Sinful Obsession

15. 15 – Vienna

15 – Vienna

T he cafeteria feels like a void, the gray walls and sterile air pressing in as I sit at the table with the four horsemen. They’re larger than life, a strange mix of commanding presence and quiet discomfort, with a handful of lust sprinkled in. It’s like I’m sitting among predators who aren’t sure whether I’m a threat, prey, or something else entirely.

At this point, I’m not even sure what I am—if I’m even 100% human.

Ewan leans forward, his pale eyes glinting with a mix of mischief and something darker. “So, did you have fun spending the night with Vito?”

Heat floods my cheeks and I grab my fork, shoveling a mouthful of food into my mouth to avoid answering. Unfortunately, the consistency is revolting—somewhere between paste and glue—and my body rejects it immediately. I open my mouth and let the mess fall back onto my tray, my cheeks flaming as the four of them erupt into laughter.

“That bad, huh?” Kaua rumbles beside me.

“You get used to it,” Nevan says with a smirk, though there’s no real humor behind it. “Eventually.”

I frown, pushing the tray away. “I’ll starve for a few weeks. It’s fine.”

The table goes quiet, and I realize too late that I’ve said the wrong thing. Their gazes sharpen, their unease palpable. Nevan leans forward, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “Starving won’t get you out of here,” he says softly. “Nothing will.”

“I know. Michael explained that but it doesn’t mean that—” I ask, my voice wobbling.

Nevan gestures subtly to the room, his eyes scanning the other patients. “Briarwood isn’t a place you leave, Vienna. It’s not about proving you’re sane. It’s not about getting better. Once you’re here, you stay here. For most of us, there’s no way out. The way out for us is starting the apocalypse and before you arrived, we had no fucking clue how to open that door.”

“So, you would have just rotted in here forever?”

“Possibly,” he replies, his tone almost casual now, as if he’s grown numb to the reality. “Look around. Do you see anyone who doesn’t belong here?”

I do as he says, my gaze drifting across the room. The patients don’t look like the stereotypical image of people in a mental facility. They’re calm, quiet, composed. They could be sitting in a college cafeteria, except for the white scrubs and the lack of color in the room itself.

“Most of them don’t even claim to be human,” Nevan continues, his voice low but clear. “They’ll tell you they’re demons, mythical creatures, shifters, gods. The staff doesn’t care. They just keep them here, feed them, and let them exist.”

“And me?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. “What do they think I am?”

Vito chuckles, leaning back in his chair. “You’re the anomaly. You don’t profess to be anything. You’re just a woman who sees a demon.”

This is the first time I’m seeing everyone and it’s appalling to see how young most of the patients are—in their 20s and low 30s at best. One of them looks barely old enough to be 18. But none of them are yelling about their existence, trying to push back against any of the orderlies. They’re just here, existing.

It’s terrifying.

Ewan reaches forward and taps the table to grab my attention. “They’re all medicated, led to believe that what they think are lies. Most of them live in that safe haze, the one that tells them this place is here to make it better and then there’s the rest of us who knew the truth and refuse to play it safe.”

I’m about to ask about the medication when the temperature in the room shifts, dropping several degrees. The low hum of conversation dies down, Michael stepping into the cafeteria. He strides into the room in a black suit, his hands clasped behind his back, flanked by the two women who were with him yesterday. His presence feels like a storm, dark and suffocating, and I can’t stop the way my body reacts.

My breath catches and I start to tremble, my hands curling into fists as every instinct screams at me to run. I hate him—hate him more than I can explain in this moment—and it’s as if my entire body is trying to reject his very existence.

Michael’s gaze sweeps the room before landing on me. He makes his way to our table, the crowd parting for him like the sea. By the time he reaches us, I’m shaking so badly I can barely sit still. Not even Kaua’s gentle touch on my back is helping me stay calm.

“Good morning, Vienna,” he says, his voice smooth but there’s nothing sincere about his greeting. His eyes flick to the four men around me. “And good morning to you all.”

None of the horsemen respond, Michael doesn’t seem to care. He focuses on me again, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“I trust you slept well and I see you’ve made some… interesting friends. But I would caution you against getting too comfortable with them.” He glances at the others, his smile turning deviant. “They’re a lot of trouble, you know.”

Kaua tenses beside me, his jaw clenched, but he doesn’t say anything. The others remain still, their expressions unreadable, but I can feel the tension radiating from them like a coiled spring.

“If you want to get out of here, Vienna,” Michael says. “You’ll need to prove that you can handle the outside world. And that starts with choosing better company.”

With that, he straightens, nodding to the others before turning on his heel and walking away. The room slowly comes back to life, but I’m frozen, my chest tight, my breaths shallow and rapid.

“Vienna?” Kaua’s voice cuts through the haze, low and concerned.

I shake my head, trying to pull myself together, but the panic is overwhelming. Before I can stop myself, I’m gasping, my hands shaking uncontrollably. Kaua doesn’t hesitate. He pulls me into his lap, his arms wrapping around me like a shield, grounding me as I struggle to breathe. I curl into his chest the same way that I would with Asmodeus at times when the world was too loud.

“You’re okay,” he murmurs, his lips brushing against the top of my head. “He’s gone. You’re safe.”

The others watch in silence, until Ewan speaks. “We’ve all noticed how… off the doctors and orderlies are here,” he says slowly. “But scared? That’s not a word I’d use for them.”

“I’m not scared,” I manage, my voice trembling. “I just… I don’t like them. Their presence makes me want to vomit.” It was even more pronounced a few seconds ago than it was at my house or even last night when Michael told me that I wouldn’t be leaving.

Kaua’s grip tightens slightly, his warmth anchoring me as I slowly start to calm down. Nevan snorts, breaking the tension with a soft laugh. “Careful, Vienna,” he says, his tone teasing. “Kaua has a weakness for small, cute things.”

I laugh despite myself, the sound shaky but real. “Maybe I like big things,” I shoot back as I make eye contact with Vito, earning a chuckle from all of them.

The tension eases, as I settle into Kaua’s arms, the weight of Michael’s presence lifting bit by bit. For the first time since I arrived at Briarwood, I feel a sliver of comfort in the daylight. Asmodeus’ presence is still there but these four add to it and their physical presence gives me something my demon couldn’t.

Ewan, Vito, and Nevan disappear to grab food, the moment easing into a comfortable silence. I stay where I am, leaning against Kaua, letting myself breathe as the strange, twisted dynamic between us settles into something almost… normal. For now, it’s enough.

I just hope that Asmodeus meant it when he said he liked to watch or our next meeting is going to be awkward as fuck.