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Elio tugs on the door, and it swings open slowly, every drawn-out second sending anxious adrenaline pumping through my limbs. I’ve forgotten about my ridiculous outfit and the fact that Az and Elio have already seen me naked. I’m not thinking about how dumb it was for me to follow them through the portal or how I was almost killed by a Malev. I’m not even thinking about how badly I want to survive so I can go home to the crazy streets of Atlanta and pay my rent on time.
The only thing I can focus on is treading lightly around Rafe and hoping he doesn’t want to kill me.
I haven’t come this far—surviving the portal and the Malev—just to die at the hands of a man on a power trip.
How anticlimactic.
Azarius steps inside first, and Elio tips his head toward the doorway, gesturing for me to follow. I swallow hard and fall in step behind him, careful to avoid his tail, which sways along in front of me.
The room we’re in is about as large as the foyer, but a lot of the space is occupied by furniture. An impressive dining table with six high-backed chairs sits off to the right. It’s all made of darkly stained wood and set with red and gold linens. To the left is a set of couches, positioned around a short black coffee table. A wide fireplace crackles with warmth behind the sitting area, creating an inviting space.
At least it would be inviting if I wasn’t scared out of my fucking mind right now.
As my eyes skate across the room soaking in the beautiful details, that’s when I see him. A dark, menacing figure that seems to materialize out of the black wall. For a moment, he’s all dark shadows and smoke, and then he’s standing before us in the middle of the room.
I watch him for several minutes before I realize I’m gawking and shift my gaze away. Even though he’s the size of a man, he somehow fills every corner of the room with his presence.
The skin that’s not hidden beneath his pressed black suit is smoky gray and covered in black tattoos. Not like Azarius’s, which appear more natural and tribal, but hand drawn and perfectly spaced. There’s no telling how many hours he spent under a tattoo gun to get them all done, and I can’t help but wonder how far the tattoos go. Is his entire body riddled with detailed art?
Dark hair spills past his shoulders, and sharp horns curl around from the back of his head before turning skyward. His vibrant red eyes are locked on me, and I can tell by the look of disapproval on his face that he already hates me.
This isn’t going to go well.
The door behind us closes with deafening finality, and we’re swallowed in complete silence again.
For a moment, no one moves.
No one speaks.
Hell, I can barely breathe.
I don’t know what to do or say, so I keep my mouth shut. Besides, we agreed to let Elio talk—which I’m all for. Rafe is a menacing-looking bastard. The less interaction I have with him, the better.
He takes two steps forward, and Elio and Azarius tense beside me. He might be their boss, but something tells me they’re no safer from being on the chopping block than I am. Fear is one hell of a weapon, and Rafe wields it well.
“When you told me you’d brought someone to the mansion,” he says, his deep voice pounding against my eardrums, “you failed to mention she’s a human.”
“Yes, that tiny piece of information might have been left out, but we wanted to make sure you had all the information available before passing judgment,” Elio explains with a curt nod. “We have reason to believe that this human isn’t completely human.”
Rafe’s eyes narrow as he watches me. I don’t think he’s looked anywhere else since I stepped into the room. I take a sharp breath. The weight of his gaze is almost unbearable, and I desperately want to be anywhere but here.
“She reeks of human blood,” Rafe says, disgust prevalent in his voice. “Why would you bring her through the portal?”
“We didn’t.” Elio glares in my direction.
Rafe’s mouth shifts, and I take a half step behind Azarius. “And I’m supposed to believe she justappearedin the monster realm?”
“Of course not.” Elio shakes his head. “She… she followed us, sir.”
For a moment, all I can hear is the crackle of the fireplace and the blood throbbing steadily in my ears. Rafe doesn’t seem impressed.
“You were careless,” he finally says, and my stomach turns.
This isn’t going well at all.
“We were as careful as ever,” Elio retorts. “We did everything exactly the same.”
“Except you didn’t.” The flatness of Rafe’s voice tells me he’s unamused. “This time you brought a human back with you.”
