by Avery Rae
I barely heard anything he said. My heart beat against my chest so hard that I heard each slam. "How—how do you know my nickname?"
9
Priscilla
Gael loosened his grip on my chin, then slid his hand up to cradle my cheek. He brushed his thumb along my skin as his eyes searched mine. "I know more about you than you think."
I chased his words and actions around my brain, desperate to connect them, but I failed at every turn. Who was this man? I had never met a man named Gael that I could remember. There was something vaguely familiar about his face, but he wasn't someone I would ever forget. He was the kind of handsome that sears itself into your mind forever.
"But how?" I asked. "Did we know each other before you ended up here or . . .?"
"No." The minuscule crack he had opened for me to peek through slammed shut. He let me go and took a step back, then ran a hand along his jaw. "Enough of this. You need to train. I guarantee the Tribunal is going to make it their mission to screw you over."
"Why?"
"Because this is Hell, for fuck's sake. Where do you think you ended up? Candyland or some shit? You think you're competing for a gum drop crown? This is about your soul."
I stared back at him blankly. "Are you just trying to piss me off at this point?"
"What do you think?"
I shifted from one foot to the other, then looked off to the side. There was something about the way he questioned me and made me think about the stupid shit I said that infuriated me as much as it intrigued me. The people in pre-demon blood Priscilla's life didn't question her. I was too busy for questions. You either got off my train or hitched along behind me. As it turned out, that wasn't the best way to build relationships.
"There's a reason why I'm the best you've got to train you for combat. I scrapped my way through life." Gael loosened his posture, beckoned me over, then clenched his fists. "Now, just because you can take hits now doesn't mean you should. Makes you weak. You need to learn to dodge."
I took up my place in front of him and bent over to stretch my impressive, but aching, muscles. "You mean like how you dodge my questions?"
"I doubt you'll ever be that good."
I shot back up and he bounced back. It was as if he expected me to surprise strike him at any moment. The guy was giving me way too much credit. The closest I'd ever been to a fight in my life really was that stupid kickboxing class. Something told me my opponents would be much bigger threats than a stationary bag. He might've gotten me into this, but at least he was willing to put in the time to make this all suck a little less for me. I could give him that. It wasn't like biting his throat out was going to do me much better. Even if it felt good.
We trained until I felt aches in places I didn't know could ache and sweated in places I didn't know could sweat. I still sucked, but I didn't expect miracles in my first training session. Granted, I only had six more of them, so I would need some miracles soon, but the fact that I could even fight was still a massive improvement. The extent of my fighting in the past had been me versus the crappy vending machine in my college library during late study nights.
As I trudged behind Gael on the way back to his room, a sudden thought had me narrowing my eyes. "You never told me how you know my nickname."
"I made it up."
I stopped in my tracks. "Bullshit."
With a loud sigh, he turned around. "What does it matter? It's not like it's an exciting story. You'll just be disappointed."
"You're dodging me again."
"You could learn something from me. You took a lot of hits."
I gritted my back teeth together, then gave him a tight grimace. "Fine, don't tell me. It's not like I really care."
That was such a stupid, obvious lie that I had to lower my head as I shoved past him. But I didn't have time for these games. If he wanted to keep his cards close to his chest, there wasn't anything I could do. I had a soul to worry about. His fingers grazed my arm, tightened around it for the briefest second, then let go as if he thought better of it. I wasn't sure what that was about, but I knew it would be pointless to ask.
The walk back to Gael's room was a silent one. I could feel my body healing from the beating it had taken. I could also feel just how agonizingly close Gael was. I had never been around someone who confused me quite as much. I wanted to kiss him, shout at him, and punch him all at the same time. As we rounded the corner, Gael taking it much tighter than necessary so his side brushed along mine, I saw a dark blur in front of his door. After the experiences I'd had here so far, I quickly flattened myself against the wall and grabbed Gael by the wrist.
"Stop," I hissed. "There's a giant monster outside your door."
"Drina," Gael called out. There was a sudden scrape of nails against the ground, which began to quake as the hulking creature bounded down the hallway. It careened around the corner and that was when I saw it. The eyes made of flame. They were set among the dark, short fur of a massive dog-like creature that had pointed horns. When it didn't immediately attack, I peeled myself away from the wall, yet kept my distance all the same.
"What is that? It growled at me. A lot."
Gael dropped down in front of the creature, evening their heights. He pet its long snout and it responded exactly like a dog. Flame-filled eyes closed, it looked less threatening, but not by much. "This is a hellhound. She only growled at you because I told her to guard the door."
"Were you that worried about me gallivanting through Hell?"
"Not you. Zach. Figured he might show up looking for you."
"But she let him in."
"I didn't tell her to kill him. She came and got me from Samael's room when he showed up."
"Why were you so worried about Zachariah?"
Gael focused on petting Drina for a moment. "No reason."
I tilted my head to the side as I watched him. He was avoiding looking at me and obviously lying. But why? Zachariah had made a crude joke or two, but he was honestly kind to me.
"Come here," Gael suddenly ordered, crooking a finger at me.
"Stop ordering me to do things," I huffed.
"Or what? Will you knock me around again?"
"I'm starting to think you might like that too much." Frankly, I was starting to think that I would like it too much, too. I had yet to shake that feeling from earlier. That faint ache between my thighs from when he pressed against me. I could so clearly remember the strain of my thighs as I sat atop him and— I clenched my eyes shut and shook my head. He turned you into a demon, Prissy. Don't. When I opened my eyes again, Gael slowly lifted both of his brows. I made a face. "Look, I'll pet your hell-dog, but how do I know you didn't tell her to bite me?"
"You don't. But you should be more worried about me than her," Gael said. His words were pointed, as if he could read my thoughts. "Besides," he continued breezily, "you'll have to tame one of your own later, so you should probably get familiar with one while you can."
"Tame one? Wait—this is what Samael was talking about with the second trial?"
"It is."
I stared at him, waiting for him to say something more. He stared back at me. I rolled my eyes before I walked over to him and the hellhound. Honestly, she was beautiful up close, despite being as big as Gael and myself combined.
I bent down in front of the hound, trying to mimic Gael's posture. She lowered her head as I reached out and let me pet her on the head. When I tried to pull my hand away, she nudged my palm with her warm snout. I smiled and pet her again. "She's gorgeous."
When Gael didn't immediately answer, I looked up at him, my smile still in place. He was looking right at me, studying me like I was a riddle he'd been trying to figure out for far too long. Who is he? It felt like he saw so much when he looked at me, like he knew everything and nothing about who I was. It was as confusing as the way he made me feel. Even now, having him focus so entirely on me was making my heart pick up speed.
"Something on my face?" I asked, trying to break th
e moment.
"You're different," he murmured.
"What are you talking about?"
"Who are you, really?"
"Who are you?" I countered.
The truth was that I didn't know who I was anymore. And it was terrifying. Everything that made me who I was had been stripped away the moment I was brought here. Being smart and having a lot of money didn't matter in the afterlife. Funny, the few people who tried to challenge my lifestyle had said that to me. You can't bring it with you when you die. How right they were.
But I didn't want to think about those things. I couldn't. Not right now. I needed to focus on making it through this bizarre trial to keep my soul from getting turned into a lump of coal. Gael was still staring at me. There was something intangible between us that made me want to close the distance, even though I knew it was wrong. No matter how much my mind told my body I hated him, it wouldn't stop disagreeing. When I met Gael's eyes, I saw that he knew it, too.
As my heart worked itself into a frenzy, I quickly stood back up and headed for his door. I felt him moving behind me. I tried my best to ignore his presence—even though his closeness ignited something inside me that I couldn't explain. I cleared my throat and slid the door open before quickly stepping inside. I didn't know how much longer I could keep myself under control and that worried me. When he closed the door, I turned and asked the most important question to me right in that moment. "When do I get my own room?"
"Not until you finish your trial."
Wait, what?
10
Priscilla
There was no way I was going to be forced to room with Gael until this whole ordeal was over. I had seen how many rooms this placed had in it. There was no reason for me to be stuck in here. I couldn't. I gave him a hard look. "So, is this the dragon talking? I'm not going to let you hoard me."
He made a dismissive noise. "Don't fool yourself, you're no treasure. Besides, Amberlynn only said that because she'll steal anything she can. Nail it down and she'll still find a way. There's a reason why I lock my things up."
"This place is huge. Surely there's somewhere else I can stay?"
"I need you somewhere I can keep an eye on you."
I thrusted a hand into my hair and resisted the urge to recoil when I felt how knotted it was. Again. It was so grimy that it was hard to believe I had showered today. I pulled my hand out with a frustrated growl. "Could you be any more vague? I feel like I need a decoder to talk to you. Why do you need to keep an eye on me? Do you think I'm going to run? Am I in danger?"
"Of course. You're in Hell," he said matter-of-factly. "Besides, I tell you everything you need to know."
"Yeah? Well, I need to know why you saved me. No more bullshit. I want the truth."
"I told you this before. It wasn't your time."
It was such an obvious lie that I couldn't stand hearing it anymore. There was a reason why I was here. There had to be. The others in the Brotherhood said it themselves—it was rare for a demon to sire another. They seemed to think there was risk in it, more so than me being condemned to Hell. How could that affect him? I chewed at the inside of my cheek as I chased the thoughts, then gasped quietly as I connected the dots. I met his eyes and asked a question that only made me more confused. "If I fail my trial, will something happen to you too?"
He turned away and tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it aside, revealing his lean, muscled back. When I saw him reach for the front of his pants, I clenched my eyes shut in an attempt to keep my focus. I had admired that backside more than once during our training session. All focus was going out the window if I stared.
"Answer me," I insisted. I needed to know.
The rustle of cloth quieted. "So what if it did? You hate me anyway, right?"
Eyes still closed, I heard Gael move behind me. His body radiated heat that sank into my skin. He was so close. He slid an arm around me, palm flat against my midriff as he tugged me against him. I tightened my throat to keep in the moan that wanted to come out. I couldn't help it. He was so warm and his body so hard that it made my brain go haywire.
"You need to tell me," I forced out.
His palm brushed downward, his fingers toying with the button on my dark jeans. I cursed my breath for hitching in my throat. I hated how I felt when he put his hands on me. I hated that his very presence was a distraction. He didn't deserve to make me feel this way. Not when he took everything from me.
"There are other things I'd rather do," he said, breath warm against the side of my neck.
He popped the button on my jeans and slid the zipper down. I placed my hand on top of his, stopping him. "I'm not stupid, Gael. Why save me if it's going to hurt you? It doesn't make sense."
"It doesn't matter," he said as he brushed his lips against the curve of my neck. Unable to resist, I arched my back to press against him, savoring the feeling of his sculpted body against mine.
"It does. Now, tell me the truth."
"Yes," he finally said. "If you fail, I die too."
I flung my eyes wide open and froze. Why would someone who thought I was so awful risk his mortal soul for me? It was too much. Why? I was already convinced I would probably lose my own soul. I couldn't be responsible for his, too.
I pulled away from him, shaking my head in disbelief. "Screw you for putting me in this position."
"Have you considered there was a reason I didn't want to tell you?" He backed me up against the wall faster than I could blink. "Your biggest problem, Prissy, is that you think you have to do everything. It's all your responsibility. In your mind, you're fucking Atlas, holding up the world. Just swallow your ego and let someone help you for once."
My blood ran cold. Because it was all true. "Did you raid my therapist's files or something?"
"I've read you like a book from the start."
"Oh yeah?" I pressed my palm to his bare chest and shoved him back. "Why don't you tell me what my pages say right now?"
"You aren't sure whether you want to fuck me or strangle me." He looked me up and down with a quick flick of his eyes. "Probably both."
I hated how right he was. About everything. About me. About how I felt. I clenched my fists together at my sides and leveled him with a hard stare as fury and desire collided inside me. I couldn't resist letting my eyes drift down his perfect nude form, following the deep V in his abdomen to the hard length between his thighs. When my mouth went dry, I forced my eyes back up to meet his unrelenting gaze. He pressed his palms to the wall on either side of my head and cocked an eyebrow.
"What's it going to be, Prissy?" he asked with a challenge in his voice.
11
Priscilla
Faster than I even knew I could move, I had Gael on the floor. The knowing look in his eyes as I stared down at him told me that he was only there because he let me knock him down. He gritted his teeth and sank a hand into my hair, yanking my head back. I thrashed against him, digging my nails into his shoulder, but froze when he slid a hand up my side, lingering over the curve of my breast, then up to my throat. He encircled it with his hand.
"I feel the same way about you, you know that?" he said, voice low. "From one minute to the next, I don't know how the hell I feel about you." He moved his hand up, then trailed his fingers down to take me by the chin. "I used to pity you. But then I saw the truth. It was because of you. If you're not the best, it's not worth it. And to be the best, you'll sacrifice everything. You shut everyone out. They're too inconvenient for you. They'll ask questions. And you don't like questions, do you?"
I didn't. I didn't like them at all. If I had people who cared about me in my life, they wouldn't have let me destroy myself in the name of success. I thought that when I was finally successful, it wouldn't matter. Funny thing is, the bar for success was suddenly higher every single time I achieved a goal. It was never enough. I was never enough.
That didn't mean he got to use it against me. He was the one at fault here. He was the one who condemned me to
an eternity of damnation and couldn't even give me a good answer for why. Furious, I grabbed his hand and forced it down beside his head, then leaned in so close that our lips were nearly touching.
"You don't seem too keen on questions yourself, Gael. Like how about you tell me why you know so much about me? How about why you saved me?" I gave him a hard look. "How many times have you dodged that last one? Hm?"
He narrowed his eyes, silent in his protest. I didn't move. The heat coiling in the pit of my stomach was enough to drive me crazy. I wanted to make him hurt. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to scream at him and rip his clothes off with my teeth. The tension in my grip on his wrist and the violent ache between my thighs warred with each other. But I knew that neither choice held the answers I needed.
"Looks like you're not the only book being read." I shoved against his chest to push myself back up. Before I could, he flipped me onto my back. With one hand, he pinned mine above my head, the other greedily roaming over the curves of my body.
"You don't know the half of it." He brought his face close to mine, eyes clouded with desire and anger.
"Then tell me," I demanded.
"No."
I let out a frustrated growl as his lips collided with mine in a kiss that was as passionate as it was biting. I kissed him back just as hard, bringing a leg up to hook around his back and pulling his body flush with mine. I rolled my hips against the evidence of his desire and moaned into his lips. An appreciative groan came from him in reply as he sank deeper into our kiss.
"Well, I'll be damned." A voice that was neither mine nor Gael's cut through my hazy consciousness. "Are y'all fighting or doing the nasty? I can't tell."
12
Priscilla
I had frozen as solid as ice. Gael slowly pulled his lips from mine with a heavy sigh, then got to his feet. I did everything I could to avoid looking at his nude form as I stayed on the floor, mentally berating myself for even letting things get this far. This was the guy who condemned me to Hell. Get control of your libido, Prissy. To make matters worse, someone else knew about it now. Someone who wasn't known for his tight-lipped nature.