“Do they know why Me Misses is here? No. Does silver eyes wants you sexually? Yes. Easy to manipulate.”
He sips again, barely pausing. “They put Me Misses in a collar. Thinks that means you can’t break it.” He laughs hysterically, splashing some of his wine onto his oversized belly. “As if! As if Me Misses can’t rip off the collar and then all their heads. So stupid.Idiots. Flea rat pea brains.”
I’m not even going to ask what a flea rat pea brain is after the day I have had.
He’s right.
“A wolf in sheep skin,” I murmur contemplatively, tracing the rim of my glass.
His wings flutter with excitement. “And when the time comes, you will be victorious. Powerful. Perfect.”
His words inflate my ego, but they swell something warm in my chest. I never doubted I was all those things, but after half bleeding out…and whatever that post-blood lust shame spiral was, it’s nice to have someone else say it. Someone who sees me.
“Bed?” Ollie bounces up, the cushion beneath him springing slightly. Thankfully, his glass is empty.
I follow him to the bed.
“Give me a moment,” I call softly, pausing at the balcony
As always, Nora’s owl awaits.
I relay everything I remember—our findings, the attack, the Edax, and the hive mind. As I speak, I make a mental note to getwith Iris. The scent of the Carnium Edax mirrors the Creptius Vox. They are definitely related.
I don’tmention Cage—or what happened after. That part is mine.
When I finish, I return to the bed and slip beside Ollie. He gently hums that familiar song as his finger strokes my scalp in slow circles. Our nightly routine.
Sleep comes easily, carried by wine, whispered affirmations, and the promise that I am not yet finished.
Chapter 40
Millicent
FEEDING IS A LOVE–HATE relationship.
The only part I hate is when the Nightmother takes over and I lose all awareness and autonomy. It’s unnerving to wake up disoriented, covered in guts in strange places with no memory of how I got there.
I crave control, and handing it over to my patron is the antithesis of what I value. Still, the power she gives me is undeniable.
Blood tastes exquisite. It makes me feel alive, vibrant, and charged with power.
The aphrodisiac effect? Not something I choose, exactly. In the right company, it’s not the worst thing.
Mostly, I’m just thankful. After feeding, I’m pain-free, and not even a bruise remains. My skin is flawless again. Perfect.I willalways be that at the end of all things. I let a smile escape, just to myself as I arrive at the lab door.
I find Iris in her lab, elbows deep in a corpse. Despite the grotesque dissection displayed on her table, around her, light cheerful music plays and the high sun sends a kaleidoscope of colors through the windows.
“Good morning,” I call out, not wanting to startle her mid-incision.
“Morning, Mille!” She pauses her cutting and wipes her hands. The warmth in her voice and smile eases me. The last time I saw her, she was buried in magic and shadows. I’m relieved to see her grounded and her normal self again.
“I want to go over the attack last night,” I say, stepping closer. “I found some similarities between the Carnium Edax and Creptius Vox. It’s got me thinking.”
She grabs her journal and starts scribbling. “Go on.”
“The blood from both creatures, it’s black, and it reeks with the same rotting smell. What if they fed on someone already cursed? What if it spread that way?”
“Possible,” she murmurs, nodding along. “Or the land itself is tainted. Whatever malevolent force fuels this magic…might be warping the beasts and terrain.”
