Page 29 of Bite The Terror That Feeds

“Not right away,” I said. “Their plan was to conquer us once our numbers were reduced and our remaining fighters were weak.But Cobra came to our aid and turned the tide of the war. We emerged victorious, and the Ethereal were forced to retreat.”

Father looked at me again, analyzing the information in silence.

I continued. “When I spoke with the Ethereal, they warned me the worst was yet to come—”

“You mean Ellasara.”

The insult burned a lot hotter than the booze that had just fallen down my throat.

“When you spoke with Ellasara, she warned you the worst was yet to come.”

I didn’t look at Larisa, but I imagined the shock she must have felt.

I gave no reaction, refused to give my father any satisfaction. “Yes. They’re responsible for the sickness that has compromised the humans—and we’re in possession of the single person who’s immune to this plague.”

My father looked at Larisa again.

“The Ethereal demanded her, and I refused.”

“Because she could be the savior for the humans,” Aurelias said. “They’ll never stop hunting her.”

“If you’ve come here to ask us to safeguard this human, you’ve wasted your time,” Father said. “We don’t protect humans. We feed on them.”

“No. I have a much better plan than that,” I said.

“Then what is it?” Aurelias asked, his impatience obvious.

“We find a cure for the sickness. Gift it to the humans. And in exchange—they fight the Ethereal with us.”

My father went still.

Aurelias placed his closed knuckles under his chin, intrigued.

“The Ethereal will call them to battle when the time comes. They’re relying on them. But if we steal their allies for our own—they’ll have no chance. It’ll be a swift defeat. Then we’ll be the true immortals.”

My father had his attention locked on me, and despite the hardness in his expression, he was intrigued by the proposition. Ultimate power was what he wanted above all things. Total rulership of all living things. And to be revered the way the Ethereal were.

“But we need a cure first—and that’s where your help is needed.” I turned to my father.

“I don’t know how to oblige.”

“I know exactly what we need to achieve this—the venom of a Golden Serpent. But they’ve all been eradicated…unless you know where I could find more.” My stare locked on to his face, hoping for the answer we needed to secure our own longevity.

He had no reaction whatsoever. Wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad sign. “Dismiss the human from the room.”

“Where I go, she goes,” I said immediately. “I’m not taking my eyes off her for one second.”

“She’s too inferior for this conversation.” He insulted her right to her face, just as he did with everyone else.

“I’m your only leverage with the kingdoms,” Larisa said. “So I’m anything but inferior.”

The room went dead silent.

Aurelias stared at her with a look of surprise he couldn’t contain.

I imagined Larisa could feel the wrath emanating from my father, but she pushed on anyway.

“I’m not only part of this conversation,” she said. “Iamthe conversation.”