Page 53 of Mate of a Monster

“Oh my Gods.” A laugh bursts out of her, sharp and mean, bouncing off the valleys behind the royal palace, because nobody else makes a sound. “An exile has escaped!”

She lifts her hand like she’s pointing at roadkill and the gasps follow, panic floating across the space.

“Watch this, Hellpet. They will look to Legend.”

On cue, Knight and Sinner turn to their younger brother. But Creed doesn’t look away from me.

I land back on Legend, just in time to see his features harden. Every muscle in his face has tightened, his shoulders turning rigid.

The space around me shrinks, making it harder to focus. That hollow void throbs once more, a frequency braiding me to him. They want him to control the room, to calm the chaos. But he…can’t.

My rage simmers.

“He has no power?” I ask the Beast.

“Not where it counts. But I do.”

Instantly, the room grows quiet, the Nightkin coming to their aid if only for a bit of fun. Legend’s brows snap together in confusion and Creed pushes forward a single step, like he doesn’t mean to move but caught himself a second too late.

The Nightkin’s chuckle warms my blood. I roll my shoulders again slowly and let my blood shine on my skin.

“Guards, what are you waiting for! Take the trash out!” Arabella orders, as if she has the right to be heard, let alone listened to.

“Keep talking.” I flex my fingers, pain flashing hot through my palms. “I like knowing where to aim.”

Arabella’s stare cuts harder. She turns her head enough to address the gifted around us without looking away from me, like I’ll bolt if she blinks.

“Take the witch.” She snaps her fingers. “Now!”

No one moves. The only thing that fills the silence is the steady sound of water dripping from a gutter somewhere. A few soldiers shift their weight. Their gazes dart from Arabella to Legend before awkwardly settling down on the cobblestones.

Arabella’s lips peel back as she steps forward, skirts whispering over the wet ground.

“Drag her to the cells.” Her voice rises, pitched to carry. “Bind her mouth. Bind her hands. I’m done with the rabid animal.”

“Rabid animals,” the Nightkin purrs, pleased. “Bite.”

A low chuckle slips through me before I can stop it. It comes out rough, ugly, and it makes heads tilt like they’re hearing an unfamiliar language.

Arabella’s eyes narrow at the sound. She looks like she wants to slap it out of me.

“You think this is funny?” She shifts closer to Legend, claiming him with the move. “You think you can show up here after what you did and live?”

My shoulders square, gaze flicking over the courtyard, letting everyone see I count them. Their weapons, their faces, and their potential as a threat. I count how many steps it takes to get to Arabella’s throat.

“I think you’re hilarious.” I rub my thumb across the slick blood on my palm, then wipe it across my other hand. “You know, in that not-at-all-funny-but-extremely-annoying kind of way.”

Arabella jerks like the words hit her in the face. Her fingers curl, magic stirring around her skin in a faint shimmer that doesn’t reach me. It just sits there, decorative.

“You will show respect.” She jabs a finger in my direction, a very safe distance away still. “You—bitch!”

My smile widens.

“You keep saying that.” I shift my stance, knee protesting, and I plant my feet anyway. “You want me gone so bad, come grab me yourself.”

She laughs, thinner this time, as she examines me from head to toe. “Dirty fucking witch.”

My jaw tightens and heat stirs behind my ribs.