Page 98 of Voyage of Fury and Fate

“What do you want?” I refuse to be friendly.

Marnie turns her attention toward Everly and Autumn. “Hello, girls.”

“Don’t talk to them,” Amelia interrupts. The girls move to my side, wrapping their small arms around my waist.

“You smell like the fire,” Everly whispers. “Just like Samirah and…” she looks up at me. “Elsie.”

Marnie laughs. “Yeah, it’s my curse. I guess you can never get rid of your parents, no matter how hard you try.”

“Cut the bullshit, Marnie. Why are you here?” I spew.

“I can assure you, there is no bullshit to cut. I’m here on behalf of my mother.”

“Kragen’s dead.” My words are short and to the point. “I did what she asked. Where’s Alex?”

“No, you didn’t.” Marnie stands, moving toward the fireplace. “You didn’t kill him at all.” She turns her attention toward Everly. “He killed himself, didn’t he, young one?”

“Semantics, Marnie.” The irony of using Kragen’s words is almost comedic at this point. “Kragen’s dead. What difference does it make how it happened?”

The energy shifts again, as Marnie transforms into something from a mythology encyclopedia. Her body liftsoff the floor, rising nearly to the ceiling. Her once blonde hair lengthens to her knees, turning the crimson color of dried blood. Long arms lift to her sides, as seaweed extends from each finger, covering the room in green slime within seconds. Marnie’s eyes open, losing the beautiful shade of green they were moments earlier, and replacing it with bright white light. Her jaw stretches wide, forcing her mouth open wider than humanly possible. The scream that leaves her body breaks every window, pottery, and glass in the house simultaneously.

“Give me the children.” Her words vibrate through the room. “They belong to us.”

I slide the girls behind my back, hiding them from whatever the hell is happening in front of us. “They don’t belong to anyone,” I argue.

“Fran?” a soft voice says from above. “Who’s that? She feels weird.” Fran runs up the stairs, hiding Brayden from the chaos below.

Amelia steps beside me, linking her arm through mine. “You are not welcome in this home. Leave now!” Celeste does the same on my other side.

“Isn’t that cute? A trio of vampires.”

“Quartet,” Thorne says, joining our group.

“Fuck you, Marnie,” Amelia spews as she transforms into the giant wolf I’ve seen several times before. Topher, Micah, and Luna do the same, joining our small line.

Marnie’s laugh echoes through the room. “Youfools. You have no idea who you’re talking to. I am a demigod. You can’t win.”

“You heard her,” I continue. “You are not welcome here.”

“Not without the children.”

Celeste steps away from my side, transforming into what can only be described as a monster. Her angelic face is disfigured and demonic. Dark eyes replace the blue, and her skin is darker than before. She’s absolutely terrifying.

I join her, turning into my own version of a monster as the immortal children run upstairs at vampire speed. Fran joins us, and the eight of us face a demigod—half vampire, half goddess—fully fucked.

Marnie lifts higher toward the ceiling, pulling the seaweed with her. The eight of us spread out, surrounding the creature in front of us. “Give me the children,” she repeats. Her voice vibrating through the room.

“Over my dead body,” I spew.

“That can happily be arranged.” Marnie flicks her finger, pulling a long strand of seaweed from the wall with it. Before my eyes track movement, she’s wrapped it around Micah and Luna, forcing them to the floor with a heavy thud.

Topher doesn’t hesitate. He’s in the air, heading straight for Marnie’s throat seconds later. She knocks him to the side with barely any movement, throwing him into the foyer.

Amelia is next to jump toward the creature. She leaps with her teeth barred and lands on Marnie’s chest. Swiping a large paw, she tears into Marnie’s body, leaving claw marks in her wake.

“Bitch!” Marnie screams as a piece of seaweed wraps around Amelia’s body, throwing her to the ground. “Give me the children, and I will allow you to live. If you want a fight, I’m game. However, none of you will survive.”

Luna and Micah continue fighting the bindings holding them in place, unable to free themselves from her grip.

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