“Hooking up Debbie G. in the janitor’s closet isn’t a good reason,” The guy with shadows on his skin—Roman replies with a shake of his head.
“Actually, it was Debbie G. and Stephanie S.” Ollie smirks, tucking his hands behind his head and seeming pretty pleased with himself.
But that pleased look morphs into confused curiosity as his gaze zeroes in on me.
He leans forward, resting his hands on his knees. “Well, well, what do we have here?” His pale blue eyes skim up and down my body then his smile grows. “Fresh meat.”
And just like that, the spell I seem to have fallen into is broken.
Fresh meat? Is he kidding me?
“Actually, we were just trying to figure that out,” Phoenix tells him while grinning at me. “She never answered my question, though.”
“Just leave her alone,” Roman mutters, pinching the brim of his nose. “You should both realize by now that messing around with newbies only leads to clinginess.” He throws them both pressing looks.
Ollie sighs. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” He glances at me again. “Such a shame, though. Those eyes and those legs…” He bites down on his bottom lip.
“She’s easily tranced too,” Phoenix adds with a grin. “So either she’s weak or stupid. I can’t figure out which one.”
And that's about when I become aware that I've been standing in the same place for who knows how long, listening to these guys talk about me as if I was watching a show. And as I realize that, a haze begins to lift from me, my mind clearing, and everything they said sinking in.
I blast them with a dirty look. "Screw you. I'm not stupid. And I'm not weak." It might be the boldest thing I've ever done.
If only that sort of bravery existed while I was in the… Well, wherever I was before I came here.
Wanting to latch onto that confidence, I lift my chin and step away, catching a glimpse of their shocked expressions. Why they’re the ones who are shocked, though, I don’t have a clue. They’re the ones who seem perfectly comfortable in this place that screams of nightmares.
Haven
By the time I arrive at the front desk, I feel like I just got high and am coming down. I have a suspicion it has to do with those guys… Or whatever the hell they are.
The fire demon greets me with an amused smile as I wander up to stand beside him. “I see you’ve met Phoenix, Roman, and Ollie.”
“Yeah… Well, not really met… Just stared at them.” I have the craziest urge to peek over my shoulder at them, but resist the temptation. “How’d you know?”
He grins, smoke slipping from his lips. "Because you look a little dazed, which can mean only one of two things. One," he holds up a finger, "You accidentally smoked some dream smoke, which is currently restricted here. So that only leaves option number two," he holds up another finger, "And that's that you got hazed by the Death Triplets. Although they're not really triplets. But that's the nickname they've been given."
My brows rise. “The Death Triplets? For reals?”
“Yeah, it’s what everyone around here calls those three over there.” He points in the direction of the guys, but I still don’t glance at them. “Not that most don’t mind getting hazed by them. They’re ridiculously hot.” He dazes off with a dreamy look in his eyes.
“What does hazed mean exactly?” I ask. “Like hazing in college?”
"Nah, it's just a thing they do. They're all considered alluring creatures so when they combine their powers, they can basically trance creatures into a lust stupor. Or a haze, hence the nickname."
“I…” I shake my head as my brain struggles to process what he just said.
Frowning, the fire demon’s lips part. “I think…” He sighs as the secretary with orange hair returns to the other side of the desk.
Her lips are as orange as her hair, and her eyes are like a cat's, black in the center with a shimmering gold ring around the pupils.
“All right, Jude, I’ve been told that you should bring her back to the office,” she informs the fire demon—Jude.
Then her cat eyes shake to me, and she eyes me over with puzzled intrigue.
Jude thrums his flame-tipped fingers against the desk. “Do they have an idea of why a human would end up here? Not that I actually believe she’s human. Not with those eyes. Plus, she smells like magic. But she says she came from the human realm.”
My eyes…