Page 77 of Vicious Kings
An ancient ticking time bomb, a cursed shifter, and a prince whose dick has a death wish. Some "Golden Triad" we are.
"What we don't know," Locke continues, his voice dropping into a register even I find menacing after all these years, "is why you're so determined to court your own death."
He throws the blade and it twirls three times in the air before landing directly in its slot on the rack. Then he turns and stalks toward the exit, pausing at the door. "Mark my words, Corvinus.Your hubris will get us all killed. And when it does, I'll make sure to tell your father exactly whose fault it was from the other side of the veil."
The door slams behind him hard enough to crack the frame.
Silence falls.
Corvinus stays against the wall, staring at the space Locke recently occupied. I can feel his emotions through the bond. He would never admit it, but he hates when Locke's disappointed in him. His father's disappointment is a guarantee, a badge of honor, even, but Locke's? Pretty sure he'd rather be stabbed by an actual blade.
"Well," I say, because someone needs to break this awkward silence before it suffocates us both, "thatwent well."
He shoots me a murderous look. "Shut up, Tallon."
"Just saying." I move to retrieve his discarded sword, examining the blade for damage. None, of course. Locke knows better than to actually harm the prince, even when he's furious enough to spit fire. Even if one day, there's a chance he won't be able to help it. "He makes some valid points."
"Not you too."
"Hey, I'm just the comic relief in this pack." More like the only one who can talk him off the ledge he's always dancing on. I toss him his sword, and he catches it automatically. "But even I can see she's trouble."
I saw it in the woods, when I first spotted her. When I caught that impossible violet scent.
"She's an omega," he says flatly, but I can tell he doesn't believe his own implication that her designation makes her harmless. If he did, he wouldn't be interested.
"She's a hunter playing dress-up, and you know it." I lean against the wall, arms crossed. "Locke knows it, too. The question is, what areyouplanning to do about it?"
He's quiet for a long moment, turning the sword over in his hands. When he finally speaks, his voice is soft in a way that never means anything good. "I'm going to make her mine."
The certainty in his tone makes my stomach drop. "Even if she's here to kill you?"
"Especially if she's here to kill me." He smiles. "Because if she succeeds, at least it'll be interesting."
"You're insane. FYI, if your head rolls, I die too. Or did you forget that part of our bargain?" I demand, rushing to catch up with him.
"I didn't forget." He sheathes his sword, moving toward the exit. "I just don't care."
"Oh, touching!" I spit, following, because what else am I going to do? Let him wander off alone when there's a trained killer on campus who might have access to pointy and enchanted objects now? "I'msofucking glad I'm soulbonded to the most selfish, narcissistic fucking fairy this side of the portal!"
Corvinus says nothing, but I can see his lips twitch in profile. Smug bastard.
This is going to end badly. I can feel it in my bones. Corvinus is playing a game he doesn't fully understand, and Billie Moreau is a weapon he's treating like a toy.
And the worst of all is that there's a part of me that's just as curious about her as he is.
Twenty-Three
BILLIE
Morning comes, because morning is a bitch like that.
I drag myself through my new routine like a zombie, pulling on another skirt that makes me want to scream, another blouse that could feed a small village.
The suppressants sit heavy in my pocket. Aconstantfucking reminder that my body is a ticking time bomb I'm barely keeping in check.
Olivia watches me as I grab my bag. "You'reup early."
"Couldn't sleep."
