The Flame Game (Magical Romantic Comedies #12) - R.J. Blain Page 0,82
he took my younger sisters out. I was old enough to stay at home alone. My father hadn’t found a new hive for me yet, but he showed me favor by leaving me alone. It was my first time.”
Poor Annie, although I couldn’t help but feel relief the tragedy wouldn’t worsen.
It hadn’t been her hive to die.
While it wasn’t much, I’d cling to the silver linings I could.
“Can you tell me your father’s name and where he lives?”
Annie frowned. “He’s Father. But I can tell you where our hive lives.” To my surprise, the address was in a mid-sized town we’d passed through on the way to the bed and breakfast, a quaint little place I hadn’t expected to be the home of a gorgon hive.
“Alan?”
“I’ll inquire,” he replied, heading off to his van.
“My father will not be happy. I’m too old.”
I grunted. “Don’t you worry about that, Annie. My husband will speak to your father about making arrangements. Were you old enough to help care for your younger sisters?”
“Oh, yes. Father taught us early.”
“Well, that’s perfect. I’m fostering some young whelps this summer, and you can help take care of them until you’re settled and some nice gorgon men have a chance to meet you.” I expected she’d get an offer fairly quickly, as the males would want to garner favor with Quinn regarding Beauty.
I sometimes hated gorgons as much as I loved them.
“But you’re human.”
“I’m immune, and my husband is the son of a rather human gorgon king.”
Her eyes widened. “You are a bride of the Quinn family?”
I stood and pointed at the SUV. “You are so much trouble, Samuel Leviticus Quinn!”
Apparently, the SUV had a window open, as my husband got out of the vehicle and strolled over, and our pets romped through the snow with him, all wearing their harnesses and leashes. “What did I do now?”
“Does every gorgon on Earth know about you and your wicked ways?”
“Well, I’d say not on Earth but definitely around here.” My husband chuckled, staying a safe distance away. “Introduce me to your new friend.”
“This is Annie. She was stolen from her father’s hive. Alan is trying to contact him.”
“I better go help. Stolen, you say?”
“She says she was.”
“That’ll make this easy. Check over her snakes. At least one or two of them need to bite.” Quinn pointed at one of the serpents, who sure enough, had bulging venom sacs.
“Oh, your poor snakes.” I cupped the serpent’s head in my hands and examined her. “I’m immune, Annie, and we don’t have a kit handy, so it’s okay to bite me. What type of snakes are these? I haven’t seen them before.”
“Kraits. They’re venomous.”
“I’m immune, so let’s get your poor babies dealt with. What sort of toxin?”
“Neurological, which induces paralysis. I’ve only had one test done, but my father was worried because I can kill humans quickly.”
“Well, don’t you worry at all. I’m a champ at this, and your babies can’t be comfortable.” To encourage her, I tapped my finger to the snake’s snout, and after a few encouraging prods, I earned a bite. “There you go.” I pet the snake with the other hand. Once she let go, I gave another nudge, and the second bite came faster and harder. It took four bites for the venom sac to empty enough for the snake to be comfortable.
I’d feel that later, although to my relief, her venom didn’t induce immediate itching.
Most of her snakes needed two or three bites to clear out their venom sacs, and I wondered how long she’d been held hostage without her snakes being able to bite that so many of them were in such discomfort.
I assigned all blame to Morrison, and I’d add in a few extra kicks or stomps if I ever got a hold of the bastard.
“That feels a lot better,” Annie admitted after I finished becoming the dumping ground for her snake’s venom. “You are really a bride of the Quinn family? But you do not look like the bride.”
“Ah. Audrey. Let’s just say she’s a cheating bitch and landed herself a divorce for her inability to stay loyal to a man who cannot tolerate disloyalty.”
“Vile,” Annie muttered.
It amused me the gorgon had such deep feelings over loyalty to be cranky over it while under the influence of the best pixie dust on Earth. “I agree, but it’s no concern. Audrey won’t be bothering anyone again.”
“No? But she…”
Hello, intel. “But she what?”
“She had plans. She wanted me to help with them, because I