What kind of archaic way of describing me is this?
I glare at Valentine, not that he pays me any mind as he makes his way behind his desk.
“Maiden?” Luci asks, his voice coming out strained as he reiterates the phrase after a long moment of silence. “What do you mean she’s still a maiden? How is that possible?”
“So, you really didn’t know,” Valentine muses with a humorless laugh. “Funny how the deals we make out of desperation rarely seem to work out in our favor, isn’t it? I can’t wait until Dante learns of this, and fromyounonetheless.”
“I’d have to be a fool to tell him.”
“Be that as it may, youwilltell him,” Valentine snarls, his lip curling up over his teeth as he stares Luci down, “or our deal is off. I want my son to know just what kind of bet he’s made giving her up to me.”
“He never would have …” Luci trails off, his eyes flickering to me as his mouth snaps shut.
“Exactly,” Valentine says with a sneer. “Imagine how he’s going to react once he knows you’ve given me his maiden.”
Luci doesn’t respond to this, his face pale and expression strange as his eyes stare unseeing into the distance.
I can’t help but glance between the two of them, my own mind spinning as I try to process what they’re saying.
Hold on, is Valentine talking about my virginity? I shudder at the thought. Wait, how could he even know that I’m still, well,technicallya virgin?
I certainly haven’t told any of them … not that a single one of them thought to ask.
God, is it that easy to tell?
I suddenly feel extremely self-conscious about everything I’ve done up until now. Not that I didn’t already feel like I have had no idea what I was doing, but this just makes it all so much worse.
“Here, before you go,” Valentine says, drawing our attention to him once again, He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a small, strange looking bag full of that same thick, dark liquid he always seems to be sipping. “For your trouble. I assume it’s the real reason you came here, anyway. I suggest you use it wisely. We can’t have you falling apart before the grand finale, after all.”
When Luci doesn’t step forward to take it, Valentine tosses the bag to him. He catches it easily only to stare down at it with what I can only hope is a modicum of shame. This hope withers in my chest though as Luci’s fingers close around the bag instead of chucking it back at Valentine.
I watch, the rage in my chest quickly flaming to life again, as his expression changes to one of hunger before he quickly tucks the bag into his pocket.
“When can I come back?”
“You know the rules.”
Luci’s lips press together at this, but he nods once. Slowly, he turns to look at me as he moves to leave, his expression oddly concerned, but all I do is stare hateful daggers back at him. Aside from literally rescuing me from this place, there’s nothing this man can say to me right now that would excuse him for any of this.
It’s becoming more obvious to me by the second. Luci sold me out, he sold us all out, and for what? Some kind of liquid drug?
Is this what he was really so afraid of the others finding out about? He was using, and I stupidly helped cover it up.
“Evi—”
“No! There will be none of that,” Valentine orders, his eyes flashing angrily as he plants his palms against the desk and leans forward over it. “You’ve seen the girl. Now, if you’ll excuse us, Evi and I have some rather important matters to attend to.”
“Valentine, I—”
“Hold your tongue, Lucien. Have some dignity in your deceit, don’t make me have to have you dragged from this place. You know I’d be more than happy to do so.”
Luci’s face darkens at this, his hands clenching into fists at his sides, but he does as he’s told. I watch as he moves to leave, his eyes catching mine for a split second before he tears them away.
I lean forward in my chair to watch him go, half hoping that this is all part of some elaborate plan to trick Valentine before swooping in to save me, my stomach twisting into tighter knots with each step he takes.
“I’ll be back, Valentine,” Luci says, stopping in front of the doors, “and I expect the girl to still be in one piece.”
“Oh, I’m counting on it. Whether she’s in one piece or not by then; however, remains to be seen. Men!” The doors swing open at this, and several black-suited men step into the room to surround Luci. “Get this man out of my sight!”