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LONNIE
THE OBSIDIAN PALACE, THE CITY OF EVERLAST
The monster had no reaction.
He didn’t blink, didn’t even twitch, to show any sort of recognition at the sound of my voice, at his name.
“Bael?” I asked again, my voice trembling.
I was sure I was right. Somehow, this creature was Bael. Or perhaps Bael was the creature?
Even without the cage, now half-visible in the room across from me, the eyes were too much of a giveaway, even magnified to the size of my fist. They looked identical to the gaze I’d come to know on the prince—yellow and too intense, almost predatory. I didn’t have to understand exactly what was happening to know that this…transformation…was what caused Bael’s disappearances. The only question was, did he recognize me?
My heart thumped in my chest as the enormous cat sauntered toward me, stalking me like I was about to become dessert. Could it even be called a cat anymore when it likely weighed the same as a small horse? Lion, then. Beast.Monster.
The beast moved closer, forcing me to walk backward down the hall. It—he—didn’t seem bothered by the thickening air nor by the heat that grew stronger the further we moved, but sweat broke out on my brow. I sucked in shallow breaths, coughing, my entire body screaming in terror. What would I do if and when he attacked?
My heart raced with terror, and I felt my muscles tighten. I attempted to scream, but my throat was tight, and only a whimper escaped. “Bael!” I tried again, a scratchy, desperate cry. “Can you understand me?”
The creature’s gaze burned into mine, and it let out another ferocious growl. Its eyes were pools of liquid fire, and its maw was filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth that seemed to glisten in the dim light.
The low growl rumbled down the hallway, reverberating off the walls. Then, finally, the beast launched itself into a full sprint. It ran headlong toward me, leaping into the air.
I finally managed to let out a true scream of terror, knowing it was the last sound I’d ever make.
The gigantic cat stretched its body long, flying over my head, shadows trailing in its wake. It landed too quietly on the floor behind me, and I whipped my head around, heart pounding out of control.
A very human scream joined the chaos of the hallway. My mind numb with shock, it took a beat to understand what I was seeing. To gather that a tall, cloaked figure now lay pinned to the ground under paws nearly as large as a grown man’s chest. The figure let out another long scream, and I caught a glimpse of his face before Bael swiped at it with one enormous claw.
He was a stranger—a rebel, I supposed—and carrying a large sword that now clattered uselessly to the ground beside him.He let out a final bloodcurdling yell that sent shivers down my spine, then gurgled, going quiet.
Bael’s powerful jaws snapped shut around the man’s throat, tearing through skin and sinew. A sickening crunch reverberated around the hall. I watched in horror, my stomach turning as blood splashed against the stone and the coppery smell filled my nostrils.
I was wrong to think that meant it was over.
For several more long minutes, as the heat of the hall only worsened and the air grew thicker, I kept wondering when it might end. It didn’t.
I backed away, my stomach churning in revulsion. I hadn’t realized a single body held so much blood.There were always more bones to crunch, more blood, more ways to utterly destroy the rebel who had only thought to raise his sword behind my back.
Sweat streamed down my face, having nothing to do with the exertion, and I wiped it away, coughing. The beast that was Bael finally turned to look at me, perhaps startled by the sound. There was crimson coating its fur, skin caught in its long claws. It stared at me again, with a slightly more humanlike expression on its animal face.
I only had the slightest second to wonder how I was going to force him to leave with me before, with a cracking of joints, his body shifted, morphing before my eyes back into the prince.
Shit.
I realized I hadn’t been entirely convinced until I saw the transformation that it was Bael I was looking at—not really. Now, there was no doubt, and I still couldn’t wrap my mind around it.
I took an instinctive step back, even as Bael moved forward. He stalked toward me, just as predatory and dangerous as he had been moments before, but now in an entirely different way. “Hello, little monster.”
My pulse thrummed, electricity buzzing all through me. The strange combination of fear and adrenaline turned in on itself, confusing my nerves, making horror feel like excitement.”All you have to say is ‘hello’?”
“What should I say, instead?” he asked, voice smooth and sensual, as if he hadn’t just devoured half a man in a single sitting.”I’m not sure if I should scold you or thank you.”
“Why do either?” I breathed, each word difficult to find.
“I should complain that you would put yourself in danger this way, little monster.” His lip turned up at the corner. “But I cannot recall ever having a better wake-up call than this one, so I may let it go.”
I spluttered, searching for the right words.
