Page 46 of Spit

Shadow led me down the steps to the main entrance before tapping his finger against a door to the right.

I had no idea where I was going, so I followed my shadow's lead as we wove through the mansion. I barely remembered where the dining room had been the day before. The place seemed larger than possible, with winding hallways and rows of doors like a high-rise hotel. It never seemed to end.

At one point, I passed a window overlooking a rose garden, despite not having seen it before from my room that overlooked the back lawn.

Finally, the sound of raucous laughter and chatter cut through the silence of the eerie mansion. Two large doors erupted from the floor as if they had sprouted into existence when I stepped toward them.

Tall enough to reach the vast ceiling, painted white with leaves carved into the wood, and embellished with gold leaf—Hemlock mansion gave the feel of an angelic homage, as opposed to a demon den.

I wasn’t sure what it was about the décor that made me feel off. Maybe it was the lack of opulence in my own life that left me feeling uncomfortable.

I pushed open the door, and the hinges were silent despite the door’s size and heaviness. I slipped through, my entrance veiled by the sounds of the party inside the room.

I was greeted by a balcony overlooking a ballroom that belonged to a princess's castle.

Was I loopy from blood loss?

My shadow tugged the edge of my shirt like an excited child at the playground, begging to go on the slide.

The scent of magic and sin slapped me in the face. It stopped my feet as if I was frozen in place on the balcony overlooking the ball room. At first, I had no idea what I was looking at: a sea of flesh and wine.

I knew Hemlock house had an entire coven of witches in its basement, but I had underestimated the size of the place.

The ballroom was packed with people. Demons. Humans. Witches. Magic stung my nose and gathered at the back of my throat as my shadow danced around my feet and pleaded for just a taste.

I sought out Legion in the crowd. My eyes trailed over the writhing masses as I tried to work out what was going on.

My attention snagged on a woman on one of the tables as an unknown male poured wine on her breasts and lapped it up. His tongue was longer than my forearm.

Three men seemed to have formed a moving ball of flesh as they sucked, fucked, or wrestled on the floor.

Wherever I looked, people were naked and touching each other.

My cheeks burned, and my hands shook.

I had considered myself desensitized to nudity and sex. I watched porn and frequently paddled the pink canoe.

But I’d never seen it in person. I could smell the scent of musk and sweat and feel the body heat even from where I stood, overlooking the orgy.

What the hell was going on?

I didn’t hear him approach, but when Sev came to my side and gripped the balcony, I restrained myself from jumping in the air and drawing more attention.

My entire face burnt red, throbbing with my embarrassment.

I had been caught spying.

Sev glanced at me, sliding an amused smile my way. His eyes sparkled with mischief.

Though Sev and Legion could have been brothers, and both gave the impression of East Asian descent of some sort, Legion’s eyes were narrowed, more angled at the edge. I’d heard the Japanese refer to them as ‘fox eyes.’

Sev’s eyes were wider and more expressive.

“What is all this?” I cleared my throat, but it didn’t dissolve the lump that rested there.

“The easiest way to build power.” Sev shrugged.

“Is this for you?” I swept a hand out, gesturing to the orgy. “You’re lust, aren’t you?”

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