Page 38 of Going to Hell
Without C’adon, I was bait for any monster. I needed to hide, not run. Hurrying forward, I pressed my ear to several random doors before I found an empty one. No torch lit the interior. I slipped inside, returning to the darkness in which I’d started, and sat with my head against the wall.
I had no idea what to do next. I was tired and frustrated over my endless searching. The hold I had on my shredded hope wouldn’t last. I needed out of Hell. Fast. Preferably before C’adon figured out I physically existed. What if it was too late for that? What if that woman had just helped him figure it out?
There was a scrape of noise outside the room, and I tensed.
The door didn’t open, though. As I stared at the seam of light shining under it, the room changed, going from barren, torchless stone to a space lit and full of tapestries and furnishings. It wasn’t like anything he’d magicked before.
There was no bed, but there was a privacy screen in one corner. The three separate panels had wide legs to hold them upright. That was new.
Holding still and barely breathing, I stared at my knees and waited for C’adon to make his appearance. Minutes passed. No sound came from the hall.
Was he using his magic to fill all the rooms he passed? Why? Was he thinking he’d get a reaction from me? Had he figured out that I was real?
Part of me really hoped not because then all I would need to do was out-wait him and enjoy whatever the room had to offer.
More minutes passed. Nothing changed.
I tried listening to my gut, but I wasn’t feeling anything one way or another. So, I quietly stood. The door remained closed. Taking that as a good sign, I crept across the animal skins lining the floor and peeked around the screens.
Another golden chamber pot waited. Unwilling to let the opportunity pass, I used it then explored the rest of the room.
A soft chaise waited nearby, along with a bowl of grapes on a low table. On the wall near the door, the typical flattened gold disc hung above a table filled with oils and combs.
It reminded me of Eliana’s dressing room, minus the grapes and the primitive toilet. And there were no racks of clothes. But it still gave me that fancy vibe of a place where a person was meant to leisurely get ready for the day. Why would C’adon create this?
The idea that I was supposed to relax and prepare for something made me nervous.
I ate a few grapes before I gave in and went to the door. Curiosity would probably be the death of me, but I needed to know what he was up to.
Quietly, I opened the door and peeked out into the empty hallway. Pulse racing, I eased out of the room and started for the next door. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to find. Another room like the one I’d been in or an empty one? Both could mean the same thing. C’adon didn’t know where I was, and I was truly alone in Hell.
The thought terrified me, and I found myself hoping that C’adon would come striding around the corner before I reached the door. He didn’t, though.
I pressed my ear to the wood and heard nothing. My heart started to race harder. I didn’t like this. I felt exposed and too vulnerable without him. It was hard to tell if that was my self-preservation talking or if I really was halfway under his spell already.
Just focus on finding your uncle. Deal with the rest as it comes.
Hands shaking, I lifted the latch and winced at the harsh rattle that rang out. Then, I glanced inside the room. Souls filled the space and drifted back at the sight of me. I only gave myself a few moments to scan the souls before closing the door and going to the next room.
Again, there wasn’t a whisper of sound from within.
The fear that I’d been abandoned climbed higher.
I opened the door and cautiously peeked in.
This time, there were no souls.
In the center of the room sat a golden tub filled with steaming water…and a very naked C’adon.
CHAPTERNINE
Torchlight flickeredover his wet torso, highlighting his already naturally golden skin in more gold and making every sculpted muscle shine. Despite the dangerously tantalizing view, relief coursed through me. He hadn’t left.
He lifted a hand from the water and gestured toward me.
“Hand me the brush, and I will gladly pay your price for cleanliness,” he said, sounding far too sane.
Heart stuttering, I forced myself to lean in and look around the room while carefully avoiding the part where he and the tub sat, exposing far too much chest and knee.
