Page 70 of The Vampire's Mercy

Right. Thralls weren’t created by force. Me aside, of course.

Unless they were. The king might have an illegal method like the feeding house back in Cosgrove where…where…

I stopped myself. Not here. Not right now. Dealing with the grief always lurking around my perimeter wasn’t on my list today. The tower nightmare had been enough, thanks.

“This was my dream,” Elio added.

“Really?” Ugh. What a shit goal.

“Yes. For such a long time. And now it’s my reality. I’ve been blessed.”

And you’ve forsaken Aidan. Pissed all over him.

“Paris?”

How could I blame him, though? He’d been conditioned to believe otherwise, just like everyone else in this palace.

I’ll set you free.

“Yeah?” I answered.

“What’s wrong?”

I shuffled in my seat. “Nothing. So, what’s next?”

He glanced around the room. “You’re to return to His Majesty’s chambers and wait.”

“With the snake?”

“Medusa won’t hurt you, but keep out of her way.” He paled a little.

“Has she ever hurt you?”

His brows pinched together. “No. She wouldn’t.”

“But you’re not a fan?”

His throat bobbed. “She’s the king’s treasured serpent and must receive nothing but our respect.”

Hmmm. Had the python squeezed him a few times too many? “Okay. Got it.”

He quickly changed the subject. “Until the king says so, you have to stay in his chambers until he decides what’s next.”

“Right.”

Elio got to his feet. “Let’s go. We’ll pick up some mistrock cigs for you on the way back.”

Another positive addition to the morning. “Thanks.”

Keeping my head down, I followed him out of the dining room, leaving the awkward atmosphere behind.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

PARIS

Back in the forest bedroom, I sat on the single bed, smoking a mistrock cig, eyes on the snake’s rock, waiting for the python to appear.

Man, why a snake? Why not some cute non-lethal fluffy thing for me to make friends with?