Page 37 of Exquisite Monster

“Where is she?”

The shouted question came from… the room with thesheyten. But nothing prepared me for the sight when I peered around the corner.

Soldiers scattered around the empty space, weapons drawn, facing Gleym who stood calmly, her eyesblazingwith power.

“I do not know of whom you speak,” she said.

“The girl,” the soldier closest to her said. “The princess. We know she’s alive.”

“Do you?” Sarcasm dripped from Gleym’s words. “I was unaware that humans had developed the power of foresight.”

I heard him sneer. “It doesn’t matter. If she’s not here, we’ll take you back. You’re a prize too. And if she is here, and you’re gone, she’ll die anyway.”

Gleym’s eyes flicked around, taking in the men surrounding her, and landing on me for the briefest moment. She smiled. “If you think you can take me, you have been misinformed.”

“Our weapons are coated in scalefire, dragon.”

She scoffed. “How frightening.”

A single soldier stood a few feet from the door. I wouldn’t have to move far to reach him. But there were too many. If I revealed myself, it was likely I would be killed or taken. Could Gleym hold them off?

Yes.

Her voice sounded in my head.

I can. But this is a chance for you to practice.

I couldn’t talk back to her, but I didn’t know what I would practice here. I could hit them, but what would it do?

Killing.

My whole body recoiled. I pulled myself back around the corner and plastered my back against the wall. No. I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t?—

What have I been training you for these last months if not to take life?Gleymthunderedin my thoughts.Did you imagine you could survive a war unscathed? How will you rescue your mates and keep your hands clean?

I closed my eyes and knocked my head back against the stone softly as the male soldier made some other threat, dread seeping through my stomach. I already knew what I would do, but that didn’t mean I wanted to do it.

This is not your choice, she said.I know that. It also does not matter. Your decision to leave this place is one of the last decisions you will make freely. You will have to choose between your own life and the lives of others, and it will never feel voluntary. Or have you forgotten that just yesterday you claimed commitment no matter the cost? Even if it killed you? These soldiers will either kill you or take you to your death.

A beat, then.

Think of me as a monster if you must, Katalena, but there is a reason I am still alive. Embrace what keeps you living if you want to return to the Heirs.I can hold them back. But even I am at a disadvantage with numbers and their scalefire. Sochoose.

I swallowed, feeling sick. She was right. I couldn’t claim I would do whatever it took and balk at the first test. Even if bile crept up my throat. I gripped the dart tighter. “I’ll need more,” I whispered under my breath.Varícrawled down my arm into the bag.

No hesitation. Speed and surprise were my only advantages here. I couldn’t let myself think about it.

I spun around the edge of the door and took the three steps I needed, stretched up, and plunged the dart into the side of the soldier’s neck. He dropped with a loud clatter, and I threw the second dart at the soldier closer to me, hitting him in the arm.Varíwas there, and I grabbed the new darts as every head in the room turned to me.

Chaos broke out.

Another soldier came at me, grabbing for my arms, but he was clumsy and I dodged him, thrusting up and finding his throat. Blood exploded, hot and thick, around the wound, and I couldn’t stop to think about it.

Three soldiers flew backwards, slamming into the wall so hard there was no question about whether or not they lived. Another was engulfed in flames, and yet another was being lifted by tangled strands of violet light, grasping at the power like it was strangling him to death.

The man I’d hit in the arm came for me, catching me by surprise. He was so fast. In a blink he had me against the wall, but not before my next dart was pressed into his neck hard enough to draw blood. “If you want to live you will take your hands off me,” I said.

For a second, he blinked. “Holy shit. You really are alive.”