Page 124 of Psycho Gods

“More heat,” I begged.

There was silence.

Then someone broke into laughter. “Hear that, Corvus. She wants more heat. Sun god fucking damn it, I can’t do this.”

“Arabella, wake up right now,” Malum ordered as he yanked me to my feet.

I narrowed my eyes at the angry devil snarling in my face and immediately wished I was sleeping again.

“What?” I asked petulantly.

Scorpius filled my vision, and his jaw was tight with anger. “Why did the three of us just snap out of our powers to find twelve hours had passed and you were sleeping peacefully in the middle of a fucking fire?”

My eyes shot open as memories rushed back. The blizzard had stopped, and the night was cold and still. More stars were visible than in the valley because we were halfway up the mountain.

I stumbled out of Malum’s embrace.

My wings had retracted, and the awful weight was gone. In its wake, energy strummed through me.

I felt better than I had in a long time.

Alert.

Strangely healthy.

I felt limber, and the pervasive cold was gone.

It felt like I’d come out of a monthlong coma with a new lease on life. For the first time in forever, I didn’t feel a crushing emptiness.

I was satisfied.

“Wow,” I said slowly because the once snow-covered rocks were now scorched black as far as the eye could see in every direction, as if a fire had raged for hours.

“Once we unleashed our powers, what did you do?” Malum’s deep voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

He glowered at me, a dark god in a barren wasteland of scorched earth and anger. Snow whipped angrily back and forth.

Silver eyes narrowed. “Tell me you used one of your wings to stab me or that you tried to counter my fire with ice. Because that’s what we expected you to do.”

All three of the kings were standing uncomfortably close as they waited for me to speak.

I kicked a rock, ducked my head, and mumbled, “I was going to get to that.” My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and I couldn’t look at them.

I had no idea why I’d fallen asleep instead of trying to stop them.

It was bizarre, even for me.

A rough sound escaped Malum’s throat, and Scorpius sneered, “Please tell us. What part of the stopping us did you get to?”

I ripped a flap of skin off my lower lip.

Threw it to the rocks.

Lifted my nails to gouge harder, but Orion grabbed my wrist and brought it to my side, his long lashes fluttering as he looked down at me with concern.

“You’re upsetting her,” he whispered. “Take a step back. Give her some space.”

Shockingly, Malum and Scorpius obeyed.