The Flame Game (Magical Romantic Comedies #12) - R.J. Blain Page 0,15
heightened chance of pregnancy.”
I bet the Devil had participated in the creation of that scheme, making full use of the ten minutes his wife had taken her eyes off him. “Seriously? What did you do to your poor snakes?”
“Rather than your typical response to my venom, you’ll find you’ll become quite interested in my little grandson, rather irresistibly interested. I will cruelly win this fight through the unfair usage of your husband’s body.” The gorgon smirked with zero evidence of shame at the underhanded tactic. “Their venom production was modified to become a rather potent aphrodisiac partnered with a little angelic magic. I have been told if my bride does not get to enjoy the consequences of this meddling, I will be very unhappy for the rest of my vastly shortened life.”
The Devil and his brother truly loved me and wanted me to be happy. “Have fun, Archambault. For some reason I don’t understand, I even like you, so I’d be sad if you got kicked to death by your centaur bride.”
“It would be a terrible way for me to go, so I will make certain she enjoys a nip. I am planning on inquiring for a confirmation my serpents are all safe for her after our fight. You will be given, frankly, a rather ridiculous dose, so you return to your suite and stay there for a few days.”
My eyes widened. “For a few days?”
“We are planning on taking your whelps to the Grand Canyon and several state parks while you are occupied. They need to be socialized more and learn more about how to interact with other gorgons, so it will help on that front while you get to enjoy your time of rest.”
If I got a full dose of all his snakes and their venom, there would be nothing restful about the next few days of my life. I rubbed my hands together and smiled. “How does this little demonstration work?”
“As the whining would be incredible should I actually bruise you, I will demonstrate my various defenses with some stoner bait before I do the same demonstration with you, showcasing your various immunities. There are a lot of people who wish to undergo petrification. It’s usually barred without a special permit, but the hotel opted to get the permits required. You will not be asked to handle any of the cleaning required, as there are CDC recruits who need to learn.”
Score. “This just keeps getting better and better.”
Archambault chuckled. “You will particularly like the part where you will get to beat on me to your heart’s content to showcase how durable gorgons are. I will lecture the humans on why it is unwise to do everything you will surely do, including braid my serpents.”
“French braids, and I’ll make sure they all get their appropriate attention and can bite as needed.”
“They are being more patient than usual, although I’ve found they do enjoy when they can bite you. And you, insane woman you are, like it.”
“Well, each type of snake venom is different, and I react to it differently. Darryl’s snakes hurt like hell and itch, so I really don’t like when he bites me. Yours is like getting a little drunk without the hangover.”
“Ah, I understand. The lack of hangover appeals to you, as you cannot indulge in vices without paying for it in unfortunate ways.”
“It really does.” My husband, who had his mother hanging off his arm, hauled her over while his father laughed. “Grandfather, please tell my mother you’re not going to kill my wife during a demonstration.”
“My toxin has been modified, and even then, it just makes her drunk. There’s nothing to worry about, my precious little one.”
I couldn’t tell which one of the precious little ones Archambault addressed, but I figured we all classified to him, allowing him to indulge in his vague tendencies to his heart’s content.
Quinn’s mother sighed. “Tell this son of mine he should be fighting instead.”
“If he fights and gets bitten, he may spontaneously combust. I do not think giving the grandson of an incubus an aphrodisiac is a wise idea.”
That caught my husband’s attention. “Who did what to your snakes?”
“There are those present who wish to experience being bitten by my snakes. As my bites typically kill a human, my snakes underwent a minor adjustment for the day. Instead of lethal neurotoxins, their venom is now a rather potent aphrodisiac. You can thank your uncle. I believe it was his idea, although he had some help from his