Page 58 of Lust

“Sexy wings and a gorgeous body?” I offer.

“Urgh,” Quinn groans. “I guess we’re both fucked. Maybe we should forget about our man troubles and do some sneaking around to see what Juliette is up to.”

My heart lightens, and I give her a conspiring grin. “You’re insane if you don’t think Juliette is knee deep in man… or men who are trouble, but I guess it will take our minds off Felix and Dade. Let’s do it.”

Forgetting the misery of the last hour, Quinn and I sneak up to the second floor and to Juliette’s room. There’s a red ribbon tied to the door knob. I put my finger to it. “She’s definitely shagging!”

Quinn giggles. It’s good to see after how miserable she was earlier.

“You know what? I think I’m going to head back upstairs.” Quinn says. “I don’t have the stamina to wait around whilst Juliette practices fifteen hour tantric sex sessions with her mystery man or men. Let me know if you find out who’s in there with her?”

I nod, then head next door to my room. Spending time with Quinn and Juliette always cheers me up, but I played down how much the note hurt me. I shouldn’t care, but I do. It’s like a deep ache inside me that’s beginning to grow with each passing day. When I entered Hell, I’d never been happier. All my dreams were handed to me on a plate, but that one niggle that I would never really be a woman, despite my body being as female as any other woman’s in here, has grown and it’s eating away at me in a way that I can’t seem to push down. The fact that this asshole who is sending these letters knows me better than I know myself has only compounded it. I really have no idea who it could be. The only people who know me well in here are Juliette and Quinn, and there’s no way either of them would have written the letter. Neither have the motive and if I’m honest with myself, neither really knows the depth of my feelings. Whoever this is, is either lucky with what would hurt me the most or they know things about me that no one else knows.

A shudder runs through me as I gaze around my room. Fabric is still strewn around just as I left it and nothing has moved, but the only time I’ve said anything positive about Felix was in the room to myself. So if that’s the case, how is it someone knows about it?

31

TROIS MEN

QUINN

The second trial isn't until tomorrow, so I’m surprised when I get a message from Noémi on the Hell Cell just before bed.

COME TO THE CLASSROOM IN THE ENTERTAINMENT LEVEL. DO NOT TELL ANYONE ELSE. SEE YOU THERE IN TEN MINUTES.

A flick of nerves crawls up my spine. Why the secrecy? For a second I wonder if it’s just one of my teammates luring me down there to get me out of the games, but then I remember how busy the entertainment level is and until I step inside the classroom, I’m relatively safe. Or as safe as anyone can be in Hell. I pull my pajamas off and step into some jeans and a t-shirt. The nerves don’t abate as I head downstairs and cross through the atrium to the elevator that will take me to the entertainment level. Luckily, it’s a busy evening with people heading toward Infernos and some people still doing their shopping. My heart is racing in full gear as I walk past the entrance to the Earthery and down the corridor that will take me to the classrooms. I haven’t been down this corridor on this level, but I remember it well from the classes in Purgatory. The corridor looks very similar apart from the pink walls and plush pink carpet beneath my feet. The door to classroom one is closed, and the corridor is empty, although I can still see people lining up for Infernos right at the very end. When I push open the door, I’m relieved to find other people from the games all sitting down at desks. Rowena offers a swift wave, prompting me to release a drawn-out sigh of relief as I settle into a chair beside her. Positioned on her other side is Juliette. Just as I take my seat, Noémi enters through the door.

“Bienvenue. Good evening everybody. Glad to see you all ‘ere.” Her brown and pink curls bounce as she takes us all in and I can see her doing a quick count, pointing at everyone and mouthing the numbers in French. Finally, when she’s happy we’re all here, she heads to the front.

Rowena’s eyebrows furrow as she raises her hand. “This is only half of us. Where are the rest?”

She’s right. The group of people is predominantly women except for Jake and another guy I can’t remember the name of.

Noémi puts her hand down on Rowena’s table. “Zese ees everyone I invited down ‘ere, Ro. Ze twenty seex of you ‘ave been peeked specially by me. You are going to ‘ave special insight into ze second trial.”

“That’s not fair,” Rowena points out but is swiftly cut off from saying anything further by Juliette nudging her in her ribs.

Noémi smiles. “Do not worry. You are not getting special treatment. I ‘ave invited ‘alf of each couple down here. As you can see, no one down ‘ere ‘as their partner. Your partners do not know you ’ave been invited and I ‘ope that none of you told zem that you were coming down.”

“No fucking chance,” Juliette mutters under her breath. I guess I’m not the only one having a difficult time with whom I’ve been paired with. I am surprised though. Despite her disdain for Orlin, she’s so far managed to secure full marks with him, so he must be doing something right.

“Eef any of your partners find out about Zis meeting, both you and your partner will be disqualified from ze games.”

I hear a few people grumbling behind me.

“But I tell Colin everything,” Maggie complains. “He’ll be wondering where I am.”

Noémi gives her a hard stare. “Zen you must tell him anything. ‘E cannot know about thees. Tell him you ‘ave gone shopping.”

“But I never go shopping without him,” Maggie complains. We do everything together.”

Noémi walks over to Maggie. “Eet ees commendable zat you and Colin share your lives in such a way, but if you want to move further in ze games you ‘ave to keep zis meeting secret. You will ‘ave to lie to ‘im. Tell ‘im anything you need to tell ‘im just as long as you don’t tell ‘im that you have met up with me or any of ze rest of zis group. Do you understand?

Her usual softness has retreated slightly and I see a peek of the real Noémi underneath the pink bubbly exterior.

Maggie must see it too, because she nods her head and sits back in her seat.

“Bien. Zen we can begin. Tomorrow we will be starting ze second trial. I know a lot of you struggled in ze first trials and ze second trial is not going to be any easier for you. ‘Owever I ‘ope you will find it fun. I came up with zis trial myself and eet’s a leettle different from what you are used to.”

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