Page 21 of How to Seduce a Slender

Was this where the necromancer took her memories?It felt too big to be that…too powerful. He leaned closer, his maw slipping open. Rows of swirling teeth bared to her as a singular pull of drool dripped off his teeth. He was inches away. Her terror filled his mouth; her screams would be delicious.

Then that drop fell from his teeth and splashed across her throat. Melody howled, ripping through his grip likehewas wet tissue paper and socking him across the face. Smith flew through the air for the first time in over a year.And before that, no one ever tossed him around like a rag doll.

Slender don’tweigh anything. They’re not grounded to the surface of the realm like mortals. His body didn’t have to weigh a single pound when it wasn’t beneficial for him. He could make his form the size of a skyscraper, blocking out the moon, and weighing enough to make the ground crumble beneath his steps. He could turn into a whisp of lightning. And in that moment, there wasnothingthat could have ripped him away from her. Not while he was about to devour something after hundreds of years of abstinence.

Except for two things, apparently—an eldritch god…and Melody Deathless.

Smith hit the wall with a heavy thump and folded like a cheap suit. He clattered to the floor in a pile of limbs and sheer confusion.What…in the…actual fuck?Smith hadn’t been punched in five hundred years, and the last time didn’t end up with him halfway across the room.

“Smith?” Melody squawked.

Candles flooded the room as Sebastian, Dahlia, Havershum, and Agatha all exploded into the room with their own candles.

“Smith?” Havershum clacked his boney jaw at the slender. “What just walloped you?”

Smith huffed, climbing to his feet. He slapped away the dust from his suit pants. “No, no, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, Havershum.”

Before the wraith could answer, Dahlia was at Melody’s side. She sat on the edge of the bed, cupping the poor girl’s face. Melody collapsed into Dahlia’s hands. Agatha floated to the other side, rubbing their ward’s back.

“What happened?” Sebastian softened his tone, stepping toward Smith.

“She was having a nightmare. In my attempt to wake her, she…” Smith trailed off.

“Walloped you.” Havershum nodded as if it was the obvious conclusion.

“I was notwalloped!” Smith hissed, glaring at the wraith. “But she did punch me pretty hard.”

“Walloped,” Havershum whispered under his breath. Smith raised a finger at the wraith only to have his Lich manually lower it.

“Well, it seems she’s better now.” Sebastian turned to face Dahlia. “Why don’t you and Agatha stay here for the night?”

Dahlia hugged Melody to her chest, mouthing ‘thank you’ to Sebastian. The Lich ushered both Smith and Havershum from the room, their candles blown out with a flick of his hand. Smith lingered in the doorway for a moment. Melody was draped in Dahlia’s arms, drenched in sweat and pale. But she peeked up over Dahlia’s shoulder and smiled at him. She even gave him a weak wave before drooping.

Smith held onto the doorknob for an eternity before he slid the door shut behind him.She’s in Dahlia’s hands. She’s safe with her. Lady Rosemont knows what’s it like. She’s fine. It’s just a nightmare.

Gods, what a nightmare.He’d not gotten an actual taste.What a taste that would have been.To have slurped her dreams out of her, to feast upon their energy and feel sated once more. Smith’s stomach growled.

“Smith?”

He twisted to face Sebastian, guilt written all over his scummy body.

“Sir?”

“Shall we get a mug of coffee…or something stronger?” Sebastian plucked his mask off his face, raking his fingers through his murky green hair.

“Stronger,” Smith confessed, lurching toward Sebastian.Mostly to be free of the door.He needed to distance himself from the thing of his desires.

“Cocoa it is!” Sebastian patted Smith’s arm and ushered them both down the stairs. The Lich waited all of six steps before he spoke again. “Just to ensure I am caught up…you did not actually feed on Ms. Deathless, correct?”

“Correct, sir.” Smith inhaled sharply, straightening his spine.

“I felt your hunger through the walls.”

They rounded the bend of the stairs, taking long strides down the main hall. Obsidian walls and ash-colored floors made the trip stretch out before them. There were no floating candles or light laughter floating out of the kitchen. No warmth or the scent of garlic; just a cold, dark, kitchen. Sebastian entered and all the candles in the iron chandelier roared to life. Smith made it to the other cabinet before having to plant his hands against it. He didn’t realize they trembled until he’d forced them hard against the marble.

“Sir, you don’t understand how delicious she smelled. I could taste her aura. It was maddening. My mouth ached to open around her, I would have swallowed her whole if I could. What…what are you doing?” Smith stopped mid-sentence as he stared at the Lich pouring milk into a smaller kettle. Sebastian set it upon the stove and cranked it on.

“You said something stronger, so,clearly, I’m making hot cocoa. Would you prefer tea?” Sebastian shrugged nonchalantly as he poked the milk back into the fridge.

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