Page 8 of Chaos
Pride shook his head, still not getting the movie reference. “Who did?”
I sighed gustily. “You’ve been locked up for too long.”
Pride stiffened, his handsome face flickering with rage as his golden eyes narrowed. “And whose fault is that?”
“Don’t tempt me, Pride. You may have a pretty face, but I won’t hesitate to carve it off your skull and wear it like a sheet mask. Blood does wonders for the complexion, you know. Just ask Countess Báthory.”
“Is she still here?”
I barely avoided rolling my eyes. Some people had no understanding of allegory or whimsy. “I didn’t mean literally, you twat.”
“Oh.”
“For the love of me,” I muttered as I stared at him for a beat and then patted him awkwardly on the shoulder. “It’s okay, you’re pretty. At least you have that going for you. We’ll work on your social skills as soon as my apocalypse is complete.”
Famine wheezed from where she was pinned, reminding me of why I’d returned to the throne room. Her fucking daughter wasn’t coming when I called her in my dream. We couldn’t have that. My bond with her wasn’t quite strong enough yet. But it would be. I would make sure of it.
“Now, then. Wrist, groin, or throat, Sabine? You choose.”
Her eyes flared with panic before a defeated sigh escaped her lips. “Throat. It’s faster.”
“Very good.”
With a slash of my wrist, her throat opened, and blood filled the bowl of the chalice. Slower than I’d like, if I was being honest. I didn’t have all day.
“What do you need her blood for?” Pride asked.
“It’s a conduit. If Merri won’t come to me when I call her, I will open a direct path into her dreams.”
“Why didn’t you just do that before?”
The look I shot him would have turned anyone else to stone. As things stood, I was surprised Pride’s bowels didn’t turn to water at the sight of my extreme displeasure. I was not the one to disappoint.
“I’ve been building a connection with her. These things take time. Temptation is an art form. Trust is a process. Until now I’ve been luring her with breadcrumbs, but the blood is the final piece.”
Pride’s face lit up with understanding. “Oh, it’s the apple.”
“Precisely. I knew you were more than just a pretty face.”
The Prince stood a little taller and flexed his muscles. “Don’t forget my body.”
“Annnd you ruined it.”
Merri
When Lilith had first sentme to Blackwood, I’d thought it was a prison sentence. Yes, I knew I was technically only there on a recon mission and was her Trojan horse of sorts, but at the end of the day, I was going to be locked up with a bunch of criminals.
Then I discovered the joy of finally belonging. These people might be violent supernaturals, but technically, so was I. Most of the folks here hadn’t even killed anybody, though plenty of us had.
Quietly raises hand in the air.
Strangely, Blackwood was beginning to feel like a home to me. The buzz of energy from everyone, the way no one seemed to truly fear me—though there were a couple who kept their distance—the help I was getting from Dr. Masterson, all made me think perhaps there was hope for me. I mean, hell, I was sitting in the day room with twenty other creatures, and no one was dead.
I could hear Dr. Masterson’s voice in my mind as I cracked open the latest romance novel I was reading.
“You said you don’t trust yourself around people.”
“Because I kill everyone I touch.”
