Page 54 of The Crown of Nyx

“Rule five,” the demon said as they all stepped away from me. “Find a way to participate in the game, and your gift will find you.”

With that, they dropped the silk dress on my lap and retreated to the shadows.

“What game?” I asked, raising my voice. My hands tightened in the thin material of the dress. It was white, like one a bride would wear.

The knot in my stomach tightened uncomfortably, and the panic I’d so wanted to hold back rose like a tidal wave within me.

The same dark laughter from Orion’s dream sounded around me.

“The game begins now,” she said, her voice echoing through not only the dressing room, but the entire space. I released the dress to cover my ears, and stared in horror at my reflection as the silk began moving over my skin. I tried to push it off, but it circled my body, wrapping around me tightly.

No longer was I staring at my naked body.

And I was not alone.

23

Ivy

Istiffened as I took in the male still bound to his chair behind me. At some point, between the voice announcing the game and the dress finding its way onto my body, the male from the stage had been transported into the room behind me.

There was no other sign of the female’s voice; no ear-splitting laughter, and no more announcements about the game. I looked over the room in search of the three demons, but they were gone. The shadows in each corner of the room didn’t move, either. I was completely alone with the male.

There was probably a reason why he’d been tied to the chair. Humiliation? Was it a kink thing? I wasn’t sure. He wore black slacks that tightenedaround thick, muscular thighs. And markings—tattoos—roamed his tanned flesh.

His hands tightened on the armrests of the chair as he lifted his head. There was still a bag over his face, one that appeared to be black silk.

Slowly, I pushed off the chair. Silk cascaded smoothly down my body from the tight corset around my chest. There was a band of silk around my bust that barely hid the swell of my breasts, and two small slips of fabric around my upper arms.

And with it all being white, I definitely felt like I’d landed in a wedding-themed horror movie.

It had to be some kind of joke.

I shook my head, trying to ignore the way the crown seemed to tighten on my skull.

Headache, here I come.

The male on the chair didn’t move at all as I approached. Ink swirled over his broad chest; there was a snake that slithered across his skin, and a scorpion that moved over his abdomen. I hesitated momentarily, hands curled into fists at my side.

Should I take the bag off his head? Did I leave him?

I had no idea what to do. I waited for my magic to give me some kind of indication, but it held back. Like it, too, wasn’t sure what to do in this situation.

Clearing my throat, I moved to stand in front of him. It made me realise just how…large he was. He had to be over 6’5”. Even sitting, he still appeared to not fit here.

“Who are you?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.

His head lifted, before moving to the side. Although I couldn’t see his face, it looked like he was assessing me. “Are you trapped, just like me?”

A shiver rolled down my spine at the sound of his voice. It was so deep, it made the skin on my arms prickle.He had a faint accent that shouldn’t have had any effect on me, but it did. Old me might have swooned at the sound of it; I would have described it as rich honeyed whiskey, with a hint of something else.

But current me tried to push any potential interest aside.

“Is there a reason you’re tied to a chair?” I asked, ignoring his question. “And why do you have a bag over your head?”

He chuckled, the sound smooth again. My hands tightened into fists to keep myself from reaching for him. I wasn’t even sure what I’d do. Pull the bag off? Threaten him? Despite my magic not having a clue what to do about the male, I had a feeling I shouldn’t dismiss him yet. There was a powerful aura about him, despite the binds on him that muted his energy.

“So many questions,” he purred. “I am not your enemy.”

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