Chapter 117 – Laila's Gifts

• The rest of the evening passes with a great deal of joy and joking. Drinks go around and Faiza really lights up after the alcohol loosens her lips, telling us her spy stories and having all of us basically rolling on the ground in laughter. But after the bartender leads the five of us (plus one squirrel) up to what is indeed a very comfortable suite, sleep eludes me.
• Instead of having pleasant dreams, I spend most of the dark hours curled up with Anton on a chaise lounge contemplating…what the hell I’m going to do next. After all, getting to the temple is just step one of what’s in reality probably a thousand-step plan.
• How, actually, am I going to confront the God of Death and take the throne? And what about all of the girls who are still in the Competition – are they even still here? Has he hurt them, or perhaps let them go home? And honestly…what about Orion? Do I need to marry him to legitimize my position in the Underworld, or can I really do a complete coup as my father has done?