Nyx wiped imaginary dust from her front as nerves set in, stomach rumbling just in time to remind her how important tonight was.
Helpless lives depended on it. On her. And she wouldn’t let them down.
Unlike other daemon, Nyx hadn’t been born with strong chaos. She could muster a small illusion or trick of the light, but nothing flashy. In fact, such a small amount of chaos coursed through her veins that the more powerful of her kind didn’t even recognize it as such– they taunted her with human words like, “magic.”
Fuck them.
Nyx set her shoulders, released a shaky breath, and forced a swagger into her steps. The click of her heeled shoes rang through the night as she stepped around the corner to the main entrance. She’d already tried the side doors. Surprise, surprise, they were locked. Her mood turned to shit when she realized that it wasn’t a lock she could pick either. No, the fucking Oneiroi magicked the locks. Only an employee and their essence could open one of those doors. She put plan B into motion because if you wanted to stay alive in Olympia, sometimes you had to get scrappy.
The line of daemon trying to whisk away into the levels of Club Hel was long and there was no way they were all getting in. A quick scan showed that most of them were female, as expected. When the high rollers of Olympia came to town, everyone ran to try their luck at snagging a god and Nyx knew that it would be harder to gain entrance because of it. Only the most beautiful and eccentric would make it past the black velvet ropes tonight.
A shout of laughter drew her attention to a group of four men walking past the waiting line. They stopped just short of the entrance to finish the cigarettes trapped between their fingers.
“Brilliant,” Nyx whispered to herself.
This would be her ticket in. Cigarettes were not common in Olympia as they were from the human world. Anyone who had access to human garbage and flaunted it like these men had status.
Nyx inhaled, called upon the small spark of her power, and drew the shadows in around the group. It wasn’t enough to catch their attention but rather drown out some of the neon light glaring from the Club Hel sign.
She approached the group with narrow hips swaying and a fake smile plastered on her painted black lips. Those facing Nyx looked up, attention caught by the clicking of her heels, and watched with predatory eyes as she sauntered to them.
When she was close enough to see the stubble on their cheeks, she reached out, dragged a finger around the nearest man's back and rested her hand on his shoulder. He tensed at the surprise intrusion but covered it with a suave maneuver.
“And what Level of Hel will you gentlemen be enjoying tonight?” Her tone was seductive, a trick she’d mastered by the time she was sixteen years old.
Rule number one of manipulating men? Touch. If you initiate, they will follow.
Nyx tossed him a wink. Her body burned as his eyes roamed from top to bottom, his suit jacket undone and the top buttons of his shirt open. Accompanied by mussed blonde hair and bedroom eyes, she could guess where they were going.
His name had to be Cupid.
“Depends on what level you’re going to, sweetness,” another said to her left. He had shoulder-length brown hair and wastaller than the others with broad shoulders and a shirt one size too small.
He stood like a burly bear motherfucker.
She was going to name him Teddy.
“Well,” she said, a sly edge to her voice. “I was going to start my night in Gluttony, but I’m beginning to think my plans are changing.” She made a show of looking longingly at them while biting her lip.
Men were so fucking predictable.
Cupid wrapped his arm around Nyx’s waist and pulled her in against his side. His cologne was dizzying and made her empty stomach turn, but she fought to keep the lazy look of lust in her eyes. He lowered his mouth to her ear and bit the lobe eliciting a sharp pinch. His stale breath blew across her cheek as he said, “What’s your name, baby?”
Nyx turned her face to his, letting her lips whisper across his own as she spoke. “Ambrosia.”
They all shared a knowing laugh before Teddy piped up. “I bet you taste divine.”
“Only one way to find out.” She winked.
Nyx strode toward the door without a backward glance. She was counting on them to follow. They were, after all, her one-way ticket to Hel.
She’d nearly made it to the door when a hand cupped her ass. “Slow down, baby. You trying to get rid of us?” Laughter rose from the group. Cupid was a fucking comedian.
Nyx kept walking until they reached the Club Hel bouncer standing guard at the entrance. One nod from Cupid and the velvet rope was unlocked, just like that.
Pompous, entitled sons-of-bitches.
Her anger burned like acid on her tongue, and it took every ounce of self-control to keep it from spewing past her lips. Shewished her life had been that damn easy, but she didn’t have a dick hanging between her legs.
