Chapter XI
XI
We practically flew to the park in just a few minutes on that high-speed motorcycle.
The place was absolutely packed with people in Halloween costumes, still celebrating even after the holiday had technically passed.
They’d turned it into a two-weekend festival of chaos and charm and it was, in some strange way, magical.
The sky above was already swallowed by darkness, but the park glowed with thousands of bright orange lanterns.
Garlands of tiny lights wrapped around poles and trees, flickering like living fire.
Huge pumpkins were scattered everywhere, as if local farmers had competed to grow the biggest ones just for this night.
Shai drove straight up to the entrance and parked effortlessly without any hesitation or a ticket, no problem.
Demons always had their magic tricks and aces up their sleeves, didn’t they?
He gave a slight nod, confirming my thoughts, and got off the motorcycle first. With a flick of his wrist, the engine went silent.
Then, before I could even move, he lifted me off the saddle in one smooth motion, setting me down in front of him like a porcelain doll.
I couldn’t help staring. He looked sinful in every sense of the word even with that sinister pumpkin hiding his face. My lips parted instinctively, and I caught myself licking them before I could stop.
That’s when a loud engine broke through the night. A dark blue sports car pulled up fast and stopped right in front of us, blocking the parking lane. The headlights went out abruptly.
“Well, that’s one way to park,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.
Shai’s response was immediate, he gripped the chain around my neck and tugged me closer, his hand firm on my waist. His attention was locked on the car.
“Is something wrong?” I asked quietly.
“It’s time we head to the party,” he murmured, his voice lower than before.
But just as we turned to go, I caught sight of a tall, blond man stepping out of the car.
He was dressed in a sharp black suit with black demonic horns on his head and he was just like the kind that screamed “rich vampire-demon at a Halloween party.” The fake fangs and the hint of blood at the corner of his mouth made me snort under my breath.
To my surprise, Shai didn’t laugh. He froze, watching the man with unsettling intensity. The blond circled around the car, reaching for the passenger door but before he could open it, the door flew open by itself. He jumped back, startled.
A woman stepped out, she was a stunning creature with an almost unearthly beauty.
Her long dark-cherry hair whipped around her face as the wind caught it.
She pulled up the white hood of her flowing dress, giving her the appearance of a ghostly figure from another world.
But it was her eyes, her cold and piercing dark green eyes, that made me turn away almost instinctively.
“Let’s go,” I said softly, tugging the chain myself this time.
Shai blinked as if waking from a trance and smiled faintly.
He took the lead again, the chain slipping lightly between his fingers as he guided me forward.
People turned to look as we passed, some whispering, some smiling, and I couldn’t help grinning.
It seemed they appreciated our little performance — the demon and his kitten on a leash.
The whole park was dotted with pumpkins of every shape and size, each one glowing from within, some lit by real candles, others by flickering bulbs.
The air was thick with laughter and mischief.
Only adults wandered here, dressed in every kind of costume imaginable, some of them were classy and mysterious, others were so revealing they were practically had translucent costumes, bodies were shimmering under the lantern lights. It took me by surprise.
“Is this, by any chance, the kinky party club we’re going to?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, almost,” he laughed, tugging me forward by the chain as if we were putting on a show just for the crowd. Heads turned as we passed, they were certainly curious, entertained, maybe even a little envious and I couldn’t help but enjoy it.
The trees around us burned bright in red and orange hues, their leaves carpeting the ground like fire. The air was crisp, yet it felt warm, a kind of warmth I hadn’t felt in years, the kind that spread from the inside out. Warm because of him. Because of Shai.
The carousels roared on both sides of the path, filled with costumed thrill-seekers screaming in fear and delight.
Halloween music pulsed through the park, a mix of eerie violins and playful beats that wrapped the night in rhythm.
I caught myself smiling wide, genuine, unguarded smile soaking it all in like a child seeing magic for the first time.
When my gaze returned to him, my breath caught.
Shai walked ahead of me with that confident, predatory stride, each step of his felt calculated, graceful and powerful.
His hips moved with a rhythm that was both sinful and divine, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
I parted my lips slightly, just watching, mesmerized.
He was perfect. No, he was my kind of perfect.
I closed my eyes for a moment, savoring it all — the music, the scent of caramel and smoke in the air, the taste of joy on my tongue. Inside me, something glowed, something that hadn’t shone in a long time like sunlight breaking through a dream.
“Don’t fall asleep, kitten.” His voice reached me over his shoulder, low and teasing. When he looked back, the red gleam of his pumpkin eyes met my gaze, and I felt my knees go weak.
I giggled, shaking my head as I followed, still grinning like an idiot. That’s when I noticed where he was leading me, toward an old run-down building on the far edge of the park.
It looked like one of those haunted rides from childhood, the kind where you sit in a creaky little cart, roll into a tunnel of fake screams, and get startled by ragdoll monsters dangling from the ceiling. The entrance was faded and cracked, the decorations sun-bleached and forgotten.
“Is it… here?” I asked, arching a brow.
This area was nearly deserted. The music from the park sounded distant now, muffled by the dark.
The old gate to the ride was covered in rusted skulls that once must’ve been painted bright white or grey and in the middle of the track sat a single trolley, it looked ancient and ugly…
yet when we got closer, I realized something strange.
It gleamed. The metal wasn’t old or rusted at all, it shimmered like silver.
“Trust me, kitten.”
He took my hand and helped me into the far seat, then climbed in beside me. With one smooth motion, he pulled down the iron bar that locked us in place, and the trolley lurched forward. The speakers around the entrance let out a chorus of warped, static-filled screams, and then—
Darkness.
Thick, absolute darkness swallowed us whole. I squeezed Shai’s hand tightly, feeling his warmth against my palm. He laughed softly, and the only thing I could see were his eyes that was glowing faintly with red through the hollow pumpkin face.
Nothing else. Just us, the sound of our breath, and the endless black ahead.