Revealing the Monster (Playing with Monsters #4) by Amelia Hutchins

She may have been bat shit bonkers, but Erie was beautiful chaos in motion, and for all her flaws, she had a heart unmatched in pureness. But her craziness guaranteed that you didn’t want to get on her other side, the one that made her your enemy.





Chapter Twenty-Four




And though she is little, she’s big insane. ~Erie



Erie bounced across the dancefloor, making a beeline for me. When she was close enough, she threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. I laughed loudly at her tight hug, followed by lifting me from the ground before setting me back down. The sound of my laughter was carefree until I brushed against the leather of the top she wore.

Leaning back, I smiled at her, wrinkling my nose. Her wide, bright blue eyes studied my face, slowly roving over it before she patted my arm.

“I need a drink!” she shouted, even though I could hear without her screaming over the music. “You want one?”

I nodded, allowing Erie to drag me back to the bar where my guards waited for us. The moment she’d gotten close to me, they’d stepped back, which I was certain Lucian had instructed.

Sitting on one of the unoccupied stools, I turned as she wiggled her nose and changed her outfit with magic. Sliding my gaze around those nearest to where we sat in the corner, I frowned.

Magic was forbidden on this level. Usually, when the club sensed magic, wards exploded in a warning. Lucian had safeguarded the humans, ensuring that they couldn’t have their free will or choices altered by the influence of magic. The food and drinks from the lower floors wouldn’t pass through the threshold to the upper levels, either.

Once I was certain no one had noticed or planned to freak out over it, I slid my attention back to Erie. She was leaning halfway over the counter, with the bartender’s shirt bunched in her hand, twisted into her fist. He was leaning back, his wide, horrified eyes almost comical as she shouted our drink order to him.

I could have taken pity on the poor guy, but he was the same asshole who’d gone to Lucian after I’d given him a list of supplies I needed for opening night. I smiled at him, but it was all teeth, letting him know he was on his own. Turning back to the dancefloor, I watched Lucifer lean against the wall, staring at me with an expression that made a shiver rush up my spine.

His chin dipped, and a sinfully beautiful smile played on his mouth. It was weird to see him pretending to be Lucian once more. I had nightmares of him masquerading as Lucian after that first time. But lately, they’d turned into a fantasy.

“Don’t look at it, and it will go away,” Erie snorted, her vibrant stare following mine to where Luc watched us from afar. “He won’t dare get close to me. Lucifer knows I am hunting him and have been for a while now.”

“Why are you chasing him?” I asked, interested in knowing why Erie was after the Devil. “Does he have something you need or want?”

“It’s personal.” She smiled, but it was sinister. “I have someone he wants, and he has something that belongs to me. Plus, I have decided I’d look better on his throne than he does.” She shrugged, causing me to open my mouth, then close it, dumbfounded.

“You’re going to take the throne—of Hell—from the Devil?” I rapidly spat the question. My brows shot up while she snorted.

“Yes, of course. They’re paired. And who better to become the Queen of Hell than me? I’m perfect for the position.” The way she said it, it was matter-of-fact, as if she’d been working a while on the reasons she’d be an excellent fit for the job.

The bartender returned with our drinks and placed them in front of us. I closed my eyes, inhaling the heady scent of ambrosia. The drink smelled of heaven, even though the hangover would be more hell than anything else. I picked up the cup, downing it in one gulp as Erie chuckled.

“I was going to ask how you’ve been, but I think you just answered me,” she snorted, holding up her cup to clink it against my empty one. She chugged hers while studying the bartender. “He doesn’t seem as if he enjoys working here.”

“He and I don’t get along right now. Lucian tasked me with opening the lower level. The bartender decided to go through Lucian to double-check that he was okay with my selections, even though I was charged with organizing,” I explained, extending my cup while holding his stare. “Refill it, or you’re going to need to explain to Lucian how you ended up headless on the upper level.” His green eyes widened and dropped to the empty glasses we held out.

He retrieved them, refilling each with the glowing blue liquid, before hurrying off. Wrapping my hands around the cup, I turned back to Erie, who studied me. Chewing my lip, I fidgeted under her watchful eye.

“Do you hear that?” she asked, cocking her head to the side. “It’s like a buzzing sound.”

My cheeks heated with embarrassment. I hid it behind the glass, drinking deeply of the ambrosia. It was one drink an immortal could actually achieve a buzz from, or if you drank enough, you’d get fall-down drunk on the stuff. Either would be welcome tonight.

Three glasses deep, we were back on the dancefloor pulsing with the crowd, dancing to Machine Gun Kelly’s I Think I’m Okay. My head swam with the buzz I’d achieved, and a smile played on my lips. I lifted my arms with Erie’s, and we swayed our bodies, bobbing our heads to the beat. Belting out the words, we laughed as people moved away from us, giving us room to let loose.