Page 35 of Blood

What the fuckity fuck?

“Alex?!” My voice turns shrill with fear.

“Violet?” he asks.

“Alex, are you okay? Where are you?”

I take another step forward just as the dark mist recedes.

The hydra lies on the ground, snoring softly, its three heads almost appearing peaceful in slumber.

And standing above the creature...

Memphis, Lucifer’s right-hand man and Barret’s distant cousin, smiles toothily, that centipede-like smile stretching at the corners in a macabre display.

“Hello, Violet.” His crab claws click as he walks forward. “I think it’s time we talked.”

CHAPTER 13

DIMITRI

I’m surrounded by a bunch of raging imbeciles—the whole lot of them.

Honestly, I can’t help but wonder how my life turned into this. I was the strongest professor at Prodigium Academy, and when I became headmaster, I became the youngest monster to ever hold that position.

Now, I’m imprisoned in Mount Olympus with a bunch of idiotic monsters I wouldn’t have been caught dead with only a few years ago. My entire existence has been altered in the blink of an eye—the speed of which still alarms me to this day.

Because of her.

Because of Violet motherfucking Dracula.

She saw the beast inside of me and didn’t shy away like others might have. Instead, she reveled in the demons lurking directly underneath my flesh. I wasn’t the only one to fall in love with her—all of my demons did too.

It’s a strange concept to love someone so much you’d willingly put up with the incessant chatter of a bunch of dimwitted monsters. When did this even happen? I can’t quite articulate when my feelings for the infuriating female changed from loathing to annoyance to respect to...love.

My broken queen, whose numerous shards somehow complement my own. We’re a dissonant mess—a case study in opposites—but somehow, she completes me.

I hate that she has this power over me.

But I also...love it.

It’s quite a conundrum.

“Don’t fucking lie to me!” Vin roars now, drawing my attention back to the matter at hand. The vampire hunter stands over Balor, his cheeks flushed with rage and his hands curled into fists. “Violet told me your people know about the rune.”

Balor adopts a perfectly bored expression as he reclines against the wall with his arms folded over his chest. His golden hair falls forward into his eyes, but he doesn’t lift a hand to push it away.

“I told you,” he drawls indolently. “I’ve never seen that rune before in my life.”

“You’re lying!” Vin snaps.

Hux moves to stand directly in front of the Fomorian, shoving Vin away in the process. The terrifying monster kneels, so he’s at eye level with the other man, and a slow, sardonic grin curls up his lips.

“You’ve been in my head for centuries, haven’t you?” Hux begins in a slow, deadly voice. The air practically seems to vibrate with the full force of his fury. It’s unparalleled—a distinct reminder to all of us that we may not be the most terrifying monster in the room. There’s something about Hux’s savagery that scares even me, though I don’t allow such fear to show on my face. It’s beneath me. “You know exactly the lengths I’ll go to get to my precious treasure.”

“I don’t know anything—”

“Maybe you’ve just forgotten over time,” Hux continues, ignoring Balor’s indignant outburst. “That’s perfectly understandable. However, I can assure you that I’ll find ways to help you remember. You see, I was talking to Frankie about plucking brains out of monsters to access their memories.” Hux momentarily slides his gaze toward Frankie, who stands with an utterly impassive expression on his face. “We’ll keep you alive, of course, as we slice off little chunks of your brain like it’s an apple peel. I imagine that part won’t hurt too bad.” He chuckles drolly, his eyes sparking with malicious intent. “No, what I imagine would hurt the most is scalping you alive. Would you scream for us, Balor? Would you scream for your dead mommy?”

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