Page 64 of Insatiable

Tate pulls a massive wad of rolled-up white material from her bag and steps up behind Dade. “Extend your wings.”

Dade glances over his shoulder, then complies, unfurling his magnificent wings.

No matter how many times I see it, the sight of Dade’s wings never fails to take my breath away. The feathers shimmer in the dim light, radiating an ethereal glow.

“Wow!” I mouth, captivated.

The beast halts its frantic thrashing and seems to still slightly. I guess I’m not the only one mesmerized by Dade.

“I didn’t have time to make a proper costume, but I’m hoping this is enough!” Tate exclaims, draping the white material over Dade’s massive wings. He ducks slightly, allowing her to throw the fabric all the way to the tips.

“Help me!” she urges, nodding toward her bag.

Rowena and I dive in, pulling out the rest of the material along with the dress I saw her making the other day. Together, we wrap swathes of material around Dade, nearly turning him into a mummy. Finally, his black clothes are hidden beneath swathes of white, and his majestic wings appear almost angelic.

“Step back!” Tate whispers, taking my hand in hers. With my other hand. I take Rowena’s and the three of us take a slow step back, leaving Dade to face the monster alone.

The beast seems confused for a second, but then, slowly, it lowers its head and drops to its front knees.

“Dade!” Tate whispers. “See if it lets you past.”

Dade keeps his wings open as he takes a step around the beast. It watches him, but doesn’t make a move, allowing Dade to get to the door. He pulls at the handle and the door opens. As it does, a light flashes a couple of times and then everything goes black.

30

FACING THE HELLBEAST

ROWENA

Iinstinctively clutch my growing stomach with one hand while Juliette’s hand tightens around my other. It’s only when the lights go back on that I realize that our time in the Earthery is over.

“Oy. I told you I had another booking!”

We must look a funny sight to the demon Earthery receptionist as we turn as a whole to face him. The three of us holding hands with Dade covered in white behind us. He doesn’t seem in the slightest bit interested. I guess he sees it all down here.

“Sorry,” mutters Tate, pulling the material from Dade and shoving it into her bag.

We leave the Earthery with a sense of determination I’ve not felt before. I told myself that Felix was gone and it was probably for the best, but the truth is, now that there’s a chance of seeing him again, has my heart catching in my throat.

This time, as we enter the elevator, I’m going to one of the most dangerous places in all of Hell. On the floor below us, the demons don’t have to pretend to like us. They don’t have to keep us safe. Down below us, we are no longer guests, we are prey.I swallow back a lump in my throat as Dade inserts the marble into the hole next to the elevator buttons. All the stories Quinn has told us about what she had gone through down there rush through my mind. The time when she saw Dade having his skin peeled back, the time they were chased by demons and let’s not forget the time she was almost literally reduced to ash. Then she had Hades to save her, but we don’t even have that. Hades isn’t here in this circle anymore. He’s even lower in the depths of Hell – a place we’re actively trying to get to. As the doors to the elevator open, panic sets in. This is all too fast. I’m not ready. Can I put my unborn child into such a dangerous position? What kind of mother does that make me?

The others step out of the elevator, but I freeze. All I have to do is press the button, and I’ll be taken back up to relative safety. Sure, I’ll never taste food or drink again, but at least I won’t be eaten by a demon.

“Ro?” Juliette's voice pulls me back, but I shake my head, unable to move.

“I can’t do it. You go on without me,” I whisper, my chest tight with fear.

The elevator doors begin to close, but Juliette jams her foot between them, holding them open. “I’m not going without you, Ro. You can do this!” She reaches out her hand toward me, her eyes pleading.

“I can’t,” I say, my voice trembling. “It’s not just about me anymore.”

Juliette’s gaze drops to my stomach, then back to my eyes. “Don’t let this baby grow up without her aunty Jules.”

My body trembles uncontrollably, the weight of everything pressing down on me. I want to move, to take that step forward, but my legs won’t listen. I stare at her hand, wanting to reach out, wanting to be strong, but the fear... the fear is suffocating.“Rowena Bagshott. You are the bravest person I’ve ever met. I know you can do this. Just step out of the elevator.”

I stare at Juliette's outstretched hand, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. The fear is overwhelming, threatening to paralyze me completely. But then I think of my unborn child - the life growing inside me that depends on me to make the right choices. Can I really condemn her to an existence trapped in this hellish place, never knowing the taste of food or drink, always living in fear?

Everything I love is on the other side of those elevator doors. Juliette, Quinn… Felix?

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