“I’msosick of everyone’sfuckingvoice. Maybe I preferred the silence of being alone.” I know she isn’t meaning to intentionally hurt me, but damn, that stings. “I could tell your heart to stop, end you in seconds. Butthis… I like to see thesufferingin your dying eyes.”
Brice is beginning to convulse, and I can see the beginning of his shift to his natural form. The one that he was birthed into, not this foreign body they take on the first full moon of their life. It would be how he left this world, as the wolf his mother pushed out.
“I remember now why I never ask for help.” She turns her gaze over to me, her eyes shrouded in darkness. Her horns that had disappeared, begin to push up through her skin, drawing blood down her forehead and into her eyes.
Sydni screams through closed lips as a loud thud echoes, but I don’t tear my gaze away from my little demon.
“Do I kill him?” she asks, and I can hear my little butterfly shout through a sob.
Moving toward her, I take a deep breath. “Do you want to kill him?”
Thirty seconds… that’s all he has.
“Yes.” Her response is quick, but so is mine.
“Then why do you ask me?”
She hesitates, the vein in her neck pulsing, drawing my gaze down to see that her Amoro is peeling back her Mundane skin.
Fifteen seconds…
“Because you know me better than I think I know myself.”
Moving another few steps to her, I whisper, “A body… A shield… little demon.”
Five seconds…
Then she blinks, and commands, “Breathe, Brice.”
The wheezed breath he takes in makes me look down at Sydni, her body shaking so hard that she’s almost a blur. Tears streak down her cheeks as she clings to the Werewolf, whose beast form is slowly returning back to his Mundane body.
“Thanks for the lesson.” When Xera speaks, I gaze back up at her. I haven’t seen this cold stare since pulling her into the alleyway that day with Mathas. “A nice reminder,for you, that my kindness should be cherished.”
Her best friend stares up at her, not speaking, and I’m unsure if it’s because Xera hasn’t given her the command, or because she doesn’t know what to say.
“You know what I am, don’t give me that look, Syd.” When my girl steps to her, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she shrunk back, but her princess stays steadfast. “He used you! Hurtyou! Remember who would never,ever, fucking do that to you.”
Sydni’s eyes round, fresh tears pooling in them.
“Me. Do not see me allowing him to live for your sake. He serves a purpose, and it isn’t solely for your pussy.” Watching as she winces, I suck in a sharp breath. “This is my fault, I should’ve never asked for help. I’m always disappointed in the outcome.”
“You…” Brice wheezed out a cough. “You did it, didn’t you?”
“Yeah… So I need to be pissed every time? Angry? Fucking traumatized? Thinking of my mother grinding against my godsdamn face?!” she screams, and anger builds in my own chest. “No,dog. You didn’t help me. You pissed me off. I knew I could likely do it under duress but I don’twantto do that. Now, all you’ve done is set me back…”
Set you back… What do you mean?
“Phiny, I’m…” Sydni begins to stand, but it’s my girl that steps away now.
“Yeah…” Xera draws a breath through her nose, dropping her head to the side. “What was that you said? Even if you got married, I’d always come first?”
My heart physically stops at seeing how that slaps Syd straight across the face.
I’ll always support my girl ineverything, and this is no different. While I don’t view what Sydni did as a betrayal of friendship, I understand her feelings. My butterfly and I have been with Brice much longer than Xera, and seeing her best friend try to stop her from killing him after what he just said to her… I can understand this impulse.
“It’s fine.” Even as my little demon continues, Sydni’s shaking her head as tears stream from her eyes. “I get it. I’ll be here when he betrays you again, don’t worry.”
Brice growls, “I’m not going to betrayanyone, Xeraphine. Especially not her.”
