Page 47 of A Song of Shadow and Starlight

Nyx barks out a laugh, but Atlas doesn't seem the least bit amused. "I told you to watch her," he growls.

"I was watching her -"

"Then how did that Bavan manage to drag her away -"

"Don't act as if you weren't staring at her the entire time she was dancing," Nyx cuts him off, rolls his eyes, and stomps out of the plaza, with the rest of us hot on his heels. Atlas grabs him and pushes him into a dark alley. Nyx deflects and puts a pocket of distance between them. "What the hell, Atlas?"

"Don't!" I shout, trying to diffuse the situation. I understand why Atlas is frustrated, but it isn't Nyx's fault. And Nyx has a point. Atlas was watching me and the Bavan still managed to grab me.

Atlas doesn't attempt to engage with Nyx again, but the seriousness in his eyes remains. "Zuri sent word," he says in a hushed tone. "They're here."

"Who is here?" I ask.

Atlas tears his furious gaze from his youngest brother and stares at me. "Soul Eaters. We need to get you back to the hotel and keep you out of sight until we board the river cruise."

I feel a knot form in my throat but nod in silent agreement.

Without delay, Atlas motions us to move out and we file to the street. The hotel is a good fifteen-to-twenty-minute walk from where we are, and unfortunately, it's uphill. After a day filled with eating, piercings, dancing, and enduring the humid, overpopulated streets, I'm more than ready to bathe and slip into my bed to rest.

Lost in my own thoughts, I slam into Atlas' back, who suddenly stopped. I glance around him to see what the holdup is, then I see her. Vesper. The Soul Eaters don't bother hiding their faces or red-rimmed eyes. No one is paying them any attention. People are too busy enjoying the festivities to recognize ancient demon assassins.

She isn't looking in our direction, so maybe she hasn't spotted us yet. As if that thought alone spurs her to look our way, we lock eyes, and she grins.

Atlas grabs my hand and yells, "Scatter!"

Finn, Eris, and Nyx bolt in different directions, luring Soul Eaters to chase after them. Atlas yanks me with him. I look back to see Vesper pointing, ordering her minions to find us, before the crowd blocks my view.

"Where are we going? Where are the others?"

"We'll meet them at the hotel. We need to lose the tail first."

Whipping and weaving through the Bavan streets and alleyways, Atlas leads us away from the festival, away from the Market District, to a part of the city I haven't seen before. It's filled with new buildings that fit in with the rest of the architecture of the city. Even though there are a lot of people, I notice they aren't dancing or eating or drinking. They're kissing, embracing, touching, and coupling off.

"Where are we?" I ask when we pass a Tronovian man and Bavan woman in scantily clad clothing making out in the opening of a dark alley.

"This is the Brothel District." He tells me plainly, as if I should have known that. My cheeks heat.

Couples of different races and genders are out in the open indulging their physical desires. I've never seen anything like it, and I'm not sure what to think.

Atlas hasn't slowed his pace and his grip on my hand tightens. He quickly looks over his shoulder before he tugs me into a narrow, dark alley, and presses me against a cold stone wall. There's another couple a few paces away from us, tangled up. Ironically, I try my best to give them the privacy they clearly don't care about.

Atlas looks from the mouth of the alley to me. We hear heavy footsteps approaching and he glances at me in a warning and apologetic manner. "Don't bite me, Princess."

Before I can say anything, his lips collide with mine. His hands tangle in my hair, then he caresses my waistline and upper thigh.

Once I get over the initial surprise and anger at his brashness, I find a part of me is excited and loves the way he feels and tastes. I kiss him back, and rake my fingers through his locks, tugging gently. I arch into him, but he suddenly pulls away, leaving me wanting.

"I think we lost them."

"What?" I look up at him with hazy eyes, before glancing in the direction he's staring.

"The Soul Eaters. I think we lost them. We blended in with the crowd so to speak."

"Oh, right." He kissed me because everyone else in the Brothel District is fawning all over one another. I can feel my cheeks flush and hope the shade in the alley hides my embarrassment for thinking this was like a romantic scene in one of my books.

Not knowing what else to say or do, I storm off and he chases me. "Do you even know where you're going?"

Fury rages in my eyes, humiliation stewing deep in my soul, I whip around and two hand shove him. It doesn't do much, but he takes a step back, a concerned yet curious look on his face.

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