I huffed impatiently. “Why would Evren’s—glamours—not work on me?”
He shrugged. “Honestly? I have no fucking idea.”
Recalling August’s pale, frightened face, I redirected my thoughts.
“What are we going to do about August?” I demanded.
Casimir’s features were carefully neutral as he replied, “Sinclair got himself into this mess—of his own volition, I might add. Now he must face the consequences.”
I stared at him, momentarily taken aback by his casual condemnation. Agitation rapidly replaced any surprise I felt. “Why did you even come here, then? Since you obviously don’t care what happens to anyone.” My voice rose with my indignation.
His expression was stony. “My only concern is to stop Devereaux from finding—” He caught himself. “Whatever he’s looking for. That’s my top priority.”
“So, let me get this straight. You’re going to stop Devereaux from looking for something, and you don’t even know what that something is?” I snorted. “I don’t believe you for a second.”
He huffed a laugh. “Trust me, Farrow, the less you know, the better.”
“Try me,” I challenged him.
His answering smile was laced with irony. “I’m not that easy to bait.”
Frustrated, I stomped closer, ignoring the way his scent enveloped me. “We can’t just let them?—”
But Casimir interrupted my protests with a sneer. “First of all, there is no we,” he growled, crowding me against the wall, his cold breath ghosting over my skin. “We do not have a problem. There is you and there is me. You have no reason to be involved with any of this.”
“Did you or did you not just hear me say that Devereaux threatened me?” I hissed back. “I’d say that makes me very fucking involved in what’s going on with the Order. And besides, if they’re hurting August?—”
“Since when,” he interrupted me, his eyes pinning me to the spot, “is Augustus Sinclair my fucking problem?” He spat August’s full name like a curse.
“Fine,” I retorted, gnashing my teeth together. Whatever tether that tamped down my anger up until now released, leaving my tongue in danger of lashing out. “I’ll handle it myself. I don’t need your help.”
A low, sardonic laugh rumbled through his muscled chest. “That,” he murmured, his voice almost a whisper, “would be incredibly stupid.”
“What I do is none of your business,” I reminded him.
“I’m warning you, Farrow,” he growled. “Don’t get involved. Devereaux and the others—well, what you experienced today was just a taste of what they can do.” His expression was torn between fury and panic. “You are the last person who should go anywhere near the Bloodthorn Order.”
Furious at his behavior, by how helpless I felt, I resorted to gnashing my teeth.
But Casimir wouldn’t let up. “Didn’t Sinclair ditch you just the other night? Why are you so worked up over this?”
I winced at the casual use of the term “ditch.” I forced my tone to remain calm, even as my chest rose and fell with anger. “Just because I hate what he did doesn’t mean I want him to be tortured to death,” I said.
“Tell me what happened between you two.”
“Why should I?” I shot back.
Casimir merely stared at me. His gaze was apprehensive, as if waiting for me to lash out or burst into tears. My shoulders slumped in defeat.
“You don’t understand,” I said. “Ouverham is a veryinsulated, very wealthy academic town. Half of its residents made their fortunes from gold mines dating back to the nineteenth century. And those families? They run the academic and social scenes. They dictate which societies get funding from the board, which students go on to become managers of hedge funds or politicians.”
Casimir frowned. “I know?—”
I plowed on, “Inter-class romances are frowned upon—to say the least—and, well, August is very ambitious. He was determined to be inducted into an exclusive society. Clearly, even I underestimated how determined he was—but that’s why he…cut things off.”
Casimir’s expression was just shy of incredulous. “You’re telling me August wanted to keep your relationship a secret because he was ashamed of you? For what? Not being rich?” He loosed a low, humorless laugh. “And you agreed to that?”
I flinched at the derision in his voice.