Page 162 of Psycho Devils: Aran's Story 2

Scorpius had his eyes open, but his knees were bent, and the other kings were holding him upright.

“You’re nothing but a dirty whore. I always knew there was nothing good about you. You’re more damned than me.” Mother laughed as she snapped her fingers. The world exploded into blue flames that hurt but didn’t burn.

I squeezed John tighter to me.

If only Mother could see me now.

My life was unfolding just like she’d predicted. Was it all just one big morbid self-fulfilling prophecy?

Existence was a cosmic joke, and I wasn’t strong enough to survive it.

As I knelt in the center of the arena, clinging to John, I prayed for the haze to return. Prayed it would fast-forward time and make everything a fuzzy blur. Wished desperately for reality to become muddled.

I scrunched my eyes shut and waited.

Seconds passed, but it felt like years.

The haze never came.

I was hyperaware of every breath that expanded in my friend’s chest. The way his fingers traced circles against my back. The warmth that radiated off him.

I opened my eyes and whispered brokenly, “I can’t do this with so many people watching us.”

As I stared at the crowd, my shaking became full-body convulsions.

On the edge of the arena, Scorpius said something to Malum.

Even from afar I could see that Malum’s expression hardened as he looked at his mate, then looked at me.

He nodded.

Flames exploded.

I flinched back, and John jumped beside me, but the scalding pain never came.

The temperature skyrocketed.

It took my trauma-racked brain a second to realize that it wasn’t my mother’s flames playing in my imagination.

A tangible wall of red fire burned in the center of the field and formed a circle around John and me. It towered at least ten feet into the air.

No one could see us.

I tightened my grip around John’s neck.

Malum had given us privacy.

The pressure behind my eyes intensified. No tears fell. My heart cracked with pain as the heat warmed my sweat-soaked skin.

A part of me was grateful for the privacy, but a larger part was terrified because there were no excuses left.

The pressure on my chest became a mountain.

It felt like I was dying.

John pulled me flush against his body and our hearts beat against each other.

Friend cradled friend.

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