Chapter 182

“Luca,” Dominic said calmly, “clean it up.” “Yes!” Sloane snapped back to her senses. She quickly pulled away from his arms and turned toward the spot where the python had appeared. The massive snake, thick as a man’s thigh, now lay limp, its head drooping, its entire body slack like a length of wet rope. Luca bent down, lifted it, and walked step by step toward Edward. The sharp, fishy stench followed the corpse, making people instinctively nauseous. Even Edward, seasoned and worldly as he was, went pale at the sight. Margaret, who had moments ago still felt smug, was now genuinely shaking with fear, clinging tightly to Edward’s back. Evan lowered his head and retreated, hiding behind a tree. Yet he still couldn’t resist glancing over repeatedly, his eyes full of unease. With a heavy thud, the snake’s enormous body was tossed at Edward’s feet. The impact knocked the cane from his hand. His body shook violently, and he barely managed to remain standing through sheer force of will. He o