Page 10 of In Between Death and the Devil

“They have a pleasure elixir that will help you let go of your inhibitions, if that’s your desire.” The woman sighed, as if remembering the effects. “But there’s no rush. You have centuries ahead of you. Don’t push yourself too hard tonight.”

“Note to self: don’t drink anything in there,” I murmured to Bea.

“Right, we wouldn’t want to have any fun,” she deadpanned.

I snorted despite myself.

“Don’t worry, Maeve. I told you we’d use tonight to figure out what comes next, and I meant it. I’m curious, too.”

“Thanks.” I gave her a grateful smile.

When we entered the Great Hall, the party was in full swing, but it was the room that almost made me miss a step. The stone and wood-paneled walls were half eaten by shadows that looked more solid and less glittering than the ones in Death’s castle. A balcony with iron railings ran along three sides of the room. Below it ran a walkway separated from the main room by arches made of shadows, with bits of marble and wood suspended at the edges. Hundreds of lights floated high overhead, but the room felt dim, as if providing cover for whatever indulgences were desired.

Bea and I exchanged a wide-eyed look. I’d expected something fit for an orgy, but the reality was more than I’d imagined, in every way.

We passed a seating area with chairs and settees in silver and red. The Devil’s colors. My fingers itched to touch the red velvet upholstery on the nearest chair. I could practically feel the caress of the fabric against my skin. Fisting my hands, I resisted the pull and followed Bea further into the room.

People from both castles crowded the floor. I couldn’t help but look at every face we passed, expecting to see the man from my vision, but I didn’t find him. Death’s people were easily identifiable by the elegant green and gold clothing they wore. The other half of the crowd were in red and silver. Flowing gowns with plenty of skin on display, embroidered leather that looked rich and touchable. Clothing meant to seduce.

My lips curled in disgust. Tempters. It was said the Devil gave them powers of manipulation to use on his behalf. After all, the worst torture wasn’t physical—something I knew better than most. If I hadn’t chosen to come to the In Between, they would have meted out my punishment in the Devil’s Dungeon after my death. Gods, what would I have deserved?

How they could justify working for the Devil I would never understand, nor was I the only one from the looks of it. My palms grew slick as I watched pockets of Judges and Tempters eye each other with hostility.

Not everyone felt that way, though. A male Judge and Tempter nearby played with a different kind of tension, their hands slipping under their clothes, oblivious to anything else. I felt a flush building from my chest and an ache building lower, but I couldn’t bring myself to look away. When a server passed by with drinks, the men grabbed glasses of something red from the tray and tossed them back before stumbling to the dance floor where they tangled together, moving to the music. Their movement was almost hypnotic.

“Do you want to dance?” Bea asked.

“What? No. Why?”

“You’re swaying to the music.”

I hadn’t realized I was moving until she told me. Planting my feet on the floor, I forced myself to be still. The ache pulsed between my legs, but I ignored it.

“It’s okay if you want to.”

“I don’t.” It didn’t matter what my body wanted. I wasn’t here to indulge my desires. I didn’t deserve to. I was here for information. “Come on. Let’s mingle.” I pointed to some people I recognized as new arrivals at the other end of the room. Bea tucked her arm in mine, and we headed in that direction.

“I’m so nervous about tomorrow’s evaluation,” one of them said as we joined them.

“Did you find out what’s involved?” I asked.

“No, but I bet it’s hard since more than half of us won’t make the final cut.”

“Maybe it has something to do with telling right from wrong,” another one of them said. “Since we’re going to be training to judge souls.”

The others around us nodded.

“I don’t think they’d have let us come to the In Between if they didn’t think we could do that,” Bea said, gently patting the man on the arm.

“Good point,” he said.

Bea raised her eyebrows at me.

Since this group could only guess at what came next, I scanned the room for other sources of information. My gaze snagged on the dais with a massive silver and black throne in the middle, and my heart skipped a beat. I expected to see the Devil sitting there, lording over the party, but it was empty. Perhaps he preferred to be in the middle of the action, or a more intimate encounter. I shivered at the thought.

Two male Tempters dressed in rich burgundy leather with silver accents stood on the steps in front of it. One wiry and lean with dark hair, and the other blond and muscled with the prettiest face I’d ever seen. They scanned the room like they were anticipating trouble, their eyes missing nothing. I pretended to focus on what the novices were saying, but I watched them out of the corner of my eye.

“I bet you a month’s laundry duty that a fight breaks out in the next fifteen minutes,” the pretty one said.