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Aidan manifested in a crackle of gold-and-black energy seconds later.
“Who are you?” Alistair demanded.
Paris jumped to his feet. “You’ve fucked up, Golden Fucker.”
Vaughn and Medusa bristled, my anger spiking again.
The deity folded his arms, not as shaken as I would have hoped. “Well, it didn’t take much for you to get that back.” He looked me dead in the eyes. “Now you know, darling.”
I snarled. “Do not call me that.”
Selene could call me ‘darling king,’ but he didn’t get to say anything of the sort.
“It shows how weak you really are,” I fired back.
This is too easy.
He sniffed the air. “I smell so much jasmine. Selene always loved it so, your realm stinking of it. Just like you did.”
I tensed, ready to pounce. “Keep her name out of your mouth.”
Jasmine. I filled my chambers with it, besotted with the scent all my life. Did this mean something more profound?
“We’ll find this Wheel thingy, get the key off you, and drop kick you into it,” Paris threw out. “Or however it works. I can’t fucking wait. Thought you had all the cards, didn’t you? Believed you were so smart taking away a key memory, only for it to slip through your fingers.” Paris’s eyes flashed with malevolence. “You really are diminished.” The crystal dagger appeared. “You’re screwed. It’s a slippery slope from now on.”
This is too easy.
Aidan’s continuous smirking only gave credence to my worries.
“Nothing to say?” Paris said, pointing his weapon at the golden horror. “Where’s the key? In your beard?”
Aidan rocked on his heels. “Ah, little puppet. You are such a…what is that delightful term human mortals say?” He clicked his fingers. “That’s it. Gobshite.”
Paris chuckled. “I’ll wear it with pride.”
Aidan’s smirking dimmed. “I couldn’t help myself. You know what it’s like to fuck the vampire king. He’s so good at it and he gets you far too loose for your own good.”
Paris’s parents audibly gasped with surprise.
“Oops!” Aidan covered his mouth, snickering behind it. “Me and my big mouth.” He bowed at Alistair and Lia. “Apologies. We haven’t been introduced. I’m—”
“Aidan,” Lia cut him off, furious. “Get out of my house, you lying filth.”
The deity laughed, twirling his beard. “I see.”
He turned to face Paris. “Contingencies are wonderful things.” He lifted his right hand, his palm flat and facing the elf. “As you will see, puppet.”
A mumble of intent, and a burst of magic so forceful it slammed Paris into the wall with enough power to crack his head open.
His parents screamed, his brains leaking across their carpet.
My stomach roiled. I looked away, the image unbearable.
Aidan vanished, Paris resurrecting less than a minute later.
“He’s alive!” Alistair roared.
Lia whimpered, her breathing labored.
