Page 322 of Psycho Devils: Aran's Story 2

“Now the showcase truly begins,” Lyla said from a floating platform nearby.

I didn’t bother to look over and acknowledge that inane statement.

If the next word out of her mouth was “jump,” then I was joining the underground radical atheist fae cult. I’d secretly always liked their message about how we were all going to die and no one was going to save us.

It really rang true with me.

If I jumped now, I’d be bedridden for weeks. My bones still hurt from the first competition, and I’d been much healthier back then.

No way was I jumping.

They’d have to push me.

No one could convince me to subject myself to that type of pain.

Not again.

Lyla said, “The gods have requested that the three kings showcase their powers right here and now. They want to see if you can fight alongside the shifter legion without unanticipated casualties. They want to see if your legions are compatible.”

My stomach dropped. Unanticipated casualties.

“What?” Malum asked incredulously as he stood up straight. “We can’t.”

I sat up.

Sadie finally stopped grooming herself.

“You will release your powers now, or you will be treated as a deserter,” Lyla said with no inflection.

I lay back down and cracked my head on the post.

I prepared for the worst.

Chapter 46

Aran

THE SHOWCASE

Rebirth—Day 58, hour 11

For a long moment, Lyla’s words hung in the still air and nothing happened.

No one moved.

Click. Click. Click. The gold hardware atop each of the kings’ ears floated upward and separated into shards of a crown.

Their eyes darkened, and the talons on their nails lengthened.

Unlike before, that wasn’t the only transformation the kings underwent.

Malum said roughly, “As the Ignis from the illustrious House of Malum, I invoke the power of my mates.”

My skin prickled with warning.

Malum put his fingers to his flaming neck. “As the crowned King of the Sun God, I invoke the power of my mates.”

A long, wickedly sharp silver dagger appeared in Malum’s hand.

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