A knot forms in my throat and I don’t dare move, but then he clears his throat, lifting his chin to speak.
“Why have you called us from our lands when we are but hours from the Midnight Mating ceremony?”
“You really plan to continue with your night of reckless debauchery considering what’s happened?” a silvery voice says.
“What’s happened?” I whisper to myself, leaning forward.
“What’s reckless is keeping your gifts on leashes. We’re stronger than you for many reasons, one of which is we don’t hold our gifts back. We are our gifts. Not some humanized version of it.”
The way he spits the word human has the hairs on my neck standing.
Speaking so low I can hardly hear myself, just in case the sound travels, I test this smoky surface shit again. “What does Knight see?”
The picture disappears and I gasp, but then it swirls, and slowly, I gape at the scene.
“Holy shit.”
In the back of my mind, I recall the Mage’s warning about the use of such a word here, but I can’t focus. My eyes are eating up every inch of this space. A giant room, spinning in orbit with diamonds hanging from the ceiling. There’s a long, marble-style table that separates each person, and the closer I look, the more I notice there aren’t any doors. One materializes, and a waiter walks through before it disappears again.
Ah. Right. I mean, who needs a door when you have fucking magic?
“Enough,” the voice I recognize as Knight’s mom commands, her tone bored but indefinite. “You have concerns about the attacks on the Deveraux domains.”
“We’ve heard there has been—”
“Heard from who?” Creed speaks, and suddenly he’s in my view, as if Knight has turned to face him before looking forward once more. “Who would speak of the Stygian business to an Argent?”
By the way he says it, he means they wouldn’t.
So he thinks they must know more than they’re saying?
The next words spoken go right over my head as all I can hear is Alex’s voice as if in my ear.
“Can we play after? I’ve missed you.” Her hand brushes his chest, and he stares at it, attention rising to her.
“Who have you missed, Alexandra?” he whispers, and my claws sink into my heart, restricting it as his hand lifts, tipping her until his mouth is at her ear.
“Fuck this.” I push to my feet, stepping right through the smoke and it dispels around me. “Fuck. This.” I begin to pace. “He’s out at some boujee cult leader shit with that bitch who was doing some freaky shit to my best friend! Ugh, I will kill the bitch if she hurt him, and if she puts one fucking hand on Knight, I’ll…”
Fuck me, I’ll what? Pretty sure a knee to the pussy and a fist to the face wouldn’t faze a—whatever the hell she is—but I bet it could make her bleed.
Damn, he’s totally going to fuck her, and I kind of want to vomit at the thought.
Annoyed and a little dizzy, I push a harsh sigh past my lips, tossing myself back on the bed. I stare up at the ceiling for too long to count, and the burning sensation in my gut only grows hotter. Deeper. Until everything turns blurry…
Images flash behind my eyes as laughter claps out from somewhere in the distance.
I sit up at the sound and suddenly I’m somewhere new.
I swear to god, or shit! Maybe I should swear to the damn devil here, but if that man doesn’t stop portaling me into new places without my permission I’m going to chop his balls off and feed them to those monsters he keeps talking about.
Disoriented, I have to blink several times as the flashing strobe lights flicker in the giant space. People … if you can call them that, dance and party all around, and I’m talking all around… there’s bitches on the fucking ceiling even!
At least they seem to be having fun when all I feel like I’m doing is drowning, and it’s Knights hands pushing below the water’s surface and holding me there. With a smile.
Huffing, I swipe a red Solo cup, desperate for anything to numb the pain. I tip my head back and swallow the bitter beer, swiping my hand with the back of my mouth.
Bodies dance against each other as someone comes up behind me, rubbing themselves against my back. I feel his dick brush my ass and I shove backward, stumbling to the side as my mind tilts sideways.
Everyone disappears when I see Knight on the sofa in front of me. His legs are spread, his arms sitting above the couch, and his head is tipped to the side. A full head of blonde hair is on his lap as his head tips back and his other hand finds her mane of Barbie doll locks. No.
That’s not Knight.
That’s Sinner. It has to be. Only even as the thought comes, it’s quickly squashed. For whatever reason, I know it’s not.
That’s Knight.
The girl that’s sucking him off slowly raises from his lap, hoisting her skirt and spreading her legs wide on each side. He doesn’t bother to look my way as she directs herself down over his cock. My stomach aches as betrayal climbs up my throat and all of the beer I just drank threatens to come out.
Fuck him.
Fuck this.
I am so done.
I push backward, the jealousy so thick in my throat that I’m certain I’m going to choke.
I fly off the bed, sweat slicked over my skin and my heart thrashing against my ribcage.
Laughter sounds out from the corner of the room. “Just as I thought. So you done fighting with me?”
I fall back onto the mattress, my panic now drained. I can’t keep fighting with this idiot, as much as I want to. “You don’t know what I was dreaming about.”
He leans forward just enough for the full moon outside to catch the shadows of his jaw. I hate the way my head spins anytime he’s near. I can pretend like it’s me coming down from whatever that weed was that the Mage gave me, but it’s not. It has been hours. “What Mage?”
My eyes snap back up to Knight. “How do you do that?”
“Answer the question.” He stands to his full height.
I shuffle back farther against the headboard, drawing my knees up to my chest.
“Fuck off. Where’s Alex? Hmm, waiting in your room?”
Knight stares at me, his expression a perfect mask, giving nothing away.
He walks toward me until I’m cornered, his palm pressing to my stomach and driving me back against the wall. He tips my head back and I can’t help but think how he was about to do that to her. I jerk in his hold, and he grips my chin, keeping me still.
“You missed me, little doll. You sought me out.”
“I didn’t miss you. I was pissed you stuck me in this loop of a room. Pissed I can’t go home to be with my best friend.”
“Stop calling him that,” he growls. “And say be with him again. I fucking dare you.”
“Why did you lock me up tonight?! I was allowed to leave earlier. Why not tonight?” I fight to get free, but his hold is unrelenting. “Didn’t want me to walk in on some freaky tag-team shit with Sinner?” The thought alone draws heat to my skin, and I shove at him.
Knight only grins, but it’s nasty. “You think I’d care to hide me fucking someone else from you, ’cause I wouldn’t. If I wanted to put my dick in every bitch in this realm, I would. I might even force you to watch as punishment for denying me.”