Page 10

10

CALLIOPE

I stayed curled beneath the sheets, my body still tingling in places I hadn’t known could feel like that. The warmth of Adan’s touch lingered on my skin, along with the echo of his voice—low and reverent, like I was someone he treasured.

I’d just given my virginity to a demon I’d known for less than a full day, but I didn’t regret the decision. What should have been reckless had instead felt inevitable. Like crossing a threshold I’d been walking toward my whole life without realizing it.

I wasn’t sure what to make of the deep sense of rightness still humming beneath my skin, except that it must be connected to the whole fated mate thing. The concept of knowing you’d be with someone forever without even the tiniest bit of doubt was foreign to me. I didn’t know if I could trust it, but I definitely wanted more of those mind-blowing orgasms.

I propped myself up on one elbow, tucking the sheet around my chest to keep myself covered, when Adan returned with a tray in his hands. The scent of chocolate croissants and fresh fruit hit me first, followed by the richer undertones of dark-roast coffee.

“Room service offers breakfast in bed now?” I teased.

“Only for you.”

The wicked curve of his lips was dangerous for my libido, so I forced my gaze away from him before I started something my body wasn’t quite ready for again. Not while I was deliciously sore from our lovemaking.

I noticed the antique bell sitting on the small table beside the bed. It was brass and delicately engraved with elegant scrollwork. I lifted it and asked, “Is this for summoning you?”

Adan’s brow arched. “That wasn’t there last night.”

I gave the bell another little shake. It chimed sweetly, the sound almost musical. “Because I was thinking it might come in handy.”

He walked around the bed and set the tray beside me, then studied the bell more closely. “It’s a twin to one in my suite. I haven’t seen a second since the day I moved in. The Abyss must have placed it here.”

“I wonder why,” I murmured as I set the bell back down on the table.

A slow grin tugged at his mouth. “Because it sees you as the lady of the manor already.”

I remembered the mysterious woman in the window last night and how she’d called him my lord. “Oh.”

“It probably recognized you before I did since you managed to find your way here when humans normally don’t.” He poured us each a cup of coffee before setting the carafe on the table next to the bell. “If not, I would’ve given it away when I put you on my private floor in the room next to mine. No one else stays here.”

My pulse skipped. I wasn’t sure I was ready to unpack the weight behind his words. Instead, I reached for a croissant and took a generous bite. “Well, I guess I’ll have to ring if I want a refill.”

He leaned down and whispered near my ear, “Careful. That bell might summon more than coffee.”

I flushed so hard I had to focus on chewing so I wouldn’t choke. We sat in comfortable silence, nibbling on pastries and fruit until an entirely new breakfast spread was delivered. A discreet knock sounded at the door just as we finished the last bite of fruit. Adan rose, slid on his pants with effortless grace, and crossed the suite. I slipped on my robe before he returned with the wheeled cart.

This breakfast was even more elaborate than the first—an egg soufflé, truffle potatoes, thick slices of quiche, and a variety of sweet and savory crepes. It looked like something served in a five-star restaurant.

“You weren’t kidding about the full service.” I gave him a wide-eyed look as he poured me another cup of coffee.

“I meant what I said. I want to take care of you.”

His words were simple, but they landed hard. So much of my life had been spent doing everything on my own. It was a little jarring to realize how nice it felt to have someone else do something for me.

We ate side by side on the bed, leaning against the pillows. The food was amazing, but I was suddenly more aware of the way our arms brushed with each bite and how his thigh warmed the space next to mine.

After setting down his fork and knife, Adan prodded, “I want to know more about you and your world.”

I hesitated, unsure where to start. But something about the quiet, steady way he looked at me made it easier to speak.

“My mom raised me alone. She had me after a one-night stand. Said she never even got the guy’s last name. Just that he was gorgeous and mysterious, and she was young and reckless.”

Adan’s expression didn’t shift, but the way his fingers stilled around his coffee mug told me he was listening intently.

“She was amazing, though. Did her best. We didn’t have much, but I never really felt like I was missing anything until she got sick.”

His hand came to rest gently on my knee, grounding me.

“She died two years ago. Cancer. It was fast. I stayed with her until the end.”

Adan didn’t speak, just let the silence stretch gently around us. I hated talking about my mom, but I felt safe here, like I didn’t have to fill the air with words unless I wanted to.

“When she was gone, I had this moment where I realized nothing was holding me in place. No reason to follow a normal path, go to college, settle down somewhere. It felt like the world had cracked open, and I could go anywhere. So I did.”

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, his voice low. “You don’t have to keep running anymore, Calliope. Not unless you want to.”

Something shifted in my chest. Like the hollow places in me weren’t so empty anymore. I didn’t know if The Abyss would become my new home, but I was starting to believe it was possible.

After I took one last bite of quiche, I slipped out of bed and padded toward the bathroom. A quick shower and a fresh change of clothes later, I felt a little more like myself. Or at least, the version of who I was before I walked into The Abyss.

Adan waited near the door, fully dressed again and watching me with a gaze that said he was more interested in climbing back into bed.

“You keep looking at me like that, and we’ll never leave this suite.”

“Don’t tempt me,” he growled but offered his hand. “Come on. There’s more I want to show you.”

He led me through hallways I hadn’t seen the night before. A conservatory lit by a glowing orb overhead, casting a warm, sunlike glow over the flowers below. Including deep purple lilies—one of which he plucked and tucked behind my ear. A library with books that hummed faintly, as though they were whispering secrets. A vaulted lounge with floating lanterns drifting lazily beneath a skylit ceiling.

“I’m beginning to think this place is one giant illusion,” I teased as we paused outside a gilded gallery room.

Before he could respond, a faint chime echoed through the air. Adan’s expression shifted.

“I need to check something at the front desk.” He brushed a kiss against my cheek. “I’ll come find you as soon as I can.”

I stayed in the same general corridor, letting my fingers trail over the carved stone as I walked. The hotel was quieter now, the soft echo of my sandals barely carrying over the distant hum of magic in the walls.

I hadn’t planned to wander far, but something tugged at me. The gentle pull wasn’t physical. It was more like the flicker of a thought I couldn’t shake.

I turned a corner I didn’t recognize, then another. And that’s when I saw it. The black door.

I stopped short, my breath catching in my throat.

This wasn’t the same hallway we’d visited last night. I was sure of it. Yet there it was. A chill slid down my spine.

I should’ve turned around. Walked in the other direction and waited for Adan to find me far, far away from the door he’d warned me about. But my feet didn’t move. Not the right way, at least.

I stepped closer, barely breathing. My fingers lifted before I could stop them. I pressed my palm flat against the black surface…and it swung open.