Page 76 of The Serpent's Bride
As if on cue, his new wife walked into the room, and as she always did, her eyes darted around to take stock of her surroundings. Counting the people present, including the staff and guards, and checking for exits and windows as if always pathing an escape. As if always prepared for an attack.
It was another one of the mysteries he had yet to solve about her.
There were… many.
Volencia watched Monica enter with such scrutiny that Raziel was impressed the younger woman did not burst into flames. “Speak of the beast and there she is.”
Ignoring their mother, Mael smiled, beaming in a sincere friendliness that made Raziel want to scream. Mael quickly stood from his chair to greet her. “Monica—are you well? Raziel told us about what happened.”
Monica stood her ground, though it seemed like she reflexively wanted to take a step back from the mountain of a vampire who walked up to her, even if he was smiling like a teddy bear. When Mael reached out to take her hand, she gave hers in return.
Mael bowed his head to kiss the backs of her knuckles.
Raziel once more wanted to scream.Patience. She’s mine. Not his. Mine.
“I’m all right,” she replied. “Though I wish he’d warned me about exactly what he was going to do once we got there.”
Ah, yes. Right. That. Raziel cleared his throat. “I was hoping you had overlooked that.” He handed her a glass of red wine, namely to get her hand out of Mael’s, and gave her a rather false smile of his own. “It was easier if I didn’t have to explain it all to you.”
She took the wine and sipped it. It was clear she wanted to ask why he hadn’t trusted her with the plan—the question was burning in her green eyes. But she was also smart enough not to ask in front of his family in case it was a sensitive topic.
Moons above, he wanted to bend her over the table right there.
Gesturing dismissively, he walked to the table to pull out a seat for her. “His people would recognize me without question, and I wanted to ensure that Luciento died in the attack. He was wily and escaped us for decades. The only way to keep him there was to promise a deal.”
He waited for her to sit before pushing the chair back in for her. Lana was seated next to her. Which was upsetting to him, but unavoidable at this point.
“It was still a stupid, dangerous plan.” Mael headed back to his chair. It creaked under the mammoth weight of his frame. “You put her in a lot of danger.”
Raziel took a long sip of his bloodwine before answering. “She is doomed to die, anyway. I thought perhaps giving her a chance to be useful might sway dear Mother’s mind. Clearly, I was wrong.”
That turned all eyes to his new wife.
Who simply raised her glass to them in a toast before downing half of it.
He was beginning to be quite proud of his little murderer. “Luciento tried to take her with him as he escaped. Maybe he thought it would be a perfect insult, to steal my wife. Maybe he simply wanted her for himself.”
“Sheisgorgeous.” Azazel winked at her from across the table. “Andfeisty.”
Raziel ignored him, instead reaching over to top off his wife’s glass of wine. His staff served the main course of dinner while they continued to talk. He had opted to skip a longer affair for the sake of his own sanity. “But the bastard is dead. As is most if not all of his human family. The remaining Iltanis will be like lost rats, running to ground and taking shelter wherever they can.”
“Yes. We all heard what you did to the Iltanis, Raziel. Truly, did you need to end them in such a spectacular fashion?” Volencia took a slow drag from her cigarette, ignoring the steak placed in front of her. She didn’t eat in public, but preferred food be served to her anyway to keep up appearances. “Did you really need to tell them to hang themselves with their own intestines? That was barbaric, even for you.”
His wife’s fork hovered over her food for just the briefest moment before she resumed eating.
Raziel didn’t miss the hesitation—nor how short it lasted. “Another fae clan is likely to take their place at the edge of civilization. I wanted to ensure that whoever it was would remember what comes to those who attack the Nostroms.”
Lana shook her head. “Each time you kill, brother, it worries me more and more. Who are you competing against in these sick games of yours?”
“I loathe to ask how Luciento died.” Mael winced. “What did you do to him?”
“You would have to ask her.” Raziel allowed himself to grin wickedly. This part of the story he had kept to himself for now. “She killed Luciento.”
All eyes were once more on his wife.
Mael’s mouth was open.
Lana laughed. “Bullshit!”
