Page 65 of Insatiable

Taking a deep, shaky breath, I reach out and grasp Juliette's hand tightly. Her fingers close around mine, warm and reassuring. With a determined nod, I step out of the elevator and onto the treacherous ground of the lower level.

The air down here is thick and oppressive, heavy with the stench of sulfur and decay.

Dade gives me a reassuring smile. “I’ll do everything in my power to protect you. Come up here with me.”

I release Juliette’s hand and step closer to Dade’s side. I won’t lie; he used to scare me at one point. But now, as he wraps a wing around me, I feel an overwhelming sense of comfort. I silently apologize to Quinn for all the times I called her boyfriend an asshole. He takes my hand in his. “We’re going to stick together. Thanks to Quinn’s idea, we know what to do now. Okay?”

He makes it sound so simple. The difference is that the monster in the Earthery was just lurking there. Down here, we have to traverse miles of winding corridors to reach it. What are the odds we won’t encounter a demon along the way?

I push the thought aside and let Dade lead me, with Juliette and Tate trailing behind. We’ve barely walked ten feet when a voice calls out from behind us.

“What are you doing down here?”

I don’t need to turn around; I already recognize the voice—George.

“Lost?” Juliette tries to explain, but I can hear the tremor in her voice.

“There’s no way to get down here unless you’re with a demon. Who do you have helping you?” George demands.

“Anthura!” I lie, turning to face him. Cerby is panting next to him. “She let us down here before heading to Avarice.”

George takes a step closer, his presence even more revolting in this dimly lit space. His teeth are stained yellow and brown, and his mottled skin looks worse than I remembered. He narrows his eyes at me, skepticism etched across his face. “Anthura left hours ago.”

“We’ve been down here for hours,” I manage, forcing the words out. “We were hoping to find some food.”

George laughs, a harsh sound that echoes off the walls. “Any food you might find down here is definitely not meant for your stomachs.”

“Okay then. Sorry! We’ll head back upstairs!” I say, attempting to sidestep him, but he grips my wrist tightly. The sensation of his clammy skin against mine sends a jolt of revulsion through me, and I let out a yelp.

“Demons!” George shouts, his voice booming in the corridor. We wait with bated breath, but no one comes to his call.

“Very well. Everyone is upstairs, but they will relish this tasty meal when they get back.”

He drags me down the dark corridor, his grip so tight it feels like he’s trying to peel my skin off. The heat from his hand burns like acid, and I can almost smell my flesh sizzling.

Juliette lunges at him, but just like me, her fingers recoil from his touch. “You leave her alone!” she demands, anger lacing her voice.

“No. You will all come with me. If any of you try anything, I’ll kill her in the most painful way possible.”

Dade unfurls his wings again, a magnificent display meant to intimidate, but Tate jumps in front of him and reaches for me. Unfortunately, that gives George the chance to snatch her too, and almost immediately, I see her face contort in pain as her wrist begins to burn.

“You bastard!” Juliette seethes, but it’s too late. We’re already dragged into a dimly lit room.

“You two get yourselves into the manacles.” He nods toward the heavy iron shackles bolted to the wall. “And don’t try anything unless you want your friends burnt to a crisp. I missed out on a lot of deaths in the labyrinth, but I could have my fun with you four.”

With a resigned sigh, Dade and Juliette comply as George clamps Tate and me into a pair of manacles each, the cold metal biting into my skin. When he’s satisfied we’re all chained to the wall, he claps his hands together, a sinister smile stretching across his face. “I don’t know what will be more fun: torturing you alone or letting my demons feast on you for supper. I don’t usually let them dine on the residents of Gluttony, but for you four, I think I can make an exception.”

He strides over to Juliette, who glares at him with a fierce intensity. “Ah, you’re the one who demanded I serve you food on your first day here. I should have guessed you’d be trouble.” He steeples his fingers, a look of mock contemplation crossing his face. “But I don’t want to be too cruel. Here, have all the food you want.”

With a flick of his wrist, the room transforms, bursting with every kind of food imaginable.

“I have to go attend to some business, but just in case any of you think about escaping, I’ll leave Cerby here to keep you company.” He smirks, glancing at the colossal creature lurkingin the shadows. “Enjoy looking at all this food, because when I return with my demons, you’ll be served up alongside it.”

With that, George strides out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

“Oh my god, I’m so hungry!” Juliette whimpers, her eyes darting to the endless spread of food. “I really fucking hate this place. Anyone have any ideas on how we might get out of here? Oh, is that cheesecake?”

I shake my head, fighting the temptation myself.

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