When Dante opens the door without warning, Virgil glares up at us from a book he had been reading. My eyes light up at the title, but before I can do anything, Dante tosses me onto Virgil's bed. I glare at him, but he's already ignoring me.
"I"m not unlocking her voice," Virgil says, looking back down at his book.
"Oh, come now," Dante responds. "There's nothing you'll take in return? Surely there's something you desire that this place lacks."
"Yes, there is. More thralls."
I ignore the two to look around Virgil's room. It's tightly packed with books, paintings, and all kinds of paraphernalia. The more I look, the more I recognize. There's art of a lady knight from a book series, a mask that features in a manga, and I think I even see a collection of Shakespeare. I want to ask about it, but my voice is still gone and the two are still arguing. But next to the bed, I see a book I've wanted to read for ages. Neither of them notice as I reach for it and tuck it into the folds of my dress. And just in time too, as Dante scoops me back up and whisks me out of the room again.
Back in his suite, Dante starts putting his games away with a sour expression. I pull the book out of my dress to start reading it, but when Dante sees it, he just raises an eyebrow. "Is it your intent to make Virgil dislike you?"
I clutch the book to my chest and shake my head. Instead, I raise my feet, giving him a determined look.
He seems to understand my intention, because he sighs and crouches down to unlock my ankles. "If you want to try and convince him yourself, fine, but when he bites you, you're going to owe me. A wager is a wager."
Yeah, a wager I never agreed to. I stick my tongue out at him and walk out the door.
When I reach his door and knock, Virgil's irritated voice calls out from inside. "Go away, Dante."
Obviously I can't respond. But I don't want to piss him off, either. I lean down to peek under the door when it opens. Virgil looks down at me from above, clutching his loose kimono closed. "He let you go? Whatever, it's still not going to convince me."
I show him the book with a questioning look. He tilts it to read the cover. "Is this your way of asking me if you can borrow it?" I nod eagerly. "Too bad. This book doesn't leave my room," he says, pulling it from my hands. "You had better leave before I get hungry."
But that book is the last defense between me and the torture of Dante attempting to teach me difficult strategy games. So I march in, pick the book back up off the table, and find a seat to start reading. I can feel Virgil's red eyes on me, but I ignore him, and eventually he shrugs and goes back to his own book.
It's so nice to read in peace for once that I forget where I am. It's a relatively short book, so I when I finish it, I realize I have no way of asking for the sequel. I don't see it nearby, either. Gently, I tap Virgil's knee. When he looks at me over his book, I proffer the book and tug at the ribbon on my neck. He stares at me for a few seconds before finally speaking up.
"...Did you finish it already?" I nod eagerly. His eyes light up. "What did you think?" he bursts out without thinking. He turns his face away when I giggle, but I think I see a faint hint of pink creeping onto his cheeks. "Fine," he mumbles, and unlocks my voice.
"Thank you!" I cry. I'm so grateful that I wrap my arms around him in a hug without thinking, and realize what I've done when his breath hitches. Before he has a chance to bite, I stutter out, "Uhhh, about the book, I liked it, but I thought that Lawrence's character arc didn't go as far as it should have."
He pulls back, interest sparking in his eyes. "What do you mean?"
We spend the rest of the evening talking about our favorite stories. Once he gets talking, Virgil is surprisingly excitable. Whenever I mention a favorite series of mine, his eyes will sparkle and he often pulls out artwork or a prop he's commissioned somewhere from the depths of the room.
Neither of us notice the sun starting to rise, until Dante flings open the door.
"She's mine until the morning," he says coldly.
"Hey, you let me lea-" I begin, but Virgil pulls me onto his lap. "I don't want to," he pouts.
Dante's eyes narrow. "You agreed."
I struggle to escape Virgil's grasp. I really don't want this to turn into something dangerous.
"Adelaide?" I hear him ask sadly from behind me. Great. I turn my head to look at him. "I'll come over tomorrow," I promise. "I need that sequel, remember?" He smiles quietly and lets me go. As soon as he does, Dante sweeps me back up again.
As he carries me back to his room, I watch his face. He's trying to mask it, but he's obviously irritated, so I speak up. "Why did you let me go if you didn't want me to leave?" He doesn't answer. "You didn't think I would succeed, did you?" I say with a chuckle.
"You're right," he says stolidly, then grins unexpectedly. "I should have wagered on that."
I don't understand. "You would have lost," I say doubtfully.
His grin only grows wider. "I know. It's more exciting to lose when there's something on the line." But this time, when he puts me down on the bed, he looms over me. "Now, I want my dinner." He leans in, and I struggle to think of a way to stop him. If they keep feeding at this rate, I'll be bedbound forever. "Wait," I say. "Why don't we bet on that for everyone?"
He pauses. "On what, exactly?"
"If I can convince them to unlock me like I did with Virgil."
His eyes glitter as he regards me. "And what? If you do, I won't bite now?"
"Uhhh…" I hadn't thought that far ahead.
He chuckles with a deep throaty laugh. "I'll take it into consideration. But you, little bird, are not going to stop me after being gone like that." I don't even have time to protest about the nickname before he bites into my neck.