Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Nina
I’d told Selene to join me in the Heart, just as I’d promised Ronan.
She even passed the invite along to Dominik.
She’d agreed with a weary nod, vanishing into the crowd before I’d excused myself from Leander’s masquerade.
Now, standing here, with the others circling like twitchy predators, I wondered if the piece of information about Torment had been worth it.
Because I didn’t know what Ronan had planned, but I had a very bad feeling the evening wasn’t going to end well.
Selene drifted towards me, her usual grace dulled by exhaustion. “I was worried you weren’t going to show,” she murmured.
“And miss this charming dinner?” I said. “Never.”
That earned me a real smile, brief but genuine.
For a moment, we stood together like allies, an unspoken understanding passing between us.
The others might see only competition, but she knew better.
The Cycle wasn’t just a contest. It was a slow rot.
It worked its way through you, convincing you to sacrifice pieces of yourself in exchange for survival.
“They’ll turn on each other soon,” Selene said softly, eyes tracking Amabel and Ronan across the table.
“Maybe,” I replied, “but not tonight.”
Dominik arrived last. He looked older somehow, tired beneath the bravado. His collar was undone, a faint red mark at his throat catching the light. His jaw was clenched, his shoulders rigid, but I caught the flash of embarrassment in his face as his gaze met mine.
“Wasn’t sure whether this invite was even genuine,” he said, as he came to my side.
“Disappointed?”
He snorted. “Ask me again later.”
I stood in uneasy silence as the others bickered amongst themselves. The same question hovered between us all – was there any way to leave Hell alive? Felix whispered to Selene, while Ronan pretended not to hear, but was clearly inching closer to get an earful.
I leaned down closer to Dominik and murmured quietly, "Do you remember that night with the Cunning Folk, when they told us about the woman who tricked Death himself?”
Dominik frowned. “No.”
“Really?” I tried to laugh, but it came out brittle. “It was Firstfire. They told us the story three times because you kept interrupting. You said Death wouldn’t bother bargaining with mortals.”
“I don’t remember that,” he said, frowning. “Maybe it was a dream.”
“No . . . no, it happened,” I insisted. “You laughed so hard you nearly fell into the fire.”
He shook his head slowly. “I have no memory of that at all.”
Something cold settled in my stomach. “Are you sure?”
“I don’t know what to tell you,” he said, almost apologetic. “Maybe your dreams and reality get blurred.”
Harsh. Maybe everyone else remembers too little.
“I’m sorry, by the way.”
I blinked. “For what?”
His lips pressed into a thin line. “For what you saw in Temptation.”
Heat flared at my neck. My stomach twisted, and I was very aware of his gaze. Of course, he was talking about the masquerade in Temptation. I forced myself to breathe evenly, swallowing past the way my skin prickled uncomfortably.
“You don’t have to—”
“I do.” His voice was firm. “Apparently, Temptation’s trial was facing exactly what you desire, and losing yourself in it.”
I hesitated. “So, what I saw . . . you want that?” I couldn’t say it.
“Yes,” he said. “It’s what I’ve always wanted.”
His words slammed into me, and I stiffened, a dozen thoughts crashing into each other at once.
Dominik gave a dry, self-deprecating chuckle, rubbing a hand down his face. “Leander knew it. He knew what I wanted before I even admitted it to myself.” He exhaled. “I played right into his sin.”
I swallowed, my grip tightening on the useless sword still in my hands. Leander manipulated us both.
Dominik glanced down, shaking his head. “And the worst part? I thought you felt the same.”
The words hung between us, raw and unguarded. I didn’t know how to respond. Because once – maybe, before Hell, before this place – maybe I had. But now I wasn’t sure of anything.
“I’m sorry, Dominik.” That's all I could say.
“Can we pretend like it never happened?”
My eyes crept back to his face, which was flushed and full of worry. “Of course.”
Ronan clapped and motioned us to the table. The six of us sat in awkward silence while serving ourselves. Someone had gone to great lengths to prepare the spread, with steam rising from roasted meats, mashed squash, and spiced vegetables on dazzling silver plates.
Ronan pushed back his chair with a scrape that cut through the silence. His goblet clattered to the table as he stood, but he didn’t care. Instead he cleared his throat, and looked us each in the eye.
“If you haven’t worked it out yet,” he said, “no one’s won The Cycle. Not once. Not ever.”
Felix frowned, confusion creasing his face, while the rest of us stayed silent. Most of us already knew, or had guessed. Amabel gave Ronan a tight nod.
“And guess what?” Ronan said, leaning forward, both hands braced on the table.
“We can be entirely destroyed in the trials. If we fail a demon’s test and don’t claim their relic, they have free reign to tear us apart.
That or they bargain with us. You can bind your soul to their domain in exchange for survival. ”
A murmur rippled through the group. Selene’s gaze flicked to mine.
“So, for those who haven’t put it together yet, those are our choices,” Ronan continued. “Death or servitude.”
Felix was still frowning. “What are you suggesting?”
“For one, we stop pretending that this is winnable.” He slammed his hand flat on the table, the sound cracking through the room.
“None of us can win. The demons made sure of that long before we were dragged here. It’s time we stop playing their game and start playing our own.
I say we each share a truth about our demons .
. . what we’ve learned, what they’ve offered – so we can decide which one’s best to bind to. ”
Felix laughed. “And give up our chance to win The Cycle?”
Ronan’s eyes narrowed. “Didn’t you hear me? No one’s ever fucking won this thing, you fool. What makes you think you’d be any different?”
“What if we refuse to play?” Amabel cut in.
I shook my head. “I’ve already tried that. The invites will always come, and you’ll be dragged to the domain whether you want to go or not.”
Amabel sighed and sipped on her wine.
“Can we forfeit?” Felix said.
“Like I said,” Ronan muttered. “You can make a deal with a demon. That’s the only way out of The Cycle.”
“But why make a deal with them?” Felix asked, while chewing a large slice of meat.
“Because you can be destroyed in The Cycle, dummy,” Amabel snapped. “What I want to know is if one of us dies, do the rest move on, or start over?”
I narrowed my eyes at her, and she shrugged at me when she saw me staring.
“I think The Cycle probably continues,” Ronan said. “You die, or make a bargain. Those are our choices.”
“What’s stopping the demons from killing us once we’re bound to their domains?” Selene said.
“They wouldn’t do that,” Dominik said, and the room turned to him. “You’re food to them. Once a soul is bound, your essence fuels them. There’s no point in destroying you.”
“You mean they’ll keep us alive so they can suck us dry?” Felix said, looking very pale.
Dominik nodded.
“And that’s supposed to make us feel better?” Felix cried.
“Let’s get back to what’s important right now,” Ronan said. “What do you know about your demons? Have they said anything that could help us better understand what’s going on here?”
“Yvette’s nuts,” Felix said. “I don’t think she really cares about The Cycle, or any of us souls, for that matter.”
Ronan sighed. “Fine. Not Felix. Anyone else?”
“Why are you so eager to learn about our demons?” Selene asked.
“Because if we’re expected to bargain with them,” Ronan said, “we should know exactly what we’re dealing with. Have any of you heard ”
I took a slow sip from my goblet. “So we’re supposed to be allies now?”
“I’m not doing this,” Dominik said, shoving his chair back. “We’re not allies. You’re all fools if you think we are.” He turned from the table and sauntered off, back into Chaos, without so much as a goodbye.
My eyes were wide.
“Bastard,” Amabel muttered from across the table. “Chaos suits him.”
“I hate to say it, but I agree with the hot head,” Felix said. “We’re not allies.” His eyes fell on me, and I felt a pang of guilt clench my stomach.
Felix was the next to leave, taking a handful of meat with him.
Suddenly I felt very sick, and a cold chill ran through my body.
“I think it’s time I go, too.”
I heard Selene call after me, but I stumbled back into Temptation . . . and vomited as soon as I was on the other side of the veil.
***
My stomach twisted with nausea and a tremor wracked my body. I was so cold. That was a first in Hell. All I’d known since arriving was the unbearable heat. That’s when I knew something was wrong.
I stumbled through the portal into the marble hall in Temptation.
I knew I couldn’t make it back to my chambers, so I shuffled to the end of the hall, and through the gate to the grove.
The barn was quiet, and the nightmares were all sleeping. Only one seemed to stir as I entered, groaning against the pain in my stomach.
The nightmare was hunched in a dim corner, and blinked its cloudy eye at me, exhaling a plume of steam. The smell was thick and sweet, like overripe fruit.
The smell did me no favours. I leaned against the wall, swallowing down bile.
“Careful,” a voice said. “They’ll think you’re bringing food and get overeager.”
Jules appeared in the doorway, arms full of black straps. He frowned when he got closer. “You don’t look good.”
“I’m fine,” I lied, though the word came out slurred, then I grabbed the closest bucket, not looking to see what was in it, and vomited.
Jules took the bucket from me and sniffed inside.
Ew.
That had me going again, and I grabbed the bucket back and vomited once more.
I stared at him, gripping onto the bucket, with an expression that said you’re not taking this bucket again.
“Where have you been?”
“If you must know, I went to this Champions’ feast Ronan hosted in the Heart of Hell.”
Jules nodded. “You were eating?”
“No,” I said. “I didn’t have anything. Just some drinks that someone had brought from somewhere. Now that I mention it, I have no idea who brought the food and drink tonight.”
“I know what will help.”
He scuttled off out of the stable, leaving me to hurl my guts up. I was sweating, and wondering if I was going to die, when Jules returned.
“Here. Try this.”
“What is it?”
“Something I give them when they’re ill. It helps settle the stomach.”
I hesitated, but the sickness really was overwhelming. So, I bit into the strange black slab. The taste was bitter and metallic, but it worked nearly instantaneously, easing my stomach and reducing my blurred vision.
“Champions come and go,” Jules said quietly, watching the beasts feed. “And their tricks are all the same. Schemes, poison, betrayals. That rash you’ve got there. I’ve seen it before. You get it if you eat the moss that grows in The Crossing.”
“Someone poisoned me?”
And by someone, I’d bet my right eye it was Ronan.
Jules sat back, stretching his legs out. He looked young, and innocent, as he wrapped himself tightly in his robe.
“Why are you here?” I asked finally.
“I like feeding the snufflebeasts.”
“No, not that,” I said. “I mean here in Hell.”
“Oh.” His tone lightened, but there was a heaviness beneath it. “No one talks about before. I think it’s a sensitive subject with the damned.”
“Sorry,” I murmured. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
He shook his head. “I killed a man.”
The words hung between us.
“He was trying to hurt my sister, Inessa,” he went on. “She looked after me after our parents died, but three men came to our home one night. I fought them off. One didn’t get back up . . . and I was happy he was dead.”
I searched his face, but there was no pride there, no defiance.
“That doesn’t sound like something worth eternal damnation.”
He leaned back against the wall, eyes drifting to the ceiling. The nightmares were quiet now, their heavy bodies sinking into sleep.
He only smiled. “My punishment is that I remember.”