“Wait. If I go to this meeting, you’ll let me leave?”
“Your freedom will be on the cards, yes.”
“What’s the catch?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. This seemed almost too good to be true, which meant there was far more to this than she’d said so far. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to try to convert me or something. I’m not going to join your fucking demon death cult.”
“First,” she said. “It’s not a death cult. And second, we have no intention of trying to convert you.”
“Then, what is this?” I asked, still extremely suspicious. After sneaking into Caim’s apartment to trap me, bringing me here, and then keeping me locked up all day, there was no chance in hell they were just going to let me walk out that door in exchange for going to a cult meeting. “Wait. You’re trying to use me to get to Caim and the rest of the Legion. Aren’t you? Are you luring them here?”
Panic sliced through my gut. I should have guessed that was what they were planning. They’d been after Caim and the Legion for weeks, trying to trap them and use their blood for a bizarre demon transformation ritual. In the end, they’d almost succeeded. They’d been two seconds away from eternal life. Until I’d taken it away from them.
So, maybe that had a teensy bit to do with it, too.
Andrea shook her head and let out an airy laugh. “Oh, Eva. We don’t want Caim. Now, come along. The meeting is about to begin. Everyone is waiting for you.”
An eerie dread settled in my gut like I’d just gorged on an entire large pizza, a side of jalapeño poppers, and then followed it up with a tub of ice cream. Don’t judge. I’d totally done that before. My gut instinct was to spit in her face and refuse to go with her, but I had a sinking feeling they’d drag me kicking and screaming if I tried that tactic.
Besides, maybe I could get a good look at where I was and how to get out of here. Could get some useful information for when I staged a hasty escape. If they didn’t let me leave like she promised, which I was seriously doubting, a little recon could go a long way.
I gave her a tight smile. “Fine. Just promise me one thing.”
“I don’t have to promise you anything, Eva Martin.” She stepped back and motioned for me to join her in the hallway. As soon as I ducked through the doorway, those two beefy men from earlier swarmed me. Each guy grabbed one of my wrists and then wound it behind my back. Rough rope dug into my skin.
“Ouch!” I gritted my teeth and yanked at the bonds, but they had me tied up before I even knew what was happening. “For fuck’s sake. I thought you said you were going to let me go if I came with you to this meeting.”
“I said it will be on the cards,” Andrea said easily, not skipping a beat. “And the meeting isn’t over with yet.”
I narrowed my eyes, grumbling beneath my breath as I followed her down the dimly-lit corridor. The walls were painted a deep crimson red, and gold-framed photos lined up to portray generations of an old money family. The soft carpet matched the walls, stretching down to curving, marble stairs.
“Is this your house?” I asked Andrea as I followed behind. The bodyguards—or whatever they were—lurked behind me like menacing wraiths.
“The less you know about us, the more likely it is we’ll let you go,” she called over her shoulder. “If you have any information that could lead the Legion—or even the cops—back to us, well. I think you know what has to happen then.”
That shut me up. I pressed my lips together and fought back the urge to point out that I’d had a good look out the window and could wedge together some puzzle pieces she’d not meant for me to notice. For one, we were somewhere with a beach. Not too far from the city or it would have taken too long to get here. According to my watch, I’d only been out of it for a couple of hours. And it was somewhere with large homes and wealthy inhabitants. That narrowed itwaydown.
And two, the romance book I’d picked up had been signed by a local author. A writer whose signing Anya had once dragged me to. In...guess where? The Hamptons.
After we wound our way down the stairs, Andrea led me through a lofted entranceway packed full of ceremonial marble statues—tigers and cheetahs and even a bear—and into a sitting room where a dozen white-clad cult members were waiting for me.
They all turned our way in unison. Twenty-four eyes scraped across my skin, and it was all I could do not to shudder. The room itself was something straight out of a horror film. Here, there were more animals. But instead of marble, they were stuffed. A squirrel sat atop a gold pillar with its mouth wide and its arm outstretched, as if it were reaching for an acorn. Or my soul.
Gritting my teeth, I turned my eyes to the floor. Those stuffed animals were fucking everywhere, and they were a grim reminder that I was stuck in a mansion with a bunch of people who wanted to turn themselves into demons and open the gate to Hell.
My life had really taken a weird turn.
“Everyone, this is Eva.” Andrea turned to me with a glittering smile. “Eva, this is everyone.”
“Yeah,” I said with a nod, still keeping my eyes glued to the floor.
“Shall we begin the test then?” Andrea said as she turned toward the men still lurking behind me. Rough hands grabbed my arms, their fingernails digging into my skin. Eyes watering, I tried to jerk away, but it was no use. They were way stronger than me.
“What are you doing? You’ve already bound my wrists and tied them behind my back. It’s not like I can get out of here,” I snapped, narrowing my eyes at Andrea. “Tell them to let me go. Please.”
“As soon as we complete the test, they will.” Without waiting for my reply, Andrea nodded to the men behind me. One rounded me. Tall, ice-blue eyes, a face full of scruffy, unkempt beard. And he was holding a glinting dagger in a hand that was as big as my entire head.
My stomach dropped. Heart hammering, I swallowed hard and tried to take a step back. The beefcake behind me held me firm, and I went absolutely nowhere.
Suddenly, I realized they weren’t going to let me go. Andrea had never even planned it. They were going to stab me with that knife. I was going to die here. And even though I’d always been battling to stay alive, this was the first time death had everreallystared me in the face.
