Page 78 of The Serpent's Bride
But matters went from bad to worse when the door to the bedroom opened.
Glancing over, she swore silently to herself.
Raziel. His crimson eyes glinted faintly in the dim light of the room.
Looking away quickly, she wiped her eyes again. But it was too late. He’d seen her.
“Ah.” Shrugging out of his coat, he tossed it over the back of a chair and walked into the bathroom, his expensive shoes clicking on the hardwood floor. “My mother tends to have that effect on people.”
That got him a single, tired, half-laugh. “It’s not your mother.”
“I suppose that makes it more troublesome, then.” Reaching down, he picked up the glass of wine and took a sip from it before placing it back on the edge of the tub with a quiettick.“Would you like me to leave you alone?”
He was such a different man to the one she’d met when she first walked in the door as Monica. It was like a curtain had been pulled away. No, something far more solid than that. Whatever it was,she didn’t like it,and wished he’d put it back.
She shook her head.
“I honestly don’t know. So I’ll say…no. If you want to stay, you can stay.” Wiping at her cheeks, she took a deep breath, held it for a long moment, and let it out in a rush. “But you’d better not be planning on hogging the wine.”
Chuckling, he sat down on the floor next to the tub, his back against the wall closest to the foot of it, sitting opposite her. “And risk your wrath? I’ll fetch another bottle if I do.”
“Oh yes, terrifying me. When you can order people to hang themselves with their ownintestines.”She made a face. She was glad she was spared having to see that. “You could have just told them to shoot themselves. Why get so…”
“Creative?”
“I was going to say disgusting.”
He pulled on the knot of his tie, loosening it, tugging it at an angle. “It inspires fear. The more the story about the way I made those men kill themselves spreads? The fewer idiots who will step out of line in the future.”
Picking up the glass of wine, she sipped it. “I hate it when you make sense.”
“Most people do.” He leaned his head back against the wall, shutting his eyes. For a moment, he looked exhausted. “May I ask why you were crying?”
Pondering his question for a long moment, she shrugged again. “I’d tell you if I knew. I honestly don’t. I don’t know if it’s any one thing. Likely just…a little bit of everything, finally snowballing into too much.”
“I wouldn’t blame you. This…” He gestured aimlessly at the room around him, but she knew he meant his home—his family—his world. “It breaks people.”
“Does it ever get to you?”
“Which part?”
“All of it. Any of it.”
He smirked. “Of course it does. But do you think I’m about to show any of that to anyone?Please.I’d rather be dismembered like dear old Father.”
That could be arranged.
“Lana is throwing a garden party tomorrow.” Raziel couldn’t help but grimace as he said the words.
She stared at him blankly for a moment. “Gardenparty?”
“Lana feels that since your wedding was interrupted, you should be given another party instead.” Raziel rolled his eyes. “I would rather die by teaspoon.”
“No, I meant—it seems like a bad idea to have a party for vampiresoutdoors.”
“Ah.” He huffed a half-laugh. “You’ll see.” His expression fell. “And Mael seems glad for another opportunity to speak to our mother about sparing your life.”
“Isthere any chance of talking your mother into letting me join the family as a vampire?”
