“She shouldn’t be alone,” he pressed, though there was less conviction in it now, like he already knew how this was going to end.
“No harm will come to the human while she is under my protection,” he said, his voice low, steady, and entirely certain in a way that made it clear this was not a promise he made lightly.
“You, however,… will remain.” There was no arguing with the way he said it, as though the words themselves had become law. Then he jerked his head towards Kiki, who said,
“And that’s our cue, Buttercup.”
I looked at Bo, not exactly all fired up about leaving him, and he looked even less happy about it.
But before I could say anything, Kiki had already stepped closer, his presence sliding easily into the space beside me as though this had always been the plan.
“This way, darling,” he said lightly, though there was something softer beneath it now, something almost reassuring as he gestured toward the exit.
And just like that…
We were being separated. Which meant I felt as if I was right back where I started when first walking into Oblivion’s club, and Bo had no choice but to abandon me.
“This way, darling,” Kiki said smoothly, turning on one impossibly high heel and gliding back into the crowd. So, I did the only thing I could do, which was to follow him, half jogging to catch up with his long strides.
“So, this Enforcer’s wing, is that what it sounds like?”
“That depends. Does it sound like a place we usually reserve for VIP guests?” I frowned at him, and he chuckled,
“It wasn’t a question, Dollface, as that’s exactly what it is.”
“So, I’m getting the VIP treatment, is that what you’re telling me?” I asked, and I got a wink and a,
“Bingo,” in reply.
“But why?”
“My best guess, because Walder would have given you all his fortune and sold half his soul to get his hands on that relic, and because… well, you're human,” Kiki said once we had made it to the elevator.
“And what’s being human got to do with anything?” I asked as we entered as soon as the doors opened, allowing us inside.
“The Enforcer wing is exactly what it sounds like. Private. Protected. And very much off-limits to anyone who doesn’t belong there.”
“Enforcers only?” I asked, my brows drawing together slightly.
“Among others,” he said with a small, knowing smile.
“Let’s just say, if you’ve been placed there, it’s because someone important would rather you not be easily accessible.” That didn’t exactly put me at ease.
“And Walder…he wants that?” I pressed, unable to keep the uncertainty from slipping into my voice.
Kiki’s smile curved a little more at that, though this time it wasn’t playful so much as… intrigued.
“Oh, I think our dear Lord is simply being… cautious,” he said, his tone light, though the look he gave me suggested there was more to it than that.
“After all, bringing a human into a place like this is bound to attract attention, and we can’t have just anyone wandering into the wrong corridor now, can we?”
“I guess not,” I murmured, though the answer didn’t feel nearly as reassuring as it should have.
“This is your floor,” he said, as the elevator pinged and the doors slid open to reveal a long corridor, one that looked more like it belonged to a castle than a hotel. High vaulted ceilings rose above dark stone walls. Tall arched doorways lined its length, each framed by flickering wall sconces that cast warm,wavering light across the aged surfaces. However, I soon realized that instead of room numbers, each door was marked by a symbol carved into the keystone above it. And it was one of these that we eventually stopped in front of.
“Here we are,” Kiki announced lightly, opening the door with that heart-stopping grin of his.
“I will have some food brought to you and an utterly fabulous outfit, so you are the belle of the ball this evening.” At this, my breath stuttered,
