Page 52 of Her Psycho Beasts

What Scythe had just said. Thatsafetywas something I had to destroy. That we are danger itself. Well, I have some idea what I’m getting into, and if I needed to play a part to get Sabrina backandto see Savage again, I could do it.

“So I’m guessing I need to act a certain way too?” I say, looking down at the dress.

Lyle smirks. “Let your serpent princess out. Show them a little of what you showed me when you used to come to our counselling sessions your first month at the academy.”

“Ohthat,” I say, waving a hand. “That was nothing. You haven’t seenanythingyet.”

Chapter 26

Aurelia

Minnie’s pack leave in one of the SUVs, along with a set of mysterious cheetah twins called Blair and Blade. They are slender but lithe males with dark hair and eyes; quiet and observant, like weapons honed over many years. Together, they would bring back our friend.

“Lady Boneweaver,” one of them says quietly, sweeping a bow. The other bows at the same time but remains silent.

“Two of Scythe’s assassins,”Lyle says into my mind.

A memory comes back to me from a few years ago, of an underground fight where the two brothers sat in the crowd, a little way from the rest. They stuck out to me because they mostly kept to themselves.“I remember them,”I tell him.“Blair doesn’t have a tongue, right?”

Lyle raises his brows and I grin back.“I used to get around, remember?”

He grimaces.“How can I forget? You should have been protected from that world, regina.”

And look at me now.

The rest of us pile into the other car. We say goodbye on a sombre note, fully aware that Sabrina’s rescue could go wrong in any number of ways.

“If I don’t hear about it on the morning news,” Minnie declares, brushing at her black jumpsuit ninja outfit with mock arrogance, “you didn’t try hard enough, Lia.”

I let out an unladylike snort before hugging her tight and telling her to be careful.

They leave and I turn to see both Lyle and Scythe standing by my open passenger door.

“Do you think there’ll be serpents there tonight?” I ask, trying to sound casual.

“They’ll be staying in their dirty holes,” Xander sneers, passing me to get into the back seat. “They know I’ll be there.”

It makes my skin crawl to think of my father turning up with his retinue, leering and waving at me.

“Mace won’t show up,” Scythe says, eyes uncharacteristically glimmering. “It would be embarrassing for him.”

“How so?”

Scythe’s lips make the whisper of a smirk. “Because I’ve stolen his daughter away.”

I break out into a sweat at the weight in his words as he walks around the car. I’m not used to walking in stilettos this high and it only adds to the sensation of feeling like I’m walking on uneven ground when it comes to Scythe. Thankfully, Lyle helps me into the passenger seat, making sure my gown is all settled before getting into the driver’s side.

As we head out into the night, I fidget with the edge of my dress until Xander loses it.

“Donotexhibit prey behaviours,” he snaps, leaning forward in the seat behind me. “Donotfidget. Donotshuffle your feet or bite your lip or play with your hair.”

I’m about to make a retort when I realise he’s listed everything I actually do when I’m nervous.

“You’ve been watching me,” I say softly.

“How can I not? You beg for attention.”

“Ireallydon’t, Xander.”

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