Page 264 of Halfblood Deceived

Aella frowned. “That’s it? That’s your pathetic excuse to use Diana to hurt innocents? You’re just a racist idiot? That’s rather disappointing.”

Carina growled. “We are not racists. Gargoyles are not members of the supernatural races. You are all aberrations. Killing machines created by a psychopathic god to destroy innocents. And now, thanks to Kamilla, you’ve invaded one of the few safe havens on this entire planet. You are a danger to us, and we must exterminate you.”

Aella shrugged. “That sounds plenty racist to me. Diana and I didn’t ask to be gargoyles. We’ve suffered at their hands as well. We’ve never hurt anyone. You cowards had to force Diana to attack her friends. Do you know Jessa might never walk again?”

Carina flinched.

“This is war,” Brittany repeated. “Wars leave collateral damage.”

Aella growled. “You sound just like the Order of the Light. You’re no better than them. I would know. Besides, you chose the targets, didn’t you? It wasn’t random.” Brittany’s eyes widened. Aella’s lips curled into a humorless smile. “You hate Vaz because he’s a demon. You hate Rod because no matter how much you bat your eyelashes at him, he wouldn’t look at you twice. And he’s Vaz’s best friend. We all like Jessa more than we like you, and you just can’t stand that, can you? And Reese… You hate them because you are a repugnant, prejudiced idiot.”

Brittany laughed, but rage simmered in her eyes. She clapped. “Good job. There is a brain inside that carrot head, after all.” She leaned closer to Aella. “You are wrong about something, however. I didn’t make Diana hurt Reese. You were supposed to do that. I wanted Reese’s blood on your hands so you could suffer like I did. I wanted you locked inside your body, screaming in your head while you killed that deviant whore.” Her voice shook, and her eyes filled with tears. “You are not powerful enough to kill your vampire boyfriend, but I saw you and Reese kissing, and I knew it would hurt you.” She straightened, breathing hard. “The venom and suggestibility curse were supposed to work on you, too. But Duke Zeydan, that race traitor, has filled you up with so much of his royal blood that it cleaned my magic from your system before I activated the curse.” She let out a rough exhale, lips twisting into a nasty smile. “It doesn’t matter. I will drain his blood from your veins, and you will do as I please this time.”

Aella gulped. She hated the demonstration of weakness, but couldn’t help it.

Brittany turned toward the table, arranging the horrible implements.

Keep her talking; Aella commanded herself.

“So you did poison those horrible muffins,” Aella mused, voice shaky with panic. “You are a gods-awful cook, by the way.”

Brittany gritted her teeth but didn’t turn.

“What did you mean by, ‘I want you to suffer as I did?’” Aella asked, her heart racing. “Why did you want to make me hurt Reese? I’ve never hurt your boyfriend. I don’t even know him.”

“He’s dead because of you,” Brittany said, putting on gloves. “He was going to take you so we could try the prototype of the mind-control curse and venom on you. And you had Kamilla Davashkov and your little vampire boyfriend kill him!”

Aella’s eyes widened as another loose end connected in her mind. “The witch who tried to kidnap me and stab me was your boyfriend?”

Brittany got a catheter ready, shoulders tense.

“Kamilla and Zeydan didn’t hurt him. He killed himself,” Aella said.

“It’s still your fault,” Brittany spat through clenched teeth.

Aella scoffed. “No, it’s not. And, in any case, your psycho boyfriend is hardly worth such a fuss.”

That made Brittany drop the catheter

Aella pressed on. “He was a degenerate. He was going to rape me. Did you know that? Did you know he was a pervert?”

Carina turned to give a horrified look at Brittany.

“Is that why you have no qualms about letting donkey-boy here hurt me?” Aella needled. “Rapists are your type, then?”

Brittany let out a cry, stomped to Aella, and punched her in the face. “Shut up! You’re a gargoyle!” She punched Aella again. “You’re not a person! You don’t count! You have no soul!”

Aella looked down at Brittany’s hand. It was bleeding inside the glove. “I’d say, ‘You hit like a girl,’ but that’s both sexist and inaccurate because I’ve met plenty of girls who hit a lot harder than you.”

Brittany breathed through her teeth, cheeks flushed, and blonde hair wild. “Carina. Break her fucking jaw.”

Carina hesitated, brow furrowed and throat bobbing. “Is she right about John, Brit?”

“You’ll believe what comes out of that monster’s mouth?” Brittany asked. “Those things lie, Carina. Remember what they did to your family? Now break her fucking jaw!”

Aella met Carina’s gaze. “I am not lying. I have no reason to lie. This is wrong, Carina, and you know it. Jessa liked you, remember? I saw you two talking a few times. She didn’t deserve what Brittany did to her. She might never walk again, Carina.” Aella’s voice wavered, and her eyes stung as the horrifying sound of Jessa’s spine breaking echoed in her head. “Brittany is a monster. Whatever reasons you have to hate my kind… You don’t want to be a monster like her, do you?”

Carina’s nostrils flared. She breathed hard and curled her fists, but didn’t move.

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