Page 83 of The Vampire's Mercy

Why did he give me such a haughty look? Did he want me to be jealous or something? If so, the guy barked up so many wrong trees.

“How are you?” he asked, fiddling with his choker.

Can you sound anymore insincere?“I’m sweetcream.”

His nostrils flared slightly. “You haven’t been very sweet to His Majesty, have you?”

Ooo, so we were playing this game, huh? “No. And I regret that.”

He regarded me with mean eyes which hadn’t been there before. When we’d first met, I found him to be pretty nice. That’d quickly faded.

“I—”

Medusa chose that moment to slither out of the hole by the rock, cutting him off.

“Oh dear,” Elio groaned, turning to face her.

The snake hissed angrily, curling across the floor toward him.

He began backing away. “I’d better leave.”

Medusa’s body coiled into an aggressive stance. Now I saw why Elio seemed nervous when we’d talked about her.

Unable to take his eyes off her, he bumped into the door, fumbling with the handle. “Your…Your Majesty?”

“What is it, Elio?” Silvanus’s voice drifted from the bathroom.

The elf really couldn’t get to grips with that handle.

“M-Medusa is… Oh my…”

The snake hissed, inching closer.

“Medusa,” Silvanus said. “Leave him alone.”

She didn’t move again but pinned him with her amber peepers.

Elio finally got the door open, launching himself into the hallway.

“Wait!” I called.

He spun, all the color drained from his face. “What?” Now he looked like he wanted to slap me.

“You forgot your towel.” I pointed to the damp addition casually draped over my bed.

He sighed, then darted back in to grab it.

Hiss!Ooo that was a big one.

He yelped and barreled into the hallway, slamming the door behind him.

Medusa hissed again, then came over to me. She hissed gently, lifting her head, tongue flicking in and out.

“Hi,” I greeted her.

A gentle hiss, her head resting on the edge of the bed.

“How are you?” Ha! As if I could understand her.