Page 62 of Insatiable

“No,” I confess, cringing slightly. “She said you were an amazing lay, but I rephrased.”

Dade’s dark face brightens for a second, and then he laughs. It’s a comforting sound, one I’m not used to coming from him.

“What happened?” I look up at him. “Anthura told us you were dead.”

Dade looks thoughtful. “I guess I would have died, but Twila unlocked my chains before she left.”

Anger fills me. Anthura would have left him there to die at the hands of the demons, and with no way for us to get down there, I guess she thought she was telling the truth.

“Tate came to Rowena’s room in the middle of the night,” I tell him. “She said that she remembered what Quinn wanted her to do, but she needed you. She said she could save us all.”

Dade’s expression turns thoughtful. “I don’t know if redemption is on the table for any of us, but if she can get me to Quinn, then there’s no time to waste."

I don’t know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t for Dade to tighten his grip and launch us into the sky. My heart plummets as I cling to him, my arms instinctively wrapping tighter around his shoulders. A rush of wind whips past, and before I can catch my breath, we touch down on the second-floor balcony. The jolt of landing is still sinking in when the doorswings open, Rowena already standing there, as if she heard us coming.

“Dade?” Rowena gapes at him, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open in shock.

“Anthura lied to us—big surprise there. I’ve got Dade. Where’s Tate?”

Rowena blinks, still processing. “I just woke up and found both of you gone. I... I don’t know where she is.”

“Anthura, Hades and Twila have all gone down to Avarice, so it’s doubtful they have her.” I shrug my shoulders. “George might?”

“George is probably hiding out in the demon level after his disaster of a games.” Ro points out. “He’s probably licking his wounds after a murderer took out half the contestants before he did.”

A pang of sorrow hits me at her words, but none of us have time for grief now. If we get out of here, I can grieve then.

“Let’s find her and get the fuck out of here.” I grab Dade’s hand so he doesn’t get any more ideas about flying me anywhere, and drag him toward the stairs. Ro runs behind us.

“Shouldn’t we split up?” she asks when she catches up.

“No. We’re sticking together until we find her and then we’re going to get Quinn, too.”

Ro mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like ‘Felix.’ I’ve not put much thought into Felix. His face was up on the screen along with Quinn’s, so he must have gotten through to Avarice too. He’s the last of my concerns, despite Rowena being my best friend.

The atrium is mostly empty, save for a few stragglers. I pull Dade aside, lowering my voice. “We need to head down to the demon level and find George. I know Rowena doesn’t think he’s interested in Tate, but where else could she be? None of us know her room number, and she doesn’t have her Hell Cell.”

“Damn,” Rowena mutters. “Dade’s Hell Cell is still on my nightstand. I should’ve brought it.”

Dade shakes his head. “Doesn’t matter. We can’t communicate between circles, anyway. The only one I want to talk to is Quinn. Besides, I’m not ready to tip my hand with George. He doesn’t know I have the marble key to the demon level, and I intend to keep it that way. We need to exhaust all other options to find Tate first.”

Dade makes sense, but I can’t picture Tate heading down to the Earthery level. Shopping or a trip to Infernos doesn’t seem like her style—especially since the place doesn’t even serve drinks. “Her leg was shredded. Wherever she went, it was deliberate. Unless... maybe she went back to her room?”

In the end, we pile into the elevator anyway and press down. I’m itching to go one more level down, but I respect Dade’s wishes. We really need to find Tate.

The lower level is as miserable as usual in this circle, with sad looking shopkeepers and very few customers. A quick race down the shopping street tells us that Tate isn’t here. I check in Infernos anyway. As I suspected, she isn’t there either.

I’m just about to suggest we go looking for her room when Dade stills beside me. “She’s in the Earthery.”

I want to ask him how he could possibly know that, but then I look over and see her in the entrance talking to the demon that works behind the Earthery desk on days it’s not being used for the games. She’s carrying a huge bag on her shoulder. “I’d forgotten this place had other uses,” I say as we walk inside.

Tate’s face lights up when she sees us, and as her gaze shifts to Dade, she brightens even more. She turns back to the demon behind the desk. “Make that four.”

The demon barely shrugs. “You’ve only got half an hour. I’ve got a booking after that. Don’t make me come in there and drag you out.”

Tate pulls us aside, out of earshot, though the demon seems far too disinterested to care. “I thought you were dead?” Tate says looking at Dade then throwing a questioning glace my way.

“Anthura lied,” I say.

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