“Why offer the yellow if you’re going to keep her to yourself?”
Azazel stares down at the kraken. “I have my reasons. Pick another.”
“Blue.” Thane moves in his pool, tentacles shifting over each other beneath the water. The ones on his head—where the humans have hair—are mostly behaving, though there’s a nod to his tension in the way they slither over his shoulders, moving in a wind that doesn’t exist.
I don’t quite exhale in relief, but the temptation is there all the same. “White.”
“Perfect.” Azazel claps his hands together, and the light goes up. “Let’s get these contracts taken care of.”
Chapter 4
Briar
It happens so fast.
Five separate voices snapping colors that correspond with the dresses we’re wearing. I barely have time to process the silky, light voice that says, “Red,” first, and then it’s done. I know I heard someone say white, but the static in my brain ensures I couldn’t describe the voice even with a gun to my head.
In the end, it doesn’t matter.
The lights come up, and I get my first look at the small group gathered to claim us. I thought Azazel monstrous with his crimson skin and massive horns. He’s nothing compared to the others gathered.
A rocky-looking creature with huge wings tucked back against his body. An obscenely tall, willowy woman who seems to be made of smoke and flames. A…I don’t even know what to call him because I can barely focus on anything but the tentacles.
And an honest-to-god dragon man.
My false calm ripples, and a hysterical giggle bubbles up my throat. I swallow hard, determined to keep it down. I agreed to this. I might not have understood exactly what I was agreeing to, but I was not forced, and Azazel has given his word that it will continue to hold true.
No matter how monstrous they are, can they really be worse than Ethan?
Thinking about him is a mistake; the memories of right before I passed out come rushing back, of blood on Azazel’s hands. My knees start to give out.
The woman in blue catches me under my elbow. “Steady,” she murmurs. She doesn’t sound any steadier than I feel, but I don’t have the strength to point it out. Nor the cruelty.
We’ve made our beds. Now it’s time to climb into them. With monsters.
I press my hand to my mouth as the giggle slides a few inches higher. Gods, I cannot lose control. Not now. Not here. Not ever.
Strange that I went from finding Azazel’s crimson form horrifying to comforting in such a short time, but as he strides up to the dais, part of me honestly hopes he’s about to tell us that the whole thing has been called off.
I’m a fool.
He casts a glance over our group. “There’s a secondary contract to be signed, and then you’ll be released into the custody of the one who claimed you.” He focuses on me. “You first, Briar.”
The woman in blue’s grip tightens on my elbow as if she’ll step between us, but what good will it do? I’ve agreed to this, and willingly. Changing my mind now is foolish and dangerous. I know what happens when someone with even a little bit of power gets told no. How much more does that hold true for demons and monsters?
“It’s fine.” My voice sounds perfectly normal as I carefully disengage from the woman in blue and take Azazel’s outstretched hand. The dais is only a foot or so off the ground, but the little tremors working their way through my body suggest my legs might give out at any moment.
Again, time seems to move strangely. It must be shock, because I’m nearly certain there’s no magic involved. I hadn’t noticed the six doors ringing the room. One, we came in through, but I blink, and all five of us are standing in front of different doors. Another blink, and I’m stepping through mine and into a surprisingly lovely room with bookshelves, a thick rug covering most of the floor, and a comfortable looking couch that seems designed for hours spent reading. Not that I’d know. Ethan wasn’t a fan of “lazy” activities, and reading was included on that list.
Azazel appears a few moments later, but it’s the hulking form behind him that catches and holds my gaze. All the monsters were huge, but this one… The dragon. He’s easily half a foot taller than Azazel, which means I’ll barely come up to his chest if—when—we stand next to each other.
He’s a strange mix of lizard and almost human, his head and face clearly leaning dragon, but his chest and arms looking more humanoid. Green scales cover the parts of his body I can see, ranging from a deep mossy color to one so pale, it’s nearly white. Two short horn-looking things spear back from his temples that look to be a good six inches long. He’s terrifying and strangely majestic, and he looks like he could break me in half without even trying.