Page 239 of Psycho Gods

So was I.

Cobalt dissipated as the scarlet flames on Malum’s shoulders spread down his back. I hit him repeatedly, kicked my legs, and screamed into the howling wind as I froze him.

He thawed.

I covered him in streaks of cobalt.

Flames turned ice into water; ice chased away flames.

We were locked in battle.

Malum abruptly stopped walking, and he went impossibly still amongst the frozen white trees.

His hand settled on my ass; fingers splayed possessively. It was deliciously warm, and I hated myself for noticing.

“Hurt me as much as you want, my Revered.” Malum’s voice was gravelly. “I prefer it.” His voice dropped an octave, and the hand against my ass started to burn like it had caught fire. “But you have a lot of explaining to do.”

He resumed walking down the path.

“I’m not yours,” I said as he hoisted me into our barracks.

I waited, but he didn’t put me down on my bunk like I expected—he stalked into the bathroom, turned on the hot water, and tried to throw me into the tub.

I punched and kicked with all my might, but he used his freakish size to overpower me.

He pushed me under the spray.

Why was everyone obsessed with the shower lately?

Men discovered personal hygiene one day and suddenly it was talk to me in the shower, meet me in the shower, get in the shower, Aran.

The water sputtered.

Hot drops turned into snowflakes; ice hissed as it trailed across the ancient porcelain tub; the spray slowed as the showerhead turned cobalt blue.

The temperature plummeted below freezing.

Malum sighed, and his breath puffed out in a cloud of condensation. “Calm down.” He turned the nozzle up as hot as it would go.

Flames jumped off his arms and crawled along the walls. Once again, ice turned to water. Pipes groaned, then hot water filled the space with steam.

He manhandled me so I stood under the heat, then he caged me against the wall so I couldn’t escape.

We were sopping wet.

“Great, now you’re waterboarding me.” I sputtered. “And you wonder why I don’t want to be your mate? Grow up.”

I slammed my fist at his throat. He dodged at the last minute, and the blow glanced off harmlessly.

“You don’t want to do that.” Silver eyes glinted with pure aggression.

I bared my teeth and let him see his death in mine as I lunged forward to strangle him. John and Luka stepped under the spray and restrained my arms.

“All this because I don’t have a soul?” I laughed harshly. “I knew you kings would turn on me as soon as anything got difficult.”

Flames trailed out of Malum’s nose as he breathed.

I tried to wrench my hands free, but the twins were unrelenting.