Page 18 of Death God

But instead I planned to complain at every turn. I was in a bad situation, but it didn’t mean I had to compromise. I’d love to cause my enemy host as many headaches as possible. I’d be the most difficult prisoner in history. It could be done.

I strolled around the spacious room to check it out. I needed to make sure no cameras or nasty spells lay hidden anywhere. I didn’t find anything that would cause alarm. I bet Spartoi and his minions wouldn’t waste resources on bugging an aide, and I patted myself on the shoulder for being smart to refuse to reside in the Alpha King’s palace. Just thinking how he’d probably rigged the room that was meant for me with cameras and foul spells made my skin crawl. He might not have been a Peeping Tom before, but I was sure he was now.

The aide’s room didn’t have much personality, which suited me well. After I finished checking for possible cameras and spells and was satisfied that there were none, I went to the large window and peeked out the glass.

The room overlooked a black forest that consisted of stumpy, withered trees. There was no greenery or blossoms in sight. This was just the beginning. The horseman of war would make everything barren, cursed as he was by Heaven. With black magic haunting the castle, all colorful and lovely things were suppressed.

I wouldn’t feel sorry when I destroyed this place.

I turned to stroll toward the door and pulled it open, not surprised to see two shifter guards parked outside the door.

“Where are you going, Lady Pip?” A short, bulky shifter stepped up. He was probably new. “You should stay in your room. We’re waiting for your itinerary to be delivered.”

“Is that so?” I asked.

“Yes,” he confirmed.

“You know, on a good day, anyone who uses the word ‘should’ on me gets this,” I said, shoving him from my path.

He stumbled, nearly slamming into the wall. His eyes widened in shock. He hadn’t expected to be shoved away or that I had such strength. He was a male shifter, so he probably thought he was much stronger than a girl like me.

The anger in his gunmetal gray eyes told me that he wanted to lunge at me, rising to the challenge, and I smiled sweetly at him. The other guard, who was a head taller than him, dragged the newbie back.

“Stay out of her way, Lee, so you won’t drag me into any shit,” the taller guard said. “You heard about her reputation, so pay attention. She is worse than they say when she throws a fit.” He eyed me. “No offense, Lady Pip. We don’t want trouble. At least, I don’t want anything bad to happen on my shift.”

“You’re a selfish man,” I said. “You only think of yourself.” Then I remembered that I’d seen him before. I narrowed my eyes at him. “Were you one of the guards who shot darts at me while I was on the wall of the Shifters Academy?”

“I was following orders.” He put his hands up, palms facing me, as if I was a rattlesnake that was about to strike. “And I wasn’t the only one who shot darts at you. There were a dozen others.”

“Will you write down their names for me?”

“I can’t do that,” he said warily.

He was an opportunist who wouldn’t stick his neck out for anyone, so I’d call him Spaghetti.

“I’ll take it up with your commander then,” I said. “I’m looking for him anyway.”

“Commander Jay is very busy at the moment,” the shorter guard said. “He’s in a meeting.”

“A meeting?” I asked. “Then why wasn’t I invited?”

Shorty and Spaghetti traded a look. They thought I was ridiculous, and I was definitely going to mess with them. Any shifter who served the Alpha King wasn’t a good shifter.

“Is the meeting being held in his suite now?” I asked, jerking a thumb toward the door across from mine.

Two tougher-looking shifter guards were posted outside the door to Going-gray’s suite.

“You aren’t allowed to—” Shorty said haughtily. He clearly wasn’t taking his peer’s warning seriously.

“Going-gray!” I shouted, and the guards looked mortified. I put my hands around my mouth and roared, “Prince Going-gray, where art thou?!”

“What the fuck?” Shorty yelled at me, his round face reddening with anger and anxiety.

“Prince Going-gray, I’m coming for ya!” I bellowed again.

“Stop!” Shorty grabbed the hilt of an electric bar, but then he hesitated instead of pulling it out to use on me, even though I smiled at him to encourage him to give it a try.

It wouldn’t work on me, but if he tried, he’d be sorry. I still had pent-up rage and pain brewing inside me. The Alpha King wouldn’t care if I killed a few of his minions, and he wouldn’t murder me before the horseman got what he wanted from me.

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