Chapter 002

Serephine’s POV

“Be careful!” she warned, a little too late. I had already slammed into a man, splashing the scalding liquid over both of us.

The tray slipped out of my hands, clattering to the ground with a deafening bang. Without hesitation, I lifted the hem of my baggy garment and frantically wiped the liquid smeared over his body. I started with his sturdy, muscular arms and moved all the way up to his chest.

“I’m so sorry,” I panted, my hand moving back and forth across his skin while he stood there, livid. “Why would you stand in the way like that? Aren’t you mortals supposed to be sharp-witted, considering how fragile your lives are?”

He grabbed my wrist just as I stood on my toes to reach his neck. I froze, slowly looking up to meet his gaze for the first time.

My eyes traveled across his face observing his features. Even though he looked flushed— red, like someone at the Gates of Hades — his eyes remained undeniably bright and alluring. My gaze lingered longer than it should have, trying to wrap my head around the possibility of someone as tall and devilishly handsome as him perishing in a blink of an eye.

What a useless life they live. I thought.

“What…do you…think you are doing?” His raspy voice jolted me out of my head.

What was wrong with him? Why was he struggling to breathe?

Wait! Was he the man whose corrupt energy I had siphoned?

I quickly adjusted my garment, pushing my chest forward as I prepared to flirt my way out of the mess, but he was already slouching over. He clutched his chest, staggering backward.

“Your Highness!” The woman behind me shoved me out of the way as she dashed toward him, but he held his hand out, warning her to stay back.

Shortly after, a swarm of men ran from around the corner, circling him as he collapsed against the wall.

One of them—looking more fierce and authoritative than the rest —spun to face us, his eyes seething with rage. “Did either of you touch His Highness?!” He thundered.

The woman didn’t hesitate to throw me under the bus. She shoved me forward. “She spilled tea on the Alpha!”

“I only spilled tea on him,” I said innocently. “But I wiped it quickly. You can check, there are no burns on him.”

His nostrils flared at my confession. He turned to the rest of the men and signaled with his eyes. Two of them immediately charged toward me.

“Don’t just stand there. Take her away!”

“Yes sir!” they chanted in sync. Their hands clamped onto my arms before they began dragging me away.

“I didn’t do anything!” I protested, wriggling violently to break their hold.

None of them listened. They hauled me away while I screamed and hurled insults, simultaneously swearing at the other woman for not telling the truth. She was right there—why wouldn’t she tell them I was innocent?

The men pulled me down the hall, dragging me all the way out of the building. When we burst out into an open field, my resolve weakened. The cold air stung my skin, and all I could think about was running back to the Ninth Hell to be cocooned in its warmth.

The few mortals dispersed around the grounds turned one after the other to watch me. Their voices rose in low whispers as they mumbled inaudibly to each other. As much as their gossip infuriated me, it was nothing compared to the look of pity in their eyes.

“Feel sorry for yourselves, you fragile, insufferable creatures!” I fumed, spitting at them.

One of the men yanked my hair to put me in my place, I winced before turning to give him a death glare.

We reached an isolated building far from the magnificent structure I had been dragged from. They led me inside what looked like a pit, but with a staircase spilling down to the very bottom, it was dim, humid and significantly warmer than it was outside.

It clicked instantly when we passed the first cage with iron bars; I was in a dungeon. But I hadn’t done anything wrong so why was I being punished?

The men pushed me inside an empty one and I crashed to the ground, the skin on my palm stinging as it grated against the rough surface. The lock clinked against the metal rods as they shut the exit, their eyes lingering on me for a moment before they marched out.

I ran to the door, banging on the iron bars as I yelled at them to let me out. “You can’t keep me here! I have important things to do!”

After a few moments of relentless banging and shouting, a voice from down the dim hall shouted for me to shut up. “Shut your stinking mouth! You are disturbing my peace!” she yelled.

I ignored her and continued banging, until I’d finally had enough and slowly slumped back to the ground. I laid on my side, staring absentmindedly at the strings of spiderwebs drooping from the ceiling.

It was so dark and warm inside that I slowly drifted off to sleep, until the creaking sound of metal hinges jerked me awake. The man who had ordered my arrest stepped inside. His eyes still held the same resentment from earlier. Two men stood behind, clearly waiting for his order to do whatever they planned to do to me next.

Finally, he spoke. “Take her to the Alpha.”