Page 57 of Let Me Win You

“Look, there.” I pointed at the end of the corridor as we turned around a corner. The glow of the setting sun colored the ugly walls of the maze with warm burgundy and gold. “It’s over, Invi.” I exhaled with relief, speeding up the best I could.

Several adjacent corridors led to a small plaza outside the exit with a crowd of multi-colored souls gathered around it. A few hundred spirits joined Pandora and the two virtues. Shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow, the crowd cheered, spotting us on our way out.

As Invi and I approached the exit, a large, yellow shape rolled out of one of the corridors and onto the crowded plaza, barely a step ahead of us.

“What a fucking vile place that is!” Gul climbed to his feet, shaking out his fur. Glancing over his shoulder at Invi and me behind him, he grinned ear to ear. “I won!”

My heart dropped into my stomach.

We were too late. After all we’d been through, we still lost.

“No.” Invi grabbed for me, but Gul was faster.

Snatching me, he raised me over his head like a trophy.

“I won! She’s mine.” He turned me in his hands, giving me a quick inspection. “Just look at you, completely naked and so delightfully dirty. The maze is a grimy place, isn’t it? You must be very hungry too. Do you know what that means?”

I didn’t want to guess what that meant. My head was spinning as he turned and tossed me around like a doll. It was all I could do not to throw up.

“It means I’ll feed you and give you a bath.” He lifted a strand of my matted hair with a wide smile that looked more like a scowl because of his long tusks. “I’ll finally get a chance to use all those bath soaps I have. A mortal body is such a neat thing to have?—”

“She’s mine!” Invi roared, charging Gul.

“Hey!” Gul moved me under his arm and out of Invi’s reach. “I won her, fair and square.”

He lowered his head, meeting Invi’s next attack with his thick, curved horns.

“Now, boys,” Pandora clapped her hands, stepping between them. “The rules are that the winner gets the prize. If Gul is the winner, the human is his to do with as he pleases.”

“But I don’t want to be his!” I yelled from under Gul’s arm, kicking my feet. “Can I not make decisions about my future here?”

“I’m sorry, but that wasn’t in the rules.” Pandora waved a hand, muttering something under her breath.

Invi lunged at Gul again but crashed into an invisible wall this time, his tail lashing against it.

“Fuck!” he yelled, slamming his fists into the invisible barrier separating us. “Mother, remove the ward, now! Stop meddling.”

“Oh, but who will keep you boys in check if I do?” she cooed. “Without me, you never follow any rules at all. Well, it appears Ira didn’t make it. Which leaves just the two of you, and Gul was here first. We all saw it, right?” She turned around to the crowd, and they clapped in support. “Gul is the winner,” Pandora announced cheerfully.

Gul pressed me to his chest, and I found myself drowning in his thick, golden fur as he took me away.

I jerked my head back, spitting out the fur. “Let me go!”

“Don’t worry, little dumpling. I’ll take good care of you.” Gul petted my head. “What would you like for dinner tonight? I have vealpelmeniwith sour cream and black pepper. Or how about Beef Wellington? It’s often a favorite with mortals. You’re not a vegetarian, are you?” He winced. “It’d put some limitations, but I can work with that. Do you have any other…um, what’s that word that humans use?” He snapped his fingers, his long claws clicking against each other. “Dietary restrictions?”

“Nic, I’ll free you!” Invi’s voice reached me from behind. “No matter what, I will.”

“Invi!” I pushed away from the wide furry chest, but Gul held me firmly.

“Forget about him,” he murmured. “No one can feed you better than I can. I’ll wash your hair and find you some cute clothes to wear. We’ll have so much fun together. You’ll love it.”

16

Nicole

Loud music blasted from outside through the multiple sets of open patio doors. Groups of souls mingled around Gul’s spacious living room. Coming and going. Getting drinks and snacks. Chatting and making out.

Dressed in a long white bathrobe and a pair of fur slippers, I sat alone on the big, plush couch, hugging my knees to my chest.

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