Page 26 of Psycho Gods

Dramatic irony.

Dr. Palmer’s voice climbed up another octave. “You’re telling me that Aran is your Revered?” She didn’t even glance at the flaming wall. All her attention was on the leader of the kings. “And it is your life’s purpose to care for her?”

Malum grunted in agreement.

“Yet you lit her on fire until her face melted off?”

He grunted again.

When she put it that way…he sucked.

She scribbled furiously on her clipboard and pushed her glasses against the top of her nose with so much force the wire bent. “Don’t you think that is something you should apologize to her for?”

Orion grimaced and pressed his leg harder against mine. Scorpius muttered something under his breath. I put my hand into my pockets and fondled my pipe.

Making the leader of the kings apologize was like trying to have a healthy relationship with a man.

Impossible and upsetting.

Malum gnashed his teeth. “She was disguised as a male at the time. I didn’t know she was my Revered. It was—different.” His voice was harsh and gritty.

The doctor turned her chair toward me. “How do Malum’s words make you feel, Aran?”

I brought my pipe between my lips and inhaled harshly.

For the first time since I’d seen her with Sadie months ago, she didn’t comment on my smoking addiction.

“I feel like I want to light him on fire until his skin melts off,” I said in a monotone voice.

“Then do it,” Malum snarled, and I was jostled as he leaned forward to glare at me. “Stop whining about it and light me on fire, and then we’ll be even—I don’t understand why you keep fucking bringing this up? Just let me care for you. We need to move past this—we have enough to worry about with this fucking war.”

Steel-gray eyes pinned me to my seat.

Flames cackled, and the awful scent of burning carpet filled the room.

No one moved to put it out.

I leaned forward and glared back. “Exactly. Since we’re already doomed, why should I care about your pathetic bid for forgiveness? Have you ever thought that maybe I want to hold a grudge?”

“How does holding a grudge make you feel?” Dr. Palmer cut in.

“Wonderful,” I said sarcastically.

Malum’s cheeks flushed. “Do whatever you need to do to forgive me—I’ve already said you could light me on fire.” Silver eyes softened. “I don’t know if it’s possible.” Malum cleared his throat. “But I will try to reject my abilities and let flames consume me—for you—so you can have your revenge.”

A pen dropped against a clipboard.

I gaped at my arch nemesis, and his cheekbones flushed redder the longer I stared.

“Okay, we’ll try it.” I nodded. “Get me a match and kerosene and I’ll do it. Right here, right now, since you’re asking for it.”

“I have a lighter,” Orion whispered. “But I don’t want Corvus to get hurt.”

Scorpius drawled sarcastically, “There’s no way it would work.” He wrapped his long fingers around Malum’s neck, then leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “He’s literally made of fire—he’ll be fine.”

Malum tried to pull away from Scorpius, but as his mate held him close and dug his nails into his skin, he gave up struggling.

Molten silver hardened into steel as he looked over at me. “I already fucking said you could do it.” He spread his arms wide. “I’m waiting. Between the two of us—I’m not the coward.”

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