Page 40 of Insidious Monsters
“Killing Barathos can keep her safe,” Telarion growled.
Lothos paled. “August, please.”
He was worried about me, of course, but this was more about Barathos’s life and how it would affect Lothos’s people. He knew that if Barathos came for me, Telarion would end him.
Barathos didn’t realize how much danger he was in, though. He honestly believed his status would keep him safe from my monster. He had no idea how few fucks Telarion gave about his status or his people.
A shiver ran up my spine.
There was no doubt in my mind that Telarion would kill him the next time he tried to touch me. There would be no second chances, no reprieve.
If I was going to help Lothos, I had to do this.
Shit, shit, shit. It was as if the walls were closing in on me. “I can’t be a puppet, Lothos. I won’t.”
He took my hands in his, his eyes pools of sincerity. “I swear to you, on my life, I willnevertake advantage of the nova prima. Barathos never stays in the city more than a week or so at a time. Once he leaves, I’ll release you from the contract.”
“What if he comes back?”
Once again, something dark and secretive crossed his features, too quick to catch. “He’ll hopefully have moved onto another obsession by then. If not, we can sign another contract to cover his stay.”
“I don’t like this,” Telarion said.
Neither did I, but what choice did we have? If I refused, Barathos would keep coming for me and Telarion would kill him, killing a kingdom in the process. I couldn’t be the reason for the death of a nation.
I nodded with a sigh. “Fine. Let’s do it.”
I was expecting something magical and long-winded, but Lothos retreated to his bedchamber, returning with a document printed on thick luxury paper. The writing was all fancy and cursive and way too tiny for me to read.
“It needs to be signed in blood,” Lothos said.
I glanced up from the document, from words that made very little sense to me. “Mine?”
“Yes.”
Telarion gently took my wrist. “If you betray her, I will tear you to shreds and then I will kill your precious prince.”
Lothos met his gaze levelly. “I opened the ward to my abode for you, Telarion. I would not have done that if I intended to betray you.”
Telarion’s lip curled. “Wards can be re-established.”
“Yes, but these will not. I swear it.”
Telarion’s gaze fell to me. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes.”
He pressed the tip of his talon to my finger and drew blood. “Make it fast, then. I’m hungry.”
Shit, he hadn’t fed. He’d come to find me? How had he known I was in danger?
“Later,” Telarion said softly.
I pressed my bloody finger to the document, leaving my print, and a tingle passed over my skin. “What was that?”
Lothos’s throat bobbed. “The activation of the contract.”
Were his pupils dilated?
