Bitten Beauty (The Deadly Beauties Live On 3)

She’s talking gibberish. That’s what it sounds like.

She must see my confusion, because she rolls her one good eye.

“A few months ago,” my aunt says, drawing my attention to her, “Victor came in bleeding and cursing. He’d already locked me away by then. He was killing humans. That isn’t what I signed on for,” she says sadly, looking away.

“No, you signed up to kill anything with a heartbeat if it was different from you,” Kya seethes.

“Monsters have killed my people as much as my people have killed monsters,” Aunt Masie growls.

Cats and dogs come to mind.

“What about his damn eye?” I groan.

“It wasn’t Slade,” Kya answers. “We were together when we were freed from the rings. He saved the princess, took her to a cabin we squatted in, and left her there to heal. Never once did we run into any anointed soldiers.”

“Then why does he…” My words trail off as I realize the answer. “Slade’s twin,” I grumble. I forgot there were two of those cold bastards out there.

“Slade won’t come. None of my people will. But—”

“Slade was here with me. He said I was useless and he was going to find someone useful.”

Kya’s mouth hangs open for a second like she’s stunned, but then she clears her throat and looks away. “If he’s smart, he’ll stay the hell away.” Her eyes come back to mine. “But we both know one person stupid enough to barge in, Leah. And we both know something Victor doesn’t.”

She narrows her eyes at me like she can see through me. Karma couldn’t see it, but Kya and Karma are completely different. I know she can tell what I’ve turned into, but I’m not sure what she’s trying to say exactly.

“We’re not their ultimate targets. The children will become test subjects,” she goes on. “Once Zee comes, he’ll obliterate everyone in here if he’s as crazed as I heard he got the last time.”

“Zee?” Aunt Masie asks in a rasp, reminding me she’s in here. I really want to wrap my arms around her and hug her right now, promise her everything is going to be okay.

But I’ve seen Zee out of control.

I really hope it isn’t a repeat of last time. He might do something he regrets.

“Zee doesn’t know where I went, and I’ve worked really damn hard not to panic. Don’t make me start now. He can track that.”

Kya gestures to the room, using her head. “This place is warded against every magic there is… Except anointed magic. I guess we’ll find out how your bonds work now.”

“What does that mean?” Aunt Masie snaps, apparently as confused as I am.

Kya looks at her, glaring at her with her one good eye, but she turns back to me.

“In theory, you can do all he can, and he can do all you can. You two are definitely unique, so… hypotheticals are all we’ve come up with.”

“We? As in you and Slade?” I ask, so damn confused. “Last time I saw you, he was knocking you out.”

“Sleeper spell. I really have to build up a better defense to that,” she sighs. This is too normal to her.

“So you just forgave him?”

She looks at me like I’m stupid. “It’s our world, Leah. We fight. We survive. We move forward. Humans are the ones who spend too much time on the things that don’t matter. No weakness means nothing can hold you back.”

There’s no sadness or hurt in her eyes. No hesitation or confusion. It makes me question what kind of world I’ve stumbled into.

She blows out a breath while lying her head on the ground. I hate the defeated way she turns away, no longer looking at me. She once told me she’d kill herself before being caged again.

“Kya, I swear I’ll get us out of here. Slade said to ask you how to break the seals.”

She doesn’t answer me, and I turn to Aunt Masie.