The Underworld Crown (Series)

Chapter 30

When Jackal arrived, the light was dimming to a sunset red, casting an apocalyptic shade over the furniture. From my bedroom, I heard Alek answer the door and the two of them engage in conversation. I stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror, proud of myself. The black wig ended just above my shoulders and grazed my collarbone. With the black dress and a pair of strappy heels, I could almost convince myself I was a regular teenage girl sneaking into a club.

Or in my case, a pub in Hell.

How different could they be, really?

When I exited my room, Jackal and Alek were standing just inside the door, smiling at something one of them had said. Alek was dressed in black dress pants with a dark navy untucked shirt. I hated to admit it, but he looked good. On the table beside him was a pile of his weapons.

Alek followed my gaze and shrugged. "Jackal doesn't allow weapons downstairs," he explained blandly, looking like he very much disagreed on the matter.

"You're coming?" I asked, failing to keep the surprise from my tone.

He quirked an eyebrow, challenging me. I took a deep breath and averted my gaze, refusing to acknowledge him any longer than required.

Jackal grinned, holding his hands out widely. "Sabrina, you look lovely. The dress fits perfectly," Jackal said.

"Thanks," I replied with a tight smile, feeling vaguely self-conscious. "It's nice to be in some clean clothes again."

"I'll get some of my maids to send up some more clothes to your apartment in the morning so you can take them on your...journey," he replied, glancing back at Alek.

"That would be amazing, thank you."

I expected Alek to break back into the conversation, but he remained silent, instead staring at the floor like it could bring forth some momentarily relief.

Jackal seemed to notice the tension between us, and cleared his throat.

"Well," he exclaimed, clapping his hands together and breaking the silence. "Let's head downstairs, shall we?"

I nodded eagerly, desperate to get away from this apartment and put as many distractions as possible between Alek and me.

Downstairs, the bar was even busier than the night before. Now that I was dressed in formal attire, I let myself blend in with my surroundings and soaked up the vibrant atmosphere – the normalcy. With no one watching me, I let loose some of the tension from my shoulders and smiled.

Jackal headed towards the bar, which to my disappointment, was surrounded by customers crying out for attention.

"It's packed," I voiced. The bar was so busy I couldn't even see the bartenders.

"Don't worry," Jackal said with an air of confidence. "You're with me. Besides, we have finer dining."

Curious by what he meant, I followed him past the bar towards a glossy black archway on the far side of the room. Two men in black suits stood at its entrance, in front of a line of guests waiting behind long, luxurious drapes. The guards seemed to be checking everyone's wrists as they entered, although I couldn't see any wristbands.

"Tattoos," Jackal explained. "For our special guests."

Soon enough, we were at the entrance of the archway and I could see small black crosses on the guests' wrists. I felt paranoid to be walking past the guards despite not having one, but they didn't give Alek or I a second glance once they saw we were with Jackal.

A waiter materialised in front of us, leading us past a dozen tables draped in smooth red fabric. At the centre of every table, a candle or two cast a soft, romantic light upon its company.