Page 281 of Psycho Beasts

I relaxed my shoulders. “Who’s asking?”

Lightning flashed.

And illuminated a towering male with a brutal scar slashed across his eye.

Long hair dragged in a wet braid against the marble floor, and a tailored suit stretched across an impossibly muscled figure.

Twin opal fangs protruded from red lips.

“I’m asking,” Lothaire growled, voice dripping with anger.

He wasn’t used to being questioned.

“Ah, Lothaire, the vampyre. I’ve heard of you.” I nodded and sucked in smoke, presenting a lazy, uncaring figure.

I’d done more than hear.

I’d watched him bow to my mother under the dual suns of the fae realm.

Watched him attack Sadie on the hot sand of a gladiator stadium. Watched him proclaim her unworthy as he attempted to drain her blood.

He’d stood witness to my atrocities.

Said nothing, just observed, as I’d ripped out my mother’s beating heart and consumed it.

The cage rattled.

My back burned as the slur “WHORE” festered on my flesh, an enchanted penance for a wrong I hadn’t even gotten to commit.

Lothaire had bowed to my mother.

Smiled at her.

Breathe in smoke for five seconds, hold, breathe out, rest. Repeat.

Why is he here?

Lothaire’s singular eye flashed like the storm that raged against us.

He spoke as if he read my mind. “A power anomaly was detected in this realm on the equinox, and rumors are that a man named Aran was responsible.”

Lothaire took another menacing step forward. “Are you Aran? I won’t ask again.” His voice dripped with warning.

Thunder boomed.

The mansion shook.

I took a long drag of my pipe and focused on feeling nothing and expressing nothing. Being nothing.

After all, Lothaire had planned this visit for that very purpose, to unnerve me.

But the one class I’d succeeded in above all else, beyond what I should have, was battle analysis.

Lothaire had come at midnight, in the height of a storm. Entered without invitation. Stepped into my personal space. Said nothing of why he was here, just cryptically demanded my name. Demanded I answer him.

I took another long drag and sighed heavily.

Somehow, everything was war.

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