Page 53 of Monster's Melody

He strode toward me and the moment he got close enough, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me voraciously.

His snakes swarmed, petting me wherever they could reach, as heat barreled through me.

Long, delicious moments later, Vorzak pulled back and his snakes immediately shoved their way into my face.

Sexy.

Jazzy.

Give.

Hissies.

Kissies.

Grinning, I dropped one on each adorable head, then grinned as they began jostling for their favorite positions.

Vorzak tried to lead me to the table where he and the others had set up lunch, but it was a little difficult to walk with The Hissies acting like they hadn’t seen me in years, obstructing my view and tangling in my legs, causing me to stumble.

Vorzak finally just scooped me into his arms and carried me to the table, The Hissies rubbing all over me the entire way.

Once Vorzak set me down and claimed a chair at my side, The Hissies settled down as well.

One draped himself across my shoulders, then down my torso to coil around my left breast, his head nestled in the shadows beneath it.

A second snake looped my waist, then slithered his way up my belly to twine around my right breast, settling his head right at the top, where he continually flicked out his tongue, tasting my scent.

Two more looped around my legs, one nestling between them to rest his head right on my crotch and the other twining down to coil around both my ankles before settling his head on my left foot.

The last settled on top of my head, making himself a little nest in my hair.His head rested in the center of my forehead, just low enough that I could catch sight of his tongue every time he flicked it out to scent the air around him.

Thankfully, they’d left my arms free so that I could eat without issue, though it was hard to concentrate on my food or the conversations around me with The Hissies occasionally nipping and rubbing particularly sensitive areas.

I tuned back in when I caught Kasi saying Zowen’s name.

“I hate that we have no idea how to defeat him,” she said.“I can’t even track him in the Shadow Realm.It’s like he’s figured out how to hide himself there.”

“That’s what the shadows kept telling me to do,” Mikaela said, “so there must be a way to shield yourself in the Shadow Realm.We just have to figure out how.”

“That’s funny,” I said as the memory of my dreams suddenly exploded in my head.“The shadows toldmeto fight.”

“I don’t get it,” Kasi said.“The shadows haven’teverspoken to me.Why would they tell Mikaela to hide and you to fight, but never speak to me at all?”

“Maybe because you’re part of the Shadow Realm in a way we aren’t,” Mikaela suggested.“You probably instinctively know what to do.”

“Maybe.”Kasi looked doubtful.

“Hold on,” Elliot said.“Are you saying some of the shadows in the Shadow Realm were trying to help?”

“But that implies—” Jahrdran broke off.

I could tell by the look on his face he was worried about Kasi.

“That there are survivors?”she whispered.

I looked at Mikaela and saw on her face the same dread I felt on mine.I drew in a deep breath and then said as gently as I could, “I don’t think so, Kasi.They didn’t feel—” I hesitated.

“Alive,” Mikaela finished.