Page 86 of Under the Lion Star

“With pleasure,” Orin’s face cut into a cruel grin, twirling his dagger between his fingers.

He crouched down while the assassin let out a pathetic whimper. My brother pressed the tip of his blade just under the man’s ear. He opened his mouth to speak when a dull thud stole our attention.

We all stopped, standing up and facing the doorway that led to the washroom Zialda and I shared. The shrill scream that came from beyond made my heart stop. A chill moved through my body as every ounce of blood roaring through my system turned to ice.

Chapter 29

Zialda

Nima, Marcy, and I took turns adding ingredients to the bowl. However, based on her appearance, I wondered if much of the flour had made it into the batter or if it was all coating Marcy’s apron.

She smiled at me, showing off the tooth she recently lost, but the edges of her face began to dissipate. Fine dust swirled at the edge of her features, scattering like silt in a riverbed before snapping back into focus.

I shook my head, returning my attention to the eggs. There were so many, yet they all looked off. Some were a pale blue, with brown speckling, while others were oblong with soft shells.

Frowning, I looked at the recipe book again, trying to find some guidance for these odd eggs.

What are we making again?

The ink was distorted, none of it resembling letters of any language that I was familiar with. As if someone had wiped the page with a damp cloth, marring the instructions.

I picked up one of the soft eggs, holding it up to the light.

“Does this look weird to you?”

“Do you need me to crack it?” My mom’s voice came from next to me as she peered at the egg in my hand.

“Mom?” My voice broke.

She turned to look at me, tossing her pastel purple hair over her shoulder before offering me a smile. Her flesh was ashen. Gray and blue mottled together as pulsing lines moved under her skin.

“You always did make a mess with those,” she laughed, but the sound turned distant despite her proximity to me.

My hand shook as I held the egg. I lifted it, tapping it against the edge of the bowl, but no crack formed. Redoubling my efforts, I hit the bowl harder, but the shell refused to break.

With a frustrated growl, I slammed the egg on the counter. Dozens of tiny snakes slithered from under my hand, falling off the edge and onto the floor. Onto my mother’s body. They writhed over her skin. Her bulging eyes fixated on me while she clawed at the angry purple mark around her neck.

“No, no, no,” I breathed, falling to my knees and swatting the snakes away.

My eyes snapped open as my body folded upright. I sucked in a ragged gasp of air, holding my trembling hand over my throat.

A crash stole my focus, diverting my attention to the small end table that had been knocked over. That, and the shadowed figure standing next to it.

“Who–” I couldn’t finish my question before he stomped toward me.

My fingers gripped the sheets as I scrambled off the side of the bed furthest from him and flung myself to the floor. I kicked, desperate to untangle myself from the sheets. He laughed darkly, looming over me and grabbing both of my ankles. I clawed at the smooth floor while he dragged me toward the center of the room.

Flailing wildly, he managed to roll me onto my back and sat on top of my hips. Moonlight glinted off the blade he held high over his head. I wondered if the last thing I would ever see was the cruel grin on his face.

Fuck that.

Given one of his hands was occupied with the dagger, I fought with every ounce of strength I had, clawing at his eyes and bucking him with my hips.

He growled in response, trying to get control of my wrists. The knife clattered onto the floor as he pinned both of my hands above my head. I managed to bend my legs, pressing my feet on the ground and heaving him off of me. I rolled onto my stomach, reaching blindly for the blade.

He forced me onto my back again, but my hand came down, sending the knife through his shoulder. While I hadn’t spent much time imagining what it would feel like to stab someone, my stomach churned as I felt the dagger pierce through sinew and flesh, the path being diverted by the bone underneath.

His eyes went wide, looking at where the hilt jutted from his tunic. I pulled my hand back, ready to pierce him as many times as necessary. But time slowed.

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