Because there wasn’t anything I loved more than chasing her…aside from the part where I fucked her after.
The day was nearly out. When I caught her, her time would be up.
I stood and slowly started to follow the chain trail she’d left me, counting down the seconds until I cut the third mark into her arm.
The only question was, would I do it before or after I fucked her?
Chapter Six
Rayven
Bitter tears stung mycheeks like acid as I fled the throne room. I hoisted a bundle of my tether against my chest as I ran, the magical chain surprisingly light in my arms. My heart thundered in my throat as I braced for the Lord of Bones to yank on the leash again and drag me back to his side while his audience laughed.
The asshole probably got off on humiliating me in front of his subjects, especially with his cruel brothers watching. That was probably why he’d invited them in the first place. They all came to watch the human get her heart broken in front of the entire realm then be chained up to the lord’s throne.
Like a fucking dog.
Belial was a bit of a sadistic fuck, I knew that, so I wouldn’t put it past him to drag me back, kicking and screaming, to give his guests a good show. Heck, my public humiliation was probably printed on the invitations beforehand.
I could see it now.
The Lord of Bones cordially invites you to the All Hollow’s Eve Masquerade Ball.
There will be a formal dinner service, dancing to follow, and the complete and utter ass-blasting of my pathetic little fuck slut.
However, a tug on the chain never came. It only seemed to lengthen as I kept running down the winding hallways, taking every random turn and zipping my way around, desperately looking for an exit.
There was still time… He hadn’t given me the third cut on my arm marking the third and final day of our bet. There was still time.I could still win.Assuming he’d honor our agreement to let me go if I could find the exit.
That was a big if. He’d taken me to a door on the cliff, showing me the exit right before I stupidly sold my soul.
The door hadn’t even been inside his labyrinthian garden—if a desolate wasteland filled with rotting corpses and hellish monsters could even be called a garden. Chances were damn slim that I’d make it out in time.
Still, my feet pushed forward. What other choice did I have? Sit and cry while my time ticked down?
Fuck. That.
Various knick-knacks, framed paintings, and furniture—all inhabited with lost souls seeking refuge while they awaited Judgement from the Lord—called out as I passed, but I ignored them. I’d learned my lesson the last time an object tried to guide me through the twisting hallways and countless rooms, nearly jumping to my death at its instruction.
When I finally found a window, I stopped running and dropped the bundled chain to the floor. There were bars over it to keep the Lord’s last mortal pet from escaping—one of the ways Catherine’s memory still clung to these halls. Even without the bars, it would be too high up to climb out.
I wiped a clean patch in the murky glass with the lace of my dress and peered outside. My heart sank when I saw how far off the garden wall was, the cliffside far beyond that. Even if time didn’t run out before I could reach it, the chain would only stretch so far.
“You’ll never reach it in time.”
Belial’s voice came out of nowhere, like a phantom bleeding from the walls. My flouncy skirts twirled dramatically as I whipped around to face the demon lord.
The Lord had now appeared in his lesser form—the one I’d stupidly fallen in love with. Coming to me in this form was probably strategic on his part, yet another way to manipulate me.
“Get away from me,” I spat, my back hitting the hall.
Ignoring me, he prowled forward slowly, every step meant to torture me.
“Even if by some dark miracle you did manage to escape,” he drawled in that deep, honied baritone, “aren’t you forgetting something? I own your soul. You’re mine forever, little treasure.”
“Stop calling me that! I’m not your treasure. I’m your fucking prisoner.”
“You said you wanted to be with me. I gave you the opportunity to leave, remember? On the cliff, I showed you the door. You had an out, and you chose me.”
