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I am nothing but deadly calm, I remind myself with determination. I feel nothing else.
Sure sure sure sure
“What’s wrong, ima sangfluir?” My blood blossom.
Surely, they can’t all have nicknames for me. That’s just obnoxious.
I keep my poker face even though my chest really fucking hurts. “I’m over this, Silas. I don’t know what you want from me.” “Nothing less than everything.
The real me was broken years ago from the torture, isolation, and darkness. The real me is fucked in the head. Twisted. A monster who enjoys things I shouldn’t.
A scene of me laying flat on my back, dark blood pooling on the tiled floor beneath me as a knife protrudes from my chest.
Holy shit. She’s a seer !! Wild
“Not happening. I’m still not going to be in a quintet.” “But why not?” “Go fish.” Kenzie sighs. “Okay,
then there’s a growing part of me that just…doesn’t want to give them the slip.
Before I can decide whether or not to say something, Crypt appears leaning against the wall by the fridge and drawls, “She’s a vegetarian, you fucking buffoon.”
“No. I want your praise. And just like you said, I’m going to fucking earn it.”
Why isn’t he jealous? I would be. If I saw someone else with one of them like this…no matter how illogical it would be, or how not mine they are, I would be snapping more bones.
I’m so excited for feral Maven !!
“So, pork is a no. Are you good with cheese? Do you like pasta?” I didn’t expect him to drop the subject. The fact that Crypt says nothing about it either is oddly comforting—as
for some reason, the idea of him genuinely disliking me is…unpleasant.
“Maybe I was just reacting to the sizzling hot meat buffet in front of me. And I’m not talking about the pork chops.” That does the trick. He fumbles his own fork, blinking at me. “Did you just…flirt?”
“You can’t smoke in here.” “Let’s test that theory.” The incubus lights one and draws deeply from it, blowing the smoke in Everett’s direction. “Oh, look. Yes, I can.”
“Too bad. I enjoy spectating a good fight.” That seems to take all four of them aback, but Crypt laughs. “I like it when you’re playful, darling.”
“Fae mead,” he explains. “For my favorite leper.”
The last time I did, I nearly died.” “As if I would spike her drink with kraken ink,”
“Wait.” Baelfire hurries after me. “Stay a little longer. What about dessert?” I want all of you for dessert. No. Bad Maven. This is why I avoid alcohol.
“My dark little darling,” I whisper, settling on the bed beside her and reaching for the nightmare to take the reins. “Show me what’s causing you such pain.”
But she’s not begging the faceless monster anymore. She’s begging me. “Stop it. Please make it stop,” my obsession pleads. I do. Whatever this memory is, whatever invisible scars it left within my keeper, I vow that she will never have to endure this in her subconscious again.
“There are enough demons to torment us in the waking world, darling,” I whisper. “From now on, your dreams belong to me. I will allow nothing to hurt you here.”
I shut my eyes. Gods above, I want this to be real.
If she asks, I’ll help her drive the world mad and watch her enemies rip each other to shreds.
As long as I get to keep my dark obsession, the world can fucking burn for all I care.
I can’t breathe. This is the truth. She wants us.
someday, she’ll be asking me to join her in her dreams every night. Someday, I’ll make her just as obsessed with me as I am with her.
With no storm, I could leave to carry out the hit. I just…don’t yet.
Yet again, how unhappy he is to be here with me is oddly bothersome.
But for another thing…I feel entirely out of place here. They think I grew up somewhere like this, but it couldn’t be more alien to me.
Everything is so wholesome. It makes me sick.
“What the hell is wrong with you two?” I can’t help it. I laugh. Baelfire gawks at me. “Did you just…fucking giggle? I can’t tell if that’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever heard or if I should be worried about your sense of humor.” “Why can’t it be both?”
Crypt reappeared later to hand me an entire bouquet of orchids that he most certainly took from the greenhouse out of spite.
So this is what love feels like. “What is this? The nectar of the gods?” I ask, a grin breaking over my face before I can stop it.
And a romcom? Gag me with a knife. Crypt sees my nose wrinkle and grins. “You’d much prefer a bloody, gory slasher film, wouldn’t you, my dark little darling?” He’s one hundred percent correct.
I hesitate. Full moons and cemeteries are two things I love.
“That’s right up your alley. Admit it, you wanna go on a creepy midnight hike through a bunch of dead people with four monsters. Well, three monsters and a Popsicle in a tweed jacket.”
“You guys have no fucking idea how bad it would be to be bound to me. I’m protecting you idiots.”
“What sort of blood oath?” Crypt asks softly. The sort of blood oath that means I can never have a normal life. The kind that means my story is already written in stone as a tragedy—but I had to make that oath.
“Is that what you’ve been so afraid of? Us hurting—gods, killing you? That’s never going to fucking happen. Never. It doesn’t matter what terrible thing you swore to do or how much you try to make us hate you—none of us will hurt you, Maven.”
Believing different shit doesn’t mean you’re my enemy, Maven. There’s no way you can make me hate you.”
I’ll bleed them dry if that’s what you ask of me.” “I’ll burn whoever you ask me to,” Baelfire murmurs. Crypt lifts the strands of hair in his hand and kisses the tips. “Make us your weapons, darling, and no one will stand a chance against our quintet. Let us be yours.”
“Gods, this sucks. This is another reason you guys should find someone else because I’m too messed up to—” “There is none but you for me,” Crypt quietly warns over my shoulder.
Crypt gently tugs on my hair again. “No one here will touch you unless you want it. If they do, I’ll skin them alive and douse them in acid. You have my word.”
“Get me out of my own head. I need to be overwhelmed until I lose myself.” Just for tonight. Until I run and you never see me again.
Crypt stills. “You never had an orgasm before?” Baelfire grins broadly. “Hell fucking yes. I just made my mate come for the first time ever. But if that was your first one, we need to get you caught up as soon as fucking possible. Spread them wider for me, baby.”
“Gods damn me, I may have bruised you,” he rasps. I hum, still not fully recovered. “Thanks.”
My story will end badly, but those moments with them earlier… I get to keep those.
“I meant, I don’t want to hear them argue about who won the bet after that show back there.”
“Bet?” Her voice is quiet. She suspects it. All it takes is assuming a dry tone that would make anyone feel stupid.
This. Hurts.
