Page 16 of Their Lethal Pet

Ancient words whisper on the breeze as Orcus calls upon a power that is uniquely his own.Mythos Fae, I marvel, always impressed by the level of vitality Orcus can command. He’s a god more than a fae. A being of immense strength and ability, one who can traverse realms and realities with a mere incantation.

So fucking admirable,I think, jealous of his ability to move through time and space with such ease.

I’m part Shifter Fae, part Corpse Fae. While I have my own share of talents, teleportation is definitely not one of them.

A deep voice enters the room, one that causes me to frown.

“Everheart” is all it said.

“What the hell is an Everheart?” I wonder aloud.

Orcus shrugs as he starts panning around the image to take it away from a clear blue sky and down to a field of people.

No, not a field. It’s… it’s kind of like a town center? There’s a bunch of broken streets and pathways leading to it, the outskirts framed by wheelbarrows and old-fashioned food stands.

“I feel like we just went back in time,” Reaper says quietly. “Is this the eighteen hundreds or something?”

“No, but the people living in this world seem to favor that way of life,” Orcus grumbles.

The fabric of Reaper’s leather jacket shifts behind my head, suggesting he just crossed his arms. “Weird.”

I’m about to add my own two cents regarding the image when movement in the middle of the screen catches my attention. A woman with a translucent veil covering her dark hair starts through the crowd, causing them all to part around her like she’s walking down the aisle at a wedding.

Except everyone in attendance is wearing either a bridal gown or a tuxedo.

And unlike all the other females in attendance, this one has her veil pushed back to reveal her face.

“Can you zoom in on her?” I ask without thinking, my jaguar stirring inside me. There’s something about this female that seems to call to him. The determination in her expression? Her fierce eyes?

Eyes that are the color of midnight.

Shimmering.

Stunning.

And even more expressive now that Orcus has the portal focused on her.

She doesn’t seem to see us, probably because of whatever magic Orcus is using to peek inside at this reality. It’s a voyeuristic ability that could have so many uses. But for now, I’m content to just… follow this woman through the crowd.

“Fuck, she’s beautiful,” Reaper whispers behind me.

“Yeah,” I agree, swallowing. “A sleek panther among a herd of sheep.”

“I don’t think that’s the right saying.” Reaper utters the sentence in a distracted way, like he’s just commenting about my incorrect phrase while remaining entirely captivated by the screen. “But I’m starting to understand the appeal of this mating-night thing.”

The portal shifts as she reaches the stage,causing my lips to curl down when I realize all the other females up there still have their veils pulled down.Why is this one showing her face when everyone else is hiding?

“That makes nine Offerings for this year’s Day of the Choosing,” an elderly human announces from a podium.

No one applauds.

No one even seems to breathe.

“This is fucked up,” Reaper says. “I assumeOfferingsare the humans going to the… mating fest?”

“Monsters Night,” Orcus corrects him. “Yes, that’s what I’ve gathered.”

“Shit,” I breathe, still watching the one calledEverheart. Or I assume that’s her name, anyway. She moved right after this elderly guy called for her. It’s a safe guess, and a fitting one.