Page 1 of House of Pain
I. DEADLY HEARTS
1
During this year’s Game, hearts would break.
Loud thunder rumbled in the distance, the dark night’s sky bright with the blues and the reds of the wild lightning bolts hiding behind fluffy clouds. The sound of it almost killed the blaring music under Alecto’s feet.
A light giggle drew Alecto’s attention away from the sky to the dimly lit room where five of them were standing in a tight circle.
Val, keeping the smoke from escaping, passed the blunt to Jolene, who brought it to her mouth.
Alecto licked her lips at the sight; she wasn’t sure whether it was because of the blunt or the way Jolene’s deep violet lips parted to accommodate it.
“Say it, bitch,” Val urged Jolene, her dark eyes glittering with mischief. “Say it loud.”
Jolene released a large cloud of smoke, letting it rise to the ceiling, gray tendrils swirling over their heads, despite all the open windows that should have pulled it all out of the room.
If not for theirmagic.
“Let his smile be as charming as Heath Ledger’s, with a dimple in one cheek,” Jolene said. Alessandro snickered while Blaze closed his eyes and nodded in agreement. “Let his hair be as dark as night itself, eyes deeper than the fucking Mariana Trench, and let his cock be long and beautiful and capable, just like every fucking bitch deserves.”
“Ah, you’re just describing me right now,” Blaze chimed in.
Val giggled, biting her lip as she met Alecto’s gaze.
Jolene flipped him off before dropping the black rose petals she held in her free hand into the bowl that sat in the middle of their little circle. They all hollered in agreement, Val tilting her head up to howl like a wolf.
Even Alecto laughed, the sound foreign on her lips. The uneasiness of what their group was doing tonight was becoming just a distant memory the longer she breathed the intoxicating air.
Her whole body tingled with excitement now. The black petals in her palm were soft and tender as she gently rubbed them, just like she would caress her lover’s skin.
Taking over the blunt from Jolene, Blaze said, “Let him be tall as a tree, broad-shouldered, have a lean waist—”
“Looking to conjure some competition here,Blazy?” Val teased him, her sensuous mouth curling into a wicked grin as she ran her tongue through her teeth.
Blaze only smirked in response. “Let him have lean, strong muscles over his dark skin and let his touch be as intoxicating as the taste of any drug. Let his body be painted in the history of the whole witchkind and his dark past.”
With that, he sucked in a sharp breath, the very tip of the blunt burning bright red, and the circle cheered on.
Another bundle of black petals landed in the bowl.
Alecto couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes at Blaze as he passed the blunt to her. He was so extra and dramatic. For no fucking reason.
What does “painted in the history of the whole witchkind” even mean?
There was a challenge in his gaze before his black eyes traveled to where their fingers touched as Alecto took the blunt from him. A sharp electric current zipped through her fingers before she took her hand away.
Whenever he got a chance to show how much he disliked Alecto, he always took it. Blaze wouldn’t miss an opportunity to abuse his power, using it for his own amusement as if it were a little toy and not something that could kill if used carelessly.
Of course, Alecto knew Blaze wasn’t trying to stop her heart.
He only intended to play with it.
At least she hoped that was the case.
All eyes settled on Alecto as she drew the blunt closer to her lips.
With her heart racing, she inhaled the sweet, thick smoke, letting it fill her lungs until she couldn’t breathe anymore, then she tilted her head backwards, closing her eyes.
