“Fates, isn’t that the truth,” Aura grumbled.
“So true,” Eleanor murmured. “What are your experiences?”
“Unfortunately,” I muttered. “I finally started dating a little over a year ago. My brother’s best friend. He’s an icedrake, and the worst decision of my life. He kept tabs on me constantly and freaked if he didn’t hear from me.”
Aura snorted. “My ex cried after we kissed.Cried. Said my magic made his insides feel like ‘dancing lava.’ Then, he wouldn’t look at me again. What does that even mean? Imp magic doesn’t do that.”
Eleanor sighed, flopping backward dramatically. “At least yours didn’t try to mark you on the second date. I had to file a restraining order with the council.”
“Damn.” Aura whistled. “That’s worse.”
“Agreed,” I mumbled. My eyes started getting heavy. “Darian would shove ice spikes into my palms closer to the end of our relationship when I would take too long to reply to him or make him wait on me for a date.”
“Fuck,” Aura hissed.
“That’sreallyscary.” Eleanor let out a sad sound. “You should file a restraining order against him.”
“I can handle Darian.” I blinked a couple of times and let out a yawn that felt like it cracked my jaw. The warmth of the poisoned tea wrapped around me like a weighted blanket. “The spikes in the palms happened twice. I thought they were on accident, but one time, he stabbed me in the gut with one. I realized then that it wasn’t that he lost control. He’d done iton purpose. I decided to ghost him after that. Unfortunately, he was psychotic and didn’t realize that meant I was breaking up with him. I told my parents and brother he was just clingy and violent. They didn’t know the extent. Still don’t.”
“Where is he now?” Aura asked.
“Can’t find him,” I muttered sleepily as I began to drool. I moved onto my side and curled into myself on the carpet, resting my cheek on the cool floorboards.
“That’s really scary,” Eleanor said.
“I’m sorry, Rune,” Aura murmured.
“I just…need…five…min…” My eyes slipped closed before I finished the sentence.
There was a long pause.
“Did she…just pass out?” Aura asked.
Eleanor poked my arm, but I was too tired to respond. “Yup. Tea coma. Full-on snooze mode.”
“…Is she drooling?”
“She’s definitely drooling.”
I slipped further into my slumber, but I could still hear them.
“I guess…we’ll go?” Eleanor said uncertainly.
Aura whispered, “Night, Rune. Sweet poisoned dreams.”
They gently shut the door behind them, and I completely passed out.
dimitri
. . .
The momentI stepped out of my room, Rune’s midnight orchid scent slammed into me like a fist to the gut.
Irritation clawed at the edges of my composure, and my fangs descended.
Why did it have to be her that I was reacting to? The basilisk with eyes like molten gold and the kind of reckless stubbornness that was bound to get someone killed?
My fingertips traced the jagged scar running over my neck, a permanent reminder of the price of trusting a woman too easily. Makayla’s haunting face flashed vividly in my memory. The hunger in her eyes as she tore open my throat with her teeth, the world going dark, and her laughter echoing through my fading consciousness.
