Bitten Beauty (The Deadly Beauties Live On 3)

I don’t know shit about jinn, so I stay out of it. Apparently Chaz doesn’t know much either, because he seems completely silent.

“You’re talking about blue jinn,” Roslyn argues. “I’m saying red jinn are in Pine Shore. Judging by the amount of chaos, it’s either one really, really strong one. Or a few strong ones. Or several somewhat strong ones. There’s no such thing as a weak red jinn. The weakest ones can still take out two powerful witches with a flick of their wrists. Blue jinn feed on the anger in humans. Red jinn feed on the magic of fey. The human chaos is bait for those of us who go to help. So eyes open.”

“Red jinn are extinct, so I don’t see them being the reason for this. Humans are just crazy,” Chaz says with a shrug, acting all too casual about this. I guess he knows more about them than I do. “We should be more focused on the blood-starved night stalkers. I doubt we’ve hunted them into extinction yet, and we know they infect all the ones they bite. Then there’s the girl Zee wants to sire and how she’s connected. It doesn’t make sense for her to be human.”

“Zee wouldn’t have the compulsion to sire her if she wasn’t human,” Thad points out, coming to tug on Roslyn’s hand. “And if Roslyn says red jinn are here, then they’re here. We need to go calm the chaos regardless, because we really don’t need any more attention from possible hunters like the anointed.”

“Red jinn are definitely not extinct,” Roslyn growls. “I know. I saw them—at least four—in the rings.

Before Chaz can argue, they disappear, and Ella groans while following behind, dematerializing from the room.

“She can’t get out even if she wakes up. I’ve spelled the house,” Gage says. “As soon as I go, no one will be able to leave, so you need to go first.” My entire body tenses, and he eyes me before adding, “Or… not.”

“Just go help Roslyn,” I mumble, cursing as I drop down in front of the couch where Leah is still motionless. Usually someone wakes up a little faster than this after fainting.

“You’ll be stuck in here,” he repeats.

Chaz disappears, leaving a gold trail of dust in his wake. All I want to do is… Nope. Not happening. I need to put a little distance between us.

Kimber is the next to go. The others are guarding the queen’s estate that is hidden outside of Pine Shore. Kane’s shore house is mine for the time being. I want Leah in it instead of Gage’s house.

“Call if you need me to come back and let you out,” Gage says on a sigh when I get lost inside my own head.

I don’t mention wanting to move her. I really don’t need to be left completely alone with her right now. Dice needs to come back down.

When Gage vanishes from the room, all my attention unfortunately falls on the girl I need to stay away from. Fate is a cruel bitch for pushing us back together.

Blowing out a breath, I sit down on the edge of the couch, staring at the way her chest rises and falls. It’s… distracting. Without permission, my hand moves to her cheek, and to my surprise, she flinches.

Fucking shit. She’s faking.

***

LEAH

Strong fingers stroke my cheek, and my entire body tenses. I immediately curse myself silently. Maybe he didn’t notice—

“Might as well wake up, little faker. Game over. Sleeping Beauty never flinched.”

Crap.

His deep, rough voice is also smooth, which sounds contradictory, but it’s the only way I can describe it. Everything they’ve been discussing makes no sense to me, but it’s obvious Zee wants to do something to me.

Though I’m not sure what exactly that is.

I really don’t understand the twisted way it makes me feel seduced.

Therapy. Lots of therapy needed.

“Open up,” he says again.

Very slowly, I peel my eyes open, wishing my acting skills were so much better. I could still be closing out this bizarre new world if I had taken drama class instead of dance. A lot of good that did me anyway. I have the rhythm of someone with inner ear problems.

Zee’s cocking an eyebrow at me, almost seeming amused and pissed at the same time. If anyone has the right to be pissed, it’s me… Not him.

His faux hawk has tips that are red now. How did that happen? Why does that even matter?

“What really happened in that house? Why did Slade let you live?” he asks, staying much too close to me. He’s sitting on the edge of the sofa, and his scent is all around me.