Page 57 of Whispers of Wisteria (The Garden of Eternal Flowers #5)

I felt the instant it clicked into place. A tug, a pulling that made my body feel like it had a mind of its own. I stepped toward it, my breath growing shallow, as the hair on the back of my neck rose.

Then, I was touching the smooth glass—but I had no memory of crossing the room.

It wasn’t glass at all, but stone. It looked like the watch Finn had given to me.

The humming in my ears stopped.

I’d tried so hard to follow Finn’s lessons, but I could never quiet my thoughts enough to focus on meditation.

Finn told me that mindset was the problem.

But this… this I had no problem focusing on.

The dark stone seemed to shimmer with silver flecks that, as I watched, changed patterns. The tight coil in my chest began to loosen.

It was so pretty.

Where could I get one of these?

I traced my pointer finger over the patterns, and the surface seemed to hum under my touch.

Then, I blinked and everything changed.

A shadow moved across the stone, the light pink of my nail polish contrasting with the smoky dark surface, and the last of the world fell from around me.

My pain vanished, as did awareness, and I was alone, falling through the dark.

I wasn’t alone for long.

A deep, reverberating voice cut through the night, asking, “Who are you?” before the darkness turned to light.

I squeezed my eyes shut as my bare feet touched uneven ground. The wind picked up, and my hair whipped through the hot, dry air.

“What are you doing in my domain?”

This time, the question came from directly behind me. I jumped and turned.

A tall man—even bigger than Titus—with messy, short jet-black hair and pale skin was frowning down at me.

His features were sharp and pointed, and he had sanguine eyes under thick lashes.

He was wearing torn jeans and a black leather jacket, with fingerless gloves covering his thin, elegant-looking hands.

He held a sword in his right hand, which was loosely pointed behind him into the red dirt.

My breath strangled as my every internal alarm screamed at me.

He blinked, then grinned in the most unnerving way. “Mu… finally,” he said in a voice that made me shiver.

The way he looked at me, appraising and possessive, made my throat go dry.

“I’ve been waiting.”

I wanted to scream, but somehow controlled myself, and this time when I opened my mouth, I could speak. “Who—who are you?”

I should know him. But how?

The man blinked, his bright grin dimming. “My name is Belial.”

Belial…

I’d once caught Damen talking to himself while looking into a mirror. Finn had said that he was arguing with an Overseer—someone named Belial who resided in the Underworld.

They didn’t get along.

But I was in Damen’s—not his—domain? “Am I in hell?”

“No.” He cocked his head and lifted his sword, resting the back of his blade across his round shoulder. “Not quite yet. This is purgatory, little fae. Now, I doubt you sought me out of obligation. So tell me, why are you disturbing my work?”

Work…

My thoughts remained blank as the hot ache in my bones grew stronger. The winds shifted, and dirt and sand lifted into the air around us.

I wiped my eyes. Then froze—

Dirt.

Memories poured into me—the earthen dungeon where Ada, Gloria, and I had been held. Titus imprisoned and chained. The circle and writing on the floor, and the scrying mirror.

“You!” I stepped back and pointed at the demon. “You’re working with them! It’s your fault Titus is trapped! Let him go.”

“The dragon?” Belial lifted a thick brow. “I can’t do that. I’m upholding my end of the bargain.”

“Let him go!” I demanded again. Even though my heart was racing furiously, this was no time to be afraid.

They were cheating!

“How could you help them?” I continued.

Where was the loyalty? I didn’t know much about their roles, but I doubted things were meant to be this way.

“Damen is going to be angry when he finds out!” I warned him.

Belial’s light expression dropped and I drew back when he stepped forward. “It’s long since past the time when I sought Huo’s approval. I’ve never asked for much, and I’ve been patient. He’s had every opportunity, and, in every lifetime, he squanders it.”

I hadn’t expected this reaction. I’d have thought that with him working for Damen, even though they didn’t get along, he’d have to listen when his name was invoked.

A tentative foreboding began to fill me.

“W-what is it you want?” I asked, my voice breathy.

The dark-haired man pursed his lips, glancing me over once more.

“Let’s hasten this,” he said finally. “My arrangement with the humans only gives me a slight advantage. I’ll break my agreement with them, but in return, we’ll work out a deal.”

My breath caught. Why were demonic creatures always trying to barter with me?

I was almost hesitant to ask, but did anyway. “What kind of deal?”

He grinned again, flashing his sharp teeth in the process—a stark reminder that he was very much not human.

“First, tell me,” he continued, that same unsettling smile on his face, “how long do you think you could survive here?”

The unexpected question caught me off guard. “Wh-what?”

“Usually, your little fae ass would be burnt to a crisp by now—it’s always been too much.” His mouth twisted. “So how are you doing it?”

“Um…” How was I supposed to respond? I mean, logically, it probably had something to do with my contract with Kiania. But I didn’t think I should tell him that.

“It doesn’t matter,” he droned on, ignoring the fact that I hadn’t answered him. “How about it? Want to bypass the theatrics and stay here now?”

He was a giant compared to me. And his eyes gleamed red against his pale skin, which, silhouetted against the darkening crimson sky, made him even more imposing.

“S-stay?” He couldn’t be serious? “Here?” I asked, looking around.

Sloping, high mountains and cliffs jutted out from the distant landscape, and waves of sand and dust surrounded us. It was barren and empty, with no sign of life anywhere.

And it was so, so hot.

Could I even survive in a place like this?

Besides, the boys might let me get away with a lot, but I doubted they’d let me uphold my end of this deal.

But it really wasn’t up to them. Plus, I wanted to help Titus. Could I make such a huge sacrifice? They would be mad…

A vision of Titus, tied and helpless, rushed through my thoughts, and I bit my lip.

Yes. I could do it.

Sure, my companion seemed to be a bloodthirsty megalomaniac who had no idea how to hold a sword properly and might accidentally cut off his own head, but there were worse things.

Belial had held his left hand out toward me, weapon still held loosely over his right shoulder and eyebrow raised in haughty expectation as he waited for my answer. My mouth went dry.

He wasn’t even really asking—he already knew what my answer would be.

I swallowed and raised my hand even though all I wanted was to run away. “Oka—”

“What are you doing, Belial?” The sand shifted, and, suddenly, a tall woman with long midnight hair stood between us.

“Kiania.” Belial dropped his hand back to his side and stepped back, eyes narrowing on the shikigami. “What are you…” He sputtered, face turning red for an instant, but then his surprise masked over with annoyance. “This isn’t your concern.”

I was transfixed by the woman as a rush of relief washed through me.

Most times I’d seen her outside of my dreams, she’d been a white tiger. It was strange meeting her like this.

“I’m making it my concern.” She moved closer to me, robes swaying as she fully blocked the Overseer from my view.

Her words were strong and her tone firm, but Belial seemed to find them amusing.

“Really, now?” He laughed. “Doesn’t this sound familiar? The tables have sure turned.”

“And who do you think you’re bargaining with?” Kiania ignored Belial’s taunting, and I shivered despite the heat. “You cannot claim a dragon’s mate.”

I’d curled forward, face to my knees, and my pulse echoed in my ears. I wanted to speak, but the fire I’d been trying to suppress was spreading over my skin, and I could only clench my teeth against the pain.

But it didn’t stop my racing thoughts. Could she hear me now, in this place? Because I really wanted to know…

Was she stupid?

Belial clearly hated Damen, and probably the others. Why would she tell him about me and Titus?

“Mate?” Belial barked out a laugh. “Now it makes sense. Yet another ‘prophecy’, misunderstood.”

He pushed Kiania, and she stumbled as the Overseer pointed his sword in my direction. “Still appealing to humanity’s interest in divination, I see. As usual, you’re up to no good.”

Me? Up to no good? How untrue. My palms sweated as I stared at the edge of the blade.

I hadn’t done anything.

“I’ll set your dragon free,” he said.

What?

He grinned, eyes shining in barely restrained excitement. “The fact that you’re Jin’s mate has to be eating Huo up inside. I can’t wait to witness his unraveling.”

Why would Damen be bothered by me being with Titus? That made no sense. They said this was how things always were.

But…

I’d been growing rather suspicious of that same thing. He’d kind of made it obvious when he’d punched me in the face.

Kiania rubbed her arm and frowned at the demon, and his grin faltered as his attention moved somewhere over my shoulder.

“Time for you to go,” he said quickly, mood diminishing. “I’ll collect on your end of the bargain later.”

“But—”

The man was delusional. We never technically bargained on anything—Kiania had interrupted the deal.

Before I could finish my statement, pain pulled at my scalp as I was pulled out of the scene. And this time, when my mouth opened in a scream, nothing but a strangled sound escaped.

Stars exploded behind my eyes, and I reached back, trying to hold on to the hand twisting in my hair.

A roar echoed through the room, and my world spun in color as the force threw me from it. I flew back until I crash-landed against a wall.

I fell to the floor, stunned.

“Get away from her!” Titus raged.