Page 177 of Her Psycho Beasts

“We need to go after her,” I say, rapidly assessing the action in the hall. Marduk appears around the corner, jogging towards me; no doubt he’d assured his regina’s safety first.

“She bid us to stay,” Lyle says, getting to his feet and removing his tie. “Commanded it!”

“Fuck that!”Savage’s voice says inside our minds before he sprints outside, making the guards shout and scatter.

“I’m going to get the car,” Lyle says, following after him.

Marduk falls into stride beside me just as a scent in the hall sends my shark thrashing.

Ghoul.

“She went of her own accord, Scythe,” Marduk says, eyes glimmering with adrenaline. “She planned this. Her, Xander and the basilisk.”

As we exit the dining hall back into the night, a mythic power booms through the air like a drum. I freeze and fling out an arm to stop Marduk. Ahead of me, Savage and Lyle freeze too.

“Quiet!” Lyle roars.

The guards around us sense it and everyone on the lawn stops in their tracks. Everyone’s hackles are raised. Everyone is poised.

It comes to us from the main road, in the direction the serpent trucks would have left.

A whoosh of molten power that halts in the air above us.

The sizzle of ethereal flame. Words made of spluttering red flames come to life in the air before us.

DO NOT FOLLOW

DO NOT COME AFTER ME

DO NOT SAVE ME

It is followed by a resounding boom that assaults my bones, my soul. The spiked gong of a regina’s command.

Savage lets out a feral sound that is half grief, half fury.

Lyle falls to his knees.

We’d been so fixated on the serpent king that we’d completely underestimated her. My cunning serpent princess.

“They called me psycho,” I rasp, the words not at all sounding like they’re coming from me, but someone completely different. Someone much worse than before. “They called me mad. But they haven’t fucking seen anything yet.” The Great White in me rises as our regina’s power glows softly under my skin.

This is Aurelia’s revenge for me leaving.

My regina thinks she can play a bloody, murderous game with me.

Well, play a fucking game I will.

Chapter 98

Aurelia

As I lie on my side, gagged, hands and ankles bound on the floor of the rumbling van, my heart pounding in my head and my cheeks wet with tears, I realise my fate had been leading me here all along.

I’d spent my entire adult life running away from this. And despite every desperate attempt, my well-laid plans had led me right into that very place of nightmares. I’m either a complete madwoman, or a genius. Right now, I feel like the former.

A sneering voice in my head, full of guilt and shame, whispers,“What makes you think this is going to work? What makes you think you can bring the serpent king down as his captive on a breeding table?”

“Faith,”I reply. Then more strongly,“And fury.”

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