Page 2 of King of the Unsightly

My foster parents loved to spout nonsense like how it would cleanse me of all my sins if I stayed down there long enough. God, the Kelleys were complete psychopaths.

My hand was firmly pressed to the side of the wall as I shifted my weight and willed the thoughts of them away. My pace quickened as the loud thumps of my boots slamming against the steps rang in my ears.

I rounded the stairwell and my left shoulder collided with another, and I shrieked.

A wave of nausea washed over me. Raagini’s sharp, piercing features now occupied my mind.

My frantic heart launched out of my chest, or at least on the verge of it when I spun to face who I crashed into.

Ah. It’s not her. I emptied my breath and wiped the sweat dripping from my forehead.

“What’s your problem?” the woman snarled.

I frowned at how her tattered navy blue hoodie hung loose over her shoulders as she glared at me. She passed over a needle to a gangly looking man with greasy hair. He slouched halfway over the railing; the stench of mouthwash and stale weed compelled my nose to wrinkle in revulsion.

Could I perhaps run into someone a little less aggressive, or was I asking too much?

The woman narrowed her eyes as I gave her a short shrug and continued my descent. I didn’t need to apologize. I needed to get away from my apartment before Raagini appeared in front of me again.

A muffledfuckin’ psychoechoed as I descended farther.

I chuckled between the sharp breaths stabbing my lungs. Any other day, I might have picked a fight with that lady, but not tonight.

Tonight ... I reached my limit.

I pushed open the emergency door, avoiding the parking lot and the unwelcoming stares. The cool wind flailed against my skin as I bolted across the street, tripping over the sidewalk step and falling headfirst through a bush.

I grumbled and whacked it with my fists and took a deep breath before I regained my dignity and stood up.Of course thiswould happen to me at the worst possible time.

And even if I thought I had an ounce of magic, I would have turned my foster parents into toads or skipped town or maybe attempted to make money off scamming people. But I definitely wouldn’t run from her if I did or let myself tumble into a bush like a clumsy idiot.

Hoping to god no one witnessed my minute of vulnerability, I trekked along the sidewalk. The dirt clung to my palms, and I patted them off on the sides of my pants. I lifted my head, and my stress evaporated as the gaudy sign embellished with silver wings sparkled in the moonlight above me.

I yanked my shirt down to appear less frumpy, and a murder of crows reflected in the tinted window of Hera’s Palace, emerging from the dark alley behind me.

“For fuck’s sake, let a girl breathe.”

A couple walking hand in hand rounded the corner and shot me concerning looks. I waved, but it only creeped them out as they scurried faster and crossed the street.

Ouch. A little hurtful.

An obnoxious crow gilded past me and landed on the windowpane and craned its neck. “Is she dull, Gren?”

“She changed.”

“She’s hideous.”

“I have doubts.”

“Can’t be.”

“Definitely not.”

“Quiet!” the one-eyed crow shouted. They hushed, immediately. He seemed like the one in charge and the onecalled Gren, seeing as they all settled their feathers and looked at him once he spoke again. “She is the one who has the key.”

They all croaked and mimicked ayes, yesas if satisfied with Gren’s answer, not that I cared. If I indulged in my hallucinations any further, it wouldn’t do me any favors.

Disregarding their bickering, I pushed open the glass door and a sweet aroma of apples with a hint of oak and spice caressed my nose. In the corner, a pianist stroked the keys effortlessly as they swayed to the music. The ballad soared through the air, the heartbreak evident in each note.

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