Page 54 of Bite The Terror That Feeds

Rancor left his throne and straightened. “You’ve traveled far in this forsaken land. Retire for the evening, and we’ll speak in the morning. Perhaps you’ll have a change of heart once you’ve had a moment to deliberate.”

* * *

Aurelias requested specific accommodations—a suite that would house all three of us.

I preferred privacy after our long journey, but he wouldn’t have made that request without good reason, so I didn’t object.

Once we were in our quarters, Larisa was a new person.

“I can feel my fingers again.” She dropped all of her armor and hightailed it for the bathroom. “I’m so excited to shower.” She didn’t seem to care that Aurelias would be in the room with us tonight. At all.

The door shut, and the water started to run.

Aurelias got a fire going in the hearth, even though neither one of us was cold. He probably did it for Larisa.

“Why are you being a cockblock?” I asked.

Aurelias stood upright and gave me a cold stare. “Larisa.”

“Trust me, she doesn’t want my cock to be blocked.”

He gave a frustrated sigh. “They know she’s human—and they’re very hungry.”

My spine tightened. “What’s their intention?”

“I’m not sure. I doubt they would touch her if there’s a chance we’ll help them.”

“But we aren’t going to help them.”

Aurelias took a seat in the armchair as I sat on the edge of the bed. “He’s not going to budge.”

“And we need that venom…”

Aurelias stared at me, but his thoughts seemed to be elsewhere.

“We don’t have time to get involved with their political bullshit.”

“Let alone make additional enemies.”

Didn’t even think of that.

“But if we return without the venom and fail to find it elsewhere, our chances of success are slim to none.”

“Yes…”

We returned to silence.

The water ran in the other room. Steam started to seep from the crack under the door. She’d probably be in there a long time, just to enjoy the warmth right against her skin.

Aurelias rested his head against the back of the chair, slouched like he was exhausted. “I have an idea. But it’s shitty.”

“Then let’s move to the next idea.”

“It’s theonlyidea.”

I waited for it.

“I stay behind and fulfill their request. You and Larisa return with the venom.”