Page 105 of Malice
“No, because then you’re just going to make me repeat myself four times. I’m tired of having the same conversation over and over. It’s my news, I’ll deliver it how I want, and you’ll shut the fuck up and let me.”
I stared at her, my voice coming out as a dark growl. “Excuse me.”
She wilted for a second, as if only just now realizing what she said, before straightening her shoulders and squaring off. “You heard me.”
Balling my hands into fists, I stood and took a deep breath in an attempt to gather my composure so I didn’t shout at her. “Fine. You have ten minutes. If you aren’t in the library by then, I will come up here and haul you downstairs over my shoulder. Am I clear?”
“Crystal.”
“I’m glad at least one of us knows how to be reasonable,” I muttered.
“Can’t wait for you to catch up to the rest of us,” she called behind me as I headed for her door.
I shot a final blazing look at her over my shoulder. “Keep pushing, wildflower. See where it gets you.”
Not bothering to close the door behind me, I stormed into the hallway. My shadow spread across the floor and up the walls, coating every surface near me in black.
“Malice! Sin! Chaos!” I bellowed from the top of the stairs, knowing that no matter where they were in the château, they’d hear me. “Library. Now!”
Chaos popped his head out of his room, rubbing a towel over the wet strands of his hair. “Why are you shouting?”
“Merri has an announcement.”
He snapped to attention the way only a master of war could manage. “What happened?”
“She refused to tell me anything until all four of us were together.”
“And you let her get away with that?”
I raised a brow. “What precisely would you have me do, Chaos?”
“Good point.”
Sin stumbled out of his bedroom, hair tousled, shirt askew as if he’d just thrown it on. “What’s wrong? Demons? Where are they?”
“Emergency book club meeting,” Chaos muttered.
“Nope. I’m out.”
Chaos leveled his gaze at Sin. “Merri called this meeting.”
Sin’s posture changed instantly. “Oh, well, in that case, I’ll just go brush my teeth.”
Malice was already standing in the foyer, a cup of tea in his hand. “You bellowed?” he asked as Chaos trailed me down the stairs.
“We’re meeting in the library,” I snapped, blowing past him.
“Goodie. You know how I love a meeting that could’ve been an email.”
“Email doesn't exist anymore,” Sin declared, jogging so he could catch up with us. “Besides, Merri picked the book this time.”
“What?”
I took pity on Mal and said, “Merri has something to tell us. She’ll be down momentarily.”
Malice glanced between me and the others. “This feels like a lot of skulduggery for a simple announcement. Did something happen?”
What little was left of my patience evaporated. “How the bloody hell should I know? She refused to tell me a fucking thing. Now shut up and get your arse in the library so we can move this the fuck along.”
