for another damn bird.
That was nine years ago, and I’d spent five of those years being turned into something I wasn’t sure I should be proud of. Regardless, I’d accepted who I was, never once regretting how my life turned out.
Sure, once I’d been banished, I could have reformed, but even at fifteen, I knew in my soul it was too late to really make a difference. I was who I was, and I’d accepted it long ago.
The only thing I let myself care about was punishing those who deserved my wrath. It was the only way to rein in the darkness I carried. It was my way of repenting for all the wrongs I’d been forced to do by the king without having to face the actual consequences of my previous actions.
“Neva,” I called out when I arrived back at my apartment, hoping she’d returned before me.
“Yes, Ms. Morrow?” My faithful assistant’s form shimmered into appearance and began following me while I continued to walk toward my room, stripping off my bloodied clothes along the way.
I sighed. “When will you quit being so formal?”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Lucinda.”
Well, that was at least better than using the last name I didn’t care for.
“Lucy also works, you know?” I added, but she merely smiled at me, and I knew I needed to let it go. For now, at least.
Neva was a rare brownie elf. Poor thing had been a hideous mess before I stumbled upon her two years ago being beaten by a group of young cubs that I’d let live per Neva’s begging. Though, I’d made sure I would be starring in their nightmares for the rest of their lives before I was through with them.
In exchange for saving her life and revealing her true beauty with my fae magic, she’d offered to stick around and help me with whatever I might need. At the time, I couldn’t think of a single reason why I needed her—by then, I’d already accepted being alone was best—but she quickly showed me how essential she could be, and I grew used to her company.
Once I entered my bedroom, I relieved myself of every stitch of clothing, even though it had only been my shirt to get blood on it. Neva flinched at my lack of attire, but I had no qualms about standing before her naked. Along with being unable to break her from using formalities, she still hadn’t adjusted to my crass ways.
I held my hand out. “My robe?”
Brownie elves made the best assistants.
“Here you are, Ms. Lucinda.” Neva magicked my silk black wrap into appearance, and I covered myself. I wasn’t a complete monster. I just liked to push the boundaries. A lot. But intentions were good when it came to Neva. One of these days, I’d unearth the strong elf I saw lying behind all her formalities.
“I need to shower the stench of wolf off me, but first, what did the witches want?” I asked.
Her honey eyes stared up at me. Eyes that had been dull and lifeless when she met me were now filled with hope, and I wasn’t sure which was worse. The elf was nearly a foot shorter than me. Though, what she lacked in height, I’d made sure she compensated for in strength and looks after I’d given her a boost of magic.
Her skin was smooth and tinted a deep umber. She had a round face that helped her innocence shine through and also came in handy when she did my bidding. People seemed to trust Neva, and that made the brownie elf even more useful, considering very few trusted a dark fae like me.
“The coven first mentioned that you’re upsetting the balance and causing the humans to be irrational when you lure them in and take what you want. They ask if you wouldn’t mind limiting your punishing to the other supernaturals before they’re forced to clean up a mess you can’t. Their words, not mine, of course.”
“I thought they called for me because they had a real issue, not a complaint.” I knew my stay on Earth was a tenuous one. I knew I was pushing the buttons of the other supernaturals that called this place home, but I had a strange curiosity and couldn’t help myself. Plus, Los Angeles had grown on me. At least, I had thought so until recently.
“Well, they do have an issue with a vampire.”
Glee filled me within an instant. Beating on the wolf hadn’t been enough to quench the