Page 96 of Lust

QUINN

My heart pounds as I look through the papers in disbelief. She’s got a full collection of hateful letters to Rowena all written on the same thick paper that mine were written on. I should have guessed. She wrote these letters because of jealousy. Felix tries to hide that he’s got feelings for Rowena, but Anthura would be blind not to see that there’s something going on. Felix isn’t that great an actor. And in Purgatory, she didn’t make it a secret how much she hated me. She wrote these letters framing Dade for it. My mouth fills with bile as I realize she probably killed Michael and Lucia, too. She’s a demon. She used Hell magic to fake that video, then she sent it to Felix who forwarded it to Remy. It all makes sense.

I think back to my first day in Hell where Michael asked Anthura lots of inappropriate questions. She thought he was disgusting. Granted, we all did, but she called him on it. Right there in front of all of us, she called him a disgusting prick. I lay back on my bed and close my eyes. Every single person she hated has either been killed or framed or, in other ways, tortured. She burned my wrists down to the bone when I was fifteen minutes late to her room and who can forget the time she laughed while forcing me to eat poisoned leaves that destroyed me from the inside out.

Lucia is the only exception, but if she was with Michael down in the depths of the swimming pool, she was probably just collateral damage. The pieces of this twisted puzzle have come together.

She’s a fucking demon.How many times have I been told to never trust demons? Twila told me. Juliette and Rowena told me. Even Noémi told me and she is a demon.

I need to find Dade and then I need to tell Noémi what’s been going on. Anthura has been playing us all and if I don’t stop her, who knows who she’ll hurt next?

Shit! It’s Rowena.

I sit up, sending the letters scattering to the ground. Rowena will be next. If Felix decides that he’s going to stop being an asshole for one second at the ball tomorrow and tell Rowena that he actually likes her, Anthura won’t let it lie.

Clutching the marble tightly in my hand, I rush down five flights of stairs and pound on Rowena’s door. As she opens it, I find her draped in layers of fabric, scissors gripped in her hand.

“I haven't finished yet, but your dress will be spectac—” Her words falter as her expression shifts. “What's wrong?”

“Stay in this room, no matter what. Don't answer the door and don't even glance at your portal.”

Her eyes widen in alarm. “You're scaring me.”

I pull her into a hug, causing the swathes of fabric around her to cascade to the floor. “I’m sorry. I’ll tell you everything when I get back. If I don’t get back by the time the ball starts tomorrow, tell Noémi to go into my room and look at the letters on my bed.”

“Letters?” She calls after me, but I'm already sprinting away. The less she knows, the safer she’ll be. Anthura has no reason to hurt her tonight as long as Felix stays away, but if Rowena dances with him, I can’t see her being able to contain her anger.

Down in the atrium, the demons are already putting up decorations for the ball.

Opulent fabric drapes from the ceiling, flowing in rich hues of deep blush and velvety crimson. They shimmer with an eerie iridescence, reflecting the soft, flickering light that bathes the atrium. Ethereal lanterns sway intermittently, casting a gentle, pink glow across the fabric's surface.

Massive banners hang from the walls, depicting all the contestants of the Inferno Games. With a jolt, I notice that Dade’s image isn’t there. They’ve already decided he’s out of the games. I race past the demon workers and jump into the first available elevator. A heavy weight pulls on my stomach, but it doesn’t eclipse the pounding of my heart as the elevator slowly lowers past the entertainment level.

The last time I was down here, I nearly got caught and the time before that I was almost killed. I know it’s madness, risking myself yet again, but Dade is down here somewhere. I need to get him out and then tomorrow we can all try to escape.

My breath catches in my throat as the elevator doors part, revealing the imposing figures of two massive demons stationed as guards at the entrance. Panic grips me, and I'm momentarily frozen in place, my heart pounding wildly. Swiftly, I jab the button to reverse my descent, willing the doors to close and remove me from their line of sight. As the doors shut, obscuring the view of Asmodée and Arch, a heavy exhale of relief escapes me. I’ve not been caught, but if they are guarding the elevator doors, my chances of finding Dade are non-existent. Frustration and exhaustion overwhelm me as I make my way back up to Rowena’s room. I knock on her door again. “Rowena. It’s me.”

She opens the door gingerly. Fear is etched along every line. “Quinn, what’s going on?”

I step inside, my heart racing. “Can I sleep in with you tonight?”

“Of course,” Rowena replies, her voice softening as she lets me in. The room is scattered with fabrics and mannequins dressed in various colors.

“Never mind the mess,” she mutters, brushing glittery fabric aside. “I was hoping to get these finished tonight.”

I take a deep breath. “Anthura sent those letters to us. I think she killed Michael and Lucia, too.”

Rowena's mouth drops open in shock as she collapses onto the bed next to me. “How do you know?”

I hastily recount my discovery, the words tumbling out. “I was in her room earlier and found the letters.”

She shoots me a skeptical look. “How did you get into her room?”

I pause, weighing my words. She doesn’t need to know Felix helped me. “It doesn’t matter. I needed to get the marble to access the lower level to break Dade out.”

“Quinn. Maybe it’s time to let Dade go?” she says softly. “He’s made his decision. You have to think about you and Jenny. Maybe pretending to be into Remy won’t be so bad. It will take the heat from you for the time being.”

“There isn’t any more time and I’m sick of pretending.” I huff out. “The ball is tomorrow and if it’s anything like the last trial in Purgatory, those of us that get through will be sent down to the third circle without ceremony.” I take a deep breath. “I can’t let him go, Ro. I love him.”

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