Dark Nine ❈ Dark Nine Universe Bk1 ❈

Chapter Seven

I stand at the top of a monstrously large room. Even though it's an inside space, it feels like it's outside.

In front of me are at least two hundred steps that lead down to the 'party'. There's a catwalk down the middle of the cavern and off to both sides are lounges... perhaps a few hundred to the left and a few hundred to the right. Tens of people cluster around their own spaces or intermingle between them.

The people are so small, however, I can barely make them out from up here.

The surface isn't entirely flat either, while the cat walk is high up, so everyone can look up at a select few of the most beautiful female subspecies already walking across.

I so did not feel like I fit into any special category for good looks... yet I had no choice but to join that walk in a moment.

I see why I am running late, the line of females is already making its way off the walk at the very end, toward their planetary representatives.

I look up and I see the words CLUB HIVE, carved into the ceiling.

Below me, the stairs are dark but the air smells like a sweet perfume, just lightly fragranced to be alluring enough for you to step forward, I feel more relaxed breathing it in.

Before Iris ran off to do her supervising role, I had asked her where I had to go at the bottom... she helpfully said "I'd see" ...eh...

It was not a very reassuring answer, as I was already so nervous, but it does give me a job to do. I take in a deep breath, I start to descend the stairs, while my eyes frantically scan for the Kors.

I had been in the dark the whole time – but the moment my bare feet land on the first steps below, the music in the place is hushed down, the lights all dim and one major spot light blasts over me.

My eyes burn and I can't see a damn thing.

"The First Fey to be seen in five destinies – she can be considered the most valuable female in the universe since her capture. Her name is Diana. She is 21 Terra-years, she is fertile and mated to the 9 Kors of Dark Ninth."

With the intimidating introduction boomed over me, I've lifted up my arm to shield my eyes.

I try to not freak out, but for some reason my life feels threatened.

I feel hunted like this.

With a rising panic and instinct to flea, I start to run down the stair case. Probably not the most sane thing to do but the steps themselves are not steep, so I can get down quickly if I just keep my gaze focused on my feet as I shield my eyes.

The harsh spotlight follows me and my semi-translucent skin starts to burn next. I guess I'm no longer used to harsh lights as a Fey.

When I reach the bottom, I stop running but my momentum is too fast, so I trip awkwardly, landing on my side.

The spotlight is immediately dimmed so my skin stops burning yet continues to heat up underneath with a blush from the humiliation I feel.

That stumble could have easily been avoided if I had just used my brain and slowed down more gradually. But fuck, those asshole Kors did not prepare me for this. They let me go into this completely clueless.

To top it all off, not only am I now over thinking but I am in pain from falling on a hard surface, tears running down my cheeks.

I know thousands of people are watching me, even in the dark.

"Come on, young Fey," the host now has a reassuring tone, perhaps a total of three seconds had passed since the slip, but it felt like an eternity to me, "Get up, you can do it, slowly... Diana..."