Chapter 80: Sheeps To The Slaughter
"The oldest law of nature is simple: something always eats something else."
~ Rebel Beast
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The ride to House Ophidian would’ve been painfully awkward had Karen not filled every passing minute with the sound of her own voice.
She’d refused to let both girls sit in the back with her, complaining there wasn’t enough room and that she wasn’t about to suffocate because they insisted on squeezing into her space. Olivia had reluctantly remained beside her, leaving Fatima to occupy the front passenger seat.
The arrangement did little to ease Fatima’s nerves. If anything, it made them worse. She sat stiffly with both hands clenched in her lap, scarcely daring to breathe too loudly. Every now and then, her eyes drifted toward Venus before darting away again.
Meanwhile, Karen remained blissfully unconcerned.
"I expect to have a room all to myself," she declared as if she were issuing instructions to her hired staff. "You can put the girls wherever you want, but they’ll need to stay close enough that I won’t have to waste time looking for them whenever I need something."
She adjusted the angle of her head carefully, mindful of her bruised face.
"I refuse to walk halfway across the House just to have someone run an errand."
Olivia’s fingers tightened around the hem of her pants. She met Fatima’s eyes through the rearview mirror, and neither of them needed to say a word.
They finally understood.
Karen hadn’t brought them along because she valued their friendship. She had brought them because she wanted servants.
Strangely enough, the discovery brought more relief than disappointment.
If Karen got her wish and received a room of her own, they wouldn’t have to endure her constant complaints or spend every waking moment walking on eggshells around her.
Neither girl responded. The truth had finally sunk in. Following Karen Donovan had been the worst decision they’d made since arriving at Bestiaris.
Unfortunately, regret changed nothing.
"Are you even listening to me?" Karen demanded after several minutes of being ignored.
Venus finally looked at her through the rearview mirror.
"One more word," he said pleasantly, "and I’ll drive this car straight into the nearest tree. The unfortunate part for you is that you’re human while I’m a beast. I’ll probably climb out with a few bruises."
His hazel eyes met hers in the mirror.
"You, however..." He gave a careless shrug.
"Let’s see if your father’s money can buy your life."
Karen stared at him in disbelief.
"You wouldn’t dare!"
Before the final word had fully left her mouth, Venus slammed his foot onto the accelerator, and the vehicle surged forward so violently that all three girls cried out.
Then, just as suddenly, he hit the brakes. Karen, who hadn’t bothered fastening her seatbelt, shot forward. Her face struck the back of the front passenger seat with a sickening thud.
"Ow!" She clutched her nose as fresh pain exploded across her face. When she pulled her hand away, bright red blood stained her fingers.
"My nose!"
She tilted her head back in panic.
"Why is everybody doing this to me?"
Venus acted as though she hadn’t spoken. The vehicle rolled to a smooth stop before the towering entrance of House Ophidian.
He switched off the engine, climbed out, and shut the door behind him.
Apparently, Caelis had already sent word ahead because three serpent girls were waiting outside. Standing at their center was Nadia.
She stepped forward the moment she saw him.
"Nadia," Venus greeted.
Her honey-colored eyes drifted toward the vehicle.
"You left the humans behind?"
Venus nodded toward the car.
"They’re your responsibility now."
He paused before adding dryly,
"A word of advice. The blonde one is venomous."
Almost on cue, Karen stumbled out of the car. She was still clutching her bleeding nose, her head tilted backward as she complained loudly while Olivia and Fatima hurried around the vehicle to help steady her.
Nadia’s eyes settled on Karen. Rather than concern, they gleamed with unmistakable delight.
"How fortunate," she murmured.
Her forked tongue slipped briefly between her lips before disappearing again.
"Venom happens to be our specialty."
Venus had nothing to say. His task ended the moment he’d delivered them. If Nadia killed them, then good riddance.
"Come," Nadia said to the two serpent girls standing behind her in a thick serpentine accent. "Let’s welcome our guests."
The pair smiled knowingly. There wasn’t a trace of warmth in either expression.
Without another word, the three serpent girls walked toward the newcomers in perfect step, moving with the effortless grace of predators who had already decided how the evening was going to end.
Fatima was the first to notice them.
"They’re coming," she whispered, her voice tightening with dread.
"Who’s coming?" Karen asked, unable to lower her head because of her injured nose. She had a blood-soaked handkerchief pressed firmly against it.
Olivia turned, and the moment her eyes landed on the approaching girls, every muscle in her body went rigid. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.
She didn’t like this place. She wanted to leave.
The three serpent girls advanced without haste, their movements almost hypnotic. There was no urgency in their steps, only confidence.
Like all serpents, they could taste the fear saturating the air. It clung to the two human girls like perfume. Their racing hearts, the subtle rise in body temperature, and the scent of cold sweat gathering beneath their skin escaped none of the serpent shifters’ heightened senses.
Delicious.
For the briefest moment, Nadia’s imagination betrayed her. She pictured herself in her true form, her body coiling around one of the trembling girls, tightening little by little until the frantic heartbeat beneath her scales finally stopped. Then came the slow, patient meal that every serpent instinctively understood.
Warm, fresh, and satisfying.
The image lingered just long enough for her features to begin changing. Without realizing it, fine dark bronze scales spread across the sides of Nadia’s neck, while her pupils narrowed into thin vertical slits. When her forked tongue flicked briefly between her lips, the change became impossible to miss.
Fatima’s breath caught, and Olivia instinctively took half a step backward. For a terrifying second, both girls were convinced they had just watched the serpent before them become something else entirely.
Karen, however, noticed none of it. With her head still tilted back to stop the bleeding, she merely frowned in annoyance.
Why was this girl staring at her like that? It wasn’t as though she could actually do anything to her. Her father would never allow it.
Fortunately, Nadia regained control before her instincts carried her any further. She inhaled slowly, and the scales receded beneath her skin. Her pupils rounded once more, and the serpent’s tongue disappeared from sight.
By the time she spoke, a courteous smile rested on her face, though it never quite reached her eyes.
"Welcome to House Ophidian, humans," she said, her thick accent wrapping around each word with unsettling elegance.
Karen finally looked at Nadia, taking her in properly.
The serpent girl was quite tall, her dark wavy hair falling over her shoulders while a pair of striking amber eyes regarded her with quiet amusement. There was something unnervingly composed about her.
Unfortunately for Nadia, Karen Donovan didn’t care. Moreover, Prince Caelis must have already made it clear that no one was to lay a hand on her.
"My name is Karen Donovan," she corrected haughtily. "Not some ’human.’ Show a little respect."
One of Nadia’s brows arched ever so slightly.
So this was the venomous one Venus had warned her about.
Oddly enough, she wasn’t offended. If there was one thing serpents excelled at besides striking, it was patience.
"My apologies," Nadia replied with effortless politeness. "I wasn’t aware of your name."
She gestured first to the blonde girl standing on her left.
"This is Nagin."
Nagin offered a pleasant little wave.
"Hello."
Nadia then indicated the curly-haired redhead on her right.
"And this is Linda."
Linda smiled, though there was something unsettling about it.
"I can’t wait for us to have fun together."
The words were innocent enough, but Fatima felt a chill creep down her spine.
Nadia’s attention shifted back to the humans.
"And the rest of you?"
Only then did Fatima and Olivia realize the serpent girls were waiting for their introductions.
Fatima swallowed before finding her voice.
"Fatima Brown."
A satisfied smile touched Nadia’s lips before she turned to the last girl.
"Olivia Martinez," Olivia answered, doing her best to sound steadier than she felt.
"Wonderful," Nadia said warmly, every bit the gracious hostess. She stepped aside and extended a hand toward the entrance.
"Come with us. Your quarters have already been prepared."
Her smile remained flawlessly courteous.
"You’ve had a long day. I’m certain you’d appreciate some rest."
"Finally," Karen said with a sigh of satisfaction as she tossed the bloodstained handkerchief aside. "Someone around here understands what I need."
Without waiting for anyone else, she started toward the entrance as though she owned the place.
Fatima and Olivia remained where they were. Neither of them moved.
"And you two?" Nagin asked gently.
The girls exchanged a hesitant glance.
Neither wanted to go. Neither had much of a choice.
Drawing silent courage from one another, they stepped forward together and followed Karen into House Ophidian.
Almost instinctively, both looked back over their shoulders, watching the three serpent girls fall in behind them. Something about the formation made Fatima’s stomach tighten.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t guests walking into a home. They were sheep being quietly herded toward the slaughter.
None of the human girls noticed the brief glance Nadia, Nagin, and Linda exchanged before the three serpent girls continued after them.