Page 13 of Insanium (Devil’s Playground)

As the first light of dawn began to infiltrate the darkened room through the barred windows, a sudden click and a soft whirring sound roused us.

After fooling around for what seemed like hours on end, neither Hael nor I had slept deeply; the risks of Judicium had kept us only half-submerged in slumber, taking turns watching over the other.

I sat up and reached for my knife while Hael was quick on his feet.

Both of us had re-dressed before dozing off, just in case some sketchy shit happened—like an ornate silver food cart being positioned outside our door that had just swung open.

“Breakfast on wheels. How quaint,” I quipped.

I watched his back as he cautiously approached the door to inspect the corridor, my hand on my knife.

I’d slice and dice a bitch before they made a mark on him.

As he moved, I was reminded of the prior night and just how efficiently he could use those muscles.

To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement.

My perfect boy had clearly been holding out on me.

It was enough to make me feel as special as I was.

“We all got one,” Hael observed, wheeling our cart into the room.

“Did you see Aisha?”

“No, just Kun—Kristy.”

“You had it right.” I studied the cart. Could the Syndicate be accommodating?

They certainly could, but providing us with one meal and a comfortable bed was more than enough.

The bonus for me was the endless orgasms. Gourmet breakfast on wheels came across as a bit too obvious for something else going on.

“There’s a card,” I pointed out as I met him halfway.

“Bone appétit,” Hael read aloud.

“Now that’s obviously not right.” I lifted the lid with the tip of my knife. Beneath it lay catalog-worthy eggs, bacon, and fruit, all looking too perfect, too arranged. Even the orange juice glistened suspiciously in the morning dimness.

Hael picked up the card and flipped it over, his brow raising as he read, “‘Ingredients: Organic eggs, fresh-squeezed orange juice from the island of Paradise, and … freshly flayed meat generously donated by the contestants of Judgment-96.” He turned the card back over to make sure he hadn’t missed anything.

“So, the meat is most likely human. Is that new?”

“Mm, I think the Serpine girl was forced to eat a few people, one being her best friend. But that was more full-blown torture than Judgment, because her family is absolutely Looney Tunes, and we know how that ended.” I poked the bacon with my knife, fascinated by how close to the real thing it was.

I wondered whose job it was to skin the bodies and then fry them up.

“Donating is certainly one way of putting it.” I dropped the lid back onto the platter with a clatter. “Very charming, but I think I’ll skip the protein today.”

Hael set the card down with a sigh. “Looks like they’re upping the psychological game.”

“Hope no one goes right for the bacon, then.”

“You sure you don’t wanna taste?” he joked with a grin, unintentionally showing off how gorgeous he was, even half sleep-deprived.

The cameras probably panned right in for it.

I just knew there was some hussy hot between the legs.

I would need to make a statement—in case me riding his face and him balls deep down my throat didn’t send a clear enough message we had started something epic.

Perhaps he would let me collar him and add one of those cute tags, marking it with a K.

I needed to focus.

I wrinkled my nose. “I can get down with some dirty, dirty things. I draw the line at becoming a cannibal.” I bent to tuck my knife away and then shook out my limbs.

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked softly.

“I feel fantastically fucked.” His cheeks colored and I grinned. “I think we’re free to check out, but first, I really need to pee. I prefer to do it in an actual toilet than pissing myself while trying not to die—one would be so much worse than the other.”

“You do that. I’ll watch over you,” he offered, his tone half-serious, half-teasing.

“From out here,” I shot back quickly, pointing towards the doorway of the bathroom with a mock stern expression.

He chuckled. “What, don’t trust me to guard your privacy? After last night, I’m pretty sure there are no secrets left between us.”

“Making me come and watching me sleep is one thing; observing me pee is another. There’s romantic, and then there’s just creepy, Mr. Sinclair.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll stand guard outside. The gallant knight at his post.” He laughed, raising his hands in surrender.

“Keep the dragons at bay,” I said, heading into the bathroom with a playful roll of my eyes. His laughter followed me, a sound that made the morning seem just a bit brighter. After a quick refresher, I re-emerged, shooting him a cheeky grin. “Your turn. Four minutes—tick tock.”

“Geez, with you on timing, who needs the Game Makers?”

“Just keeping us on our toes. Don’t want you slacking on me now,” I shot back, my tone light but firm.

He disappeared into the bathroom, and I paced the room, eyes scanning every corner and shadow to make sure nothing and no one got the drop on us.

When Hael reappeared, his hair was neatly finger-combed, and a hint of mouthwash wafted off his breath.

“Look at you, all fresh and minty,” I teased, giving him a cursory inspection. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be. Let’s do this.”

As we merged into the main hallway, we regrouped with Jerome and Maya, who were already waiting for everyone else and looking nicely refreshed.

Kristy and her roommate, who was casually munching on a strip of bacon, joined us shortly after.

I raised an eyebrow at the sight, unable to resist commenting.

“Did you not read the description?”

He shrugged and kept chewing. “Tastes fine to me,” he mumbled through a mouthful.

I exchanged a glance with Hael. “To each their own, I guess.”

Jerome stared at the guy slack-jawed, shaking his head slightly. “You know that’s human meat, right?” He shifted his attention to Janice. “That dude you were in hysterics about? Pretty sure that’s your guy in his mouth.”

“What?” She looked at the guy, her eyes widening in horror just like his were.

“You’re lying,” he retorted, the accusation coming out garbled as he began to gag.

“You didn’t read the place card or find the spelling off?” Maya questioned. “I wasn’t going near that food.”

“Ah, shit.” The guy turned and ran back into his room, presumably for the toilet. He didn’t make it but a few steps before he was throwing up the contents of the platter.

If he dropped dead, it would be natural selection at its best.

“That’s so sick—no pun intended.”

“Kenzie.”

I turned at the sound of Aisha’s voice and moved away from the vomiting boy, snagging Hael’s pinky with mine to bring him along.

“What’s up with him? No, never mind that. What were you two doing?“ she asked, her gaze flicking between me and Hael. “I waited for you to come get me and was starting to think you’d found a way out without me.”

“Aisha.” I placed a hand over my heart. “How dare you suggest I’d ever leave you behind! I’d knock this whole house down before that ever came to pass.”

She chuckled, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. “I’m sorry, I know you would. But you’d also try and make it to the end on your own if you thought it would get me out of here sooner.”

That was true. “Did you get any rest?”

“Yeah, a bit. Enough to keep going, at least. How about you two? You look …” Aisha’s voice trailed off as she gave Hael and me a more critical once-over. “Oh. I see,” she finally added, her grin telling.

“We simply spent some of our night strategizing … intensely.”

“Intensely, right. I’ll bet,” she replied with a laugh.

I shrugged nonchalantly. “We’re still wholly focused on Judicium . Just added a bit of personal teamwork.”

“Sounds like a strategic advantage to me,” Raphael chimed in good-naturedly.

Hael responded by squeezing my hand subtly by his side—a small gesture that sent a warm rush through me. His expression was one of amused pride.

“For future reference, she’s quite the expert at multitasking.

” His tone was affectionate and supportive, yet teasing, making it clear he was fully on board with whatever I decided moving forward and not shy about our close collaboration.

He really was the best. His casual endorsement not only reinforced our bond but also showed everyone else that whatever was developing between us was strong, mutual, and unshakeable.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Raphael stated, his gaze locking with mine.

I was about to respond when Eryx’s commanding voice cut through the murmurs of the group.

He strode around the corner with Liam and a few of the others trailing behind.

“We found the exit. You can stand around here if you want, but we’re heading out.

” He paused, his eyes flicking to Brandon, who had finished throwing up bacon bits of our fellow contestants and was now looking particularly pale. “He ate the food, didn’t he? Dumbass.”

“Why didn’t you and your boy toy just leave? You didn’t need to come announce your exit,” Kristy shot back, her tone acidic.

Eryx’s retort was sharp and dismissive. “You don’t need to speak at all, yet you never seem to shut the fuck up.”

Oh, what was this? Trouble in paradise? I wasn’t sure when there would’ve been time for a problem to develop.

Maybe she’d had one of those precognitive dreams of him doing something unfaithful.

If that was the kind of relationship they had to begin with.

The way he was looking down at her made me think he’d sooner chuck her off a cliff than tolerate her presence.

My gaze pinged between the two of them, coming back to Eryx when he gave me a subtle nod, indicating it was time to move. “Come on.”