One of his brothers had his throat torn out, the bloody gaping maw where it had been a vision of gore the sight of which made his innards shrink.

The other was lying on his side, but his vacant gaze sat above his chin that was resting on the back of his shoulder.

The creature did this in but seconds.

Barely a blink.

“There, there, dear,” the woman cooed, moving to the sniveling, scuttling offering who began cowering against the stone wall when she had the woman’s attention. “You’re safe. Come!” she called, and the girl they would have sacrificed that night jumped. “See to our new sister.”

The priest had shifted carefully away, but his back struck stone, and he realized he was stuck with no escape as a gaggle of women came forth out of an opening in the wall of this strange cave.

And dear gods, some of them were wearing Go’Ella shifts.

They started clucking and cooing over the terrified sacrifice as they helped her to her feet and took her back where they came.

“Now, you,” the woman stated.

On his arse, back to stone, he darted his eyes up to the woman.

The fair one was standing behind her but just to the side.

His face was sheer beauty.

His expression was chilling.

They both were looking at the priest.

“I should introduce myself,” she said, and he looked immediately back to her. “I am Marian. Mistress of the Beast.”

“Oh, my gods,” he breathed.

“Yes,” she grinned sassily “Didn’t see it playing out that way, did you?”

“Are you…did you…how…?” He couldn’t finish, and he couldn’t decide who to focus on.

Her.

Or his Beast.

Not his Beast, no.

Hers.

“Now, where shall I start?” she began, crossing her arms on her ample chest and leaning back a bit as if settling in to tell a long tale. “I hail from Wodell. We won’t talk about my early years. They’re miserable. I entered a profession I didn’t care for, opening my legs for men for a few coins. We won’t speak about that, as it’s dismal as well. I made the excruciatingly stupid decision to attempt to escape that life by becoming a Go’Ella.”

Oh no.

She suddenly threw her arms out to the sides and the priest flinched in fear at the abrupt movement.

“And now here I am,” she declared. She then lifted a hand and tapped the side of her chin with a finger before adding, “Oh, yes. And I’m a witch.” She indicated the creature behind her with a flick of her hand. “Apparently, a powerful one.”

“We are…these men you just murdered, we are servants of the Beast,” he shared.

“Oh,” she whispered, a gleam in her eye he did not like, “you will serve the Beast.”