Throne of the Fallen

Envy kept his mouth shut. After the game ended, Camilla would return to Waverly Green. There was no point ruining the moment with the truth, though, so he silently watched Emilia and Camilla make plans, knowing it would never be.

Emilia turned to him, then pulled a vial from saints only knew where.

“Here. You’ll need this.”

He looked it over, then smiled at the goddess. She’d given him a gift for Abyssus.

“You really are my favorite.”

“Go. Before my husband levels a mountain. Again.”

A guard escorted Envy and Camilla down to the cavern far below House Wrath.

It would have been much faster and more efficient if Envy could have magicked them there, but Wrath’s generosity had been pushed to its limit.

Once they reached the tunnel, the guard stopped and stepped aside. “You may go the rest of the way on your own. Orders of the king.”

“How magnanimous,” Envy muttered, tone dripping with sarcasm.

Camilla strode ahead of him, silent since they’d left the suite. He didn’t note any lingering jealousy, nor did he sense any anger. Her emotions were tightly wound, flickering too quickly for him to get a solid understanding of what she was feeling.

Perhaps she was just taking everything in, cataloguing each aspect to use as inspiration.

A moment later the tunnel opened to the cavernous lagoon.

Black sand glittered, and pale blue water lapped lazily at the shore. Mist hung low, inviting and unassuming. Its entire appearance was designed to entice, then entrap.

The phases of the moon were painted along the far wall, indicating the next tunnel hidden behind a large stalactite.

“It’s so beautiful. The water sounds… it’s fizzing.”

Envy grabbed Camilla’s hand, tugging her back before she stepped into the water.

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“Why?”

He nodded toward the bones she’d missed, jutting up farther down the sand.

“Nothing made can enter the water.”

“Nothing made?” she repeated, brows knitted. “You mean…”

“We need to disrobe to cross it. And remove anything else that isn’t natural. Like your jewelry.”

“Oh?” Camilla asked, slowly raking her attention over him.

His hands fisted at his side as he drew up an image of his court, of the bodies. Shame burned through him, more potent than any temptation or desire. No matter that he was a being fueled by and created for sin, he wouldn’t allow the Shallows to tempt him.

Or Camilla.

He decided against sharing the fact that the lagoon’s waters compelled anyone who entered—and survived—to tell only the truth.

Demon princes weren’t exempt from the magical properties of the Crescent Shallows. It was magic that existed outside them.

“What happens when we emerge on the other side?” Camilla asked, looking back at the water. “We’ll have to travel nude the rest of the way?”

Her tone was more curious than nervous. If anything, she sounded intrigued by the thought, a little breathless. His Fae artist wanted to travel naked. Devil curse him.

He could lie and claim they’d need to remain naked, admiring the masterpiece that was Camilla’s unclothed form as they wound deeper into the underground labyrinth.

“I’ll magic our clothing to the next tunnel.”

Camilla faced him, expression inscrutable, then kicked off her shoes.

She slipped her gown off her shoulders, gracefully stepping out of it, the silk pooling at her feet. She had nothing on underneath.

He swallowed hard, caught by surprise. Not by her nakedness, but by the knowing gleam in her gaze. Camilla was definitely playing another game of her own, making rules up as she went.

Long silver hair glimmered in the dim lighting of the Shallows, covering her breasts. She looked like a nymph who’d sprung from the magical lake, tempting and wicked.

He would know. She was tempting him, and he was feeling especially wicked.

Envy motioned to her hand and body, his voice rough.

“Take your ring and necklace off too.”

“Very well.”

She turned around, lifting her hair and glancing over her shoulder, knowing exactly what she was doing. He tried—and failed—to ignore her taut backside.

“Unclasp my necklace?”

Envy drew in a ragged breath, swearing.

Her lips curved.

He moved to her, fighting the urge to run his knuckles along her spine. He wanted to kiss her. But their time had passed. He had her necklace off in less than a second, then stepped back.

Camilla said nothing of his hasty retreat, though amusement flickered in her eyes.

She pulled the ring off, slowly bent over in front of him, laid it carefully on top of her gown, taking far too long to complete the task before straightening up again. Her gaze locked with his, daring him to hold it, daring him to look away from her.

Envy had been wrong when he thought the Sin Corridor had tortured him.

This was much worse.

And it shouldn’t be.

He shucked his clothes off, trying to focus on the task in front of them. He refused to get hard now. No matter how difficult avoiding that currently was.

“Come on.”

Camilla grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the water.

He followed, barely noticing the slight fizz of warm water against his skin, then stopped.