Skittles tweeted and nibbled at my earlobe as I entered the shadowy dining villa and inhaled the scents of fresh baguettes, almond croissants, and all the fresh fruit Sully’s gardens could produce.
A staff member appeared from swinging doors leading to the kitchens. “Morning, Goddess Jinx. Are you okay helping yourself to the buffet on offer, or would you rather the chef cook you something? Mie goreng, perhaps? Loaded with baby sweet corn, fried spinach, and bamboo shoots?” Her gaze landed on Skittles preening herself on my shoulder, before finding my eyes again.
I smiled. “That actually sounds lovely. Thanks.”
She nodded. “You’re welcome. Please, sit wherever you like. I’ll bring it to you soon.” With another grin, she disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving me to pour a glass of freshly squeezed watermelon juice from the icy carafe on the sideboard.
No other goddesses had appeared yet, granting the odd sensation that I was the only one on this island.
Taking my glass outside, I chose a table on the deck next to a tiny lily pond and a large black umbrella. The sun had already added warmth to the world around me, ensuring shade was needed from getting burned.
Serenity comforted me as I nursed my drink, wincing with each swallow from the strangulation bruising, watching the island wake up, hearing birdsong tumble from treetops and enjoying the humid breeze rustling glossy leaves of hibiscus and heliconia.
Life seemed brighter today, more vibrant. Was that from the near-death experience, or knowing Sully might, possibly, hopefully, tragically love me?
It was far too soon to admit such insanity.
Far too quick to trust.
So why couldn’t I stop the hot ball of infatuation in my heart? Why couldn’t I stop my gaze from trailing down the path, hoping he’d appear to share breakfast with me?
Because you’re an idiot.
But I’d come to terms with that.
By the time my breakfast had been cooked and delivered, I’d relaxed into eating alone. Skittles hadn’t budged from my shoulder, and I shared tiny morsels of veggies with her, not caring that I ended up with spinach slime on my shoulder from her messy eating.
The aloneness was nice.
Not even Jealousy appeared.
I had so much to tell her: the strangulation attempt, Sully’s laugh, and my decision to fight for us, but it seemed no one was a dawn bird on this island…all preferring to be night owls instead.
* * * * *
“Jinx!”
I spun around on the path, expecting to see Jealousy arriving for breakfast.
Only, it wasn’t Jealousy.
Another girl who’d been with Calico and her crew when Sully had cornered me at Divinity and given me the diamond, skipped to a stop in front of me. Chestnut curls and a splattering of freckles on her button nose said her skin would turn into a piece of goddess jerky if she didn’t live in a bottle of sun cream lotion permanently in this sort of weather.
Her rake thin frame had a certain sexiness about it. A model type of wraithness that looked both elegant and breakable.
What was her name? Jewel?
“Hey.” She smiled. Her green eyes were clear of any maliciousness that’d been there when Calico had been leader of the entourage. “Do you want company to eat? I’m starving.” She leaned closer. “I was in Euphoria last night in a throuple fantasy. Let’s just say, elixir has kicked my ass.” She winked.
I didn’t trust her friendliness, but I wouldn’t openly state that. I shrugged with a smile. “Sorry, I just finished. I was going to have a swim before the sun got too intense.”
Skittles cackled and chirped in my ear, not liking that she had to share me with a new human. With a huff, she took off, vanishing into the palm trees.
I sighed, missing her tiny comfort already. Seemed her favourite pastime was hanging with me but the minute another arrived who wasn’t Sully, she wasn’t a fan.
“Oh, wow, is that Sinclair’s parrot?” She peered into the cloudless sky, trying to see where the little emerald bird had shot to. “How did you get it to do that?”
I shook my head. “It’s not Pika. Skittles does belong to him too, but…she’s kind of adopted me.”
Her nose wrinkled, eyeing the green stain on my shoulder from Skittles breakfast. “Don’t her claws dig into your skin?”
“Sometimes. But they’re not sharp enough to pierce.”
“Does it poop on you?”
I laughed, wondering if this conversation had any purpose, and how I could extract myself from it. “Not yet. Think she’s pretty house-trained.”
Jewel nodded as if she accepted my oddness. Her brows tugged over her eyes as she leaped toward me, her body language switching from open to full of conspiracies. “Did you hear the helicopter take off before?”
I shook my head, fighting my skin’s reaction to shiver at her closeness. “No. Another guest leaving?”
“No…a goddess. Three of them, actually. Calico, Jupiter, and Neptune were all stuffed inside, and now they’re gone.” Her teeth sank into her bottom lip in worry. “Do you think…you don’t think Sinclair is getting rid of us, do you? I mean, Calico was almost up for going home, but not the other two. Why would he take them away? Is he selling us to other people now?”
Her façade fell completely as she confided. “I’ve only just accepted this is my life for the next little while. I do my best to fit in with others, even if I don’t want to seduce the monster who ruined my life. But…I’ll do it if it means he won’t sell me like he did them.”
She shuddered. “We have it easy, Jinx. If he sells us…who knows where we’ll end up. What will happen to us?” Tears welled in her green gaze. “At least we have an end date here, you know? Four years isn’t so bad. It feels long, but really…it goes fast.” Her tears overflowed. “Do you think we should hide? Should I go tell him I’ll work twice a week? I mean…I don’t know if my system could handle elixir twice a week, but I can fake it for a guest. I can make them believe I want them without needing to be drugged out of my mind.”
I stood locked in the sand, watching a seemingly brave girl come apart at the seams. Any hint of frivolity of before was in tatters as whatever needle and thread holding her together burst apart.
“I’m so afraid of what’s going to happen! I don’t want to fuck every man on this planet. I don’t want to belong to anyone. I want to go home!” She dropped her head into her hands, crying loudly.
I had no idea what to do.
Everything she’d said I’d already pep-talked myself over and over with. Yes, we had it lucky here. Yes, it was better the devil you knew than the devil you didn’t. And yes…four years was better than an undetermined length of time. And yes, I had seduced the monster who owned us, purely so he wouldn’t sell me.
But how was I supposed to comfort her when I was the reason her friends had been flown away, never to be seen again?
Could Sully have killed them?
Would he be that ruthless to open the helicopter door at full height and kick them to the ocean below? Would he tell me he’d released them, but really lie to my face and release them some other way?
No.
If I started suspecting him, who knew what that would mean for us. He had a fierce phobia about anyone betraying him. Therefore, it would make sense that he would go out of his way to remain loyal to those he made promises to.