The pain of the rift passage fades as consciousness returns. I'm not dead. Instead, I'm lying on something impossibly soft—pillows, dozens of them. A heavy weight around my neck draws my attention—a golden collar connected to a chain. Panic rises briefly before I notice the figure beside me.

He's stunning—olive skin, sharp features, dark eyes that seem to see into my soul, and most breathtaking of all—large black feathered wings. An angel? But the stories spoke of demons here.

"Are you alright, carino?" he asks with a heavily accented voice that sends shivers through me.

I sit up, taking in my surroundings—a luxurious chamber far beyond anything in the orphanage. The chain leads to his hand, and I realize with a flush that I'm barely covered by the thin, see-through blue silk they wrapped me in before the sacrifice.

Before I can respond, a familiar voice cuts through the tension. "Really, Percy? That is your reaction to waking up chained to a throne? Asking if you can keep the guy holding the chain?"

Annabeth! My friend from the orphanage, sacrificed two years ago. She stands nearby with a woman in armor—her mate, I realize. And there's Leo, last year's sacrifice, sitting on the floor with a very pregnant belly.

They're alive. And apparently, happy in this strange underworld. But all my attention returns to the winged prince before me, his eyes roaming my body with obvious desire. This is my new reality.

He smirks, "I think you'll find your new life far more... satisfying than your old one, Perseus."

I swallow hard, my body reacting despite my confusion. "So you're my... demon master?"