Page 52 of Thicker than Water

MONSTERS

Celine

The club empties with remarkable speed. Amara is the last to leave through the emergency exit, her eyes fixed anxiously on me. I ensure that she’s safely out of harm’s way before Cedric and I begin speaking.

I don’t want her to get caught in the crossfire if anything goes badly.

I steel my gaze. I can’t allow myself to get distracted right now, especially by a breather that I’m not even drinking from.

It was cute when she got jealous, though.

Attention, Celine.

“How lovely to see you again, brother,” I say, enjoying the furious expression on Cedric’s face. I hover a few feet in the air. I love to be above him, and he’s never been able to master flying the way I have. Xia and Damien flank me on each side. “To what do we owe this visit?”

“Youknowwhy I’m here, Celine,” he hisses. His vampire guard part but they stay close by. Smart of them. They must know that we staked the others. “Your day guard attacked the independent witches we were partnered with.”

“The witches who you ordered to make illicit substances, which you pedaled tomycustomers.”

“Business is business,” Cedric spits. “And your guard destroyedthousandsof dollars of product!”

“Surely you could afford to lose such a measly sum. Unless yourbusiness is doing so poorly...”

His eyes narrow. “First you staked Lazarus’s progeny. Now you threaten our drug supply!”

“Iobliteratedyour drug supply,” I correct, with a cocky tilt of my head.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Celine,” he says, his jaw tight. “You should be more careful. You’re smarter than this.”

“You don’t scare me.”

The club goes eerily quiet. Cedric steps out of the center of his vampire guard. Xia and Damien look to me, but I make a gesture that indicates they should stand down. I keep my dagger-stake close, and my reflexes are at least as good as Cedric’s. I lower, until I’m only a few feet off the ground.

He comes close enough to me that I can see the lines in his face, the firm set of his mouth, the arrogant twitch of his lips.

And the light purple hue of his eyes.

The eyes of a monster.

He whispers, low enough that only I can hear.

“I know you better than anyone, Celine. I know your weakness. And I will enjoy tearing away everything you love.”

I hate him. Not because of his threat, but because of his ignorance. Because he does know me better than anyone. Before he betrayed Tudor, before he betrayed our family, before he betrayedme…Cedric and I were inseparable. Practically twins. And he has already taken everything from me, by leaving us for Lazarus.

Because of his betrayal, I can never trust anyone again. And my fury is blinding.

All I want is to tear his head from his neck. To reach into his chest and pull out his unbeating heart…

And if I was the monsterheis, I would. But instead, like the monsterIam, I put my lips close to his ear, intimately, softly.

“Show me your worst.”

Amara

I’m so glad the emergency exit door has a window. I’mnotso glad that the window is narrow and almost impossible to see through. If I hadmy choice, I would have waited inside the club. But it’s too risky. The vampires could easily hear my heartbeat and sense my living, breathing body. It’s safer behind this door.

“O Hecate, Graceful Goddess, Wise One, please watch over Celine and Xia,” I whisper. “Make sure they don’t do anything stupid.”