“What does it matter?” she seethed.
“Because Ronald matters! He exists, and therefore, he matters.” Some people’s appreciation of the world around them grew stronger as they aged. Meemaw and Kaito looked over their shoulders at the roads they’d traveled and recognized them for the wonders they are. Leanne was the opposite. The longer she lived, the less she cared. The less she appreciated.
Humanity was circling the drain of her soul.
“Did you know he’s traveled to all seven continents? That he played volleyball? That he’s loved and lost?”
“I. Don’t. Care.” Leanne turned beneath me andshovedwith her whole body. I skidded across the ground.
The faerie’s nails dug into the dirt as she crawled toward me on all fours, eyes ablaze with fury and indignation. “I have lived a dozen lifetimes. You will not be the one to take me down.”
“Why not? It has to be somebody.” I lunged and tackled her to the ground. “There ought to be a special place in the underworld for people like you who prey on the elderly.”
She strained as she pushed against my face. “You’re a hideous half Gorgon. You’re not remotely my equal.”
I barked a laugh. “Are you seriously suggesting that I can’t defeat you because you’re prettier?” I withdrew my dagger from its sheath. “Because I can change that right now.”
She drove her nails through the skin of my temple, narrowly missing my eye. I felt a burning sensation, then a trickle of blood.
I hunched over her, holding the blade to her cheek. “Do that again and I’ll make you unrecognizable.”
She remained steadfast in her arrogance. “You wouldn’t dare. My beauty has brought down armies. Helen’s may have been the face that launched a thousand ships, but mine is the one that laid waste to them. They would’ve followed me into the bowels of Hell itself had I invited them.”
“You had the capacity to do incredible work in this world. With your fae traits, you had the ability to influence great art and music. Inspire poetry. Instead, you chose greed and murder.”
“I chose myself. Why should I inspire men just so they can enjoy the successIbestowed upon them?”
“And you’d extract a bit of their life essence in return to keep you young and beautiful for eternity. Still seems like a good deal to me.”
“That’s because your imagination is limited. I wantmore.” She hissed the last word.
“This is what happens when an ego takes up too much space in a brain. No room for critical thinking.” I drove the dagger through the side of her dress, anchoring her to the ground. “Since you’re on the way out, I’ll let you in on a little secret, beauty queen.” I dropped my voice to a whisper. “I’m not a Gorgon. Not even half.”
Fear sparked in her eyes as I spread my fingers across her face andpulled, draining all the energy she’d stolen from Ronald and so many others. It had been many years since I’d activated this particular power. I was both sad and relieved to find I was still capable of it.
I wasn’t killing her, I reminded myself. I was only removing her power, including the bond she’d formed with Ronald.
Leanne was no longer an Irish rose to admire. She was now a shriveled casing, barely recognizable as a person. Her face was a distortion of features. Sunken eye sockets. Visible bone. Thin lips that failed to cover her gums.
“Take us to Ronald,” I demanded. Her path was well-trodden; it would be faster than mine. I crawled into her mind, and we launched into the void.
Ronald sat on a fallen log in the forest, waiting for his beloved. It was painful to think how many days he’d wasted, pining for a woman who cared nothing for him at all.
“Leanne?” Ronald’s voice was tentative and uncertain.
I prodded her. “Here is your precious Leanne. She thought at this stage in your relationship, it was only fair to show you her true face.”
The faerie appeared in the inky black of our shared consciousness. “Don’t believe her, my darling. She’s done this to me, made me hideous in an effort to steal you for herself.”
Ronald looked between us, confused. “Maya doesn’t want me. I don’t think she’s interested in anyone. I overheard my caregiver say she’s one of those asexuals.”
Okay, now was not the time to explain myself. Let the elf believe I was ace. No big deal.
Leanne seemed unsure how to proceed without the ability to play the jealousy card. Ronald, on the other hand, seemed unable to stop staring at her in horror. I could tell from Leanne’s increasingly poor posture that the bond was loosening fast.
“Is this really you, Leanne?” Ronald asked.
“This is her true form,” I said. “Her beauty came from you, Ronald. Your energy sustained her, but I was able to weaken her so that you could see the truth for yourself.”
