Her Psycho Beasts, page 12
part #3 of Her Vicious Beasts Series
“Yup!” she shouts. And I can tell from the pitch of her voice that she’s having a good time.
We pipe down after that and I try to get some rest, but Lyle’s circling thumbs on my thighs and Scythe’s breathing back is all very distracting.
Just under two hours later, Xander begins wheeling to make his descent onto a pitch-black grassy plain. I can see the lights of the Central Business District far into the distance enough that I know it’ll be a bit of a drive to get there. Xander is surprisingly smooth in his landing, a small thump jolting us against each other before settling.
Lyle has to help me get up because my legs are stiff and locked. He levitates us both down to the ground so I don’t have to try and scramble down Xander’s leg like Scythe so easily does. Our feline friends levitate themselves down too, Minnie laughing all the way.
Three black SUVs are parked on the dirt road nearby, two wolves waiting. My heart leaps at the scent of wolf on the wind, except it’s not Savage who waits for us but other males, who hand over keys to Scythe and Marduk and clothes to a bad-tempered, naked Xander.
“Mobster cars,” Minnie whispers to me.
I nod back seriously.
We pile ourselves and the luggage into the SUVs and it takes an hour and a half to hit the big lights of the city. Scythe’s driving is smooth and efficient as he handles the manual gearstick with his tattooed hand and I try not to stare too much where I sit with my legs tightly pressed together from the passenger seat.
My nervousness steadily increases as we get deeper into the city and hit the nightlife district. It’s nine o’clock, and the night is in full swing. I’ve never actually been clubbing, or out at night in the city, and I try to absorb everything all at once. Dance music makes the air jump, human women in pretty, tight dresses shriek and toddle on their stilettos, while human men laugh and wait in long lines to get into clubs. While that is the human side of the city, the animalia side is another matter. The males are bigger and walk in packs, the tension like a tight rubber band. Security is a lot tighter, with both massive bears and feline guards standing in groups and animalia law enforcement in their purple uniforms. I see more than one animus go flying through the air, tossed out of a club by a feline guard.
Scythe drives into the long driveway of a glossy, towering hotel, where valet boys in blue and silver uniforms jump to attention. Scythe parks and steps out.
There’s a stuttered, “M-Mr Kharkorous, sir,” before Scythe closes his door. Lyle opens my door and I quickly get out, interested to see more of Scythe’s business from the front lines.
Marduk parks behind us, Minnie practically leaping out of the car to speedwalk towards me, her big blanket-hoodie in Yeti’s arms. “Lia,” she says, looping her arm around mine and craning her neck to look up at the many stories towering above us, their windows lit up with warm yellow lights. “This must be one of Scythe’s properties.”
I freeze as I register this, until my eye catches on Scythe being met by a woman and man in professional hotel pant-suits. He hands the man a wad of cash. Shit, if that’s the case, Scythe has to be wealthier than even my father. Not many of the mob bosses own hotels, especially ones as big as this. Then again, dragons always have a penchant for attracting money and Scythe has a big old nasty one on his team.
We follow Scythe into the hotel, which is a beautiful white and gold affair, definitely five stars and definitely on the pricey end. Porters rush forward to help us with our luggage, but Lyle and Scythe wave them away, insisting they take it up themselves.
Just past the lobby, Minnie and I see the sign pointing to the club at the same time. As nervous as I am about tonight, I’m also excited just to be out and about. This is exactly the type of thing I’ve been missing all my life, I just wish the rest of our animas were here to enjoy it with us. But we’d be united with Sabrina soon enough.
We all pile into the lift and head to the fortieth floor, which requires a fingerprint from Scythe to access. Minnie and I exchange a giddy look and she mouths, “Penthouse” at me.
And a penthouse it is.
When the elevator doors slide open, we’re met with an expanse of black and gold that stretches out in either direction with the far wall made entirely of glass. A huge TV is mounted in front of a set of leather couches and a dining table.
“The Devi pack can take the east side,” Scythe says, gesturing to a corridor branching to the right. “The rest of us will take the west.”
“Lia and I are taking one room though,” Minnie pipes, tugging at my elbow.
“That’s right,” I say firmly, reaching for my bag. Lyle tugs it back, frowning.
“Lia and I haven’t slept together in ages, Mr Pardalia!” Minnie protests.
It’s Yeti and Marduk’s turn to glower at the two of us.
“It’s just one night,” I say defensively, snatching my bag out of Lyle’s grip. He relents. “You five can have a boys sleepover. It’ll be fun.”
Minnie snorts, before swinging us around to choose from one of the six rooms. We choose the one with the gigantic gilded framed mirror and immediately start unpacking. The men make a big fuss and bother, with Yeti loudly declaring that he’ll take the room “right next door so I can hear everything.” And Lyle loudly taking the room on our other side and telling us we only have two hours to get ready.
We slam our door shut and laugh.
“Mostly, I’m excited to see Sabrina,” Minnie says, setting out all my makeup brushes. If she’s nervous about what she has to do, she doesn’t show it. But it’s always been her style to cover her fear with positivity and chirpiness. Sometimes I wish I was more like that.
Tonight I need all the help I can get to look as nonchalant as possible.
I hang up the dress we’d picked out, my stomach doing a little flop at the thought of rescuing our friend. At the risk. The danger. Scythe doesn’t seem bothered by any of it, but he never seems fazed by anything. “I just hope she’s alright,” I say quietly. “I hope they weren’t awful to her.”
Minnie audibly swallows. “It all ends tonight.”
She quickly helps me get ready, trying to be thorough so I don’t look like I’m trying to go to a high school formal.
We flat iron my hair so it’s pin straight and silky, hanging long down my back. We’d gone for the sexiest dress, chosen by Sabrina from the village, of course. It’s blue to match my eyes, and the entire left side is cut out down to my shin, with criss-crossing cord. It’s very obvious I’m not wearing underwear, but Scythe said that I am here to create a distraction. A spectacle.
Electricity bounces through my veins, and suddenly I’m sweating. What is up with me tonight? I should be cold in the fresh, almost-winter air, but I’m flushed. Perhaps my body knows I’m going to see Savage tonight.
Savage.
The thought of seeing him again fills me with a kind of pure joy I’ve never known before. I bounce on the balls of my feet, suddenly inspired. Suddenly reckless. I grab Minnie’s hand and whisper eagerly in her face, “I need to hype myself up. Let’s go take a look at the dance floor.”
Her beautiful brown eyes widen. “Wait…are we allowed to do that?”
“We’re grown ass adults by law!” I hiss, turning around to check my ass in the mirror. “By the Wild Goddess, I think we’re allowed to do whatever the hell we want.”
“But Mr Pardalia said we should stay out of sight and—”
I’m already shaking my head. Vigorously. “This might be my only opportunity to get into a club for the next few years I have to be at the academy. I’m not missing this chance. Think about it, Min. We’ll both be much better if we get rid of this nervous energy.” I rush to my bag and pull out my back-up dress, a stretchy black mini that will likely be a midi on my little tigress. I brandish it like a weapon.
Minnie smooths her hands down the dress, thinking deeply. I know she’s feeling the same type of stomach butterflies I am because her face splits into a grin. “Well, Lady Boneweaver, if you’re game, I am.”
I loop my arm through hers and let out a cackle. “Lady Tigress, let’s do this.”
Minnie throws the dress on, puts on a red lipstick, touches up concealer, and with that, we’re better than ready.
It’s quiet outside our room and I think the men are eating or sleeping or line dancing or whatever it is beasts do when they think their reginas are doing private women’s business.
Even so, for us to sneak in and out successfully without the disaster-o-meter hitting the red, I envelope us in my invisible eighth shield and lock us down tight so scent or general regina juices can’t alert our men.
Arm in arm, we hold our heels in our other hands and tip toe the fancy tiled corridor towards the lift. It’s all quiet in the living space, so I’m almost certain there’s no one—
Xander is sitting on the couch, directly facing us, glowing eyes fixed on me, his black headphones on his ears. A small frown creases his black brows. I hold my breath, certain we’re done for. Minnie does the same, squeezing my arm tight. Xander can’t see through my shield, but his ears are god-level.
The dragon closes his eyes and tilts his head back as if to rest on the couch. Either he’s tired from his flight or he doesn’t give a fuck that we’re escaping.
Something tells me it’s the latter. I let out a sigh of relief and tug Minnie towards the lift. We don’t see anyone else, so I call the lift. It pings when it opens, but Xander says nothing.
Grinning at my victory, I enter the lift. Only once the doors close do I cast the shield off and turn to high-five Minnie.
I cast the shield around us again just before the lift opens up to the ground floor, immediately washing us with the sounds of the club beyond.
“This is it!” Minnie whispers as we head towards the two massive security guards standing by the entrance.
Chapter 23
Scythe
Seven years ago
There are no rules at The Jewel of the Jungle. While nearly all the beasts practice the Old Laws, following certain etiquette and customs, really anything goes. Plain and simple. There’s something decidedly honest about that, I think, as I lead my brothers towards the black, glittering facade of the exclusive club in a tight corner of the CBD.
“Who are you to dare seek entry here?” sneers one of the four hyena guards standing in a line before the grand archway of snarling stone beasts.
I know what they see: three boys, big and tall for their age, but still young. Still stupid. Savage stands there in a white singlet and black track pants, a blue feather stuck behind his ear. Xander in an all black suit, glowing eyes, snarling face. And me: Pretty. Silver. Broken.
What they don’t see is the rage. The cold, bitter power that grows day by day within my heart. Within my soul. They don’t know it. Not yet. But soon, they will all be well acquainted with my power.
Xander and Savage hold up what they have in their hands. One of the hyenas turns aside and vomits right into the garden bed.
The other, now pale-faced and tight-lipped, waves us through the stone archway.
Xander passes them bundles of notes as he passes through. I learned the customs here on my father’s knee.
And on the knee of a great many beasts. Pretty things can’t listen, they thought. Pretty things can’t learn.
I will show them they’re wrong. I will show them that when vengeance comes, it’s with ice and steel.
It’s barely sundown, so the music is still low and only the leaders and independent agents of the territories occupy the massive black and red space, sitting around a table, conducting business. Behind them is a small tank of water where an albino baby dolphin is forced to swim, his tail bound in an obsidian chain leading to a stake in the bottom of the tank.
My stomach twists in violent protest.
We do not react, I tell myself. We respond.
The leaders of the territories quieten when they see me stalk in. I make my way, slow and measured, right up to their table. One seat is empty.
This is the moment I get to decide who I am. This is the moment I get to declare to the world that no one will ever again hurt me or those I love. Each horrible moment, each terrible decision in this lifetime, has led me to this place. To this time.
Now, I cement my reputation.
“I am the new apex of territory three,” I announce. “The cassowaries of the five-toe flock are gone.”
Laughter sweeps around the room in a riptide, a force I could easily drown in. My blood pressure rises, but I control myself. A look from me has Savage and Xander stepping forward and slamming our bounty right onto the table.
Two tubs filled with thick, red slush that violently splash onto the table as Savage slams his down extra hard.
To my great and terrible satisfaction, the laughter abruptly stops. Blood drips off the side of the tubs, making audible splats as they fall onto the table.
The stunned silence is broken by a young woman at the end of the table. She smokes an old-fashioned pipe and wears her black hair in a short, wavy style I’ve seen in black and white movies. Her aura flutters steely green flecked grey that I’ve never seen before. It’s powerful, perhaps the most powerful of the beasts at the table, and I immediately know she’s a crocodile, meaning that she’d be able to withstand any physical attack dealt to her, even a bullet—that is the power the Wild Goddess gave to the crocs.
“Now, how did three pups, barely weaned, snatch an entire territory right from under our noses?” Her voice is silky and amused. She does not fear me. She is intrigued. Aroused.
I bite down my rage at the low implication in her voice. A tone I’ve been hearing since I was thirteen.
“Sit,” says Mace Naga. “Let us see what the little shark has to say.”
It’s been thirteen years since I’d been addressed by the serpent king and I am not the same beast I was back then. I am no longer cloaked by innocence. No longer wielded by my father. I’ve been hammered and forged into something far darker than he remembers.
I pull out the heavy leather seat, before another oily voice sitting to the side of the table says, “I remember you.”
It’s a lion, pale skinned, grey-haired and no less than fifty.
“There was an auction for your virginity, wasn’t there? Forgive me, I’ve been to so many but… Ah, yes, I definitely remember that silver hair. That face. You were what, fourteen? Fifteen? Could have only been a few years ago.” He smiles—
Right before he screams.
His face flushes an unhealthy red-purple. Blood vessels pop in his eyes, making his sclera turn completely red. He shakes in his chair before I cut off my power and he collapses, slumping off his chair and going limp. Two of his felines run up to check on him.
“Is he dead?” Mace asks quietly.
“Yes,” I say, my voice cold and dead.
“So it’s true about what sharks can do then,” the Crocodile Queen purrs. “How interesting. How very interesting.”
The high witch of the hyenas cackles with mirth. When I turn to look at her, I see a knowing in the deep wrinkles around her kohl lined eyes. “I commend a creature who wants to forge his own path. Sit down, young man. You play with the big beasts now.”
Chapter 24
Scythe
Levi, my hotel manager, appears at the door to the second sitting room where we’ve gathered, wiping the sweat off his forehead with a white pocket square. He brushes his temple with his thumb, indicating that he needs to talk mind-to-mind.
“Speak,” I command.
“It’s the two ladies,” he says, tugging at his collar. “They’re on the dance floor, sir. They’re…”
My blood pressure rises significantly as I get my phone out and tap into the various security cameras around the hotel. Xander is supposed to be on watch. How the fuck did they get to the lift without being noticed? “Out with it.”
“They’re gathering a bit of attention, sir.”
I swipe through screens of Bazooka’s live footage until I find two familiar figures.
One raven-haired, one pink-haired.
Right in the middle of the dance floor, where the crowd is thickest, surrounded by a group of males and females. They’re holding hands and laughing, seductively gyrating their hips. A male reaches out for Aurelia’s waist, but she spins away, simultaneously pulling Minnie away from another male. I refrain from leaping out of my chair and charging down to the club. Aurelia has directly disobeyed me. No, I’d never given her a direct order to stay in her room, but she’d known the plan and defied my wishes. Instead of planning the execution of every male on the dance floor, I take a moment to centre myself.
The horde prowls around me, their voices a cacophony of fell whispers. “Kill them, stake them, drown them in their own waters. Beat them, bite them, force them to become martyrs.”
Three deep breaths later, I glance around the room.
Marduk and Yeti are musing over some cigars Xander has brought them.
Lyle is tearing into a steak sandwich. In three bites, it’s gone. As a mated male, he needs to be kept away from this particular situation. So does Yeti. In fact, I’m surprised they haven’t sensed anything awry as yet—probably the shielding magic yielded by a little, overconfident Boneweaver.
Careful not to show my rage, I carefully rise to my feet and say to Levi, “Bring Lyle and Yeti more sandwiches.” To my lion-brother, I say, “I have a situation to attend to. I’ll be back.”
He nods, wiping his mouth on a serviette like he’s remembered he’s supposed to be a gentleman.
I catch Marduk’s eye as I leave. Intuitive beast that he is, he pats Yeti’s shoulder and comes to my side.
“I need you to be calm, my friend,” I say, as we leave the room.
“I am always calm,” Marduk replies matter-of-factly, though he’s already rolling up his black shirtsleeves. “Who are we executing?”
I lead us down the corridor and into the lift, the thrumming in my blood getting more and more violent as each second passes. “The ladies have had a little adventure. It seems they wanted a party.”
