I spat the dagger out and turned my full attention on her.
“C’mon, doll face. Wake up,” I said, nudging her cheek with my nose. I licked her incessantly, relief flooding my system as she screwed up her face and moved away.
“Blech, your dog breath is the worst. We need to talk to Hades about getting you some dental treats.”
I flung myself on top of her like a drunk and furry starfish. “Keeks, thank fuck you’re okay.”
She didn’t say anything, but that was okay because I had a real bone to pick with her.
“Why did you get in the water?”
“You fell in. I wasn’t just going to leave you there.”
“Don’t you know how dangerous it is?”
“I do now. I saw them go after you.”
“Keeks, they can’t hurt me. I’m not like you or the other souls here. They would’ve turned you into one of them.”
Huffing, she sat up and shook her head. “You know what? That would have been a really nice little tidbit of info to share with mebeforeyou fell in the water.”
“My mouth was full. And besides, everyone knows to stay out of the Styx, it's basically Underworld 101.”
She rolled her eyes. “A little gratitude would be nice right about now. I didn’t have to save you.”
I was about to point out that I saved her but decided that was one of those inside thoughts she was trying to teach me about, so I nuzzled into her instead. She trailed her fingers between my ears as we both settled back down. When she caught her breath, she looked beyond me and let out a soft sound. Her eyes went wide, and I followed her gaze.
The dagger was coated in a sickly green iridescence, the color of the souls trapped in the river. I jumped off her lap and padded to the weapon, nudging it with my nose. It pulsed with power.
“Holy shitballs. It worked.”
Chapter
Twenty
MERRI
“Come on, Merri. Mind over matter. You’re strong. You don’t need to feed every single day.”
My pep talk might have been more helpful if not for the yawning chasm of ache in my core. Hunger pangs are a strange thing for a succubus: half cramp, half maddening arousal.
“The world is literally on the verge of ending, you hussy. You can keep it in your pants for a day to focus on other things.”
Andi’s voice echoed in my mind,“If it were me and the world was ending, I’d be riding as many dicks as possible. Go out with a literal bang, girl.”
My chest tightened at the thought of my friend. Where was she? Was she even alive? I had no way to know, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. Guilt rushed through me. This was the first time she’d crossed my mind in... I wasn’t sure how long.
Fuck, I was a horrible person. I didn’t deserve to even consider myself her bestie. What kind of friend was I?
I’m sure there was something about the whole impossibility of finding or talking to her with the grid being down that Icould have used to comfort myself, but self-flagellation was a much better distraction for my hunger. It was immediate and powerful, suffering in silence.
Three of my mates were nearby. I could grab any one of them and tell them I needed to feed, and they’d happily provide. But that would mean I wasn’t strong enough to function without. I hated the idea that I couldn’t exist or be of use without feeding on someone. It was such a massive vulnerability, especially now. We could go to war at any moment, and if I wasn’t topped up, I could be the chink in our metaphorical armor that would give our enemies the edge they needed. Ugh.
I needed some fresh scenery, if not fresh air. Honestly, outside would be ideal if it weren’t for the risk of hordes of creatures, Princes of hell, and... you know, imminent death. Striding down the hallway that led into the main common room, I found it filled with people. That was a huge mistake. The air was thick with pheromones from bonded mates. Sunday was seated in Thorne’s lap as he ran his fingers up and down her back. Caleb was nearby, watching the scene while pretending to read a book. Dahlia offered me a little wave from where she was scribbling in a notebook, her pirate sitting on the floor working on a puzzle with a frustrated expression on his face. I snickered when I realized the picture was from a cartoon version of Peter Pan.
“Why do they always dress me in tights?” he grumbled.
“Because you have excellent calves,” Dahlia murmured, as if she’d said the same thing thousands of times before.
