Page 6 of Queen of Carrion

“I did.”

She shook her head slowly, her empty sockets falling to the space of floor between us. “Then there is no escape for you now.”

My heart crystallized. What was she talking about?

I opened my mouth to speak, but she cut me off before I could utter a sound.

“Come, let’s bathe you first.” Holga stooped over the clawfoot tub to draw a bath. My feet moved of their own accord now, allowing me to climb in after I pulled off my clothes.

The skeleton witch bathed me, twisted my hair into the most elegant updo to show off the collar around my neck, and helped me into the ball gown.

She offered me a pair of beautiful black heels, but I waved them away and pulled on my Doc Martens, which she allowed. If the old boots were the only bit of comfort I had for the night, I was wearing them.

Once I was fully dressed, Holga produced a pair of breathtaking, red teardrop earrings, which she let me put in myself. All the while, I fought back tears.

This was bullshit. Total fucking bullshit.

Why had Belial left me?

What was Holga not telling me?

Had he betrayed me?

Giving him my soul had been stupid; he’d even said as much. I didn’t care. Giving it to him still felt right, even if everything else felt oh so wrong.

I had all the pieces to the puzzle, but the foreboding sensation hooking in my belly told me not to put them together, that I didn’t want to know the truth.

My mind whirled as Holga applied a dusting of makeup to my face—charcoal to darken my eyelashes and a stain of red to my lips. I barely registered when she’d finished, my mind consumed with thoughts of Belial.

I felt sick, and when I stood in front of the full-length mirror, I barely recognized myself. Staring back at me was a gothic beauty. I looked regal, powerful, the opposite of everything I currently felt.

Acid burned up my throat at my next thought.

I looked like a queen.

I hated how easily I could imagine myself standing next to an ominous throne made of bones—or in it, perched on the Lord of Bones’ lap, like in that dream the plum had brought on.

“Show me all that I own…”

A shiver worked through me, one that turned hotter the deeper it sank through my core, but I shoved the sensation away, locking it up tight.

There was only one man I wanted to see, only one demon I wanted, and he was certainlynotthe demented specter of death who’d dragged me here and made me believe I had a chance to escape when I’d really been a prisoner all along.

I wouldneverforgive the Lord of Bones for what he did to me.

Chapter Three

Rayven

“Come, Lady Rayven,” Holgaurged, turning to head for the door. “We mustn’t keep the Lord waiting.”

“Wait.Now?” I froze, my throat tightening. “But I have a few more hours before my time runs out.”

I rubbed my wrist where the King of Limbo had carved two marks into my flesh, soon to be three.

I wanted to rebel. I wanted to lock myself in Belial’s room and refuse to come out until the Lord of Bones showed up to drag me downstairs himself, but with a snap of Holga’s fingers, my feet moved of their own accord again. “The ball starts now.”

Falling into step beside her, I followed the witch’s lead down a long corridor, my heart sinking lower with every step. “Didn’t you say this was a masquerade? Don’t I need a mask?”