Page 19 of Insatiable

I clench my fists in frustration. Rowena is counting on me. I can't let her and her unborn baby starve. On the other hand, asking him for food is probably counted as cheating, even if he is the head of the games. I know I can’t appeal to George’s better nature seeing as he doesn’t have one and Anthura… well, she’d relish the idea of a baby suffering. She’d probably be first in line to buy tickets if suffering was an Olympic event. Then I remember the real reason I was here talking to them.

“Fair enough. I get it. I was wondering if I could borrow your girlfriend for half an hour or so? I know we can’t have a coffee together, but I was hoping we could have a catch up?”

“I am not Twila’s keeper,” Hades mutters, dismissing us with a wave of his giant hand.

A minute later, we’re sitting on one of the canteen benches near the large window screen displaying floating milkshakes, now slightly nauseating to watch after my massive meal earlier.Twila shakes her head as she speaks, her dark hair falling over one eye.

"Seriously, Quinn," she says, exasperated. "Just because he's a demon doesn't mean I'm his slave. I can’t believe you asked for his permission to speak to me alone. Where’s your feminist spirit?"

"Sorry," I reply sheepishly. "He just doesn't strike me as the feminist type."

Twila rolls her eyes. "You know I can't help you either. I cheated once. I can't do it again."

"I'm not asking you to cheat... sort of," I clarify quickly. "I do want your help, though. I was down in the lower levels earlier, and there's a new area. A kind of chamber with a monster in it." I show her the picture I snapped on my Hell Cell.

She looks surprised for a moment before composing herself. "I can't believe you're still going down there. You'll get caught, and next time Hades might not be around to save you."

"I know, but I need a backup plan if I don't make it through the games," I explain earnestly. "I only need to go a few more levels down. We were so close last time."

Twila shifts uncomfortably in her seat. "You think you were close? How do you know?"

"There was an elevator," I reveal with excitement. "I even have a map of how to get to it."

"How did you get a map?" Twila asks, shaking her head in disbelief. "Never mind, I don't want to know. Just because you found an elevator doesn't mean it goes where you want it to go. Satan is a trickster, it could have been a decoy."

I consider this for a moment before responding. "It could be, but I don't think so. It was too hard to find and too heavily guarded. I doubt Satan would go to such lengths just to protect a decoy... which brings me to the favor I want."

"I want to help you, Quinn," Twila assures me. "Believe me, nothing would make me happier than you finding Jenny, but what can I do?"

"I need to know how to get past the monster guarding the door."

Twila sighs. "I have no idea how to do that. My knowledge of Hell extends only to Satan and Hades. Satan is a tricky customer, as I've already told you, and you won't get anything past him. And Hades... well, let's just say he's amazing in bed, but that information won't help you here. I know nothing about hell monsters."

"But you could find out," I persist. "Maybe ask Hades for a romantic stroll around the corridors."

Her face softens a bit. “Seriously, Quinn. Be careful. Hades might enjoy the chaos of these games, but Satan? He won’t hesitate to crush you if he feels threatened.”

“I know,” I murmur, glancing at the screen. "But I can't stop. I need to get Jenny back, Twila. She’s the only family I have left." My voice cracks, and I quickly clear my throat, hoping Twila didn’t notice.

Twila ponders this for a moment, her lips curling into a sly smile. "Hades isn't one for nighttime walks, but I suppose I could convince him by saying I'd like to try something new in bed. Maybe doing it in front of a monster could be fun." She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.

I can't help but laugh at her audacity. "Twila, you are wild, weird, and kind of gross, but I love you."

"Don't let Hades hear you say that," Twila warns with a smirk. "He might drag you in for a threesome."

11

HARDLY A VESTAL VIRGIN

JULIETTE

Aweek has passed since the first trial and though I ate enough food to fill the entire army, navy and air force, the hunger pangs are back with a vengeance. I’m starving, miserable and ready to bite the head off the next person that crosses me. As if he heard my thoughts, I hear the familiar voice of my ex-husband behind me. My heart flutters involuntarily, betraying my attempts at keeping a distance which I’ve managed all week, mainly by staying in my room and saying no to Rowena’s many offers of starting up night classes again. "There you are, my love," Tomas says, taking a seat on the bench opposite me.

"You never did respect boundaries," I mutter, feeling irritated by his presence. "I'm waiting for my friends."

“Oh? Breakfast with them?” he asks, his tone dripping with feigned innocence. Even with his slight paunch and thinning hair, he remains the most attractive man I’ve ever known. He doesn’t possess Hades' god-like allure or Felix's billionaire charm, but there’s a warmth and a twinkle in his eye that nobody else can quite pull off. It’s infuriating.

“Clearly not in this circle,” I retort, irritation bubbling beneath the surface. “We were supposed to discuss the next trial.”

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