Page 222 of Venom Sweeter than Honey
“Yes?”
When she doesn’t answer, I turn to find Violette, and Azrael—looking paler than I’ve ever seen him, staring across the river. I follow their gazes.
My lips part in shock.
A giant cervid-centaur creature is standing across the shore. Even his face is half-animal. He has the head of a man, but with a nose that is half-snout, half-human, and bears antlers boasting more points than I can count at a glance—at least twenty. From the waist down, he has a gigantic deer’s body with a tawny white and gray hide. From the waist up, his body is humanoid with lithe, lean muscle coated in a velvety-looking layer of fine fur that reveals the bark-colored skin beneath. Silvery, pupil-less eyes seem to stare straight through us; jarringly similar to the ghostly-white of a person who no longer possesses thegift of sight, yet somehow the silvery eyes seem omniscient; clairvoyant.
His voice is resonant and carries a certain calm that commands.
“Why are you here?”
“We are in need of shelter... On our way to the coast.”
His eyes wander to Violette. “You are going to Sinsól.”
I glance back at Violette as she hesitantly nods.
The creature’s mouth tilts with a subtle frown.
“Your father will be pleased to see you.”
She huffs a sardonic laugh. “Then you don’t know my father.”
“You might be surprised.”
Violette’s expression hardens. “Do you know where he is?”
“Yes.”
Violette’s eyes widen. “Where is he? Do you know how I can reach him?”
“His city below. Though it can only be reached by key or invitation.”
Violette frowns. “I have neither.”
“Then you have come unprepared.”
Violette scowls, and I can practically see the daggers flying from her eyes. “Thank you for providing such an illusory revelation.”
The creature remains expressionless as he studies us. Several moments pass, and I’m half expecting him to turn us away when a series of stepping stones rise from the river.
“Leave your weapons behind. They are not permitted in the forest.”
Since my adulthood, I’ve nevernotcarried a weapon, but I’m aware arguing with him will only worsen our situation. He turns and strides back into the forest on deer legs as big as a Clydesdale’s.
I turn, looking for somewhere to hide our arsenal, and decide upon a fallen tree. Scooping out fistfuls of snow, I create a hiding space large enough to fit our weapons into and pack them in, ammunition included.
“Have you ever seen anything like him?”
Violette shakes her head, brow furrowing over a grim expression. “Not in real life.”
Azrael, still unnervingly pale, remains quiet. My eyes meet his.
“He is acervahnith.”
My eyes dance between the two of them as they exchange a knowing look that makes me want to jump out of my skin.
“Which is?”
