Page 344 of Evil Hearts

But did you think that you could take,

from claws that guard and wings that break?”

Her talons scraped the ground as she took another step, and I finally caved, retreating a single step back. “Maybe,” I said, my voice steady despite the pounding in my chest. “Or maybe I’m just desperate enough to try.”

Her laughter came soft and strange, like wind through broken glass. It shouldn’t have been pleasant, but it was. She studied me for a moment, her glowing eyes scanning me like a predator sizing up its prey. And then her voice lowered, her song turning darker, sharper, almost a whisper.

“You intrigue me, little lamb,” she sang.

“Few speak so bold,

yet here you stand.

Perhaps I’ll play,

perhaps I’ll see,

what mortal fire burns for me.”

Her claws skimmed the edge of my coat lightlyI flinched despite myself, my skin crawling at the touch and took a fewsteps back. “I didn’t come here to play games,” I snapped, though I could feel my voice trembling now.

Her lips curved wider, her song rising again, sharper this time.

“Oh, but you’re already playing,

and in my game,

the stakes are steep.

For those who wake what should not sleep.”

Her song hung in the air, sharp and lingering, the last word slicing through the silence like a blade. I could feel the weight of her gaze, the pressure of her presence pressing against my chest. Running wasn’t an option. Not anymore.

“You said something about a price,” I said, keeping my voice steady, though my heart thundered in my ears. “What is it?”

Her wings shifted, the faint sound of feathers brushing against each other sending a shiver down my spine. She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she tilted her head, studying me like I was some puzzle she hadn’t quite solved. Her talons tapped softly against the stone in a slow, deliberate rhythm.

“The price,” she sang, her voice soft and low,

“A coin of flesh,

a slice of soul,

a mortal heart to keep me whole.

Would you give it, little lamb?”

I swallowed hard, gripping the dagger at my side. Her eyes followed the movement, and she let out a chuckle.

“I’ll give you whatever it takes,” I said. The words came out firmer than I felt, a lie wrapped in a shred of determination.

Her lips curved into a smile that wasn’t quite human. “Bold,” she murmured, her song softening into a dangerous hum.

“So many claim to pay the cost,

but few remain who count the loss.

Tell me, lamb—what’s left to give,

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