Page 137 of A Foster Fling

“Oh, Lamb. Stop leaning on Jaxsin for your survival. He doesn't belong up here. Keep him in the dark.”

But I didn't. I took his spot in that darkness, and when I woke, it was inside the flames.

——

“Have you seen him since the fire? Has he been around much? Tell me, was I right all along?” His sickening curiosity curdles my stomach.

“I lost him.” Is all I give him.

“Should have taken notes from Waif. He’d never lose something so dear.” I want to rip the cheeky smile off of his face. “He found you, didn’t he?”

“And you.” My hand snakes out of its own accord, ripping the oxygen tube from his nose. “Are you scared?” I ask him what he so often asked us having already known the answer.

“I knew he would.” He struggles to breathe. “I fear nothing. It’s not my manner.”

“Well, that’s a disappointment.” I sigh and lean to the tube I assume is draining his bladder. “But I’m used to those.” I yank it out with all the strength I have.

He grunts and I hear his teeth cracking from the pain. It sends a shiver up my spine of a new variety. I thought about how I would do this, so many times. Slow and violent. Bloody and brutal. Now, I see that those are more his style.

I’m not him. I never was. I never will be.

“You don’t deserve anymore of my energy Lukas. No more of my soul.” I slam a palm over his nose and mouth and lean in with my arm on his throat. “And I’m hungry.”

I only stay long enough to hear the sweet melody of his flatlining heart.

About the Author

Welcome to the end of everything.

Just kidding, I’m being dramatic. I’m Lucid Quill and I’ve published previously under the pen name T. Dawn K. in the sci-fi genre. I don’t really know hoe to do a reader send off. I do know if you made it her, thank you for reading! Even if you’ve skipped my story, thank you for supporting the other authors! It means everything.

If you did read, did you pick up on anything…odd? To clarify, when we did your title reveals, Selena had asked if I was doing a Little Mermaid retelling and although at the time I was not, I couldn’t get the idea out of my head. So, I ran with it.

However, this being my anthology debut and my first toe dip into published romance I knew it had to have some zing. Finally the incessant way my brain connects unnecessary dots comes to use!

Sayler is based on none other than Jack of ‘Jack be Nimble’ and the dynamic duo Jekyll and Hyde. Was it obvious? How about Waif? He was based on Ariel as a tribute to Selena! You also may have noticed the doctor was familiar. It wasn’t enough for the big bad to just be a chimney sweeping stepchild, so I sugar and spice that cauldron with the Sandman and Maestro of Beauty and the beast, let’s not forget Pinocchio!

I know, it’s a lot.

There were so many more characters at play here and I can’t wait to roll in with their full stories. If you want a piece of that, keep an eye on my Instagram and stay tuned!! Maybe I’ll even do some more character reveals.

Thank you again for reading!

Facebook:

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Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lucidquill/

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18420143.Lucid_Quill

Destructive Harbor

Ally Vance