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Elias spent most of the day avoiding Varian.
The bath had rattled him more than he wanted to admit. Not just because of the touches or the kisses—but because some part of him had liked it. Liked the heat, the closeness, the way Varian whispered his name like a secret.
He was losing control. Slowly. Deliberately.
Varian wanted that.
And Elias couldn't let it happen.
So when a pair of the masked servants approached him near the shadowed library, Elias nearly bolted.
But they only bowed and rasped, "His Grace commands you to feed the caged beasts. Trial Four."
Elias raised an eyebrow. "Caged beasts?"
They didn't answer.
They led him to a spiral staircase descending deep into the underbelly of the palace. The walls dripped with condensation. Strange glyphs glowed on the stone. A low growl echoed from below.
"Fantastic," Elias muttered.
At the bottom: a hallway of barred cells.
Eyes blinked from the darkness—glowing, red, hungry.
A single table sat outside the cages, laden with bowls of meat, bloody and raw.
"Feed them," a servant said. "They belong to the master."
Elias scowled. "He could feed his own damn pets."
"Refuse, and he will take the kiss instead."
"…Of course he will."
So Elias started feeding the beasts.
Each cell held something different—some twisted, monstrous, others eerily human-shaped. But one thing was consistent: they all watched him like he was prey.
One even whispered, "Pretty thing. Too soft. Give us a taste."
Elias backed away fast.
He had just placed the final bowl when the temperature dropped.
Varian appeared.
He looked amused.
"You handled them well," he said.
"They spoke."
"They're envious. I've never kept someone this long."
Elias folded his arms. "Then let me go."
Varian approached, slow and predatory. "And give them the satisfaction?"
He stopped inches away, eyes burning gold.
"They smell you on me," Varian whispered. "They can feel the marks I leave."
Elias's breath caught. "I'm not yours."
Varian tilted his head, then suddenly grabbed Elias by the waist and pinned him against the cold bars of a cage.
The creatures inside shrieked with laughter and hunger.
Elias struggled. "Varian—!"
But the demon kissed him—deep, sharp, filled with hunger. His tongue claimed every part of Elias's mouth. His hand gripped the back of Elias's neck possessively.
Elias bit his lip to stop the moan threatening to rise.
When Varian finally pulled back, his fangs grazed Elias's lower lip.
"They're jealous," he whispered. "But you should be afraid, too."
"Of them?"
"No." He leaned close. "Of how much you want this."
Elias slapped him.
Varian grinned.