Page 55 of The Crown of Nyx

“Easy enough for you to say,” I snapped, crossing my arms. “A whole lot of people just turned against Nyx. How do I know you aren’t one of those traitors?”

There was no room for being nice. I might have felt bad for him when I first saw him on the stage, but anything I felt for him before was pushed to the side. I couldn’t risk trusting anyone outside my mate circle and those closest to me. And even then, I hesitated. Greer had trusted her children with everything, and one betrayed her.

“You don’t know,” the male replied stiffly. “But I can get you out of the game.”

I released a heavy breath. “And what do you know about it?”

“Take the hood off,” he said, “and I will answer all your questions.”

I bristled, moving to take a step back. “No thanks. I’ll try my luck out there.”

I couldn’t hear anything beyond the heavy curtain. The smell of smoke still hung heavy in the air, but it was nowhere near as cloying as it had been earlier. But it was the lack of sound that didn’t sit right with me.

“And I will be waiting,” he growled. “The game requires an ally. And in order to retrieve yourgift, we must work together. Are you sure you want to lose your only chance?”

I stiffened, reaching for the curtain. “You said you’d be waiting.”

With that, I squared my shoulders and pushed my way out of the dressing room. His dark chuckle followed me into the bar-part of the club. Some of the demons turned to me with wide eyes, but most were watching the stage with lustful curiosity. But other than the moans and curses coming from the front of the club, there was utter silence.

Something washed over me as I turned my attention to the stage. There were three demons, all naked, wearing masks over their faces. One was lithe with wings tucked into her back, horns twisting through her golden hair, and wearing a strap-on larger than anything I’d ever seen. The second was male with similar attributes, though he had his dick in the mouth of the third. And that third was lying on a table where the chair had once been, taking both with loud, rumbling moans. He had his arms tied above him, same with his legs, giving the pair full access.

I averted my eyes, taking a step back. My heart raced, and disgust—in myself, mostly—soured my belly. Without thinking, I swept my gaze over the room again. It was only then I realised the other demons were…reacting. Pleasuring themselves.

A lump formed in my throat as I turned back to the curtain and the male within.

Fuck it.I stalked into the dressing room to find the demon where I’d left him and quickly tore the bag from his head. Straight black hair swept over his forehead, longer in the front and shorter in the back. His eyes were hooded and red in colour. He looked almost East Asian, with sharp features and a strong, knife-edge jawline.

Beautiful would be the wrong way to describe him. Handsome, maybe. Otherworldly was more fitting.

I took a step back, the bag falling from my hand. His red eyes swept over my body, a smirk curving his dark lips. “I could not have asked for a better ally,” he purred, dragging his eyes up to meet mine. “What a divine thing you are.”

I swallowed hard, crossing my arms. “Tell me. What the hell is the game?”

His smirk widened into a smile. “Surely, you have worked out that this is a club for the Succubi and Incubi, yes?”

My eyes narrowed. “Of course.”

Well, I would have neverassumed. But Rowan had warned me about the powers of demons who fed off sex. Were all the creatures out there sex demons? Was the male in front of me one, too? It was just one of those things I couldn’t quite tell. I was getting better with mages and witches. Maybe it was because I’d spent so much time with them.

But there were different Houses of demons, just like the Fae had their courts. And within each, there were different types with powers born of their kind. I hadn’t paid enough attention in my classes to know all of them, but now I wish I had.

The look in the male’s eyes told me he didn’t believe me. One of his tattoos moved to wrap around his neck like a chain, but he didn’t appear to notice—or care. Hadn’t I seen Jay, one of the Phoenix team leaders, with similar tattoos? Maybe that meant they were from the same House.

Or I’m in way over my head.

“The game is simple,” he said, cocking his head. “Here, sex is currency. You buy it, you spend it, and your body is the coin. That’s why consent is so important.” His eyes darkened as they swept over me. “But you being bonded makes it hard. Loyalty is important here, too.”

“That doesn’t make any sense to me,” I replied, though relief washed through me. “And you said you could get me out. Help me with my gift. How?”

His eyes met mine again, dark yet curious. “By giving them a show.”

“Absolutely not,” I replied, shaking my head. “I’m mated. And this is not what I signed up for.”

His eyes hardened. “You and I both know anything is fair game when you’re the Queen.”

A lump formed in my throat. “No.”

He shrugged, as if my denial were nothing more than an annoyance. “Your gift is your real game. Find it, find a way out.”

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