“I won’t make any more comments about it.”
Worry and guilt fill her face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“No, don’t apologize. I know it was just a joke, and I shouldn’t have been making comments that make this uncomfortable for you. Also, after we get out of this, your awkward situations will probably get worse because I’ll never tell Kyzen to tone down his flirting ever again.”
She gives me a lovey-dovey smile that I try to scoff at, but instead, I end up choking on emotion that tries to break free. To both our surprise, I pull her into a hug and hold her tight.
“Listen to me, Yem, no matter what happens out here, you use your power on yourself. Don’t try to split it between us and protect me. I’m going to be fine as soon as they get here. And they will get here. Seven against three is going to leave me focused on who is attacking us, so you focus on you entirely. Whatever you have to do. Swear to me.”
“That’s not…Thayla, I have to protect you. It’s my—”
“It’s not your fucking job and don’t even say that. You are my friend above all else and I’m sorry it’s taking us being in this situation for me to verbally tell you that. But I’m so serious right now. Fuck the rules. The rules don’t apply in Hell. Swear to me you’ll protect yourself.Please.”
She’s silent and still for too long. I squeeze her tighter as my ball of emotion continues to drag itself up my throat.
“I swear.”
My muscles deflate and so do hers. When I pull back and look at her, her golden eyes are full to the brim with tears, but she’s holding them back with all her might. I give her a tense nod.
Sevryn has moved closer and one wrong twitch of my hand will end up grazing his ass, so I take a small step away.
Unfortunately, there’s movement and my wandering attention falls behind Yemi’s head, right where Dimitri and six other men are lined up at the bars, staring at us.
“I was wondering how long it’d take you to pay us attention, beautiful. Come on over here. I want to get a good look at you before I get my hands on you.”
It’s as though Dimitri’s voice has called the attention of every being down here. The curses and threats were easy enough to tune out since they weren’t directed right at us. It seemed everyone in here but the three of us huddled together was enjoying the thrill of riling each other up.
His calm, almost teasing comment has silence engulfing every cell. Like those two sentences hold a more deadly serious threat than anything else uttered.
“Leave her be.”
“Now, now, Sevryn. Haven’t you learned your lesson about growing sentimental toward your teammates? How has judging them first by their crimes helped with the survivor’s guilt?” His laugh is ruthless.
“What does that mean?” Yemi whispers, and Sevryn’s shoulders bunch up.
“My level of help in the fight depends on the being’s crime. No sense feeling like shit over the death of a rapist.”
I understand the sentiment. I kind of like it, actually. I bet it does help him sleep at night when he’s alone in here after fighting.
“That’s why you asked us. You were weighing how much you were willing to help.”
He grunts and my attention moves back to Dimitri. I give Yemi’s arm a squeeze as I slide by her. She attempts to pull me back, but I tug my arm free.
His smirk slithers all over me and his disgusting interest has my nostrils flaring. I’m not dumb enough to get too close, and he knows that. He chuckles as I stop with a good five-foot gap between myself and the bars.
“You are a stunning little thing. I can’t imagine what you must have done to end up here. Ready to tell me your name now?”
I eye him and the men surrounding him. They’re all evil in my mind but call me curious. “I’ll tell you my name if you tell me your crimes.”
He throws his head back, laughing, and his teammates join in on the horrifying symphony.
“What do you need to know that for, sweetheart? It doesn’t change the outcome of what’s about to happen.”
I shrug. “Just trying to get to know the man who plans on killing me. You know, makes it personal.”
He chuckles again, wiggling his finger at me playfully. “I knew I liked you. You spunky goddesses have always been my type. Unfortunately, that’s what landed me in here. See, my soon-to-be wife caught me down at Seductions again and threatened to leave me. I’m a man with a hungry appetite and I have to eat to get full, you know what I mean?”
I don’t know what Seductions is, but I’m pretty sure I know what he’s getting at.
