Page 157 of The Black Witch

“Strip for us!”

They’re all leering at her shamelessly. The scattered Gardnerian women seated with the men avert their eyes and studiously ignore this display, but not Fallon. She scandalously laughs right along with the men.

Diana flicks her long, luxurious hair over one shoulder dismissively, like a goddess forced to spend time with some very distasteful mortals.

“Hello, Elloren, Aislinn,” she says as she sits down at our table and flashes us a dazzling smile. Without further ado, she picks up a large piece of chicken and begins to gnaw on it with relish.

I can’t believe the amount of meat on her plate. Practically a whole chicken.

The howling dies down, only a few of the men now glancing in our direction as they laugh and nudge each other suggestively.

“Doesn’t that bother you?” I ask as Diana unconcernedly chomps down on some gristle. I throw a resentful glance toward Fallon, who’s laughing and having a grand old time being the center of the Gardnerian universe.

Diana looks up, confused, and glances over at the Gardnerians. “Why should that bother me?” she asks, her mouth full of meat. She swallows in one loud gulp. “They are as insignificant as that fool of a Mage, Fallon Bane.”

“They werehowlingat you.”

Diana shrugs and rolls her eyes. “They can’t help themselves,” she says rather arrogantly. “They all wish they could mate with me. It’s not surprising in the least.” She straightens as she chews and tosses her golden mane. “Look at me. I ammagnificent. Every male wants me.” She picks up another hunk of meat and tears at it with her long, white teeth as Aislinn and I stare at her, dumbfounded.

“Of course I have no interest in them,” she continues loftily. “They are weak and pathetic. I really don’t understand how you can tolerate men such as these. Like this Randall you’re to be wandfasted to, Aislinn.” She gestures toward Aislinn with a bone. “Jarod says he’s an idiot who doesn’t deserve you.”

Aislinn sits frozen in place, staring at her.

Completely oblivious, Diana continues to chew, her teeth making an unnatural grinding noise. Her eyes light up. “You should become Lupine, Aislinn! Then you could mate with one ofourmen. They are completely superior. Strong and virile. Lupine men are excellent lovers, not like these sense-blind Gardnerian idiots must be. I’m not surprised that they have to run off to be with seal women. Their own women must refuse to mate with them, and really, it’s quite understandable.” Diana chuckles to herself and then points a bone at me. “You, too, Elloren. You should also become one of us.”

I almost choke on my food. Eyes watering, I take a drink of water as I eye Diana with incredulity.

I turn to Aislinn. She’s still shocked into silence by Diana’s screaming lack of tact.

“Diana,” I venture, my voice hoarse from choking. I take another drink of water. “You’re not going to make any friends talking like this.”

“Talking like what?” she asks as she chews loudly.

“You’re insulting Gardnerian men. I do have two brothers, you know, and they happen to be Gardnerians.”

Diana waves a bone in the air as if chasing away the idea. “Rafe is different. He should become Lupine as soon as possible. He isseriouslyout of place here.”

She’s infuriating. Hands down, the most arrogant person I have ever met. “Ihavenoticed that you’ve been spending a good deal of time with my brother,” I observe, bristling as Diana pulls a leg off her chicken carcass with a loudsnap.

“We share a love of the woods,” she replies, concentrating more on her meat than on me.

“Diana,” I probe testily, “what’s going on with you and my brother?”

She looks up at me, a large piece of meat half in her mouth, half still attached to the bone in her hand. She appears genuinely surprised by the question. “We’ve been hiking,” she replies, her words muffled around the meat.

“Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to talk with your mouth full?” I ask snidely, growing increasingly irritated.

“Why?” she asks.

“Because it’srude!” I cry.

Diana puts down her chicken bone, finishes chewing, swallows and calmly clasps her long, grease-coated fingers in front of herself, humoring me like one would humor a very silly child. “Your people have many ridiculous rules.”

“It’s a relief to hear you talk without meat hanging out of your mouth!”

“I amhungry. This is astupidconversation!”

“Don’t you lead my brother on!” I jab a finger at her accusingly. “I think he likes you!”

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