Page 18 of Their Lethal Pet
Her name repeats now in my head as she joins us onthe stage, her black hair glittering in the sunlight while she keeps her head dutifully bowed.
I swallow as the Viscount grins at her. It’s not a kind grin. It’s a knowing one. Alasciviousone.
“Yes, a fine replacement indeed,” he murmurs away from the microphone.
Then he returns his focus to the crowd and engages in one final prayer, blessing the Nightingale Village’s Offerings.
My empty stomach churns. His invocation—a promise to satisfy the monsters—sounds more like a threat than a prayer to me.
I wonder if anyone else can hear the sinister quality of his voice or if it’s all in my head.
My eyes search the crowd for Sage, her silver hair something I spy almost immediately. It helps that I know where she stands in the square. Except… her hair looks a bit purple in the sunlight.
A silvery violet.I blink.That’s… strange.
Is it a trick of the light? My exhaustion finally catching up to me? My mind officially failing me?
All options are possible.
The clearing of a throat brings me face-to-face with the Viscount, his sermon apparently done. A single arch of his white-blond brow has me instantly regretting my misplaced veil. Primarily because I can’t stop myself from cocking my eyebrow back at him in return.
His jaw clenches.
My eyebrow stays arched.
And inside, I start wondering if the village will even bother hosting a funeral for me.
Although… I’m an Offering now,I remind myself.That has to mean something, right?
However, he threatened to make an example of theoffending Offering.
There’s no doubt in my mind that he means me.
And his expression right now confirms it.
“Move,” he demands, gesturing with his chin toward the others, who are already exiting the stage.
I must have missed some sort of instructions. Or perhaps the Village Protectors provided some kind of silent direction for everyone to follow.
Regardless, I struggle to obey. Primarily becausemovingwill require giving the Viscount my back. And I really don’t want him behind me.
But perhaps it would be best for me to behave now, to be theperfectOffering rather than anoffendingOffering. Maybe that’ll make it harder for him to punish me.
Unless it’s already too late.
In which case, I’m fucked.
“Ms. Everheart,” the Viscount says, his tone underlined with authority.
Yep. Definitely knows my name.
I’ve never spoken to him. And while I’ve been rebellious this last year, my infractions have been mostly minor. Things like being late for my shift at the gardens and throwing a rotten tomato at a Village Protector who refused to step out of my way while I was pushing a wheelbarrow.
Nothing that really earned the attention of our Viscount.
Until today. Untilnow.
I don’t give him a chance to repeat his command. I simply turn, my veil fluttering behind me like a taunt.
