Page 111 of The Ballad of the Vampire Prince

Yet, that is the absolute worst thing one can say to trigger a goddess who feasts on the flesh and soul of mortals.

True fear slices into me when I slowly look at Jessica. Her eyes churn like the dark glimmer of a dying star.

“Rhianelle… you were lying.” Her voice shatters, heartbroken from betrayal. “I—I thought we were friends.”

“We are!” I say, but it’s no use.

I tremble at the clacking sound of her teeth.

All her kindness bleeds away, replaced by sheer fury. “Friends don’t hide treats from friends.”

She flips the table and chess board in her wrath. Hunger and anger don’t go along well, especially with a mother who is exhausted after childbirth.

“Aww shit…” Lulu rolls his eyes, realizing his mistake. He snaps his fingers, and just like that he is gone, leaving me to handle Jessica’s hunger pang.

The goddess scrambles towards me like a charging bull.

“I’m sorry, Jessica!” I cry out, running for my life. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“Liar, liar, liar!”

I run like hell.

“Forgive me. But you can’t eat my husband!” I shout back to her.

“I’ll just eat you then!”

I keep sprinting towards the door with the blessings in my hand.

She lunges her pincer straight to my back. It misses my neck by a mere inch. Several strands of my hair fall to the ground from the cut.

I’m exhausted…

My lungs fill with fire, but I power through the last couple of steps until I reach the exit. I shut the door and open my eyes with a startled breath.

Svenn has my shoulders in his hands, shaking me a little.

“Rhianelle? You were out of it for half a second there.” His calm voice anchors me back to the real world.

The strength of his grip grounds me. I touch my chest to calm my beating heart.

That was so close.

But I have all the blessings needed to cure the blood poisoning now.

“I’m all right. Let’s begin again,” I say, giving him a smile of assurance.

My visit to my dark patrons should not have taken more than one tenth of a second. I don’t think Svenn would have noticed it. But my husband’s half-amused gaze is fixed on my fallen silver locks on the ground.

He says nothing more, but I can see the curiosity dancing in his eyes.

I concentrate on stitching the seadragon’s flesh quickly with the golden thread. A long breath of relief escapes my lungs when my hand tingles with heat. It means the blessing is purifying the bane in her blood. Vessels, nerves, and sinews of muscles fill the gaping wound faster once the toxicity recedes.

The seadragon turns her head as much as she can, her enormous eye leering towards me.“This healing… what is your name?”

That sudden lilt in her voice sends a chill to my blood and bones.

I hesitate.