Page 36 of Psycho Gods

I was embracing the devil.

I yanked away from him and stumbled until I bumped into my bed. Regret filled my throat and closed my airways for acting rashly, and I wished I hadn’t woken him up.

I should have kept ignoring him.

Flames boiled me alive. Water filled my lungs. Glass shredded my skin. Jinx screamed in pain. He looked at me. “Women are nothing but holes.”

He whispered brokenly, “It hurts because you’re already killing me.” A bronze hand reached out toward me. His lips were swollen. There was a handprint of ice in the middle of his chest where I’d touched him.

He looked ravaged.

I shivered uncontrollably as blue ice spread beneath my feet.

“I will make the past up to you. I swear on my life.” His voice dripped with sincerity.

He sounded agonized.

The handprint sizzled as it melted.

I climbed backward into my bed, and bronze fingers curled slowly into a fist and fell down with defeat.

Dr. Palmer had said my feelings were valid.

I felt like Malum didn’t care about me; he just wanted his Revered. He wanted a perfect ideal, not an imperfect person.

I counted desperately under my breath. “Two. Four. Sixteen. Two hundred and fifty-six. Sixty-five thousand, five hundred, and thirty-six.” The numbers blurred.

I pressed trembling fingers to my lips.

They still tingled.

Whiskey and tobacco lingered on my tongue like the most depraved aphrodisiac.

I reminded myself that Aran would never be enough for the kings.

The three of them whispered and held one another in the middle of the room as they made sure Malum was all right.

Luka made a disgruntled noise and flexed the hand hanging over his bunk like he was agitated.

I wrapped my fingers around his.

He sighed with relief and squeezed tightly.

The hollowness in my chest receded, but as my eyes closed, nightmares sank their claws deep and pulled me under.

Fire burned all around.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six…

Even in my sleep, I counted.

Desperately.

Chapter 6

Scorpius

THE FIRST ASSIGNMENT