Chapter Thirteen

I am trapped in the body of a snake. A monstrous snake, at that. I could see it in Clíodhna's eyes as she stared up at me, in unspoken horror.

That was unexpected.

I don't quite understand what it is that I could have done to her sister, to piss her off this much, but they fae are known for being changeable in their affections. One second, they can be yelling at you for sleeping with their sister, the next you're a giant snake.

All I'm trying to do is calm her, and I don't know how to do that in this form. All I know is that when she took me off the cross and I was so blissed out I didn't know where I was, it was her touch that anchored me, that grounded me, so that's what I offer to her now.

I encircle her, wrapping her in my coils, and hold her there, neither pulling tight or letting go.

I don't try to speak again—all that resulted in was snapping, and I doubt that a giant snake snapping its fangs is a sight anyone would like to be faced with. Turning my head, I glance down at the ruined coverlet.

My temper got the better of me when she mentioned her sovereignty, I must admit. It's one thing to not know what's going to happen, it's another to try and claim that as you're a queen, I should obey you. That's probably not what she meant, I can see that now, but in the moment it infuriated me, and the echo in my head that is more snake than human said strike.

Is truck the bedsheets. That seemed the best move.

There is movement out the corner of my eye, and when I follow it, I see Aoibheall, angry below me. She is surrounded by more red-eyed fae, and they all appear to be taking an attacking stance.

I hiss my displeasure at them, and rock Clíodhna and my coils backwards until she is behind me.

If they want her, they'll have to come through me.

"Leave her." Clíodhna's voice is faint, but determined. "She's not hurting me."

"But sister—"

"Aoibheall." She just sounds so tired, and I am sad, because I want her to rest. I wanted her to rest with me after those heady heights, and then I'd planned on pleasing her some myself. And instead, we're here. "Look at her coils. She is not tightening, just holding. She is protecting me in her own way, just as I'm sure you believe that you are protecting me in yours. Though how" —she mutters under her breath— "you think that forcing me to face a giant snake is protecting me, is beyond me."

I loosen my hold on her some more, and she shoots me a grateful look.

"She hasn't given into snakeshape thoughts, so how about you let this go?"

With a wave of her hand, Aoibheall does something thing and the mass of the snake, and the pressure it put on my mind since retreats, scales literally shedding until I'm sat naked on the bed, trembling.

Clíodhna turns on her sister immediately, but it's not her I clock first. It's the encroaching red-eyed fae, some of whom I recognise from the audience, earlier. They seem hungry now, hungrier than they did before, and the sharpness of their intentions hit me all at once. This time it is I who is tripping backwards towards the door, and I am out of it and running away before either of the fae queen sisters notice.

Everything in the club seems unnecessarily harsh: the lights; the music; the sounds of people laughing and playing together. It's nightmarish now, no longer seductive, and I can't tell whether that's actually what I think, or whether these hunting fae are inducing fear in me.

Who's that?

There's a voice in my head. Fuck that. I don't like that. I spin around wretchedly, trying to alight upon the speaker.

I know not, sister, who is that mortal there?

Which one?

There is a cacophony of voices in my head, one two three and I can't make out who is who and what they are saying and it is all far far too much before a startlingly tall woman takes my hands in hers and says, "I'm sorry for my sisters. They aren't used to sharing headspace with anyone but I."

Her touch doesn't ground me, like Clíodhna's does, instead it opens up a host of new voices inside my head, all shouting and fighting to be heard. There is one that feels slightly different for the rest and I hear it both inside and outside my head.

"Let's get you some clothes."