Page 53 of Her Tortured Beasts (Her Vicious Beasts #4)

Chapter 52

Ghoul

D eep in our brand-new underground facility, I have the head of the Serrated Serpent between my fingers. He’s a death adder, and I’m one of the few he permits to milk him.

Us generals all milk each other.

“What are you smiling about, Lord Basilisk?” Charlotte Naga asks me from where she’s writing the labels for our contributions.

“Things not meant for a lady’s ears,” I say smoothly, observing the volume of the milky liquid. “All done.”

I release the old adder, and he slithers away for his turn in the shedding cave.

“I’ve often wondered what goes on in your mind,” Charlotte says a little tightly as I hand her the container.

“Death,” I say simply.

Her entire body flinches at that. I don’t particularly care if she’s forgiven me for executing her mate, Ben, but that flinch tells me she’s still affected by it. She can’t really complain, can she? Not when her brother was the one who ordered it. Not when her mate helped the snakelet.

“They say that you see them,” Charlotte says quietly, marking off something on her list. “The dead.”

“I’m not a shark,” I say, beckoning to the next general to slither forth.

“So you don’t?” Charlotte presses.

I take the Adder by his serpentine face. He bares his fangs and I angle the container under him. Only after he pierces the plastic, I reply, “I didn’t say that.”

At that point, Mace Naga walks into the clinical room. “What is the status of the venom stores?”

“We’re getting there,” Charlotte says, consulting her list. “Since we tripled the venom tax, we’re well on our way?—”

“That’s not what I want to hear, Charlotte,” Mace says tersely. “I want the numbers. Have we replenished the stock that was destroyed or not?”

“Not yet,” Charlotte says quickly.

“Well, perhaps—” He stops short, frowning and pushing up one heavy sleeve. Before our eyes, five of the black tattoos on his skin fade into nothing. Uh-oh. “Pull up surveillance of Drakos Estate.”

I get out my phone and message the two serpents we have hidden in the trees outside the dragon’s lair. It takes a few minutes for the photos to come through.

What I see makes my heart race. I show the king.

“That’s the entire team,” I say with surprise.

Mace stiffens, and for the first time, he runs a hand through his hair.

“He figured it out immediately,” I say quietly. Of course he did. Xander is far too clever.

“He can’t have spoken to Flores yet,” Mace says, quickly pulling out his phone. “I’ll get to him first.” He leaves the room, dialling the dragon king’s number as he goes.

“Such a shame,” I say conversationally to the room. “I really enjoyed my time there.”