The Hunt (By Kiss and Claw #2) - Melissa Haag Page 0,49
“Eliana has no quarrel with you. Do you, Eliana?”
I glanced back at the girls standing behind me. Lauv watched the mermaids, but the other two had their eyes on the glowing crystals in their hands.
“I have no reason for a quarrel with anyone,” I said, annoyed.
“Good.”
As soon as Lauv spoke, the light coming from the crystals died, and the mermaids jumped back into the water.
“Everything’s fine now,” she said. “Let us know if anyone else has a problem with you.”
The three left, and I trailed behind, wondering what exactly the dust in my face had done and when the smell of fish was going to clear from my nose. Breathing in the fresh air while I returned the shovel to my trunk didn’t help either. With my luck, I would be breathing in fish for the rest of the day.
Once again distracted by all the bullpoopy in my headspace, I wasn’t paying attention when I reentered the school. So, I was unprepared when I neared the pools again and someone grabbed me by the front of my shirt and pushed me against the wall.
Eras’s angry dark gaze pinned mine.
“I saw you walk out with the druids. I know it was you.”
He looked to the left of us.
“Bring him,” he growled.
A few of Eras’s lackeys towed a struggling Eugene forward.
“Feed on him,” Eras demanded, giving me a shake. “Feed or I will, and I’ll make sure I take so much that Eugene will spend the rest of his life on his knees for me.”
“Wait, what?” Eugene said. “He’s going to turn me gay?”
“It’s not a matter of sexuality, Eugene,” I assured him. “It’s a matter of complete devotion. You won’t see gender when you look at Eras. All you’ll see is the one living creature you will do anything for to make him happy.”
“Uh, yeah, that sounds like he’s going to turn me gay.” Eugene looked at Eras. “I mean, it wouldn’t be so bad if he looked more like Oanen or Fenris. Can I pick a different future gay master?”
His snarky humor enraged Eras, who gripped my shirt tighter. I heard a few seams break under the strain and glared at Eras.
“Look at me, Eras. Do I look well-fed? I’m the Academy joke for a succubus. How could a joke possibly steal a meal from you, someone who’s been hunting since before I arrived? Unless you’re saying that you’re worse at feeding than I am.”
His face flushed scarlet as his friends laughed.
“The first skill we learn is to hide our true natures from our prey. I think, living out in the human world, you’re better at that than any of us will ever hope to be. You want me to believe it wasn’t you that night? Prove it. Take a hit off of Eugene. I’ll even prime him for you so you don’t have to work so hard. I mean, stealing a meal is what you’re good at.”
“There’s just one problem with your logic,” I said with forced calm. “You claimed that someone wiped your memory of the feeding. Even if I fed from Eugene, you’d have no idea if it was me. In order to pursue this, you’d need to get your memory back first, and I hear that’s messy business. Unless your memory wasn’t really wiped, and all these accusations are just to stir up a little trouble. But then, I’d have to ask myself, why would you do that? Unless you’re trying to get Megan home sooner like the mermaids.”
Doubt flickered in Eras’s eyes.
“You don’t want that, do you? There’s something else that you’re trying to hide. Something that would get you into trouble if anyone found out. Something that Megan sensed that night in the bar.”
Eras confirmed that the straws I was grasping at actually had substance when he immediately released me and stepped back.
“This isn’t over. I’m going to regain my memories and prove it was you. Then you’ll never get your mark and be stuck in this place until you slowly starve to death. Enjoy that picture of your future, succubitch. I’m watching you.”
He shoulder-checked me as he walked away, and I stared after him and his goons. His reaction had confirmed he was far from innocent, and I couldn’t wait for Megan to come home.
“Thanks, Eliana,” Eugene said. “I was a little nervous when they grabbed me.”
“You should still be nervous. Feeding is allowed in school since Adira and the Council don’t consider feeding on a human’s sexual energy harmful to the human.