Page 20

Silk drapes cascaded from vaulted ceilings like waterfalls of moonlight and gold, hiding the hellish landscape beyond the walls.

Masked violinists played from a raised dais, their bows gliding in elegant arcs, drawing forth a melody so lilting and romantic it might have belonged in a fairytale.

A shiver passed through me at the wrongness of such finery existing in the pits of the Seven Hells.

Delicate lace, gilded filigree, feathers tipped in silver—hundreds of masked faces turned towards me as I stepped across the threshold of the ballroom, though they continued to dance.

Kaezlyn was nowhere to be seen, but I could almost feel her unsettling burgundy gaze burrowing into me.

Was this some sort of twisted game to Helion?

I spun in a slow circle, searching for the fallen god that now held my leash.

The crowd split open, and through the seam of dancers stepped a tall man who exuded power. His hair, mask, and suit were as white as the snow that fell in Stonebriar. He prowled forward like something summoned, and I held my ground despite the feeling of a thousand insects crawling over my skin.

“Maraveth,” he addressed me with a feline-like smile. “It has been too long.”

“My name is Lyra,” I responded before biting down on my inner cheek and cursing internally at the amount of venom in my voice. I didn’t know who I supposed to be anymore, but I was tired of everyone else deciding for me.

He clapped his hands together in delight, amusement tilting in his voice.

“Your lapse in memory will only make things more intriguing,” he remarked, like a man already several moves ahead.

I forced myself not to recoil.

Whoever he was, the way the room bent subtly around him told me he was not someone to offend lightly.

“Make what more intriguing exactly?” I asked carefully. I did not like the way his milky eyes glimmered with dark intent behind the white mask that swept out from his eyes like wings.

His mocking laugh made my teeth grind together.

I curled my lip, hissing at him before I could stop myself. His laughter died in his throat, and he pressed his lips into a thin line.

“I know you do not remember, but you do not treat me like this,” he said, eyes glowing an opaque white behind his mask as he raised his eyebrows.

“I do not know who you are,” I said, tilting my chin as I met his gaze. “But monsters stopped frightening me when I became one.”

“You know, I did not think Helion was capable of getting you here, let alone agreeing to marry him.” He clapped his hands together in delight, his suit jacket straining against his biceps, as if it were threatening to burst at the seams.

“Who are you?” I demanded, scanning the sea of masked couples as they twirled around us.

“I am Astaroth,” he said, voice lowering into something ancient and resonant. “God of the Seven Hells.”

The music continued. The dancers spun. But the air became thick and charged.

My bare feet carried me back a step as my wide eyes darted around the room.

Where was Helion?

“You will not find Helion so easily,” Astaroth continued lightly. “I do adore games.” A delighted smile stretched across his face and his eyes seemed to glow as they watched me behind the mask. “Don’t you?”

The sinking feeling in my stomach opened, threatening to swallow me where I stood. I had underestimated the danger I was in.

Before I could respond, he lifted his hand to his lips. His fingers unfurled slowly, and he leant down towards me, blowing a fine, shimmering powder against my skin. The dust struck my skin in a soft, glittering cloud, and my anger died on my tongue.

I spluttered and gasped.

A sharp current snapped through my nerves, stealing the air from my lungs. My vision fractured at the edges, the chandelier above splintering into a thousand molten stars.