Azure walked toward her.“Did Otto put this idea in your head?”Slipping his phone from his pocket, he tapped the screen.“What’s that little fool up to?You must have really bored him if he’s trying to use you to annoy Gage.”
Don’t spit in the Snake King’s eye,Katy chanted in her mind.Spitting in his eye wouldn’t help anything.Except it would.It would help me feel better.Like soooo much better.
The door creaked open, and Otto staggered in, the scales on his face turning pale green.His eyebrows were scrunched together as he clenched the fabric of his shirt in his clawed hands.Otto’s anguished-filled eyes, red-rimmed and glassy with tears, met hers.“My King,” he said, softly.“She not.”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion, Otto,” Azure snapped.“I commanded you to do as she asked.Prove it.Bite her so I can get on with my day.”
“Even if she is dire, could still die,” Otto told him, but his eyes were still on Katy.“Bond not complete.”
Oh, hell.Well, Katy hadn’t considered that part of the equation.She stiffened her shoulders and lifted her chin.“I’ll be fine, Otto.I know who I am.I’m Katy-freaking-Dire.Bite me, or I’m going to tell everyone just how cute you are in your beastwalker form.”
Otto’s jaw trembled as he walked toward her.He looked as if he was being asked to beat a puppy with a hammer.Katy hated that she was putting him in this situation.She was hurting him by asking him to do this.But they were leaving her no choice.If Azure used her for his voodoo spell, she’d be able to tell the Shaman Council.And he’d be punished.She wasn’t sure what Damarian justice actually looked like.Do they have the death penalty?Surely, they have the death penalty.
Katy knelt down when Otto reached her.She held out her hand to him.“It’s okay if you want to bite me hard.I won’t hold it against you.”
To her shock, a tear rolled down his leathery, scaled face.
“Touching, to be sure,” Azure said dryly.“Otto always did have a tendency to get attached to our weak little pets.”
Katy ignored the snake and kept her eyes locked with her friend’s, willing him to have the strength to stand up against the king who’d tortured him all of his long life, hoping she could help him see that this could help more than just them.It could help all the innocent women Azure had taken and would take if he wasn’t stopped.
Otto grabbed her hand and quickly bit down on her palm.She felt a sharp sting, and then something burned into her veins, as if she’d been injected with fire.
“Mother of toadstools.”Katy formed a fist around the bite and then stood.She felt dizzy but forced herself to take slow, deep breaths.
“The bite weaken her, even if she live.”Otto put a hand against her leg, as if to steady her.That made her want to laugh.Then again, what did she know?He was a beastwalker.Maybe Damarian lizards had super strength.
Azure glanced at Otto, but then his eyes examined Katy.He scrutinized her from her head to her toes.What was he looking for?
“His bite would kill you in seconds.”Vreene’s voice filled Katy’s mind as she remembered the conversation she’d had with the KOV member.She should already be dead.Now, she had Azure’s attention.Not just his attention.He was up in her grill, his nose nearly touching her neck as he took a deep breath.Was he sniffing her?Eww.“I think I’m going to puke.”Though she wasn’t really, Katy hoped it might cause the snake king to back away.Thankfully, it worked, and he took a step backward.
“Youshouldbe dead,” Azure told her.“So why aren’t you?”
“I already gave—” Katy started, but then swayed on her feet and stumbled.“Whoa.”
“Sits, stubborn, stupids female.”Otto tried to push her in the direction of a chair.
Katy caught the arm of one and managed to keep her balance enough not to faceplant.Considering the room was spinning, she thought that was impressive.
“I’m Gage’s mate.”The burning that had been in her veins moved into her lungs, and her breathing became shallow.Fire.She was breathing fire.Note to self: get teeth caps for Otto.
“I don’t see how that’s possible,” Azure said absently.But then he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the door.“No matter.Whatever you are, youaresomething.And that means you’re of use to me.I’m not sure why you decided to tell me this made-up story about Gage.Perhaps you hoped it would curry you some kind of favor in my eyes.Or maybe you thought I would simply let you go since he works for me.Or that he would offer me something for your release?Who knows?Humans have the strangest thoughts, but they are all foolish.I hate to break it to you, Katy, but Gage lives for one person and one person only.Himself.”
Katy stumbled along behind the Snake King with a scurrying, terrified-looking Otto beside her.He had his phone out and was tapping away.Thankfully, Azure was too preoccupied to notice.
“This is a happy turn of events.”Azure pushed through a door and out into the night air.
How many days had she been at his mansion now?Three?Four?She couldn’t remember.Her mind felt fuzzy and her feet… Wait.“Where are my feet?”She looked down and blew out a breath.“There you are.Happy feet.”
“Make a note, Otto.The poison makes her drunk.And she’s a goofy drunk.”
“Was that you attempting to be funny?Because you’re bad at it.Probably just stick to being an ass king.”
“Katy, no.”Otto hissed, like seriously hissed, at her.
“What?”She shrugged, or at least she thought she did.“The truth hurts.”
“Drunk and bold.”Azure pushed open the door to a dark building.There were no lights on, and Katy had to trust that the Snake King wasn’t going to let her trip over anything because she couldn’t see a foot in front of her.“That’s better than a crybaby.Those are annoying.”
