4
Boom!The door of the guest bathroom exploded inward.
I raised an arm to protect my face from hurtling debris, then lowered it to find the demon king filling the obliterated entrance.
He sniffed the air, no doubt picking up the sulfur from the portal I’d closed one second before his arrival.
“Where were you?” he asked, accentuating each word.
Carmine was pissed.
I waved a hand through the remaining dust while my voice unlocked. Not that I’d portaled from somewhere where he could glimpse any clues on the other side. I wasn’t an idiot. But there were other ways to trace the route of a portal, and he couldneverfind out where I was coming from. The truth was, even if he agreed to let me return to the Pinnacles, I wouldn’t stay there with the other contestants at night. I had a promise to keep, a promise to return home daily. Unfortunately, keeping that promise made things a great deal riskier.
“Here and there.” I peered into the mirror to stall while I got a grip. Dust framed me like mist. My black hair hung in a gleaming curtain, hacked off at shoulder length. Large gray eyes never failed to remind me of my beautiful, savage grandmother. Except now, memories of mating with Carmine impinged onthose too. I looked nothing like my twin—she’d had a red-brown hue to her hair, like rust. With her blue eyes and willowy frame, she’d been ethereal—like a fairy instead of a really fucking powerful magus. Was her demon form different?
I didn’t care.
I couldn’t rest untilshewas free from his dungeon. If I failed in that, myentireplan would fail.
Carmine tilted his head. “Your heart is racing.”
He inhaled deeply, and I glanced up long enough to catch the unhinged light in his gray gaze. “Who have you been with? You’ve washed.”
I’d made sure to wash, yes, and I had a supply of meticulously laundered clothes at my halfway point. I opted not to answer.
He stepped into the bathroom. “Whohave you washed off your body, Syera?”
A chill ran down my spine at the appearance of cold Carmine. “If I could, I would have washed the scents of five males off my body. You’re also aware that another male can no longer bring me satisfaction. Why the hell would I waste my time?”
“There are other types of love. Companionship.” He spat the word out like a sharp bone.
I laughed and looked at him in the mirror. “Is that what you miss about me? My companionship? Our chitchats? You loved having a young woman to hang off your every word, didn’t you?”
He stepped closer, and I turned to press my hand against his chest. “Look, I’m tired from the orgy I just had. I’m going to bed.”
Carmine placed his hand over mine, then purred, “Bed? No, enamai. There will be no bed for you as wearied as you must be. You have a banquet to attend.”
I narrowed my eyes. “It’s the middle of the night. The banquet is over.” I’d made sure not to return until this time on purpose.
His smile was all teeth. “We waited for you.”
Which meant he’dmadeeveryone wait. Which meant everyone would extra hate me. “You shouldn’t have. I’ve eaten. Tell the others to dig in.”
“Would you like to change into appropriate attire yourself, or would you like my help?”
The calm words held no room for retort or refusal.
Banquets usually started at dusk. The crimsons and their king had waited at least five hours for my return. Which meant Carmine was beyond reason. Scrap that, he was never in the confines of reason, but where I could push him sometimes... this wasn’t one of those times.
“I’ll dress myself,” I answered. “Meet you there.”
Carmine stepped aside, and I picked my way over the debris to exit the bathroom. Out in the hall, a crimson dress was draped over the armchair. The dress wassylk.He knew I fucking hated sylk.
Carmine walked around me to pass me the garment. Then, he sat in the chair.
Yeah, he’s pissed.I pivoted to enter the bathroom again.
“Do it here,” he ordered in an icy voice.
