Page 21

Iris

I was struggling to get my eyes open.

My body felt heavy, the weight of it pushing me down into the soft bed. My mind was fuzzy and desperately tried to lull me back into a deep sleep.

But there was something wrong. Something nagging at the back of my mind told me I was in danger.

I shifted against the material, my body sinking into it and refusing to get up. It was so soft. So welcoming.

Then, memories flashed through my mind.

Me and Yien. Talking about the souls. The way her claws caressed my skin. The look on her face when she found out about her sibling. How at home I felt in her arms. I had been eating. Waiting for her to come home. And then I was?—

I jolted out of bed, panic running through me.

My eyes adjusted to the bright room in seconds. It’s the same. Horror washed through me. The same exposed brick. The same tall beds.

I pulled back the blanket on the bed, looking down at my attire.

The same slip. I am back at the auction.

It was the same as when I had woken up the first time. Except then, the room was silent.

“The little human awakes,” called an all too familiar voice.

My eyes darted to the other side of the room, where the white-haired, red-winged demon was waiting for me. My first instinct was to flee, but with her right by the door and no other exit in this place… I was trapped.

There was a sinister smile on her lips as she watched my mind come to terms with where I was.

How? Why?

Yien promised no one would ever hurt me again, and then all of a sudden I was back at the auction?

It doesn’t make sense.

“Where’s Yien?” I asked, trying to keep the panic from my voice.

The demon looked amused that I even asked.

“She skimped on payment,” she said with a shrug. “So you are back here and will be going through the auction again.”

Skimped on payment? That soul thingy she paid with? I saw it with my own two eyes. I might not have understood what it meant back then, but I had an idea now.

“We all saw the orb,” I said, my hands gripping the cloud-like comforter around me. “She paid you.”

The demon tsked and stood, her large wings brushing the tops of the ceiling.

“And when one tried to consume the orb, it turned out to be fake,” she growled. “Not that you would understand anything about it.”

“Yien wouldn’t do that,” I said quickly. The need to defend her honor even if it cost me my life was so foreign to me, but so strong in that moment. “It must have been a misunderstanding.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Little pathetic human thinks she spent enough time with demons that she understands us?” In a flash, she was across the room, her clawed hand gripping my chin and forcing me to look into her bloodred eyes.

“You think that she’s honorable just because she showed you kindness? That she wouldn’t cheat my auction for even the chance to get something she was salivating for?”

I swallowed thickly. Tears burned my eyes.

I was angry. I was scared. I didn’t know what to do.

“It’s a misunderstand?—”

“A misunderstanding is you thinking that Yien was nothing but a thief. She thieved to get you, and she will continue to thieve until she faces the consequences of her actions. Now tell me, are you going to be a good little human and stop this attitude until it’s your time to be called, or do I need to call in reinforcements?”

She was trying to scare me. I could see it in her aura. She was playful. She loved seeing how I reacted to her games.

So even through my fear, I forced my lips to break into a shaky smile.

“And ruin your precious merchandise?” I asked, letting a laugh thread through my words. “You put me here in this comfy room. Feed me. Clothe me. Keep me locked away. I think that’s for my safety because you and I both know the demons you employ would take advantage of your wares. So no, I don’t think you’ll call them. You’ll leave me in this room— alone —until it’s time.”

Her eyes searched my face before she all but pushed me back into the bed, her laugh echoing throughout the room.

“Oh, I wish I could take you as a pet for myself,” she said and wiped fake tears from her eyes.

“But you’re a businesswoman.” I leaned forward. “And selling me is a lost opportunity.”

She let out another laugh as she retreated, not at all fazed by my words.

“I’m serious,” I continued. “I’m sure you can strike a deal with Yien. I mean, come on, that power of hers has to be good for somethin?—”

She yanked open the door and sent me a wicked smirk.

“A businesswoman knows when she’s being played,” she said and slammed the door behind her, leaving me alone in the room.

Fuck this.

I wasn’t going to stand around waiting for Yien to come save me. This time, I would have to do it myself.

I knew the demons now, knew how they worked. I could at least try my hand at this.

So I waited. Hours passed until the room plunged into darkness. I noticed that no food was sent. She was punishing me.

But no matter.

I closed my eyes, putting my back against the door, and waited.

I tried to focus on the auras of the demons just beyond the door. The back of my eyelids lit up whenever someone passed.

It took a lot of concentration, but as soon as there was a lull, I tried the door.

And it was unlocked.

When I was here the first time, none of us dared to try the door after the one girl who did was immediately attacked by guards. We never saw her again.

But I would be different. I just knew it.

I pulled the door open slowly and slipped out into the dark hallway, making sure to close it behind me.

There was not a soul. No sound of footsteps and no lingering aura.

I can do this.

Keeping calm, I traced the way back to the auction room. If I remembered correctly, it was just down the hall and inside one of the large doors to the right.

Found it.

Maybe I can hide out here until the demons panic and have to look for me.

I opened it and slipped in just as the sound of footsteps hit my ears. I paused, listening to them as they passed, and when they sniffed the air, my heart stopped in my chest.

Can they hear me? Smell me?

Then there was a small laugh, and they were on their way.

Thank god.

Walking toward the curtain that separated the room and the stage, I allowed myself a peek. The auction hadn’t started, but some seats were already filled. Not a single demon that I recognized.

No Yien.

So I decided to hide. I scurried back into the room and made quick work of trying to conceal myself. As I made room in the wood stack in the corner of the room, a hand grabbed my shoulder.

“Naughty, naughty human,” a demon growled. “Just wait until Madam hears about this.”

Fuck. This time, I didn’t hesitate to fight back. I swung my body back. Wailed. Screamed. Hit. Kicked. Punched.

It threw the demon off, but reinforcements weren’t far. And with them, I was carried back, kicking and screaming to my room. All while the white-haired demon smiled down at me.