35- Passion

I smiled and tought about my last hours, being in arms with a Lycan, glanced at Daniel and made sure

that he was really okay. But he wasn't, so she took him by the hand and the two of them

started running towards the port. They had to cross the entire beach from end to end. From time to time they looked up, watching the fireworks

show.

Mia pushed off of Leo Lycan, and his body skidded with a

slick, sickening sound before landing face-first on the dock.

She casually kicked the body, which rolled into the

water.

Mia wanted to scream or do something, but she barely managed to look,

shocked and horrified. Some of the blood had splashed on her, and it

still felt warm on her skin. She had tried to save him, but Negani had ripped

out his heart.

"That witch is a real pain," Ignacio said, sounding as stunned and horrified as

Mia. "We need to get out of here. Let's just say now."

"Exactly," Mia agreed.

Negani was busy licking the blood off her hand, so Mia thought

this would be the perfect time to escape. She grabbed Ignacio by the hand and they

turned around to run. But Negani circled around them so fast that Mia couldn't have gotten past her even if she wanted to. She ran so fast that they saw her as a blur of color. She

stopped in front of them.

"I'm very fast," Negani told them, with a cheerful smile. "This is what happens

when you eat a lot, Mia. You get faster and stronger and better. Too bad you

didn't follow my advice when I told you to eat, huh?"

"That doesn't make you any smarter, though, does it, Negani?" Mia asked.

Because otherwise, you had to be pretty stupid before you became a mermaid.

"Look who's talking, someone who's about to die," Negani said. "Here you go.

Let's be fair. Eat it."

She held out her hand with Leo Lycan's heart towards Mia, who had to work hard

not to gag.

"I'm not going to eat it," Mia said. "I'm not going to be one of you."

-Actually, I don't have lives and reincarnations to eat either. - Negani looked at the

heart and sighed. - Oh well. - He threw it back and it landed on the dock, where it

bounced once before falling into the water. - Anyway, it's about time for you to

die.

And then Ignacio lunged at Negani. Mia wasn't sure if he heard

what she said or if he'd just had enough. He hit him, but

Negani knocked him away, sending him sprawling backwards onto the dock.

- You know what would be hilarious? - Negani sounded excited as Mia

ran to help Ignacio. - Since you two like each other so much, it would be hilarious if he

was the one to kill you. Or at least try to. I doubt he'd be able to finish the

job, but I'd have a good laugh watching him try.

-Look how crazy you are... -said Mia-. Seriously, Negani, you are a morbid harpy.

-Oh, thank you. - Negani winked at her, and when she spoke again, her voice came out in the form of a song: Ignacio, weary traveler, my voice is the way. Ignacio, my young love,

do as I tell you.

In his apparent confusion, Ignacio let go of Mia's hand and walked toward Negani.

Mia called out his name, but he ignored her and followed the song into Negani's arms.

She smiled at Mia as she hugged Ignacio. With one arm she wrapped around his

shoulder, and with the other she stroked his hair, combing it back. She leaned toward him, as if she were going to kiss him, and when Ignacio came closer, she pulled away and

laughed.

-Oh, this is too easy to be fun, Negani said, looking at Mia from the corner of his eye.

-No, Ignacio, don't listen to her, Mia said. He had wrapped one arm around Negani's waist, and she saw him reach into his back pocket to take out

something. -Ignacio. Don't listen to her. I love you.

-Ignacio, my love, Negani said, in the most seductive tone he could muster. I want you to

kill Mia.

Just before Negani's lips touched his, he raised his arm, opened his

knife, and stabbed Negani right in the heart. He pressed it against him so he could

stick the knife in deeper.

-What the hell...? - Negani asked, his eyes wide from the impact.

-Earplugs, Ignacio said simply, and turned back to where Mia was.

Negani stepped back, her palms open. She was still shocked and

dazed. She started to cough, and Mia took Ignacio's hand and squeezed it hopefully.

"You're a stupid witch!" Negani spat blood and then pulled out the knife.

"Well, I guess that doesn't kill them, then," Mia said.

"Of course it doesn't kill me!" Negani screamed, her voice beginning to change,

losing its velvety quality and sounding like a demon's.

"It just makes me angry!" Her eyes changed, losing their usual bright blue color and becoming

an eerie green, and their size increased until they were almost too big to fit in her face. Her teeth became sharper. Suddenly, several rows of them grew, one after the other, protruding like saws from her still-human lips. The last thing that changed was the arms,

which lengthened, and then clawed fingers sprouted.

Negani had started to transform into a bird, but stopped halfway

through the process. The beast with all its attributes