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“What do you mean, we become food?” Beatrice shudders with revulsion as sweat begins to bead on her forehead.

“Not you,” Mitri swipes his hand in a negative motion as his eyes refocus on her with brows drawn. “You are not Human. You never were. I am not weak. You will not be retaken.”

“Screw the world because Mitri doesn’t care,” Mal shakes his head, resigned.

“What do you mean,again?” Kimi’s eyes narrow.

Ben stands behind Beatrice’s chair, and smoke settles on her shoulders.

“They will not be able to affect the change worldwide. Do not be foolish,” Mitri paces around the table to stand on Beatrice’s left, watching as the monster curls around her as if it wants to comfort her.

“Why not?” Mal asks. “Stranger things have happened.”

“Nyet. Not enough followers. If they can amass power in this land, it would be possible. If they are overtaken here, it will not happen. This is the largest spread of territory with many varied cultures. This is a fool’s errand.”

“Sit back and relax? Is that what you’re suggesting?” Mal says, voice heavy with a mixture of sarcasm and disbelief. “Did you forget that we were almost caught to be used as guinea pigs ourselves?”

“The good guys are bad guys,” Beatrice mutters as her eyes slide closed. “I say fuck them, they’re now on the menu, Ben.”

It makes an odd, ear-grating sound in apparent delight.

“Mass homicide?” I raise an eyebrow mockingly. “And what of the innocent?”

“I will question them,” Mitri picks the gun up from the table and turns as if to leave.

“No,” Beatrice puts a hand out, and he halts abruptly. “Not wholesale slaughter. We need to be more subtle than that, orwebecome the bad guys. We need evidence before we start killing off anyone. King said she had a ring. Can one of you go back and get it?”

A small pool of silence surrounds the table as our eyes turn to Mitri. As he can’t feel guilt or remorse, he stares back at us impassively.

“Anyone?” Beatrice, who hasn’t opened her eyes, asks in resignation.

Her head turns toward the monster for a moment.

“Yeah?” She asks from between gritted teeth.

“What?” She gasps with surprise, and her eyes squeeze shut tighter, her head lowering until her chin rests on her chest. “What the fuck do you meanblown up?”

“Mitri threw a temper tantrum,” Mal says drolly. “All your precious evidence is gone.”

“Oh, Ben, your car,” she whines. There’s a brief pause as she listens again. It eerily reminds me of Mitri’s frequent wandering attention.

“Rubble? Like,nothingis left? Mal, your gold,” Beatrice sounds as if she’s about to cry, which I find surprising. How did she know about his hoard?

“It’s fine, probably sunk further into the ground,” Mal’s teeth grit as he fixes Mitri with a malicious gaze. “Wait, how did you know about my hoard?”

His eyes slide to Beatrice as he bears his teeth. A dragon’s hoard, whatever treasure it would be, is sacred. Not just anyone would be shown it.

“I saw it,” she gestures vaguely in Mitri’s direction. “When we bonded, I could see what he showed me.”

“You broke into my vault?!” Mal lurches against his bonds, snapping his teeth at Mitri, his wings straining to snap out.

“Bonded?” Kimi’s eyes narrow on Mitri intently.

“Impossible,” I scoff at her. “Immortals can’t bond.”

“All of you,shut up!” Ben follows his bellow with a sharp howling noise that causes my body to shudder, and I cower.

Whatis heto cause such an effect on my mind? I have never displayed fear like this before. I try to focus my eyes on him, but they roll away sharply, my stomach curling with nausea.