Page 36 of Hell On Earth
“Are you hungry, Ashlyn?” Zotera called. “I can make you the sandwich you like.”
I sat up and pushed away the longing I felt for a god who was never meant to be mine.
Zotera and I ate lunch together, and I sampled the cake she’d made while we watched more home improvement shows. Her gaze didn’t drift from the TV once over the course of the next several hours. Mine did, though. I saw the book I’d borrowed from Yanet on the coffee table. It had been an entertaining romance at the time, and I wondered if I would feel the same way reading it a second time.
I picked upBlood and Bonbonsby Melissa Nicole and settled in to read. My phone buzzed with a message once I hit the third chapter.
The unknown number had sent a picture of the outside of the Roost.
I frowned and was about to say something to Zotera when another text came through. Eugene’s profile was recognizable. The way his hands were fisting Eras’ hair as he kissed the incubus wasn’t. I bolted to my feet, already dialing Megan.
“The number you have reached is no longer in service or has been—”
I hung up on the recording and tried again, only to get the same thing. Giving up on Megan, I tried Eliana’s number and listened to the same message.
“Ashlyn?” Zotera asked, watching me with concern.
“A human I know is in trouble, and I can’t reach Megan and Eliana. I know this is absolutely a trap, but I can’t do nothing, Zotera.”
She studied me. “What would you like to do?”
“Save Eugene from being pseudo-willingly raped by an incubus.”
“Okay.” She went to put on her jacket, and I hurried to do the same.
My hands shook as I backed the car out of the garage, and my gut twisted with fear. The tingle of the ward helped remind me that I had no room for any emotions other than certainty.
We would save Eugene, and nothing bad would happen. I repeated it in my head as I drove toward the Roost.
“Eugene won’t be himself when we get there,” I said when we neared. “He’ll be under the incubus’ influence until we can redirect what he’s feeling. That means you’ll need to kiss him so we can get him out of there as fast as possible.” I glanced at her. “I would do it, but we can’t afford any more earthquakes.”
She nodded. “I can kiss him.”
“Thank you. Just be really careful, and remember he’s human, okay?”
“I’ll remember.”
“Can you try calling Oanen and Fenris?”
She did.
“It says the number isn’t working,” she said.
Cars were already parked in front of the Roost and halfway down the block. More filled the side parking lot. I killed the engine and waited for Zotera to come around and open the door for me.
“I’ll keep you safe,” she said softly.
My gut told me we wouldn’t be so lucky a third time, but I’d meant what I’d said. I couldn’t sit by and do nothing.
As she reached to open the red door, I averted my gaze to the ground. The thump of the music echoed in my ribcage, both welcoming and foreboding.
“You need to look for him,” I said over the noise as I followed her inside.
“I see him.” She took my hand and started pulling me toward the dance floor.
I tugged back when she would have entered the writhing mass of bodies.
“I can’t go in there. One mermaid cut, and I’m dead.” It wasn’t technically true. Not in the Roost. The ward prevented death, but it wouldn’t prevent the pain and suffering right up to the cusp of death.
