𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞 | ✔

ғᴏᴜʀᴛʏ ᴇɪɢʜᴛ

TW: mentions and details of sexual assault

without further adieu, here is the next chapter...

༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ

DEVI BHATT

I gulp nervously facing her. Shit, shit, shit. My mouth is as dry as the Sahara as my body and brain can't decide between fight or flight.

"Are you okay?" She asks, the sharpness of her voice slicing through my lucidity. Smoking shouldn't make me lucid. Fuck this.

"I...I never told you who," I whisper.

I look up at her, and her stark grey eyes strike me deep

She smiles smug. "Yeah you did. You told me when you first came in.."

I didn't. I didn't. Shit, shit, shit.

She talked about him as she knew him. I need to get out. I'm breathing short and fast breaths, matching the way my tight chest and heart is racing. Racing for the hills.

I turn on my heel, my hand twisting the handle of the door. It's locked. It's locked. My mind is screaming in agony. My hand shakes on the door knob. I try to use my other hand to stop the shaking, but that one is too.

I yank the door knob, trying to convince myself it's unlocked and I'm just weak.

"Why is the door locked?" I say, my eyes wetting.

Outside, in the ballroom, the piano is playing. The familiar tune floats through the speakers. Dread clouds my senses and fills my nerves, freezing me in place.

I fumble for my phone, trying to unlock it and call for Grisha.

"What are you doing?" Amelie says behind me. She stands so close I almost seize. She's a whisper away.

"Stay away from me," I warn, backing away from her.

Her smile now is eerily taunting.

I run into a cubicle. I grip the sides of the cubicle, staring around me wide eyed for the first attack. The music is ringing in my ears like a siren's call. My dress is sticky and uncomfortable and so are my shoes.

"Come on Devi, I thought we were getting along," Amelie says softly, walking outside of my cubicle. She scoffs a laugh, "what am I saying? We would have never after your Russians filled my girlfriend with bullets."

Girlfriend? Bullets? My mind flashes back to Ares?

I clench my jaw. "She almost killed me."

"Oh come on, you know we would've never killed you. We have plans first," she claps her hands. "And don't assume we've turned a blind eye to those Russians, stealing and sabotaging us. We aren't merciful at all, I hope you know that."

"If you knew, then why aren't you stopping us?"

"Why do people watch horror movies even though it scares them?" she asks. "It's the same reason– the thrill, the excitement. You should know all about that. Milan is an amazing place to end our horror movie."

Milan, our next stop.

"No," I whisper.

"Devi, do you know who I am?" she asks. "Ty znayesh' kto ya?" (Do you know who I am? [In russian] )

I process everything slowly, realising we're headed for Hades if Grisha goes to Milan.

My mind backtracks. She just spoke Russian. Grey eyes.