know Genevieve?โ€

โ€œItโ€™s why I wanted to introduce myself,โ€ Luciย revealed. โ€œItโ€™s why I shouldnโ€™t have let Cade influence anyone into thinking you could possibly be anything insidious. I met Genevieve last year at a gathering on the riverfront in the French Quarter. She was being courted by a good friend of mine at the time. I just thought she was so lovely, if a bit rambunctious, and we became quick friends. We always told her to invite you along when we made plans, but she said you werenโ€™t one for leaving the house. I was surprised to see you here that first night.โ€

Ophelia stared at Luci in shock, and, as if the girlโ€™s words had made something click in her mind, a memory suddenly came rushing back. Of her and Genevieve leaving the coronerโ€™s office and Genevieve going inside the cafรฉ to greet a friendโ€ฆ

โ€œDid you know she was going to come here?โ€ Ophelia demanded, ignoring the jealousy suddenly burning in her belly at the recollection of the way Genevieve had run up to Luci and hugged her. โ€œDid she ever talk about this place?โ€

Luci gaped. โ€œNo, she neverโ€”you mean, sheโ€™s here too?โ€

โ€œShe never once said anything about Phantasma?โ€ Ophelia pressed on.

โ€œI swear.โ€ Luci shook her head. โ€œPhantasma wasnโ€™t on anyoneโ€™s mind until recently, but even so, Genevieve never talked much about her home life. She seemed to be very private in that area and we never pushed.โ€

โ€œWho isย we?โ€ Ophelia narrowed her eyes.

โ€œThere were five of us. Myself, Genevieve, Iris Saloom, Farrow Henry, and Basile Landry.โ€

Farrow Henry. Genevieve said heโ€™d stood her up for the ball. The name was unmistakable. Ophelia wondered how much Luci knew of that situation, but even more she wondered why this was the first time she was hearing that Genevieve had a close group of friends. Did her sister not trust her enough to tell her about those sorts of things? Or had she just beenย too wrapped up in herself to notice Genevieve had an entire social life outside of Grimm Manor she knew nothing about?

She hates you,the Shadow Voice laughed.ย She hates you and she will always hate youand she will probably die in here andโ โ€”

Ophelia reached out to one of the oak shelves and knocked on it.ย One, two, three.

The Shadow Voice vanished.

Leon scratched the back of his neck. โ€œUm, I should go back to my room and get some rest. Itโ€™s been quite a day. Iโ€™ll leave you two to finish your conversationโ€ฆโ€

โ€œNo,โ€ Ophelia retorted. โ€œOur conversation is done. I donโ€™t know how close you and Genevieve were, but that does not make the two of us allies. If you were smart, you wouldnโ€™t be making allies at all. It will only lead to heartbreak.โ€

Luci didnโ€™t look Ophelia in the eye as she shoved the book sheโ€™d been reading back into the stacks on the shelf and hurried after Leon without another word. Leon placed his hand on the small of Luciโ€™s back in comfort as he guided her out, throwing a loaded glance back at Ophelia before they disappeared.

Fools.

Alone at last, she began to dig through the shelves again, but this time she took Blackwellโ€™s advice and went deeper. Using the rolling ladder abandoned on the west side of the room, she climbed up to begin clearing the very top shelves first. Thick novels rained to the ground with heavyย thumpsย and clouds of dust, and while treating books so callously was, without a doubt, a form of sacrilege, she didnโ€™t exactly have the time to gently place each one in a tidy stack below.

As soon as the shelves were emptied, she began running her hands over the wood panels inside, feeling for anything out of the ordinary: switches, uneven planks, buttons, hinges. Grimm Manorโ€™s library had quite a few hiddenย compartments of its own, and she and Genevieve had always made a game of seeing how many they could find. She was sure there were many they had yet to discover.

Almost an hour later, she finally felt it. Two cases to the left of the fireplace, third shelf from the top. A slightly indented square, about an inch wide, with something springy beneath. A button. Before she could shift her weight forward enough on the ladder to press it all the way down, however, the temperature of the room dropped five degrees.

โ€œWell, well,โ€ a deep voice rumbled behind her. โ€œLook at what Iโ€™ve found.โ€

Ophelia held herself as still as possible as Jasper faded into view below. His unsettling third eye was, thankfully, shut, but his too-observant gaze was hardly any better as it assessed her current predicament.

โ€œDoing some redecorating?โ€ He grinned. โ€œWould you like some help?โ€

She snatched her outstretched hand back from the hidden mechanism she had found and glared down at him. โ€œLeave me alone.โ€

โ€œOr what?โ€ he taunted. โ€œYouโ€™ll call Blackwell? Please do. I could use the entertainment of pissing him off.โ€

Ophelia swallowed. โ€œAre the two of you friends?โ€

โ€œDevils donโ€™t have friends, darling. Not in the same sense that mortals do.โ€

โ€œYou seem to know each other well, though,โ€ she reasoned.

He crossed his arms. โ€œWhen you share a space with the same beings for as long as we have, you tend to find those who annoy you less than others.โ€

โ€œThe other Ghosts here must beย veryย annoying, then,โ€ she murmured, mostlyย to herself.

Jasper laughed. โ€œYouโ€™ve got a silver tongue. I see why he likes you.โ€

โ€œHe doesnโ€™tย likeย me,โ€ she snorted. โ€œHeโ€™s using me. As Iโ€™m using him.โ€

A strange glint of something she couldnโ€™t read entered the Devilโ€™s eyes, but all he said was, โ€œHave you ever thought aboutโ€ฆย other arrangements?โ€

She didnโ€™t like where this conversation was heading. โ€œNo.โ€

I should never have thought about the first one.

โ€œHow many years did you promise him?โ€

โ€œNone of your business,โ€ she bit out.

โ€œA decade is a long time,โ€ he stated. โ€œWhat if I told you I could get you out of your bargain and make you an offer for a whole lot less?โ€

She glowered. โ€œIโ€™d tell you to go back to Hell. I donโ€™t make deals with Devils.โ€

He opened his mouth to spear her with a retort, but before he got the chance, something suddenly appeared out of thin air and crashed into the chaise in the center of the room. No, not something. Twoย someones.

She recognized the Devils from the first two levelsโ€”Drima and Zelโ€”within seconds, even with both of them trying to eat each otherโ€™s faces off. She was officially alone with three Devils, and two of them didnโ€™t have a single stitch of clothing on.

She flushed and averted her eyes from the spectacle. Jasper only laughed.

โ€œIf you change your mind, the offer stands. Enjoy the show.โ€ With a teasing wink up at her, he disappeared.

Moans began to echo through the room, and for a moment, Ophelia was frozen in utter shock. The way the two Devils were moving together made her skin break out in aย feverish sweat. Their performance was somehow more salacious than the pairings in the second trial had been. She knew she ought to look away, scandalized, but a part of her wasโ€ฆย curious. The same part of her that had been so easily fascinated in the second trial.

Until the claws came out.

Drima yanked Zelโ€™s head to the side by his hair, exposing his neck so she could rip her sharp fingernails through his skin.

Itโ€™s time to go, Ophelia told herself as she began to plan her escape route.

Press the button before you leave,the Shadow Voice demanded.Press it, press it, press it.

Ophelia twisted back toward the shelf. She had spent all this time searching and finally sheโ€™d found somethingโ€ฆย she might as well see what it did, right? Besides, itโ€™s not like it would hurt anything, considering the Devils probably wouldnโ€™t notice if the room around them burst into flames.

She hauled herself forward as much as she could on the ladder, gripping a rung for balance with one hand as she reached out to slam the button down with her other. There was a sharp click followed by a metallic groan, and a moment later, the ground below began to move. Ophelia cursed as one of her feet slipped from the ladder and she lurched forward to cling on for dear life as the entire shelf began toย turn. Before she could blink twice, the shelf had done a complete one-eighty. She was now on the inside of Phantasmaโ€™s guts, and it was so dark that she could barely see her own hands in front of herโ€”which made for a clumsy climb down. When her feet reached the ground, the planks beneath them groaned.

She shuffled forward a bit, hands outstretched to feel her way around. It took nearly fifteen steps before she reached what felt like a stone wall, but as she ran her palms over the cold bricks, she couldnโ€™t locate so much as a sconce or torch.ย Anxiety sank in her stomach like a stone. The last time sheโ€™d been in a dark, secret corridor aloneโ€ฆ

The Shadow Voiceโ€™s crackling laugh resounded in her head.ย Youโ€™d better get ready to run.

โ€œNo,โ€ she breathed, core tightening with fear.

Itโ€™s going to get you, itโ€™s going toโ โ€”

โ€œBlackwell, Blackwell,ย Blackwell,โ€ she recited in a rush.

The Shadow Voiced hissed.ย If you donโ€™t find a source of light in the next ten seconds, itโ€™s going to devour you.

Her chest heaved as she tried to shake the words from her mind. She needed to stay alert and find her way back to the ladder. Hopefully, pushing the button would return the shelf to its original position in the library without any fuss. Turning and counting her steps back in the direction she had come, she only reached number seven when she felt the telltale static raise the hairs on the back of her neck.

โ€œWhere the Hell are we?โ€ Blackwellโ€™s voice rang out from her right, clear and strong. Any hint of the Shadow Voice lingering in her mind evaporated like smoke.

The faint white haze that always clung around Blackwellโ€™s form illuminated the space and filled her with such a strong sense of relief that before she realized what she was doing, she was launching herself in his direction. He caught her against his chest easily, and she wrapped her arms so tightly around his neck that it was a good thing he didnโ€™t need to breathe.

She buried her face into the crook of his throat. โ€œYou came.โ€

โ€œYou called,โ€ he answered.

After a long moment, she took a deep breath and unwound her arms from his neck.

He narrowed his eyes. โ€œWhat happened?โ€ he asked. โ€œDonโ€™t tell me absence really does make the heart grow fonder?โ€

โ€œNothing in particular,โ€ she admitted. โ€œBetween Devils going at each other like rabbits in the library and accidentally getting myself stuck in here, I may have panicked a little.โ€

โ€œSounds like quite the ordeal indeed.โ€ His eyes sparked with amusement. Whether at the mention of the Devils and their sexual escapades or getting herself stuck, she didnโ€™t know. โ€œAnd where isย here, exactly?โ€

โ€œI found a mechanism in that library shelfโ€โ€”she pointed to the bookcase in the center of the wallโ€”โ€œand it flipped around into whatever this place is. A secret tunnel that runs through the bowels of the manor, I presume.โ€

โ€œClever little Necromancer.โ€ He grinned.

He snapped his fingers and two brass candelabras appeared in his hands. Shifting one into her waiting grasp, he snapped a second time to light all ten tapered candles, illuminating a good amount of space around them. Enough to see that his outfit was splattered with crimson. The reason for his earlier disappearance came rushing back.

โ€œIs that Cadeโ€™sย blood?โ€ She gaped. She knew he was more than capable of changing his clothes, which meant heโ€™d left these in their current state intentionally. โ€œWhat did youย do?โ€

โ€œNothing permanent.โ€ He shrugged. โ€œNot physically at least.โ€

โ€œWell, it isnโ€™t like he didnโ€™t deserve it,โ€ she muttered.

โ€œWeโ€™re on the same page, then,โ€ he agreed before waving at her to follow after him.

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