Dark Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, #1)

by Caroline Peckham

“I’m ten times scarier than them.”

“Kill me once and I’m all gone, kill me twice that might be nice, kill me three times you’re getting close, but Oscura Clan will kill me most.”

pain was one of the only things I felt now and I was beginning to get a taste for it - but it wasn’t enough.

The only thing left to me now was rage and vengeance. And I wouldn’t stop until the man responsible for killing my brother paid with his own life.

Looks like I’m transferring to Aurora Academy.

Let the sharks circle, I’m ready to bleed for them.

just don’t wander into either territory unless you’re ready to sign up to gang life.”

And I wanted him to break me too. I wanted to worship him on my knees and give my body up to his torture only to be left ruined when he cast me aside.

This place would probably be the death of me. But not before I ripped it apart first.

“I can see how sad you are even when you aren’t crying,” he breathed. “You don’t have to hide your tears from me.”

“But I think the stars brought us here. I was meant to be here with you now. Before I entered our dorm I had a vision of me carrying you through the sky in my arms and less than ten minutes later it came to pass. This was meant to happen.”

“I think you were meant to end up in my arms tonight,”

“You’re so beautiful, Elise Callisto,”

“I haven’t stopped looking at you from the moment you walked into our dorm. I’ve seen your pain, your sorrow, your light and your fire. And it isn’t enough. You captivate me.”

I needed to feel alive again and every touch, every kiss he placed on my flesh felt like it was waking me up.

“The best of things move on swift and silent wings, look closely dear and you can have it all, but beware my love, for even angels fall...”

“It just came to mind while I was circling in the clouds,” he said with a shrug. “And it made me think of you.”

“Why are you crying?” he asked, his voice a dangerous growl. “Who hurt you?”

“To everyone else you’re like this perfect little doll, but I can see how fractured and torn apart you are inside,” he breathed. “I can see the cracks in the perfection. I can see the poison that’s tainting your essence. And every break, every scar and burn and fissure in your soul only makes it more beautiful. Only makes you more perfect to me. This pain is strength. This agony is beauty.”

The void. “Don’t look back!” Mars under the influence of the stars. Golden crossroads. Three pennies. A hand guiding me free. Chamber in the walls. “I love you - run!” Death rattle. The eyes of the devil. “Even your memories aren’t safe.” Dark eyes filled with love and sorrow. A baby crying. He didn’t help. Lies.

But in that moment it felt like our souls were reaching out to each other. Both of us stood there, stripped of our power, silence echoing around us, not making a single move to back away.

“Now I want you closer,” he admitted. “Even though I know I’m being selfish.”

And I could find myself at the mercy of my brother’s killer before I’d even figured out who he was.

“Un amico che diventa nemico è il nemico più crudele di tutti.” “W-what does that mean?” he breathed, his blue eyes round with fear. “It means, a friend who becomes an enemy is the cruellest enemy of all.”

“Well your father was a fucking idiot to give you up. If you were ever mine to protect, I’d keep you close and never let go.”

But the earth would still turn whether the moon was watching or not. Maybe she likes the company though.”

“Alone together,” I echoed with a smile pulling at my mouth. “I like the sound of that, bella.”

“You don’t look pretty,” I growled and her expression slammed into bitch gear, but I didn’t give a shit. “You look like the most lethal poison I’ve ever seen. It’s fucking divine.”

“Hi,” I breathed as he pinned me in his gaze. “You...splendi più luminosa di tutte le stelle del cielo, bella,”

She was the most mouth-watering prey I’d ever encountered and if I had to hunt her to the ends of the world to catch her, I would. I’d chase her tail until she gave me all of her. Every last, delicious bite. And by the end of tonight, I was going to have consumed her.

All my work at breaking it was coming undone and I was a slave to it, bound in shackles like the ones inked onto my wrists.

I’m close. I sense you. I hope you sense me too and you know just how much pain I’m gonna rain down on the assholes who took you.

This grief was a cancer, slowly eating away at everything I used to be.