Page 70 of Lust

“We need to get these two to the hospital right now!” I shout out, my voice cracking with every word.

“Bring ‘er out ‘ere!” Noémi calls out.

I look on in horror as Juliette pounds on Rowena’s chest. “Breath, babe! Breathe. Goddamnit!”

My heart hammers against my ribs as I lean over Rowena's motionless form. Instinct takes over as I pinch her nose and press my lips to hers, trying to force life back into her. The memory of CPR scenes from movies flashes through my mind, guiding my actions. With each breath, I will her to wake up. On my fifth breath, she coughs.

“She’s alive!” My voice trembles as I sit back, my tears leaving damp trails on Rowena's dusty face. She’s not alive. None of us are, but she’s breathing. Juliette lays down next to her and drapes her arm protectively over her chest.

Noémi cuts through to us, along with a couple of demons. “We’ll take ‘er to ze ‘ospital wing… Juliette! Let zem through.”

I help Juliette up as the demons strap Rowena onto a stretcher and transport her out of the Earthery. Dade is waiting with Felix draped in his arms, still unconscious. We hurry out, chasing the demons while Dade flies behind us, carrying Felix.

“Follow me!” Noémi races ahead to the elevator and holds open the doors while we try to force eight people into the tiny elevator. The stretcher holding Rowena is almost vertical to allow us all to fit, and Dade’s wings are scrunched up tightly, crushed into the back wall of the elevator.

The hospital wing is already bustling with people by the time we arrive. I see Colin laid out at the far end. A couple of people are so covered in dirt and dust that it’s impossible to know who they are. A couple of demons direct us to two spare beds next to each other. The two demons place Rowena on one bed as Dade gently lowers Felix onto his. A demon doctor tries ushering us away. “Unless you’re injured, I need you out of here.”

Juliette hesitates, tears in her eyes. “No, Rowena is my family. I won’t leave her.”

“I said get out of here and let me do my job,” he barks.

She squares up to the doctor, determination filling her eyes, but it’s a gentle pat on her shoulder from Dade that finally makes her crumble. “She’s in good hands,” he reassures her in a gentle voice.

Juliette wavers for a second, then falls into his arms. He wraps her protectively like he’s done so many times to me and like he did when he mistook me for Candice, as the Earthery crumbled around us. She clings to him, tears streaming down her face onto his chest. Despite the pain he must be in due to his injured leg, he continues to comfort her as we make our way out of the hospital wing.

His face is set and I see a faint grimace each time he steps on his injured leg.

“Use your wings!” I whisper urgently, nodding towards his injured leg. “I'll meet you at Juliette's room.” He gives me a somber nod, then unfurls his wings and launches into the air, soaring above the now deserted atrium and ascending through the center of the donut-shaped structure. I dash after him, bounding up the stairs three at a time in an effort to keep up.

When I get there, I peek through the open door to find them both sitting on the end of Juliette’s bed. She’s leaning against him and his arm is draped over her shoulder. When she sees me, she pulls away from him. “I need a shower,” she announces, standing up. “I’m filthy. I’ll message you later, and we’ll go and see Rowena when those fuckwads let us in.” She strides over to the bathroom, disappearing behind the door and leaving Dade and me alone in the bedroom.

I want him to walk me to my room, to hug me like he held Juliette down in the hospital wing, but I know I can’t ask that of him.

“Do you want to come back to my room?” I can’t believe I’m asking. He stands and walks right past me, not even stopping to look my way as he passes me in the doorway.

The frustration within me rises to the surface. “I thought we were friends.”

“So did I until today. You tricked me,” his words sting, cutting deep into my already wounded heart. When will we stop hurting one another?

“It wasn't a lie,” I defend myself, desperation creeping into my tone. “It was a trial. Noémi told me that if you guessed who I was, we'd both lose points. I was doing it for both of us.”

His voice sparks in anger, but his aura and his voice is more sad than angry. “You tested our friendship when you asked me not to be your partner anymore. Did you really expect me to willingly partner up with Candice?”

“No, I...” I begin, struggling to find the right words, but he cuts me off with a sigh.

“Goodbye, Valentine. I hope your friend gets better.” His gaze is distant as he turns away and starts limping away, leaving me feeling a mix of emotions and an overwhelming sense of loss that hurts me to my very core.

36

THE AFTERMATH

QUINN

Ihear my Hell Cell beeping from the shower. In a panicked rush, I drip water all over my floor as I sprint naked to retrieve it from my bedroom. It’s a message from Noémi.

CAN ALL CONTESTANTS RETURN TO THE ENTERTAINMENT LEVEL IMMEDIATELY. MEET IN CLASSROOM ONE.

“Shit!” I run back to the bathroom, turn off the shower and try to towel dry my hair whilst simultaneously getting dressed. Debris is still sticking to my hair as I hadn’t had time to shampoo it out and I don’t have a brush. I comb my hands through the messy tangles as I step out and call the platform to take me down to the Atrium. The atrium is strangely dark for the middle of the day, but then I realize the large screen at the far side of the restaurant is blank and the only light source is the swirling skies of hell a hundred floors above. It’s hard to keep the panic out as I race across to the elevators. I’ve never seen the tower so quiet or so dark during the daytime. It’s usually so vibrant and busy.

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