Page 23 of Sworn to Consume
“We’re all hungry. But that’s not your hungry face. What’s wrong?” She swims closer, scanning my face—her gaze locks on the crescent moon mark glowing on my forehead.
For a second, I swear the purple gem light in her eyes dims—but it flares back just as quickly.
“Just some thoughts. Nothing important.” I brush it off. I can’t let her see the cracks. Not now.
We need to feed and go to Sur-El city.
“I don’t know how I fed on two souls in one night and still wasn’t even a bit satisfied.” I steer the conversation back to the hunger, back to the two human filths I consumed.
She narrows her eyes but finally replies.
“Fine. Have it your way. It makes sense—if merfolk are disappearing, dying... we need to stop it.”
I nod. Her chest glows brighter now, and I instinctively swim a few paces back as Myko begins to emerge from her.
And when his enormous, coiling form unfurls, swirling through the water like a living storm cloud, I raise my head and smirk.
“And to what do we owe this honor?” My voice drips sarcasm as his massive body stretches and circles above us.
“You made me question my preferred meal for today,”he rots through my mind, his voice venomous. Bay bites her lower lip, holding back a laugh—making it very clear she heard it too.
I raise a challenging brow at his massive eye as it narrows on me with pure annoyance.
“Iwouldbe scared…” I taunt. “But you serveme.And even if you didn’t, my aunt loves me far too much to let you snack on her Black-Blooded nephew.”
I flutter my lashes the same way Bay does when she’s trying to get something out of Uncle Pedro—I know Myko hates it as much as I love mocking it.
His growl vibrates through my skull, but it only makes me chuckle. Before I can jab again, Bay’s tail snaps against my ribs—sending me whirling straight into the tip of Myko’s tail.
“Hey! What wasthatfor?” I bark, but I can’t hide the smirk that keeps stretching across my face.
“Your silver merass needed some discipline,” she says, crossing her arms smugly.
Myko doesn’t move his tail—he’s careful not to hurt me,which only proves my point.
So I sit on it like it’s a throne, gesturing to the space beside me like some smug bastard of the deep.
“Funny—” Bay starts, but before she can finish, Myko’s head whips behind me.
His snarl sends a wave of hot bubbles shooting through the water, tangling my hair.
I turn to him and swirl my finger lazily—calling a tiny whirlpool to spin right in front of his snout, using my mom’s power.
His head jerks to the side with a huff.
“You’re a piece of work,”both of them snap—in perfect harmony.
My laughter erupts right on cue.
Then Myko cuts it short. “They’re here.”
All of us turn. Hundreds of huntresses emerge from the depths, their colorful tails glowing together in the dark—each one gripping her prey, waiting for our call.
“Finally,” I mutter and swim forward.
The huntresses—already familiar with their new Coral of Life—move closer, each one presenting their marked prey.
They hold the bodies out in front of them, waiting for me to claim their soul.
