Page 44 of The Vampire’s Mercy (Blood Melody #1)
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
PARIS
Emerald scales covered half her body from her feet to nearly up her neck. The other half was made up of dark ochre skin.
She retained her unblinking amber eyes.
“What’s happening?” I squeaked, totally flustered by the surprise.
I think my jaw hit the floor about ten times.
Medusa smiled at me, running fingers through her sleek, brown hair.
“It’s nice to finally remember who I am,” she spoke in a clear, melodious voice.
“What’s happening?” I asked again, backing away, left foot splashing in the edge of the pond.
“You happened, Paris. You’ve been restoring my memories, too. Some of them, anyway. I’m connected to the king by years of friendship and love, which made me forget. I’m not quite sure why, though.”
I clenched my hands, eyes darting toward the door.
Should I make a run for it?
“Like being a snake shifter?” I asked.
“Yes. A snake shifter from a world of eternal night,” she said. “Though I have no idea what that world is called.” She pouted.
How fast was she as a…what was she? Like a werewolf had a beast form and a humanoid one?
“Are you here to finish me off properly?”
She scoffed, looking annoyed. “Give me some credit.”
“You don’t seem too shocked to see me breathing.”
More scales spread across her body, covering her private parts. “Something told me this wasn’t the end. So I came down here to check.”
Great. More weirdness. “A vision?”
“No. More like a hunch.” She breathed in deeply, letting out a contented sigh. “Isn’t it lovely down here? I come to hunt my food and relax.”
I glanced at the glass door, preparing to run. “What do you want?”
“Your trust.”
Hmmm. Whatever. I didn’t trust anything Silvanus related. “I—”
“And to show you this.” She clapped three times, the air rippling before her. It grew, the ripples forming the faint shape of a doorway.
There went my jaw again, shock a clamp on my tongue.
“Thanks to you,” Medusa said, “I know I can open doorways to cross great distances.” She gestured at the rippling thing. “And I remember the tower you dreamed about.”
What. The. Fuck. “You do?”
“It’s in a between place,” she added. “Although I’m not sure what that means.”
I rubbed at my eyes, a little breathless, a fresh tangle of vines in my chest as I watched the ripples flicker, curiosity spiking.
“A between place?” I said, flexing my fingers.
“Yes. Do you want to see it?”
Should I, when I had the chance to make a run for it as the sun came up? If she tried to stop me, I’d kill her. I’d kill anyone who got in my way.
Only, I couldn’t walk from this. My need to run was diminishing, my hunger for answers on the rise.
Unlock…
Find the truth…
“Can we get back easily?”
She lifted a finger as if testing the direction of the wind. “After a few minutes, I can open the doorway again.” Her brows pinched together. “I wish I knew more than that.”
I don’t know why I snorted with laughter. Probably because this whole thing was one big headfuck.
“What do you want to do? It’s not like you’ll get away from the palace. There are thrall guards everywhere.”
That made me angry. “Why do you want to be anywhere near me?”
“Meaning?”
“I’ve killed vampires. I’m dangerous.”
Her amber eyes darkened. “I’m well aware, elf. I don’t have my head in the sand. Silvanus hurts, he mourns deeply. But I think he mourns you, too.”
My heart stuttered for a moment. “Huh?”
She waved a dismissive hand. “Forget that part. Remember I’m dangerous too.”
I liked the honesty. “Got it.”
“Listen, the main point of all of this is getting answers,” she spoke quickly. “I can take you to the tower and possibly crack this wide open.” She pointed at me. “Don’t think my mind isn’t blown by you being alive. It is.” She crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue.
I snorted again. “What are you doing?”
Her face returned to normal. “Showing off my blown mind.” She shrugged.
I cleared my throat. “You don’t want to kill me?”
“No.” A simple reply with no extras.
“Feeling’s mutual.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
And just like that, I made my decision. “Okay, let’s do this. Answers will be awesome.”
“Fab.”
Making a run for it would get me captured again, and possibly thrown into a cell of rotting flowers to die a slow death I wouldn’t be coming back from.
No kicking second chances in the bollocks for me.
But I think he mourns you, too.
Yeah, not going there.
I joined her, facing the doorway. “What about your bare feet?”
“Don’t worry about me, sugar.”
“Sugar?”
“I used to say it a lot before my mind was wiped by…whatever did it.” She cracked her knuckles. “After three. One, two—”
“Paris?”
Elio stood behind the holly bushes, a gun in his hand.
Oh, fuck.