Chapter 9

Someone is staring at me.

My eyes flashed wide open after only a few hours of fitful sleep. Wild dreams assailed me, and I had no idea what to make of them. Visions of nameless faces filled my mind, all grabbing at me, wanting things I'd never dream of doing now. My stomach tightened and rolled. So many faces all twisted with poisonous desire for me. I sat up straight and ran my hands over my arms, trying to warm myself. It wasn't the cold of the dungeon that sent a shiver down my spine, it was the chilling thought of those dreams. I turned my head, expecting to find those wanting eyes roaming over me, but it was the opposite. The former Lord of Shadows, Avalon, stared at me with so much anger in his eyes that I could feel it rolling off of him.

"Getting your kicks watching me sleep? Bit creepy, you know?" I kicked my legs over the edge of the slate shelf and rose to stand.

"First time I've seen you where you belong." He approached the jagged stones they'd used as bars to keep me in. They looked like shark teeth that would cut me into bits if I tried to get through.

"You don't even know me." I shook my head and felt my lips turn up in a smirk.

He returned my smirk with a snide smile of his own. "That's only a matter of memory."

I hated the way his long hair fell over his face and let his pointed ears just peek through giving me a glimpse of the sexy piercings in his ear. I hated the way his eyes glowed in the dark cell, and the way I felt drawn to him even though there was clearly nothing but dislike between us. He was so tall and too beautiful. I turned my back to him to try and break whatever hold he had on me.

"Go away."

He growled behind me. "No one commands me. Least of all a traitor."

I sighed and turned back to face him. "I still have no clue what the fuck you're talking about. But you clearly hate me—"

"—Understatement."

I walked up to the bars, getting closer to him. The smell of ash filled my senses. "Anyways, I'll be happy to walk my happy ass right back out of your life—"

"—If I were so blessed." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"I've never personally known someone who could hate another just for existing, but assholes come in all forms, I suppose." I met his eye and glared back at him.

He sucked in a deep breath and ground his teeth together. The muscle in his jaw ticked. "As do traitors."

"Once again, from the top . . . I am not a traitor to you or anyone else."

"Not that you remember . . . but you will."

I threw my arms up and let them fall with a slap to my thighs. "My sins are my own. I don't need anyone else's laid at my feet."

He chuckled and stepped closer to the bars. "You'll see."

"How about you just tell me, then send me packing. Whatever you have against me will be gone once I am."

"Why is our guest locked in this cell?" A man dressed in armor that looked like it'd been braided piece by piece over his body stepped up beside Avalon. He was slightly shorter than Avalon, with long, straight, icy blond hair and eyes so dark they were nearly black. His face was all sharp plains and angles with high cheekbones, a long straight nose, and a cleft chin. He wore a dark silver crown with multiple thick horns jutting up from it.

Avalon was so different than the regal looking one next to him. He was grittier, more dangerous looking, and though his face was beautiful, his features weren't as sharp. He turned to the man. "That's where murderers belong."

Those two pricks tried to force themselves on me. I cleared my throat, drawing their attention back to me. "Self-defense is not murder."

Avalon interjected. "You mean . . . Your Yighness."

I looked him up and down. Avalon might be a lord, but he was no king. "No."

The man next to Avalon chuckled. "I enjoy wit. But not him of course . . . me."

Avalon cleared his throat. "King Dacio of the demons, may I present Lily of no-one and nothing."

Lily? Is that who he thought I was?I wasn't about to correct him. None of my personal shit needed to be known to either of these two. I just needed to get out of here and back to my sisters. This was one trip I would love to forget.

I sighed. "Okay, Your Highness, King Dacio, I want out of this crazy place. Send me back, and I'll never bother you again."

His brow furrowed. "Send you back?"

"Yes, to where this asshole took me from, to Earth. I don't belong here. I don't want to be here. And it's clear he doesn't want me here either. The simple solution is to send me back." I didn't know if I was grasping at straws, but if he could come and take me from my home, he could damn well bring me back.

He glanced to Avalon. "It seems our hospitality has been less than gracious. My apologies. We will have you moved to one of our rooms immediately. But, I'm sorry, it's too late to bring you back. The Veil is closed now."

My heart started to hammer in my chest. "What does that mean?"

Avalon snickered. "It means the door to the other world is closed, and you are now stuck here."

I swallowed, dreading the answer to my next question. "For how long?"

A wide smile spread across his face. "For the next fifty years."