“You really shouldn’t be worried about what I’m doing to you,” she said, taking a step forward. The spiders parted for her. “It’s whathe’sgoing to do that should keep you up at night.”
My stomach plummeted.
Him? Oh god . . .the Skell King.
My legs gave out. I crumpled to the ground with my dress ballooning around me.
My heart smashed so hard against my chest I thought it might explode. Would the venom halt that too?
I sucked in a grounding breath. Trying to call on my abilities
Come on . . . come on . . .
Silence.
God damn it! This can’t be happening. Not now.
I looked down at my bare finger—the ring I’d left at home because it clashed with the dress and I was supposed to be in the safest of arms . . .
Another kind of pain lashed across my heart.
I cursed myself. I needed help.
My mouth opened to scream, then involuntarily snapped shut, invisible threads stitching it closed. A shriek turned into muffled panic. I clawed at my mouth, willing it to open, utterly terrified.
The woman tilted her head, watching me with idleamusement. Then, she let out a high-pitched giggle that sliced through the night.
“Nuh-uh,” she tsked. A finger waggled at me, taunting. “Shame you’re so pretty.” She knelt beside me as my body seized, abdomen muscles locking tight.
Her cold, corpse-like hand brushed over my cheek. Long, razor-sharp nails slowly dragged down.
“Pretty only makes me more jealous,” she whispered, mouth spasming up. “Might have to carve up that lovely little face to make myself feel better.” Dark, hollow eyes bore into mine, a snake waiting to strike.
This bitch was out of her fucking mind.
“Such fair skin,” she cooed, carving a claw down my arm, piercing flesh.
I closed my eyes, groaning. The pain seared, like scalding metal on skin.
The psycho giggled, eyes trailing over the scars on my shoulder. “What beautiful souvenirs. That was, by far, my favorite Ancient to summon.” The glittering amusement instantly wiped clean off her face to pure wrath.
Ice, sharp as a razor, scraped up my spine. Haunting images of the Dullahan, the Onchu dog—flickered to the forefront of my mind.
Shit.What the hell was she?
“We’ve only just started, pumpkin.” She leaned in, breath candy-sweet and hot on my ear. “This is child’s play. I get to visit you.Every.Single.Night” Another slash, this time across my chest. Warm blood trickled to the sweetheart neckline of my dress.
A tear slipped from the corner of my eye. I was broken inside, and my outsides were now starting to match.
So much like your mother,the phantom words resonated through my mind. I’d heard that phrase ten times over.
I thought of her—what horrors she must have survived, what demons she must’ve faced in the flesh, every day. And yet, David said she laughed straight into the face of Death . . . in the end.
Target practice, a pincushion doll, a punching bag—was that all I’d be to them?
No . . .Hair rose on my arms.I’ll be so much more . . .
The bitch invaded my space. Sinister eyes glared inches from mine.
