Windows broke. I tried to break out of whatever was holding me, but I was stuck. My breathing quickened, each inhale making it harder and harder to breathe.
Eros and Oros were by my side, their hands on me. Their faces were stricken with a panic I had never seen before.
“One royal favor,” Oros said quickly. Eros’s arms were wrapping around me, trying to pry me from Yien’s grasp. “It’s not the same as her life, but we'll grant you a favor—anything within our power.”
“I would have sent for you,” Eros said. “But I assumed you knew.”
“Well, I didn’t,” the demon hissed. “I will hold you to that fucking favor.”
In a flash, she was gone, and so was the coldness that had taken over my body.
I let out a heavy breath as Oros’s and Eros’s warm arms wrapped around me.
“I’m sorry,” Eros whispered against me. “It won’t happen again.”
There was a slight bitterness in my mouth after she said it; she wasn’t sure of what she was saying. Oros remained silent.
And even after Eros’s promises of forever, I couldn’t help but wonder.
What if I can’t survive here with them?
18
EVE
The small party was being held in an underground space of the palace I had never seen before. It felt more like a dungeon than a normal hall where the king would meet with his confidants.
The room itself was carved out of a dark material that glimmered in the dim lights. They’d traded the overhead lights for candles placed every few feet on the walls.
The only furniture in the room was various bloodred couches and, splayed across them, humans.
There were no glittering glass tables. No servants walking around with questionable food and drinks.
There was only one reason why this place existed.
He was there, surrounded by demons who had shackled humans at their sides. Hisinner circlewas so much larger than I thought it would be. A small group stayed near him while many more were on the couchesenjoyingtheir humans.
But the feasting hadn’t started. At least not yet.
The humans looked awful, like they had been kept in a dark basement for months just for this moment. Their skin was pale, sunken. Their eyes devoid of emotion and light.
I had seen some similar girls when I was back in the auction house, though they had never lookedthatbad. Their eyes had coldness sinking into my body.
Awful.The unspoken fantasy I had of staying with the twins for the rest of my life started to disintegrate right in front of my eyes.
Eros was right.
The awfulness hadn’t even started yet, and I was already filled with doubt.
Even thoughIwasn’t the one who was going through it, it didn’t make it any easier to watch. On top of that, I had this overwhelming feeling of helplessness. I wanted to help. I wanted to swoop in and save the day, but there was no way that I could do that.
And there was no way for the twins to do it either, even if they wanted to.
Did they want to?Just because they didn’t partake in these activities didn’t mean it was right for them to stand by and watch.
Conflicting emotions caused my head to swim.
Oros and Eros kept their hands on me and never once left my side, keeping me steady. I looked at their faces. Both wore masks of coldness, but I knew the uncomfortableness they hid inside.
