Page 26 of Insatiable

“Not exactly,” I reply, watching Dade out of the corner of my eye. “He’s tried out for the Inferno Games before. Each time he competed and lost, then tried again, he became... more demon-like.”

Tomas considers this, his brow furrowing. “So, all these people... they'll start to look like demons the longer they’re here?”

I shrug. “It seems that way. The more you fail, the more you lose a part of yourself. You adapt, or you become one of them."

I hadn’t considered it before, and it wasn’t something I wanted to consider now. Dade was so close to becoming a full demon as it was. The only thing he didn’t have was the red scaly skin and the hooves. Would that be next? “I’m hoping it only happens if you try out for the Inferno Games again, which I don’t think they can do from this Circle. They only have that chance from Purgatory. I’m surprised they let you sign up from Lust to be honest. I thought only people from Purgatory could sign up for the games.”

“I was surprised as anyone that I was let in.”

It doesn’t make sense, but I can see that he’s telling the truth. Besides, nothing about Hell makes sense to me. It’s full of liars and backstabbers and demons that consistently bend the rules to suit themselves.

My thoughts are interrupted by loud shouting coming from the other end of the hospital wing. I look up to see Rowena being wheeled in on a stretcher, her face contorted with pain even though she appears to be unconscious. Felix is with her. Anthura and George follow behind, their voices echoing off the walls.

“You fucking bastard!” Felix's enraged voice pierces through the air as he confronts George. Surprisingly, George just smirks in response to the outburst.

“She's pregnant!” Felix screams, his fists clenched at his sides.

“Calm the fuck down,” Anthura hisses, trying to restrain Felix from attacking George.

“I will not calm down, Anthura! I'm sick of you always telling me what to do!”

“Felix,” she warns sternly.

“It doesn't even matter now.”

“Yes, it does matter! Now get your ass outside before you do something stupid that you'll regret.”

“I'm already going to do that,” he seethes, pulling his arm back and delivering a powerful punch to George's jaw. The force causes George's jaws to wobble before he collapses onto the ground.

A cheer goes up amongst the contestants that remain awake. As a team of demon doctors rush over to tend to George, who definitely deserved the hit, Anthura quickly drags Felix out of the room.

Everything I am wants to stay by Dade’s bedside, but there is nothing I can do for him sitting crying at his bedside. I’ll come back later, but first I need to see the only person that can help me and Dade stay together without me destroying my chance to get to Jenny.

I say a quick goodbye to Tomas and quietly slip through the hospital wing. As I approach the door, I catch the tail end of an argument between Felix and Anthura. Normally, I wouldn't care less about their drama, but after what Felix said to her, I decide to linger and listen.

“I fucking knew it. I knew you’d give her your food, you spineless wimp,” Anthura snaps.

Felix's voice rises in response. “So you wanted me to eat it and stay back here, on death’s door? If you knew I’d give her my food, maybe you should have tried harder to keep us out of the trial together. Then we’d both be okay.”

“I didn’t get a say in who went in with whom,” she retorts, venom dripping from her words. “I don’t give a shit that the knocked-up freak of yours is probably going to die. Withoutitaround, you’re free to move on to the next circle, and we can put all this shit behind us. Quite frankly, I’m sick of it.”

I can’t see Felix’s face from where I’m standing, but I can hear the incandescent rage in his voice.

“Fuck you, Anthura. Fuck you and fuck all of this. I’m going to do what Twila did in the first circle and tell Hades I cheated and rescind my part in the games so Rowena can take my place.”

“You fucking wouldn’t dare.”

“Watch me.”

There’s a scuffle and then, “You go to Hades and I’ll make sure Rowena never wakes up. In fact, you’d better stay by her side because the second you look away, I’ll make sure she never leaves this hospital. Her and that bastard freak of a child.”

I’m almost knocked over by Felix barreling through the door and past me. He’s so red in the face that I don’t think he’s even noticed I’m here. I wait for the click clack of Anthura’s heels then slip through the door. So Felix has been cheating? What’s new? The guy never once did anything that didn’t suit him. Except stand up to Anthura for Rowena. If only he wasn’t a cheating murdering child rapist, I might actually be impressed.

I don’t have time to ponder Felix’s behavior, I’m only glad he’s going to keep Rowena safe… for tonight at least.

Anthura is already stepping through the door that will take her to the moving platform back to her penthouse when I get to the atrium. I scan the area, taking in the almost empty canteen as I search for Twila. She’s not there, so I head into the elevator and head back down to the entertainment floor, hoping to catch her if she’s with Hades.

When the elevator opens, I take a turn to the right and race down the classroom corridor to the first classroom. I barge in then wish I hadn’t as I find her giving Hades a blow job on one of the tables.

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