Page 100 of Dirty Little Saint

One by one, we enter the ritual room, and it takes a second to process what I see. Holden, on the other hand, loses his shit immediately.

“What in the fucking name of my ravens happened here?”

The ground is covered with dead naked initiates, their mouths foaming, and a few have their throats torn open. I spot a bloody stiletto next to the altar, and my heart races. On the altar itself is the biggest fucking king cobra I’ve ever seen.

Fucking Atlas.

But what no one can take their eyes off is her. She stands quiet and still in a sea of ravens. They gather at her feet, guarding her, worshiping their shadow goddess. Val and Atlas stand on either side of her, shirtless and bloody, their eyes murderous.

“This is what happens when you fuck with us, Father.” Riot walks to the center of the room and holds up his arms like he’s about to be nailed to a cross.

While they argue back and forth, I grab Villette and stash her behind me. She clings to my back. “I’m sorry, Felix. I should have stayed hidden. I heard your voice, and I thought it was all over.”

“It’s okay Lettie. You’re safe. Just stay behind me.” I’m angry with myself, not her. She’s my little sister. I should have done a better job of protecting her. Bones is gonna have my balls when he finds out about this.

I lock eyes with Maureen, and it sends my pulse racing. Barefoot, her dress torn and covered in blood, she is more beautiful than ever. My sigils come alive, burning and crackling as they ache to connect to her. Every part of me longs for her. Her eyes blaze with fury when she spots Villette behind me.

Maureen’s eyes flick to the altar, and I nod. “Lettie, listen to me. I need you to get on that big stone slab over there.”

She shrinks back in horror. “The one with all the snakes? No fucking way.”

I cup her face in my hands. “They’re Atlas’s. They won’t hurt you. Trust me.”

She nods even as her lip quivers. I need her out of the way of harm, but I also need to help my little raven.

After I watch my sister climb up onto the altar, I spot Atlas’s snakes circling around her like guard dogs. He controls them. When I heard how Zeus bit Maureen’s thigh, I thought it was because, well, he’s a poisonous fucking snake. But now I see that it was at Atlas’s command. I’m in absolute awe of him for the first time. This makes him seem less unhinged and more just fucking badass.

“You ungrateful son of a bitch!” Holden screams at Riot. Pisces shakes his head as he looks around at all the dead initiates.

But it’s Laurent who fires the first shot.

With just one murderous look, he drops Val to his knees.

Maureen cries out.

The ravens flap their wings, flying above her.

Her eyes glow bright gold, like burnt honey.

She turns toward the three elders… And chaos erupts.

Maureen

Val drops to his knees and a rage unlike any I’ve ever known rises in my blood, crushing every rational part of me, stirring me like a deadly storm.

I scream and raise my hands toward Laurent. He snarls before directing his energy at me.

Fuck you.

I hold my ground, pushing back as we lock in a battle for power. I picture his lungs collapsing, his head popping like a balloon. Val rises to his feet and grabs one of my hands. The Erebus sigil on the back of my neck awakens, singeing my flesh. The pain feels like love. Like madness. We squeeze each other’s sweaty hands, willing our power to surpass his.

Atlas grabs my other hand just as his father Pisces stands with Laurent, the both of them hurling a force at us that threatens to steal all the air from our lungs. Atlas’s energy is sharp and brutal, yet effervescent as it tingles my skin. While Val’s essence is rough, mangy, and ferocious like a rabid coyote.

“How could you let this happen, Riot?” Holden calls out. “You’re supposed to play with your toys, not let them play with you.”

This fucking piece of shit.

“I’m going to play with you next,” I hiss.

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