Page 6 of Kiss the Filthiest King

"What have we here?" a teasing voice asks. "That's an appealing morsel."

I'm startled that the voice is female, because of the raw strength and the height of my attacker. I can't see them clearly between the tears in my eyes and the fact that my messy hair's tossed all around me, obscuring my vision.

"It's downright lewd, with all those curves." It's a male voice this time, coming from the direction of the sofa.

I notice something else: muffled screams or pleas. Ben. They're doing something to Ben, too.

I let go of the arm—I can't dislodge it anyway—to brush my damn hair out of the way, and I see them for the first time.

Except my eyes aren't working right, are they? I can't be seeing what I'm seeing.

The woman who holds me isn't tall—on the contrary. She must be shorter than Rina's five foot two frame. But she's holding me up before she'sflying. Huge, diaphanous wings, like a butterfly's but larger than her entire body, bat too fast for my eyes to track the movement, keeping her in the air.

Her skin's a light purple, almost blue-ish—lilac? —and her face would be unbearably beautiful, if it weren't for the cruelty of her toothy smile. I note pointed ears, so large they poke out of her hair, curving at the tip. She's clothed in black leather, looking seriously slick, except for the copper red French beret on her head. It’s old, a little dirty, not quite fitting with the rest of the picture. I don’t know why exactly, but the very sight of that hat makes me sick.

The man's tall, at least six-five, and golden skinned, like an Italian, if they came with moss green hair and eyebrows. His ears are also pointed, but far more discreetly, the curve barely longer than a normal round ear.

I was born six years after the start of the Age of Blood, so I know humans aren't the only creatures on earth, but these things don't make sense. I had witches in my class. I've met shifters. Our accounting firm represents several vampires, and some occasionally pop by the office. I know what sups look like. Us, but better, or stronger.

These look nothing like humans. They feel nothing like humans.

What are they?

But even as the question come to my mind, the answer comes to me.

Because I know one person who feels like this. I know one person who smells like them, floral and wild and other.

I know one person whose voice is as fascinating. I've trained my mind to stay in the present, ignore her lilt my entire life.

They're like my sister.

"Please," I manage.

"It begs so prettily. Oh, if only I could keep you. But no, you've been bought and paid for, sweet thing. You're going to the bright court. Aren’t you lucky?"

The question is sweet, a lovely offer, and every part of my body wants to say yes. My brain sends alarm bells flaring.

"No."

The creature blink. "She's got true sight." Now, she smiles, delighted, showing off a row of teeth filed into points, and past them, a dark tongue. "You're going to make your new mistress very, very happy, pet. What's your name?"

I'm starting to need oxygen. I cough, her fist still tight around my throat.

"And here I was asking such a simple question. Tanis?"

It happens so fast. Called upon, the man lifts what looks like a heavy cub ending in a sword, with a hilt in the middle, and lowers it on my fiance's head.

A crack.

Blood, red and thick, pools out a hole formed in his skin.

Ben stops begging.

His blue eyes are open, staring at me, both shocked, and completely, devastatingly empty.

I don't even scream. I don't have time to so much as open my mouth; I just stare in mute horror. And then he’s dead.

Ben is dead, gone in an instant.

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