Read The Slivers of Avalon: The Abandoned Edge Page 13
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The creature gasped when he saw the faery step away from the fountain, leaving her babe vulnerable. The mother looked around as if sensing she wasn’t alone. Quite impossible. She couldn’t know he was there. Other fae weren’t supposed to know he existed.
He did not understand her fear, but was also not about to take his chances that another being might be after her. While it was true nothing else could kill an immortal, their kind did attack each other—just look at what he was doing.
Deciding to make his move earlier than he desired, he would attempt to figure out if, and how, she knew about him after it was over. If he had the time…
Arriving beside the faery in a split second, the creature caught her green-eyed gaze with his. Along with the harsh glow of his own orange eyes reflected in hers, he saw knowledge and fear. Somehow she had felt his presence.
Yes, she’d lain her baby down in the fountain for safekeeping. But not from the elements or humans or other fae, like he’d thought. The child was being protected from him.
Dread emanated like smoke from the faery, standing still and within arm’s reach. He licked his lips and sucked the blackness in, slow and sweet. The surge of power it gave added to his hunger. He had waited all day for this moment.
His body trembled from the thrill of it as he pulled her near.
Snapping to, she hit and spat at him, yanking away—trying to escape his grip. Her gaze cut toward the bushes. He felt her try to throw herself into them, but he wouldn’t allow her to move.
The faery looked back at him and froze in the depth of his eyes, obviously realizing the futility. He hurled her straight into the shrubs she’d seemed to hope would give her sanctuary.
He picked her back up as quickly as he’d flung her down. Thorns shredded her skin, and her violet blood illuminated the twilight flowers at the edge of the park. After he finished her, he would go back for the delicious carnage.
She closed her eyes, appearing to resign herself to him. As he drank in her dying emotions, he knew this loving mother had passed all of her strength to her daughter and kept none for herself.
It enraged him that she would not fight. He was furious he would not be getting all of her. But, her strange, mixed feelings only made him want to devour her sooner.
He held the faery. Limp in his arms, he could resist no longer. She let out one simple, lonely scream as he ripped off the first finger. She remained quiet when he went to her next one. Even in her new state of weakness, she could withhold his satisfaction by not releasing her pain.
No matter, he still savored the blood between each bite, and then moved to her limbs. He saved the heart and head for last—the true emotions being stored there.
All too quickly, he came to the end. Bits of her soul floated away, but he didn’t chase them as they held bland, boring nourishment and would disappear without life to sustain them. The creature ate the remainders, making the faery’s thoughts and feelings an eternal part of himself.
He walked over to the flowers for the remaining dessert of cold blood. He relished it, licking his fingers, yet hurrying to enjoy the brilliant taste.
Now, he needed to plan his next release—his chance to enjoy her daughter. Walking over to the fountain, he looked down at her with both awe and hatred. He knew she must live until the planets aligned again. Until the universe allowed him another reprieve—another feast. An even better one.
Gazing up at the moon, Ankou could see it was almost new again. He wanted to spend his last moments studying everything about the babe so he would recognize her when he returned. He scrutinized her features and visualized what she would look like fully grown.
As he felt himself become wrapped in chains and bonds he could not see, he seared her image in his mind. The burning of going back to a version of hell for the next twenty years helped the branding process.
He focused on her rather than the pain of capture and torture.
She was worth it. He could handle it. He could wait.