The second train roared through the space I’d occupied a heartbeat before.
Fuck!
Cold sweat beaded along my hairline, my curls plastered to my scalp.
That was close.I wouldn’t have died from being run over by a train back in the mortal world, but this was the Underworld, realm of the dead and demons. Rules worked differently here. Eat or drink anything, and you’re bound to Hell for eternity. Queen Lilith had tried to hijack my mind once, offering me forbidden fruit. Good thing I’d refused.
Everyone was running, scrambling in every direction like rats in a maze.
“Bea!” I screamed as I ran, but my voice was swallowed by the roar of engines and the relentlessclick-clackof wheels on rails.
Then, as suddenly as they came, the mechanical noises ceased. The murderous trains vanished into the darkness beyond the perimeter. Before my heart could slow or my mind could make sense of this warped dimension, a spinning spotlight blazed from above, turning the railroad maze into a disorienting new nightmare.
As the beam swept over us, the glare was blinding.
What fresh fuckery is this?
“Barbie!” A voice cut through the chaos.
“Bea!” I lunged toward the sound, desperately searching for my friend.
But it wasn’t Bea. It was Grace—my nemesis.
A sneer twisted her lips as she advanced, a pack of elite bitches flanking her. Unlike me, she didn’t even flinch under the crimson spotlight. She’d clearly been trained to handle sensory overload. But of course. This was her territory.
Grace and her gang fanned out in a tight formation, caging me in. Every face in the mob mirrored hers, twisted with anger, jealousy, and disgust. They’d all seen it: Killian claiming me in front of everyone, casting aside the Queen of the Underworld for a nobody.
That cunt is so aggressive,Sy hissed.I should eat your copy’s face right here to set an example. I’m hungry, and I haven’t had dinner.
She hadn’t touched a sentient being since we’d entered Mist of Cinder. Good for her soul, maybe, but part of her clearly missed it.
“Think you’re special?” Grace spat, her voice dripping venom. “You think youdeservehim?”
Cunt talks about your mate as if she owns him,Sy bristled.Let me at her.
“You’re barking up the wrong tree,” I smirked, knowing my smug smile would irk her. “Take it up with Killian, but I warn you, he won’t be as sweet as I am.”
“You’re far from sweet, ugly Barbie!” Bellona, Grace’s hulking attack dog, snarled.
I winked. “Agree to disagree. My point is, Killian knows I’m his true mate. One day, I’ll be his queen!” I tossed my curls for effect. Not that I gave a fuck about being queen. My own father was a god, and look where that got me. No perks, just endless nightmares. But riling up the mob? Priceless. “Man, don’t you love that? Though I should mention that none of you are getting a wedding invite, and none of you will have a taste of my wedding cake.”
A collective gasp swept through them, as if the idea of Killian marrying me was beyond comprehension.
“Stay positive,” I said, crossing my fingers. “The future is ours.”
But deep down, I knew that future would never be mine, no matter how much I craved it.
“You’ll never have him!” Grace hissed, her golden curls, so like mine, tangled with volcanic ash.
My double lunged, faster than I expected, but then again, this was her turf. Her fist shot toward my jaw. I tilted my headjust enough; the blow grazed my cheek, close enough to sting. I didn’t back away. Instead, I stepped inside her guard and drove my knee hard toward her stomach. She twisted at the last second, taking the hit on her hip.
“I already have him,” I said, voice low. “Sucks to be you.”
Sy laughed.
“You’ll be dead before you ever see him again,” Grace growled.
“Only losers make promises they can’t keep,” I sneered.
