Chapter 192: Karen, The Slut

Ding Dong.

Karen’s heart skipped a beat as the doorbell rang. She glanced down at her phone. It was eight on the dot.

Caelis. He really was a timekeeper.

"I don’t need to tell you guys to behave, right?" Karen warned the girls, who had all gone rigid at the sound of the bell. Liv, however, looked worse than the rest. She was about to face the beast who had nearly stolen her eyesight and put her in the hospital for days.

Sweat had already begun to gather along Liv’s forehead, something Fatima noticed immediately. She reached out and squeezed her hand in reassurance, and Liv released a shaky breath before managing a small smile.

And yes, Liv was going to that party against her will.

After the Basilisk Prince had called Karen earlier that day, she’d returned to the room and announced that they were all attending the party. No exceptions. As far as Karen was concerned, if the Basilisk Prince himself had given the order, nobody was staying behind.

Hence, as much as Liv would have preferred to crawl beneath her bedsheets and remain there for the rest of the night, she had little choice.

The girls were dressed well, of course, but never better than Karen. It was practically an unwritten rule among them that no one outshined the queen bee, Karen Donovan. So each of them had settled for something more subtle while Karen wore the leather skirt Olivia had picked out for her that morning, paired with a fitted long-sleeved top, matching leather jacket and knee-high boots. Most surprising of all, she’d dyed her blonde hair black.

It was a completely different look for someone who usually preferred the soft, expensive rich-girl aesthetic, and the others had certainly noticed.

What none of them knew was that Karen had taken her inspiration from Aria Aspen.

The girl was almost always dressed in black or something rugged, and somehow, she’d managed to attract the attention of practically every powerful beast around her. Perhaps that was what they liked. Maybe sweet and fragile wasn’t enough to hold their interest. Either way, Karen intended to prove she could be just as tough when she wanted to be.

With her newfound confidence firmly in place, Karen crossed the room and opened the door, a greeting already waiting on her lips.

"Hello, Caelis."

And there he was.

If Caelis was surprised by her appearance, Karen couldn’t tell. A pair of dark square sunglasses concealed his eyes completely, and judging by how perfectly they sat on his face, she wouldn’t have been surprised if they were custom-made.

He wore a long midnight-blue overcoat that fell almost to his ankles over a fitted navy turtleneck, paired with charcoal trousers and dark leather boots. The colors were simple, but on him, they looked ridiculously expensive.

His silver hair had been left down tonight, hiding the tattoo Karen knew was behind his ear, while a single silver serpent ring curled around one finger. Caelis Cobryn didn’t look like someone attending an academy party. He looked more like a man who had arrived to quietly take ownership of it.

Cold, unapproachable and ruthlessly beautiful. Very much the Basilisk Prince.

"What’s with the glasses?" The question slipped from Karen’s lips before she could stop herself.

Surprisingly, he answered. "To limit casualties. I’m about to spend the night surrounded by animals who are bound to provoke me. Unless, of course, you’d prefer to see me leaving statues around campus."

Karen was tempted to tell him she wouldn’t mind. It would be exciting to see his power in action. Not to mention, there were a few girls she considered competition whom she wouldn’t mind seeing permanently turned to stone.

Instead she said, "Good choice." Then she added, "Let me get my purse."

Karen returned to the room to retrieve her purse, lifting her gaze to the girls whose fear was written boldly across their faces. But Karen didn’t care. She knew Caelis was dangerous. That was part of the appeal. There was something exhilarating about being beside a man everyone else feared, knowing she could prove that his danger wasn’t meant for her. Tonight, she would be the exception. The one he’d chosen.

Without looking back to see if the others were following, Karen stepped out and returned to Caelis. As agreed, she would be on his arm tonight. He extended it slightly toward her, and Karen immediately slipped hers through it before they started down the hallway.

The simple gesture filled Karen with such exhilaration that she lifted her head with pride and put a little more sway into her steps. It wasn’t long before the other serpents preparing for the party began to notice them, and whispers followed almost immediately.

"What is going on?"

"Why is that human hanging on the Prince’s arm?"

The whispers grew louder as more heads turned in their direction. Yes, let them look. Karen could already imagine how many of the women envied her, wishing they were the ones occupying the place at Caelis’s side. For once since arriving at Bestiaris, she felt like she was exactly where she belonged.

But then the nasty whispers began too.

"Such a slut. I knew it was only a matter of time before one of the humans tried to spread her legs for the Prince."

It was Nadia, that deranged cobra who had nearly bitten Karen the day she’d first come to House Ophidian.

Nadia stood off to the side with her usual trio, watching them pass with that annoying smirk Karen already wanted to slap off her face.

"Let her enjoy herself," Nagin added. "She probably thinks being on his arm makes her special. Someone should tell her serpent men are simply very good at keeping women entertained."

They laughed at her.

Karen’s nails dug into Caelis’s arm so tightly there was no way he couldn’t have felt it, but he gave no indication. His face might as well have been carved from marble. He didn’t slow down, or glance at Nadia and certainly didn’t come to Karen’s defense.

What Karen didn’t know was that Caelis had no intention of fighting this battle for her. If she wanted to remain at his side tonight, she would have to prove she could fight it herself.