Page 40 of How Does It Feel?

“Very impressive. One of the few to figure it out before their own blood paints the walls.”

His watchful eyes were so penetrating against mine now I couldn’t help but step away from him. My body’s primal instinct set alarms and sirens off to get as far away from the look he gave me as possible. His every cell seemed to be on edge watching me. Like a hawk before it torpedoed to capture its prey.

“What is the gold then? Ground teeth?” I needed him to stop looking at me like he was.

I spat the tooth that I had been cheeking at him with as much force as possible.

A few loud slaps of thick glass sounded behind us as the guards drew their weapons. Weapons I didn’t understand. Long bat-like sledges of iron and what appeared to be simple glass balls filled with black smoke.

With scary fast reflexes, he reached a gloved hand up and caught the tooth before it could hit his face. “Teeth? No, but your decorating ideas are truly inspiring. Maybe we have more in common than I thought.” He looked at me another long moment and placed my tooth in the pocket of his black tunic. “No, pet, the scarlet is human and the gold, as I’m sure you very well know, is Seelie blood. Beautiful warm glint to it, wouldn’t you say? Like liquid gold.” He smiled at me, but it was only his mouth that held a smile. His eyes were once again empty and cold.

The way he had said Seelie left no need for interpretation about how he felt about the other Fae.

“If you’re Unseelie . . . and a horrible monster, are the Seelie gods? Is that why their blood is gold?” I asked.

I couldn’t help it; my mind never stopped asking questions. It was part of why I became a scientist.

He growled at me. Actually growled.

I froze at the sound, my pulse in overdrive.

“I’m certain they think themselves gods. In a sense, all us old Fae are gods in our own right, but no.” He spit on the floor. “The Seelie are no better than us. They lie and steal just the same. Corrupt and ruin. They hide behind a mask of good, lying to themselves and everyone else in the light of day. We own our evil. There is beauty to be found in the dark, just as there is horror within the light.”

I was going to throw up.

My legs were nearly unable to keep me upright. I stood in a room quite literally painted with the blood of their enemies. God only knew what the floor was made of.

I needed out of here and fast.

I began to panic. I didn’t want to die. I needed more time to figure out how to get out of here.

“Please call off your assassin. If-if, in fact, the humans watched you wouldn’t a human pet be a much grander display? Show them you owned and enjoyed their foolish threat.” I was scrambling to think of anything, anything that would play to his arrogant nature and keep me alive long enough to escape and go home.

His head canted as a maniacal grin slid into place on his chiseled jaw.

“If you were more beautiful, I surely would have considered it, but you can’t expect me to drag a human around that looks as you do? Fae are superior in every way, including beauty. Your boring features and ugly red hair pale in comparison to even the ugliest of female orcs. Disgusting really. The only thing a human is good for is the music their screams play just before they die.”

He thought my hair was red from all the blood? “What about a—”

“Quiet. I’ve thrown away too much time listening to your plump mouth.” He walked to the door, leaving me alone in the large room.

Just before he passed through the crowd of guards, he turned. “This is exactly why Earth should be ours. What a waste you humans are. I hope Alistair enjoys killing you. I know I would.”

The large door slammed shut, and I was left in the blood-painted room alone, awaiting the creature that would kill me.

Lord Alistair Cain.

Chapter 11

Shivers

Callie

The room was still and quiet. I jumped when the wall creaked behind me, and a panel of the scarlet and gold wall slid open as thick black smoke rolled into the large room.

I was prepared to run into the smoke with the thought of catching the assassin off guard but immediately rethought my decision upon remembering he was the assassin for the crown. I wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

My eyes darted about the elegant-looking room. It held nothing I could use as a weapon, not even furniture to hide under.