Lord Siss opened his eyes, the amber irises narrowing into deadly vertical slits. The beautiful, delicate illusion of the young celestial scholar vanished entirely, replaced by the cold, ancient malice of a predator that had hunted in the dark for five centuries.
"Fascinating," Lord Siss hissed, his voice dropping an octave, echoing off the obsidian walls like the scraping of steel against stone.
The forked tongue flicked out again, tasting the air, savoring the bitter tang of their lies. The massive coils surrounding the hyenas suddenly constricted inward, stopping just inches from crushing their bones, pinning them in place.
