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I discreetly scanned the roo I could wield to smack him down and crack his head on the stone statue behind hirant to anyone, but even without knowing anything real about this guy, I knew he deserved to be buried in the graveyard I’d seen on the way here

His stare remained

I ging behind htly with low on top of the thrones I stopped several feet away fro a better look at his face He had deep brown hair, a cleanly shaven jawline, brown eyes, and a powerful build that told ainst him in hand-to-hand co about him was his attractiveness He was a handsoe sto be a demon, when he could join the rest of society and enjoy his youth?

I looked at the white throne, which seemed to be made of birchwood, a pale, smooth color with occasional dark striations, like slices on your forearm from an old cut The flames from the candles were silent, there was no draft of any kind, and the air felt old, like it’d been trapped inside since the place had been built—along with all the disturbing shit that happened here

His eyes watchedonly on the rarest of occasions His look was deep, like his eyes were a dry sponge and I was a basin full of water He absorbed me more the closer I came, but he was never saturated with my appearance He constantly needed more

I gripped the ars behind me made it impossible to lean back, and now I understood why the chair was so large—because it was el

There didn’t seeer, but that didn’t slow bird trapped inhard to fly out of my body and to the sky I looked at the interior of the roo in the rows starting at the thrones, faces hidden behind their skulls I stared at everything but him, afraid to look at his face once more

A part of me was convinced this entire experience was a dream…except for the fact that I never woke up

He straightened in the chair and leaned forward slightly, his elbows ether His eyes were on rin stretched on his face “You are…beau-ti-ful”

If this chair weren’t so heavy, I would have picked it up and slaaze and didn’t look at hi creepy It was creepier than this room, than the thrones, than the statue “Touch me, and I’ll kill you”

“Touch you?” His voice turned low, only speaking loud enough for el, all I want is your forgiveness All I want is to confess my sins and exhume my soul All I want…is a chance to be human”

My eyes shifted back to hione, replaced by his serious expression once ain “You are human” His smile was demonic and his soul was evil…but he was human

“I us-s-ed to be I ae hands interlocked, taking a ret

I felt like a priest in a confessional—but his sins would never be absolved

Not just because I wasn’t a qualified priest

But because this wasn’t religion There was no god here This was a fucking cult

They’d paid for the buildings and the statues with money—and they had to earn that money somehow They were criminals, and not just because they were kidnappers and coainst hu to finance this freak show

I held my silence because I was utterly powerless He wasn’t snatching o doith a swift kick to the groin I couldn’t screaer than me, and I had to do whatever was necessary to survive—until I figured out a plan

“I’ve waited a long tiain and looked attiel to take ain”