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The huge structure before us, nestled amongst the trees, looked like an old gas power plant. The exterior was rusted metal and concrete, giving the structure a red-tinged color. Massive steam stacks lined one side of the building, and the forest had begun to overtake them, their sides draped in vines and moss. Lights flashed from the windows, and heavy bass rumbled through the metal.
“I’m glad you wanted to come,” Zane said, and slipped his arm around my shoulders. My stomach was light with anticipation as we walked closer, my hands twitching. I’d left my guns in the car, but I still had my knife. I hoped leaving them hadn’t been a mistake.
I trusted Zane, but I didn’t trust other demons. I just had to reassure myself that if anyone tried to harm me, Zane wouldn’t stand for it. I had no doubt he’d go absolutely ballistic on anyone or anything that got invasive with me.
It was the first time I was sincerely entrusting him with my well-being. I was walking into a place where every single other being there could crush me like a bug. I was walking into a party full of predators, andIwas their favorite prey. So I took a deep breath to steady my nerves, and shoved my nervous hands in my trouser pockets as Zane pulled open a thick metal door.
The moment the door was open, the sounds and smells of the party within were unleashed.
The interior of the power plant was massive, reaching up several stories. The upper floors were made of grated walkways, and abandoned machinery was scattered around — massive generators and turbines.
Everywhere, crowded onto every available inch of floor, were demons.
Their bodies twisted with the music, dancing, grinding up against each other. Golden eyes shone in the dark, sharp teeth caught the blacklights’ glow. Most of them were at least partly, if not fully, undressed. There was bare skin everywhere I looked, most of it adorned with piercings, tattoos, and scars.
Couples, throuples, and more fucked against the machinery, on the leather chairs and couches, on the floor. Dancers swung from the chains that dangled above, some of them restrained, contorting themselves into positions that should have been impossible. The air smelled of sex, musky and sharp. It smelled of liquor, tobacco, and weed.
It simultaneously reminded me of the dirtiest underground clubs I’d ever set foot in, and the classiest, most exclusive ones.
Zane and I waded into the sea of bodies, and he kept me tucked close to his side. I expected it to be a struggle to make our way in, but without even glancing at us, the crowd parted as if on instinct. The music blasted from every angle, massive speakers tucked away amongst the rusted old machinery, playing some dark heavy beat. As we went deeper, I noticed more and more eyes turning our way. Their gazes landed first on me, then slid to Zane and quickly looked away.
“They’re scared of you,” I said. He chuckled.
“They respect me,” he said. “Although I suppose there isn’t much difference.”
Phantom touches caressed lightly over my back, over my head. They were quick and cautious — almost curious. It was impossible to tell who was doing it, but I kept glimpsing hungry smiles through the crowd.
Zane must have felt me tense. “Don’t worry. They’re just curious.”
“They’re getting a little too touchy,” I said, gritting my teeth as a particularly adventurous phantom touch stroked over my lower back. “Whoever the fuck just did that is gonna get their face rearranged.”
“Ohgood, you’ve got a vicious one, Z!”
There was laughter from above us, and I looked up. A demon was seated between the blades of a huge turbine, her feet dangling down. Her brown hair was cut short, her ears pierced with so many silver rings it was impossible to count them all. She smiled widely, and that particularly eager phantom touch returned, trailing up my spine.
“Scared to get too close?” I yelled up at her, and the touch turned into a very distinct sensation of claws on the back of my neck.
Zane was shaking his head. “Don’t tease her too much, Hana. She’ll throw something at you.”
The demon leaped down, landing just inches away from me. “I’d be more than happy to play with her sharp toys if she has any she wants to point my way.”
I didn’t step back. She was my height, her claws painted so they glowed green in the black lights. She was wearing a leather jacket with nothing beneath, and there were dermal piercings just below her collarbone, the jewels appearing deep violet in the light. She wore tight, tiny jean shorts and laced up boots.
I looked too long. “Like what you see?” she said. Right as I opened my mouth to retort, a woman came bouncing up through the crowd, her long blonde hair disheveled and her lipstick smeared, a big smile on her face and a drink in each hand.
“Hana, someone just invited us to — Oh!” She looked between Zane and I, and Hana wisely took the drinks out of her hands before she bounced excitedly and said, “Oh, hi! Nice to meet y’all! I’m Sadie!”
She was human. She had big blue eyes and an easy smile, and she squeezed me into a hug before I could say a word. She was so damn peppy I could barely hold back a laugh as she took her drink back from Hana and started slurping it down.
Zane was laughing. “Cute, Hana. Real cute.” Hana rolled her eyes, pulling Sadie a little closer.
“Yeah, a sweet little dumbass is what she is.” She shook her head as Sadie began to dance, still sipping her drink. A little more seriously, she looked at me and said, “Sorry about that, didn’t mean to freak you out. I’m Sathanas, but that’s a mouthful, so call me Hana.”
“Juniper,” I said. “Sorry I threatened to destroy your face.”
She shrugged. “Not the first time, hopefully won’t be the last. Good to see you here, Z. Been a while.”
“Been busy,” Zane said.
