Page 23 of House of Horrors

Pure terror reflects in its every move, eyes vibrating with manic energy. A cackle rips from my throat, raw and unstoppable. My heart jackhammers against my ribs. Adrenaline screams through my veins.

I am a God.

Power thrums under my skin in a steady rhythm of command. I was born for this throne. I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.

The dark spirit inside me emits a satisfied purr. Finish it, it seems to say. My tongue darts out, tasting the scent of death in the air, and my fingers tighten around my weapon.

The blight tries to rise from the chair but stumbles into the table. Its howls of pain are syrup on my tongue, I drink in the sound. I need its cries louder.

A snarl rips from my throat. I clasp the hilt of my knife with both hands and bury the steel deep into the blight’s neck. Hot blood paints my skin, and I grin. My blade hammers home—once, twice, a dozen times. The monster’s head hits the table with a thud. The only sound left now is my breathing.

The corpse slides from the table to liquefy against the floorboards, hissing in its own bile. My lungs heave, but my grin only widens.

The room buzzes with the energy of a crowded stadium. I’ve claimed my first conquest.

I flip my hair over my shoulder, pretending that all eyes are on me. “She’s sexy and dangerous.”

Distant screams pull my attention. My head tilts, listening. There’s something human about the noise. I pivot, my boots slick with gore, and turn to the source. My grip loosens for a fraction of a second. No—it’s a cheap trick. A trap designed to make me falter. I click my tongue and tighten my hold.

I walk back to pluck another knife from the table so I can wield a blade in each hand. I’m a badass monster killer straight out of a blockbuster horror movie. I shake my head, my blonde hair falling in waves over my shoulder.

“Ready or not, here I come.”

Two blights rush toward me, springing from the shadows. The world becomes high definition under a sudden spike of adrenaline. I spin on the heel of my boot, and dazzling light glimmers off my sparkly dress. I swing both blades, slashing deep into their bodies. They scream, but it’s not enough. I launch into fast strikes, and the world blurs, red raining down upon me.

The monsters drop to their knees, wailing, blood weeping through raw cuts. “Oh, I love it when you scream for me.” I prowl closer, ready to continue the fight, to make them scream again. My boot slams into one of their stomachs and I hear nothing but a dull thud. My lip curls into a pout. “Are you dead already?” I throw my head back, groaning. “So not fun.”

“Daisy.” My head snaps towards the sound.

My eyes widen. I watch Jason struggle, his grip slipping. The butcher blight’s massive arms crush the air from his lungs, his face red and straining. “Absofuckinglutely not.” I launch forward, my boots clomping against the tile. “If anyone chokes him, it’ll be me, suffocating him with my pussy.” I roll my shoulders back, neck cracking. “It’s showtime. Time to save the useless man.”

I whistle, drawing the blight’s attention. It drops Jason, who crumples to the floor, gasping for air as I walk past him.

I plunge the knife into the base of the blight’s neck and grunt while forcing the blade down to its swollen abdomen. The creature loosens its grip, stumbling back, and taking my knife with it. Its skin unzips, and glowing worms emerge, a wet, gory gift. The weapon hits the ground with a metallic bang.

Touch it. Feed from the blight. It will make you stronger. Devour what you destroy.

The commands thunder in my mind, pushing me closer to the monster. I coat my fingertips in the glistening fluid weeping from its body. My hand moves on its own, drawn to the blight’s heat like a moth to a flame. I scissor my fingers apart, my mouth thirsting to taste.

I lift my fingers to my nose, breathing deeply. A moan escapes, salivating over the rush of sweetness promising the richness of a forbidden dessert.

Taste it, taste it, taste it, the voice chants. My stomach knots with pain carved by hunger.

Without warning, a pair of hands encircle my waist, tearing me from the moment. Jason flashes a wild smile, hoisting me in the air. My legs lock around his hips, fingers gripping his shoulders. The room dissolves into spinning rainbow hues. Jason’s laughter is the music to our rapture. Even as chaos swirls, I can’t stop wondering if the blight’s insides could be the magical feast we need—the key to defeating these monsters.

“I’m going insane, Daisy.”

I shriek in response, the room spinning faster.

“All this power flowing into my body. I feel unstoppable. I feel—fuck.”

Jason drops me down on the table, silverware bouncing. I lean back to watch him pace with a wild, untamed energy. Muscles ripple beneath his skin, electric and raw. I bite my lip, my breath hitching as I drown in the sight of him.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

I flash a coy smile, looking at Jason through my lashes. He looms above me, wild and ravenous. His tongue flicks out, eyes tracing my skin as if he’s thinking about eating me alive. I hope he does. If it meant leaving Jason with an aching obsession, always desperate for another taste—I would surrender every piece of myself to him.

“Like what?” I ask innocently while giving him my best fuck me, please face. I slowly tease my legs apart, knowing that my panties are still tucked away in his pocket from our alleyway quickie.