Page 22 of Her Vicious Beasts: The Beginning
My voice drops an octave as a deadly stillness falls over me. “What were the terms exactly, Mr. Halfeather?”
A smile creeps over his mouth and he skulks towards me, his black robe swishing limply. “A bride contract. A princess of the Serpent Court. A worthy union, do you not think?”
I become stone. This whole thing is made worse by what had happened last night and the fact that three parts of my soul sit in a cell below me, so close that my body can still feel them.
A distant whistling sounds outside and I frown, because who the hell is whistling in this place? Halfeather is not the type of employer who would allow that. But no one responds to it.
It’s then that the blue-grey astral form of Savage strolls into the room with his hands in his pockets, whistling that happy tune, closely followed by a see-through Scythe, wearing nothing but track pants and a murderous expression, and a transparent Xander looking around with the strangest eyes I’ve ever seen.
I stare in horror at the three of them, this being the first time I can see Scythe and Xander properly.
Even in their ghostly astral forms, I can tell that all of them are apex predators of the highest orders.
They’re all tall, and the three of them dwarf the room. Scythe, with silvery hair that brushes his shoulders, a wide, square jaw and high cheekbones. Marine animalia all share an impossible, cold, out-of-this-world beauty, and Scythe is no exception.
Xander’s arrogant posture has him looking like he owns the place, and knowing he’s a dragon, I guess that his own house is probably even bigger than this one. But one thing is clear and confusing to me: he’s blind. Both eyes are silver all the way through, telling me that his physical eyes don’t work. They glow with preternatural force, meaning he’s seeing with his power. I can tell he’s looking at me, and even sneering, his dragon’s features are stunning. His torso is bare and there’s tribal dragon markings in a full sleeve down his left arm. He has a black nose ring and a matching dangling cross earring on his left ear.
I’m aroused immediately.
The ghosts look around the room, then come to stand next to Halfeather, crowding around him as if they want to kill him. Savage sticks a hand through Halfeather’s head and it goes right through. Halfeather, nor Beak or Scuff, show any sign of seeing them.
Savage gives a dramatic sigh. “Looks like we can’t murder him right now, princess.”
“Don’t react to this,” Xander sneers. “They’ll think you’re mad.”
“I think Iammad,” I blurt out.
Halfeather’s brows shoot into his hairline as behind him Savage and Xander burst out laughing. But they’re not nice laughs. Scythe simply glowers at me, probably taking offence, as most of his relatives probablydohave the dreaded land-psychosis.
I swear inwardly, realising I need to ignore whatever is happening with these males in ghost form right now, because avery wealthy and powerful eagle is telling me something that is about to change the entire trajectory of my life.
It’s also not lost on me that eagles and other birds of preyeatsnakes.
I manage to unstick my lips and find my voice. “Imeanto say, I’m afraid to disappoint you, Mr Halfeather, but I am not a serpent princess. I have never pledged to my father’s court, nor has he graced me with any titles. Nor am I, actually, a snake. I take after my mother, an Aquinas.”
My surname is another lie. And the biggest one of all.
Savage and Xander suddenly stop laughing.
“And that is why this union is an excellent idea,” says Halfeather, not perturbed by my speech. “We are both of the same order!”
Savage growls and I shoot him a look, but he only has eyes for Halfeather.
I stare at the old eagle, then glance around, more than aware of Beak and Scuff at the door, likely listening closely. Will they try and keep me here? Will they stop me if I try to leave? The thought of Beak tackling me down and dragging me back in here gives me the shivers and not in the sexy way. My three ghosts won’t be able to do a thing to help me, either.
“I’m afraid there’s been a mistake, Mr Halfeather, I—” I am very aware that if I deny this powerful man, there will be consequences. I need to make nice as much as it irks me. “I… must talk to my father about the particulars.”
“You’re kidding!” Savage exclaims. “You can’t marry this cunt!”
“Of course, of course,” Halfeather says smoothly, stepping back and bowing. “We must abide by the Old Laws, naturally.”
“Motherfucker!” Savage exclaims, aiming a kick to Halfeather’s legs, but of course, it sails right through.
I stiffen as Halfeather frowns down at his legs as if he feels the whisper of something. The Old Laws say that females are to marry as they are told to by senior males of the family, if they have no mates of their own. I plaster a smile on my face. “Indeed. I will get back to you, Mr. Halfeather.”
“I would expect no less.”
What an asshole. I turn on my heel and make for the door. Beak and Scuff hastily let me pass, their faces carefully blank, but I know that they are used to strange and unethical conversations in this office.
