Terror at the Gates (Blood of Lilith, #1)

by Scarlett St. Clair

When we arrived, I groaned. I didn’t want to feel that rush of dizziness as I sat up again. Zahariev combed his fingers through my hair and I opened my eyes, looking up at his stupidly pretty face. He had to be the only person in the entire world who didn’t have a double chin when they looked down. Fucking rude.

😂😂

I rubbed my arms. “It’s stupid,” I said. “I don’t want fake friends.” “Then don’t make them,” he said. I have to, I wanted to say. It wasn’t a suggestion; it was an order. But I stopped myself. “You said you had the same talk? Was I on your father’s list?” Zahariev dropped his cigarette, grinding it into the earth with his foot. He took a few steps toward me. At the time, holding his gaze as he approached had been the bravest thing I’d ever done. “Yeah,” he said. “You were on a list. Untouchable.”

“I don’t give a fuck about the commission. I would think you’d understand that by now, but I guess you’re too busy assuming the worst to actually fucking listen to me.” I stared at him, stunned by his reaction. He was mad. So this is what it’s like, I thought. I went hot all over, both embarrassed but also angry. I didn’t assume the worst, and I did listen to him, but he also quoted their fucking rules like it was the Book of Splendor itself, so to act like he didn’t throw their judgment in my face was a lie. He paused with his hand on the door, and his eyes fell to Cherub. “Keep the cat,” he said. “Learn to let someone love you.”