Chapter 133

We walked under the sun.

Dante's skin was beautiful. I admired his pale skin, the small spots and marks scattered across his uncovered arms. He had something like freckles. I thought it was beautiful.

We passed through the park, heading towards the orphanage. We had to pass by Kayleen's house. I feared running into her and getting an earful from my best friend.

"You crazy, why are you with the killer?"

I knew exactly the words and tone Kayleen would use if she saw me heading who knows where with Faulkner. And, even though I seemed not to care about the consequences, I understood why they wouldn't want me by their side.

Still, I felt like it was worth the effort. Dante was a box of things I'd never had.

"Are you still alive?" he asked.

"Of course. I can handle it."

"There's still time for you to turn back," he advised with that threatening tone of his.

"I don't want to," I declared, stealing his attention with a side glance, provocative.

I swallowed dryly when I realized we'd walked far enough to reach the other side of the city. It wasn't as busy, much less inhabited. It was a dry place, with the intense smell of burnt and dead plants.

A shiver hit my brain, which clearly sent out alarms, yet my survival instinct peaked when I caught sight of the dwelling Dante had brought me to.

"This is..."

"An old laboratory, yes," he interrupted, shoving his hand in his pocket and pulling out a small key. He unlocked the rusty gate.

"And an old place for human experiments."

"Why do you have the key to this place?" I asked, trying to make my brain work. "Shouldn't it be closed off from the police?"

Dante released a loud laugh, scaring the few birds pecking the ground for food.

"You are naive."

"But..."

Faulkner turned to me, his expression carrying a load of emotions I had no knowledge of. It was as if they grabbed my soul and drowned it in a tide of chaotic emotions.

But Dante said nothing.

His mouth was sealed in a line.

His silence was loud, conversing with my fear.

He stepped closer, circled my body, and grabbed my curls.

I didn't know what to do, but I felt a jolt when I realized he was tying my hair. Dante was taming my thick hair, and with a ribbon, he made sure no strand was left loose.

When he finished, I felt his fingers reach for my skirt. I let out a silent squeal, but I noticed he folded the fabric so it would be shorter. I had been wearing a slightly long white skirt, and after his actions, it ended up above my knees.

"You are pure, Gray. I don't want you to get dirty because everything here is rotten," he said. "But I hope you remember, when you go home, that I tried to keep you from getting stained with the same bloodstains as mine."

If I was ready to say something, the words evaporated into oblivion.

We finally arrived at the old laboratory.

The hairs on my skin stood up, and I hugged myself for protection. Even though it was still afternoon, there was little light piercing the space.

The corridor was long, and there were several doors along the way. Red and black tones dominated my shadow and the walls. There were sounds of metals clashing. Beds squeaking and distant laughter.

I was definitely getting dizzy and completely paranoid.

Some walls had writings on them.

One of them marked me.

Citius. Altius. Fortius.

I wondered what language that was.

Dante glanced at me again, and I tried to appear as firm as possible, but I was startled when my eyes met Vance hanging from one of the metal bars, as if he were a crouching owl entertained with... sudoku?

His greenish eyes met mine, and I felt as if he were asking for a piece of my body.

He was strange.

His stare followed us until I got distracted by Cole lying on an old bed in one of the rooms with the door open. He was reading what seemed to be a notebook, but he had been interrupted by my arrival.

Unlike Vance, his eyes were clear enough to show he didn't like seeing me. And the leap from the bed to the floor was enough for me to take faster steps.

"What the hell is going on here?" he yelled. "Hey, Faulkner, why did you bring her?"

I avoided looking back, but it was in vain since he caught up with us and pushed me against the wall.

"Get the hell out of here, you piece of shit," Cole gritted his teeth, his pale skin turning red.

My heart exploded in my mouth from fear of his reaction. My back hurt from the brute force those thin hands had.

I took a glance at Cole and then at Dante, who was just watching the scene. He wanted a reaction from me, but I was frozen against the wall, as if I were part of it.

"Don't... don't insult me!" I squeaked, trembling with the words.

Cole sighed loudly and shook his hair.

"You're an idiot. And you're another idiot. What the hell is this? Who authorized her entry?" His question was aimed at Faulkner.

"As far as I know, I'm the one in charge here," he said firmly.

Cole's disgust was evident from the response. He reduced the distance between them and murmured, "Just because you saved my ass doesn't mean I have to accept you bringing the bourgeois here. What if she screws us over?"

Dante directed his gaze towards me.

"She won't."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because she knows the consequences."

"Well, well. What’s the princess doing here?" Asher's voice echoed as he arrived with Jaxon. "So much yelling. Is this a gentleman's fight to see who gets the maiden?"

"Shut the hell up, you son of a bitch," Cole shot back.

"He's right," Jaxon supported. "What is Emilia doing here?"

Incompetent as I was, I just turned my gaze to Faulkner. He didn't seem intimidated, nor did he show signs of backing down.

"You came looking for a pact," Cole spat. "You're going to live with that for the rest of your life."

A chilling, cutting shiver ran down my spine.

Dante didn't open his mouth. He just tilted his head in a sign for me to move forward, and I followed him, afraid of what the three guys might do to my exposed back.

I was scared.

Dante headed to the end of the corridor and pushed open a door, leading to a staircase. The place was dark and dirty enough to have the sounds of rats.

The light switch was flipped, and the area lit up enough to notice stains and scattered objects. However, the atmosphere was heavy.

My chest expanded abruptly to withstand my wild heartbeat.

Still, I allowed myself to go to the end, watching Dante open a strange door in one of the floor panels.

There were more stairs. And this time, the eerie silence was crushed by sounds of hunger and fear.