Page 91 of Stone Cold Touch

“Some humans tend to find their way here, but do the humans truly know what they’re encountering? The demons here don’t expose what they are, but the humans here aren’t innocent. If you could see their souls, you’d know they aren’t.” His hand curved around my waist, pulling me closer to his hip as we walked around the stage. Bambi glided toward him in response to his touch. “So the ones who come here? Well, they get what they deserve.”

What could I say to that? As I searched for a condemning response, I caught sight of several gold-encrusted birdcages hanging behind the stage. There were girls in them. A busty redhead caught my eye and her red lips tipped up in a provocative smile. Her dress showed more than it covered. I looked away, feeling my cheeks burn.

In the darkest corners of the club, poker games were being played. A man in his thirties—so plain he had to be human—sweated profusely as the ungodly handsome man across from him glanced up, grinning. Light reflected off his irises, just like it had with the succubus girls on stage.

The demon showed his hand. “Flush. Yours?”

The man’s hands shook as he flipped his cards over. “A straight,” he replied hoarsely. He fell back in his seat, face paling.

“Are they playing for kittens?” I asked, thinking of an episode ofBuffyI’d caught on the computer one sleepless night.

Roth looked puzzled. “What?”

I shook my head. “Never mind. What are they playing for?”

“I’m not sure I want to know.” Roth steered me away from the poker tables.

“Pretty little girl, wanna dance with me?”

My head snapped up. One of the cage dancers reached through the bars toward me. When she couldn’t reach me, she stood, closed her eyes and tipped her head back. Long brown hair fell down her back as she swayed her hips to the music. “Come on. Let loose. Live a little. You’ll love the freedom. The way the music catches your blood on fire. You’ll love the burn. We all do.”

“Harpy,” murmured Roth.

Her eyes opened into thin slits as she dipped, running her hands down the front of her barely clothed body. She smiled at Roth.“Mei Domina.”

The language she spoke sounded old. “What did she say to you?”

He grinned. “Don’t dance with any of the girls in here.”

“Wasn’t planning to,” I replied blandly. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Wasn’t planning to,” he echoed as he guided me toward the bar, his hand on my back a somewhat steady presence in the crazy world I’d stepped into.

“What happens if I do dance with one of them?” I asked after a few seconds.

He leaned in, whispering in my ear, “You’d never stop, shortie. You’re only part demon, so you’re susceptible to some of the demons’ charms. Some of those girls up there are humans. They danced. Look at where they are now.”

I shivered. From his words or his breath, I wasn’t sure. “That doesn’t seem right.”

“If you could see their souls, I’m sure you wouldn’t feel that way.”

My gaze flickered over them. The girls were all beautiful in their own way. Some were supermodel thin and some larger, pale skin and darker, brunettes and blondes. “Their souls are tainted?”

Roth nodded, looking pleased. “This is sort of a waiting room and a welcoming committee all in one.”

“Is this...purgatory?”

“No.” He laughed. “Purgatory is nowhere near as entertaining as this place is.”

I really wasn’t sure what to think of that or why he wanted to show me any of this. I let him walk me to the bar. It was surprisingly sparse. Only three or four patrons, all human, sat on the stools. Roth left me on the stool at the very end of the bar next to a bowl of beer nuts.

“I’m going to go score us something to eat that doesn’t involve a food that had about a hundred fingers in it. Just don’t dance with anyone or allow anyone to buy you a drink.”

“But—”

“I’m trusting you not to get into any trouble,” he continued, his eyes meeting mine. “I know you can take care of yourself. I know you’re smart. I’m not going to lock you in a room to ensure that you make good decisions.”

I opened my mouth, but then it hit me. Roth did trust that I could take care of myself and stay out of trouble. There was a...a freedom in that I’d never really tasted before. My whole life had been inside a cage. Not like those of the dancing girls, but a gilded cage that all female Wardens were kept in, and although I’d been given more freedom than any of them had, the frustration was the same.

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