Chapter 12

Iyla

“I HATE THAT SHE’S NOT any better,” I said as Zagan and I climbed into my car.

Gemma got tired after about two hours of visiting, so Zagan and I left to let her rest, but not before he slipped a drop of blood in her drink while I distracted her.

“It’s not even been a full week since she’s had my blood,” Zagan offered. “It’s going to take time. You knew that.”

He was right. I knew that, but the bite of disappointment remained strong. I just wanted my sister to get better.

“I know you’re bummed,” Zagan started slowly. “But it’s Friday, the day of the week where you’re supposed to forget your worries and enjoy yourself. So tell me, dear Iyla. What will you be doing this fine evening?”

I started my car and shrugged. “Same thing as always. Studying. Homework. When that runs out, I’ll find more school work to busy myself with.”

The car fell eerily quiet, and I looked over at the demon to see why he’d suddenly stopped talking. He stared at me like I’d lost my mind.

“What?” I asked warily.

“Why is it that every time we talk about fun, your mind always goes to school?”

“Because that’s what my life consists of. I eat and breathe school. That and worrying about Gemma. It’s basically all I have time for.”

“Good for you,” he said sarcastically. “But let’s say, hypothetically, you had no school work. You have the rest of this Friday to do whatever you want. Anything. Would you really spend it studying?”

I ran a hand through my hair and thought about his question. If I could do anything? I thought about all the events Nahla attended on Fridays. I thought about the college parties I’d always seen other people my age getting excited for that I only fantasized about going to. If I could do anything on my very own Friday night, I’d want to live a little. I’d want to be like an average girl, getting a taste for freedom and thrills.

But for some reason, I didn’t want to admit that to him. I didn’t want to admit my own wants out loud, because doing so felt like it would open a floodgate that I wouldn’t be able to close. It would feel like a betrayal to my mom who’d always kept me away from situations exactly like what I occasionally dreamed about.

So I lied. “Nothing.”

Before he could respond, Zagan’s phone rang. He dug it out of his pocket as I finally started driving toward his place.

“Yeah?” he answered.

There was a beat of silence as he listened to whatever the person on the other end said.

“Right now?” Zagan glanced at me. “Fine. Give me a bit to get ready.” He hung up and faced me. “School’s canceled. We’re going out.”

I whipped my head around to look at him. “Excuse me?”

“We’re going to a club with my band. I’m going to show you a little taste of the world outside of your textbooks and harsh expectations of yourself.”

I’d never been clubbing. I’d never gone out for a night like that. Did it always sound fun? Sure. But that was outside the box I stayed in. Was I really going to live beyond that line two Fridays in a row? After what happened last Friday? The consequence from my last moment of fleeting freedom was currently sitting in my car, trying to convince me that I didn’t know what fun was.

“Don’t bother arguing,” Zagan said. “You don’t get a choice. I gave your sister her weekly dose. Now it’s time for my payback.”

“I thought your payment was sex, not my presence while you partied.”

He smirked and looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “Don’t worry. That’s part of the evening.” His eyes raked over me, and his mouth tipped down. “You’re not wearing that, though. Do you own any, you know, sexy outfits?”

I looked down at my shirt, cardigan, and jeans. These were some of the cuter clothes I owned, but they definitely weren’t “Friday-Night-Out” clothes.

He must’ve seen the hesitant look on my face, because he sighed and slumped down in his seat. “Of course you don’t. It’s fine. I’ll phone a friend when we get there.” He looked at me and said excitedly, “Get ready, Iyla. You’re about to see what a real Friday night looks like.”

WE STOOD IN THE FOYER of Zagan’s home. His shoulders bunched before relaxing once more, and when they did, his features changed. His demon horns appeared amid his black locks, his fingernails sharpened and turned black, his two canines became fangs, and his eyes turned inky black with a red vertical slit. He raised one clawed finger and drew the shape of a door in the open air. The imaginary line he drew glowed red before a solid black door suddenly appeared in the air.

He looked at me with a smirk. “I forgot to mention. The club we’re going to is a demonic one called Hell’s Gate. Nice, right?”

There was no time to respond or even think about the information he’d just thrown at me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me through the door. One minute we stood in his living room, and the next we were in a spacious hallway of red carpet and ornate black and silver wallpaper. When I looked behind me for the door to potentially jump back through, I found it gone. Only a solid wall stood behind me.

“Nice try,” Zagan chuckled, tugging on my hand. “You’re stuck here with me, Sparrow.”

I wanted to ask him why he kept calling me that, but before I could, he was pulling us down the hallway toward a black curtain, closer to the sound of pounding music. When we finally emerged through the hanging fabric, my jaw dropped, and my question left me.

Flashing and strobing lights illuminated the dark room, and a backlit bar stood off to one side. Loud pop music with a heavy bass played on speakers throughout the room. A dance floor took up residence in the center of the stadium-size space, and it was occupied by a mass of bodies, gyrating and moving to the song.

That all seemed normal from what I knew in my limited club experience. What stood out were the people in cages that hung from the ceiling. Some of them screamed and waved their hands through the bars at the uncaring people below them. Some, naked and slick with sweat, danced seductively for anyone who might be looking. Others had more than one person squeezed inside the black cages, which shook as the parties inside fought and roared.

Artwork depicting roaring flames eating agonized people or hooded figures ripping hearts out of unsuspecting people from behind adorned the walls around the club. Even more horrifying were the glass cases that seemed to have faces frozen in horror displayed around the bar, and they looked … real. Like real people forever suspended in pain or terror.

Zagan grinned at me, looking much too pleased with my petrified reaction. He nodded toward the cages suspended from the ceiling. “Humans who lost games or owed their soul to the owner of this club. The owner is a Bargainer demon, and a sneaky one at that. People who make contracts with her but don’t read the fine print. People who lost in some twisted game with her. They end up here. Displayed as her trophies.”

Souls? Did he just say those were … souls ? I couldn’t speak. My tongue had been weighed down by horror and rendered useless.

His hand found the small of my back, and he leaned down so his lips brushed the shell of my ear. “Don’t be scared. Your soul is safe inside you … For now.” He chuckled darkly and pushed me along. “This way.”

My body prickled, first with the cold chills of fear, but the chills slowly morphed into heat and awareness. His strong hand stayed on the small of my back, and no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, I couldn’t. Every time he touched me, he was all I could focus on. His touch. His scent. His power. He was intoxicating to be around, and for once, I was thankful for that, given my frightening surroundings.

We reached a large table that had a prime view of the dance floor. I immediately recognized the group of guys sitting there as the rest of Sinners Do It Better, and my nerves skyrocketed when all of their demonic eyes zeroed in on me. It didn’t help when I noticed the chairs around the table looked like bodies that had been contorted and rearranged to make seats.

“There he is,” Perseus called out to Zagan with an excited grin. His black-and-red slitted eyes swiveled back to me, and he added, “I see you brought a snack.”

My cheeks flamed.

Xander laughed and raked his golden eyes over me from beyond the rim of his drink. “Snack? You mean breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That’s the only meal he’ll be getting. Doesn’t look like a very good one, either.”

The heat in my cheeks burned hotter. I fought not to dwell on my plain looks or casual clothes. I knew I stood out like a sore thumb, and among all these beautiful people, I was nothing.

“Shut up, prick,” Zagan snapped, his face darkening and mouth curling up in a snarl.

My heart fluttered with the irritation in Zagan’s voice. I wasn’t dumb enough to believe that he lost his cool momentarily to defend me . He was obviously annoyed with Xander’s poking fun at our situation. Still, the idea that Zagan might’ve wanted to stand up for me was nice. It did something to my insides that I didn’t want to acknowledge.

I reluctantly sat in a seat beside Dante, trying not to dwell on what I was sitting on. I just kept chanting to myself that the legs weren’t really legs and the arms weren’t really arms . It was all fake. I swallowed hard and glanced at the gray material of the chair, forcing myself to see metal and not flesh frozen in some petrified state.

Fake, fake, fake, fake.

I bit the inside of my cheek and faced the dance floor. Zagan took the chair to my right, and he went around the table, reminding me who each guy was. I forced a smile for them, still reeling from the environment of the club.

“So,” Perseus began slowly, pouring himself a refill of whatever drink filled the pitcher on the table. His black-and-red demonic eyes flicked from his glass back to me as he finished, “You’re our lead’s new bond, huh?”

I nodded stiffly, probably looking rather awkward. “I am.”

“How unfortunate,” Perseus sighed, running a hand between his black horns and over his blond waves of hair. His eyes raked over my seated figure. “You’ll only ever get a taste of Zagan and what he has to offer as a partner. You’re really missing out.” He winked and downed some of his drink, his arm muscles straining his shirt as he did.

Dante turned toward me, placing one arm on the table and the other on the back of my chair. The anxiety already thrumming inside me doubled as the large demon practically caged me in and pinned me in place with his suspicious eyes. “What did you want out of a bond with a demon, hmm? Riches? Fame?”

“Dante,” Zagan warned, his gaze zeroing in on his bandmate. “Knock it off. It wasn’t like that.”

“I’m just talking, Z,” Dante appeased, and even though he was smiling, there was something else, something darker, hiding in his grin, especially when it found me again. “So?”

My mouth dried, but I forced out, “I wasn’t looking for anything. It was an accident.”

He leaned closer so that we were nearly nose to nose and growled, “Nothing in this world truly happens by accident, human .”

He pulled back and turned away from me. My heart beat so hard that I feared it would leap right out of my chest. The tension in the air disappeared as quick as it came, and the demons started talking amongst themselves, like Dante hadn’t just made me nearly piss myself. He’d been much more charming in the interviews I’d watched.

Zagan grabbed the pitcher in the center to pour himself a drink, also seeming unfazed by the interaction. He raised a pierced brow at me and queried, “I’m assuming you want water, right?”

Eager to down my nerves with something cold and refreshing, I nodded. “Yes, please.”

“Okay. I’ll—”

“Eeeep!”

My eyes widened at the sudden squeal, and I watched dumbfounded as a curvy, topless strawberry-blonde bounced over and fell into Zagan’s lap, nearly whacking him in the face with her tall and thin, pointy black horns. She wrapped her arms around his neck and straddled him in his chair, her round, perky, perfect breasts right there .

“Zagan, Zagan, Zagan. You busy-body. I can’t believe you actually came tonight!”

Zagan’s blank face stayed level with hers, and his hands rested on the table top next to the pitcher and glass he’d been in the middle of pouring. “Yeah, I’m here. Deaf now after your yelling but here. Did you bring what I texted you?”

“Sure did! Where is—” She turned to look around the table, and her golden eyes—the same as Xander’s—found mine. Her face instantly brightened, and she released Zagan to face me and leaned across the table. “Oh my gosh, is this her? She’s so beautiful!” She grabbed my hands and squeezed them. “Hi! I’m Eden! Are you Zagan’s new bond?”

It took me a few tries to get words out of my gaping mouth. “Y-Yes. I’m Iyla.”

“Iyla! Such a gorgeous name.” She stood and grabbed a shopping bag from under the table. “Come with me, Iyla. I’ve got you something absolutely stunning to wear.”

The energy of this girl had my head spinning. If a golden retriever transformed into a person, it would be her. I was sure if I looked over her shoulder, I’d even see a fluffy tail wagging furiously.

“You’re fine with her,” Zagan said to me. “Eden is a whirlwind, but she’s harmless.”

Eden wiggled her waiting fingers at me. She didn’t seem to care at all about her bare boobs hanging out. Maybe that was a normal occurrence for a demon club. Who freaking knew? So with my mind still reeling from her seemingly boundless energy, I took her hand and let her pull me after her.

“I suggested you change back there, but Zagan said you were modest,” Eden explained as she pulled me down a hall and into a spacious bathroom. “So you can get ready here.”

The moment the door closed, she sat the shopping bag down and rummaged inside. She pulled out a strapless red dress and heels, holding them out for me. I stopped breathing. Even without putting the thing on, I knew it would leave nothing to the imagination. I might as well be naked like her.

“Um—” I reached out to take the clothes, trying to form a polite reply.

Before I could, she cheerfully announced, “I’ll wait for you in the hall.” The bubbly demon left me alone as quickly as she talked.

I held up the dress at eye level, and my stomach fluttered with fresh nerves. I’d never worn anything like it … but I kinda wanted to. I wanted to see what I looked and felt like in a dress like this.

So with a momentary sense of curiosity and excitement, I shed my clothes, leaving on just my panties. I pulled the soft dress on. The hem barely reached midthigh, and the neckline sat low, exposing the tops of my breasts. My nipples poked through the fabric, and no matter how I adjusted it, that didn’t change.

I was so focused on smoothing out the dress that I didn’t notice the person slipping into the bathroom until hands landed on my bare legs below the hem of the dress. I gasped, but before I could turn, the warm body pressed into my back.

“You can’t wear underwear with this kind of dress, Sparrow,” Zagan’s rough voice whispered against the side of my neck.

I let out a shaky breath as his hands glided up the swells of my hips, reaching under the dress to hook around my panties. My core throbbed when his body slid down my back, following the tug of my underwear down my legs. I stepped out of them and turned to face him just as he stood and tucked my panties into his pocket.

“Those are mine,” I protested, but even I heard the lack of fight in my voice.

He smirked. “Not anymore.” His red-slitted eyes slowly traced over my body, starting at my head and working their way to my feet then back up again. “You looking fucking exquisite.”

I averted my eyes as a fierce heat swept over my face. My hands fumbled to smooth down the dress, which had risen up around my thighs. “Thank you.”

He gestured to the door behind him. “Eden is getting impatient, wanting to dance with you. I made her put a top on since I figured you’d be more comfortable with that.”

My heart did a funny little flip. It was strange having Zagan do something to help me feel more at ease. He certainly didn’t have to do that, and I was pretty sure he was the type who didn’t go out of his way for others. So I appreciated the gesture since it did, in fact, make me more comfortable.

“I better not keep her waiting then,” I said, taking a deep breath. “She seems nice. Energetic but nice. I hope I can keep up with her.”

He snorted. “Yeah. Good luck with that.”

He followed me out into the hallway where Eden waited, now wearing a bright pink sequin top with her black shorts. Her eyes lit up when she saw me come out. “Yes, ma’am! Look how sexy you are!”

I smiled, and despite my earlier hesitation, my nerves slowly washed away. It was impossible to stay on edge with such a friendly soul. “Thanks, Eden. You look great, too.”

“Thank you! Now come dance and tell me all about yourself.” She grabbed my hand and practically skipped back to the main room with me in tow behind her.

I glanced over my shoulder, catching one last look at Zagan. There was no missing the way his eyes continued to trace over my every curve. His attention made my blood burn with a desire so strong that my knees went weak and my chest tightened. It made me want to pull his body against mine and to dance just like we did last Friday. But I ignored that urge, because it was ridiculous. I couldn’t dance with him like that in front of all these people.

The people on the dance floor made room for Eden and I. The music boomed louder here, and each beat shook the ground under my feet. The moment we found our place in the throng of demons, Eden started swaying her hips and moving like a beautiful goddess. Dancing so close to someone who knew how to command their body as well as she did was intimidating, so I kept my own movements slow and small.

“I’m so glad Zagan brought you here. A real human girl!” Eden beamed, leaning in close to be heard over the music. I narrowly avoided losing an eye when one of her gazelle-looking demon horns came extra close. “Don’t get me wrong. Demons are great, but they can be such a bore . All dark and brooding and black all the time. Like livin’ up, you know? Wear some color !”

I laughed, noticing that the majority of people around us were indeed dark, brooding, and wearing black. “Do humans not get brought here often?”

She shook her head. “Hardly ever, and when they do, everyone fights over them wanting to either fuck their brains out or consume their soul.”

My eyes widened with the mental image of fangy beasts frothing at the mouth as they tore into human flesh, but she didn’t seem to notice, talking as if we were discussing the weather.

“Thankfully, everyone can smell the bond on you, so they know not to bother trying.”

Alarmed, I bent my head to sniff myself. “I smell?”

She giggled and grabbed my arm to stop my sniff-check. “It’s not a bad smell. You just smell like Zagan.”

My cheeks burned, and I looked sideways at Zagan. He was back at the table, sitting in my seat so that he faced the dance floor. Perseus and Xander had disappeared, so it was just the three remaining members left. Zagan and Dante were talking while Coldin stared blankly at seemingly nothing.

It was like Zagan could feel me the moment I looked over there, because while he continued speaking to Dante, his black-and-red eyes flicked in my direction. His hungry gaze trailed over me as I barely swayed to the music. I sucked in a sharp breath and quickly turned away. I wasn’t sure why I was embarrassed. Maybe because he caught me looking at him, or maybe because I worried he’d somehow sense the throbbing between my legs that he’d conjured with his heated gaze.

Maybe it was both.

Something was probably wrong with me. I was in a room full of demons—one of whom wasn’t opposed to my dying—yet I couldn’t seem to focus on that right now. Not when I could still feel Zagan’s lustful eyes tracking my body as I danced with Eden. Worried goosebumps didn’t paint my flesh, but rather, pinpricks of desire. He didn’t want to kill me in this moment. No, he wanted to fuck me, and having that sort of power over him was a drug I hadn’t realized I liked being addicted to.

Eden kept me moving for multiple songs, spinning me and gyrating on me. It was surprisingly a blast, losing myself in the music and just letting instinct take over. It helped that Eden cheered me on and hyped me up while I moved. My heart hammered, and my feet grew tired in these foreign heels. After four songs, a new thrumming, sensual beat took over the speakers, and I perked up in recognition.

“This is …” I started slowly, turning on autopilot to seek out Zagan. His attention was already locked right on me as I finished, “One of his songs.”

Zagan propped an arm on the table and beckoned me to him with a crook of his clawed finger.

“Oh, you better go,” Eden said with a conspiratorial gleam in her eye. “He looks serious.”

My mouth dried while my mind raced to think of why he needed me. I nodded to Eden and excused myself, walking toward where he now sat alone at the table.

“Do you need something?” I asked when I reached him.

His eyes changed then, morphing from black-and-red to blue, and his horns, fangs, and claws faded until he appeared human once more. He held his hand out for me, and I looked at it as though it may bite me. I wasn’t sure what he was up to — there was no telling with him — and it was making a fresh wave of nerves stampede in my gut.

Were we leaving? Getting a drink? Going someplace private so he could “eat?” I wasn’t sure which one I was hoping for, even as I placed my hand in his.

The moment our palms connected, he yanked me toward him. I gasped and fell into his arms. His pierced lips spread into a grin as he placed me in his lap so that my back was to his torso, and we faced the bustling crowd while the first lyrics of his song wrapped around us.

“What are you doing?” I asked skeptically, looking over my shoulder at him.

He licked his lips, and his hand moved from my waist to rest on the tops of my thighs. I held my breath, and my eyes fluttered as he grazed his nose along my throat like a predator searching for the best spot to sink their teeth into their prey. I made a soft noise at the onslaught of electrifying desire that zipped around inside me, and I zeroed in on the feel of his strong hands as the sound of his recorded voice taunted me over the speakers about sex and sin.

His hands trailed over my skin, stopping where they met in the crease of my legs. His fingers grabbed my thick thighs, just below the hem of my dress, and he slowly opened them and used his own legs to help keep them parted.

My heart stilled as alarm suddenly mingled with the arousal coursing through me. My eyes darted around the packed club, and I grabbed his wrists in an effort to stop them from opening my legs any wider.

“Zagan!” I hissed, but it was like he didn’t hear me.

My thighs were spread wide, and my dress had ridden up so that the fabric nearly bunched around my waist. The cool air kissed my bare and wet middle, which now ached with a need to be touched, despite the panic clouding my mind.

“Za—” My breath hitched as his finger swiped through my folds and rubbed teasingly over my clit. I bit my lip as my back arched, and I ducked my head, too afraid to look out at the crowd.

My naked pussy was in full view beneath the table. If someone glanced this way, it wouldn’t be hard to guess what we were doing based on our position and my inability to keep my reactions off my face. Even more than that, if they looked under the table, they’d be able to see everything happening—Zagan’s fingers massaging my pulsing bundle of nerves, my legs subconsciously opening wider in an effort to get more, my ass grinding into Zagan’s groin. It was beyond embarrassing.

So why did it only turn me on more?

I let out a shaky gasp as his fingers rubbed and flicked my clit. I dared another anxious glance around the room. No one seemed to be paying us any mind. At least, not that I could see before I was forced to duck my head once again as a tremor of pleasure shook my body.

“You like me playing with this pussy in a room full of people?” Zagan rumbled against my ear.

I pressed my lips together, refusing to answer. That was a mistake.

He slapped my parted folds, eliciting a biting sting of pain amid the swirling pleasure. “Answer me.”

“Yes!” I gasped, trying to ignore the burn from his smack and how it made me even wetter. How was that possible?

He pressed two fingers to my clit this time, and my eyes rolled back into my head. My hips bucked on their own accord, and I gripped the table’s edge tightly.

“Do you like my fingers touching you here?”

“Yes,” I responded immediately. I had learned my lesson to answer when he asked me a question.

“Do you want more?”

I nodded hard, my legs shaking as I burned hotter right where his fingers moved. “Yes!”

He shifted some beneath me as his chest vibrated against my back with a soft chuckle. “Good. Because I’m going to fuck you right here.”

There was no time to process his words. His dick plunged deep inside of me.