“Soon, Thugater, all will be revealed,” a hauntingly familiar voice echoed through my mind. That word, Thugater, I’d been called that before. It had been whispered to me, in my mind, just like this. Almost those exact words. The male voice was low and deep, lyrical and it was just on the tip of my tongue, the edge of my thoughts to identify who spoke.
“And how are you this morning, my little prized Nephilim?” Adrianna asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm and a hint of mirth as she drew me out of my reverie.
“Ready to kill you,” I smiled sweetly from my place in the corner of the room. My arms wrapped tightly around my knees, I had them drawn up to my chest. I’d been huddled in the corner the entire time. I could observe everything from my position in the corner and no one could get behind me.
“Oh, that is just rich baby girl. As if you could ever touch me.” She swept her platinum blonde hair away from her neck in an exaggerated gesture. Her smile was all predatory, her fangs visible from over her red highlighted lips. Her nails were painted the same red shade and I had no idea how she even functioned with nails that long. They matched the wrap dress that she wore, with a ridiculously low neckline that I was surprised her breasts didn’t spill out with every move. I did everything I could to avoid looking down into her cleavage. Or gag.
This woman disgusted me. Everything about her made my skin crawl and bile creep up my throat. I fought to school my features as I looked at her. “You would be surprised what I can do,” I muttered, my blue eyes flashing at her as she took several steps toward me.
“No, I’m not, because I’ve stolen your powers and you’re completely drained. There’s nothing you can do to hurt me.” She knelt in front of me and raked those blood red claws down my face. Blood welled from the wounds and dripped down my cheek. “You’re mine to toy with, decedent of Xandrios. You will be our sacrifice to him. A sacrifice to return him to his former glory. But I’ll have a lot of fun torturing you before we get to that point.” Her smile was cruel, those evil eyes glistening with hideous intent.
“You’ll never break me, you bitch,” I spat in her face and watched in triumph as the spittle dripped down her perfectly pale cheek. The smile on my face didn’t last.
My head suddenly snapped to the side, the echo of her palm as it cracked across my face reverberating through the small cell. “You’ll pay for that smart little mouth of yours,” Adrianna seethed as she wiped away the spit from her face. “You’ll not always be so smart, girl. Once I have full control over your mind and have that mate of yours in my possession, you won’t be so keen on spitting in my face.”
I jerked forward. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before you get Vincent. You’ll never touch him.”
She threw her head back and laughed, her blonde hair bouncing with the movements. “That is so rich. You think you know what’s going on here? You have no clue, little girl.” She roughly grabbed my face in one palm at the chin, her fingers squeezing my cheeks together painfully. “You’ll be reduced to a sniveling mess, just like the rest of them when I’m done with you.”
“Never,” I choked out. I needed to retain my sense of defiance with this monster until the bitter end. I would never give up. Would never stop fighting her until I drew my final breath and the last drop of blood left my body. She needed to be shown that she couldn’t win. We would defeat her. Together, Vincent, Nicolae, Layla, the rest of the council, and I would bring the final death to this woman once and for all.
She had tortured enough. Had driven enough people mad with her quest for vengeance and blood lust. It all ended with me. I would be the catalyst that would finally bring her to her knees.
Now I finally understood why I was here. Why Layla insisted that I be captured and brought into the facility. To bring it down from the inside. We would destroy them. We would finally make them pay for all that they had done to the world.
Layla’s mind brushed mine, feeding me the lightest form of reassurance. It told me that I was on the right track. “Don’t push her too hard; she’ll snap and then there’ll be nothing I can do to bring her back once she has jumped over that ledge.”
Of course, Layla had a pragmatic reason for entering my thoughts. To tell me to chill the fuck out and to stop provoking Adrianna. A good thing to be reminded of, but I wasn’t one to back down easily. I despised bullies of any kind and Adrianna was one of the worst people to ever walk this planet.
Those emerald green eyes sharpened as I flicked my gaze over to Layla. A warning. A big one at that. I was starting to tread on thin ice and needed to back down because I could ruin the entire plan. Okay, for that I could see the need to give up.
“Layla,” Adrianna said harshly and snapped her fingers. “The collar.”
The blood drained from my face, my breathing increased, and my pulse thundered inside of my chest. Not the collar. There was no doubt in my mind what collar she referred to. It had to be the same one that Antionette had snapped around my neck when I had been captured by The Syndicate the first time.
“This one isn’t live. But you’ll need to act as though it is. This is all about trust, Lorelei. I’m trusting you. You must trust me.” Layla stepped forward and snapped the metal device around my neck. The click of the mechanism sliding into place made a chill run down my spine.
The vicious memories threatened to claw their way to the surface of my consciousness. My body trembled as the sensations washed over me, as if it was only yesterday. The metal heating to blistering temperatures. My skin on fire, burning as my entire body quaked from the intensity of the pain. I didn’t know if I was strong enough to handle it again.
“I told you, the device isn’t actually active.” Layla clenched her hands into fists at her sides but smiled serenely at her mother. The perfect double agent. “All set, Mother.” She handed Adrianna the remote. The exact same model as before.
The tendrils of a panic attack rose within me and I fought the urge to reach up and claw the collar from my neck. There was something not quite right about this whole situation. I couldn’t help the feeling of dread that coursed through me. Yet, what was more alarming was the way that the Eye tingled on my arm.
It was warning me of impending danger.
But the only thing I could do was to trust Layla. I was at her mercy. I had no more control over this situation than I did anything else in my life so far.
Forcing myself to take a deep breath in and out, I schooled my features, not letting the panic show on my face. It wouldn’t do any good to let Adrianna see how affected I was by the collar.
“Very good, Layla.” She smiled at her daughter, not a hint of warmth entering her icy features. The woman really was the coldest person I had ever seen in my entire life. Her calculating blue eyes studied the small remote and the smile turned into a lecherous grin.
“I’ve heard all about this fascinating device from Kristoff. Such a shame that Antionette was too weak to perfect the technology.” One red nail tapped against her cheek as her lips pursed to the side.
My brow furrowed in confusion as I thought over her statement. What did she mean that Antionette hadn’t perfected the technology? Had they made an enhancement to the collar since I last had one around my neck?
“Oh, you poor dear. I can see the wheels in your mind turning.” She cackled manically. “Yes, we’ve made many improvements on the collar since you were last here.” The remote flickered to life in her hands.
“Uh, Layla, is this part of your plan?” My panic started to rise again as I saw the slightest hint of doubt enter the Seraphim’s eyes.
“I’ve got this. If the collar didn’t trigger with—"
The thought was cut off as a wave of pure unadulterated agony swept through my entire body. Licks of fire singed my veins as lightning entered my system. Molten fire and white-hot lightning, all running through my system at the same time. I convulsed, my body going rigid as I flopped and jerked as if having a seizure.
This was so much worse. The worst possible agony tha
t I could endure. My conscious mind faded away as I fought to distance myself from the pain my body was experiencing.
Then, as quickly as it started, the collar ceased buzzing, the power fading along with the burning heat.
My muscles relaxed and I remained sprawled out on the ground. My breathing was ragged, sweat beading along my skin as I twitched from the aftershocks of the collar’s power.
“Ooo, that is so much more potent that I thought it was going to be,” Adrianna cooed at the remote, her body practically wiggling with glee before she turned to her daughter. A sinister presence filled the room, and I was able to tilt my head just enough to see Kristoff walk up behind Layla. Faster than the Seraphim could move, a collar was snapped around her neck and she retreated into the wall.
“Did you really think you could fool me, daughter?” Adrianna’s voice dripped with distain as she stalked toward Layla. Her hand reached up and cradled her daughter’s face, her nails biting into her skin as she jerked her head to the side.
“What I want to know is why are you helping this pitiful Nephilim? Do you want to keep all the power for yourself now, is that it?” Blood flowed freely from where Adrianna’s nails dug into Layla’s skin. Crimson fell down her pale face in rivulets, trickling over her neck to gather in the fabric of her shirt.
So, Adrianna didn’t know about Layla mating with Nicolae? My body sagged with relief. The link that I had to Layla was severed, our collars making any form of mental or psychic communication impossible without it triggering the devices. But I held out hope that Layla could manage to keep her mother on her toes.
“Adrianna,” Kristoff snapped. “Lock her in another cell. We have important matters to attend to.” The muscles in his jaw ticked as his flat, dark eyes cut over to me. Evil radiated out of him, his presence a blight on my soul. The memories of the torture I endured at his hands would never leave me. One day, I would be the one to kill him of that I was certain.
“Yes, we must extract all the information we can from that prophet we captured.” Adrianna smiled at me, her fangs gleaming in the low fluorescent lights as she ran her tongue along the sharpened points. “Yes, we have your poor pathetic uncle here too. He’s primed and waiting for me. We’re going to have a lot of fun together.”
Her head swiveled back to Layla. “You disappoint me. You’re no daughter of mine.” She huffed out a laugh. “The only reason I kept you around this long is because you were such a useful tool. But now that you’ve betrayed me…” she shrugged, the smile never leaving her face.
“Kristoff, I can’t even stand to touch her. Take her to the other cell.” Adrianna waved her hand and beckoned Kristoff forward to deal with her problems. With one last smirk in my directon, she was off in a flurry of movement.
Kristoff grabbed Layla’s arm in a rough hold, wiggling a remote in front of her face with his free hand. It was the twin to the remote that Adrianna had carried. This one must control Layla’s device. “You and I are going to have fun, Princess.” He sneered at Layla, causing her to whimper.
Light shone off Kristoff’s bald head, playing over the patterns of his raised scars. The scars and dead eyes that haunted my dreams since that fateful nightmare on my sixteenth birthday. I closed my eyes briefly and fought to keep the memories at bay. I was already screwed with the collar around my neck; I didn’t need to send myself into another spiral of despair.
Layla’s emerald eyes locked with mine, the depths of her regret lingering in every line etched into her face. Kristoff jerked her forward and turned his back to me, letting Layla mouth the words “I’m sorry.” Tears pooled in our eyes as she was dragged out of my cell. The door slammed shut behind her and left me alone with the memories of my past lingering in the air.
9
Vincent
Nicolae burst into my office the next day, making my hair stand on end at the ferocity of his appearance. His eyes were wild and his skin flickered to black as he tried to keep hold of his human form. Growls radiated out from his chest as horns sprang forth from his forehead. Large, black bat-like wings emerged from his back and spread out across the room while his lips curled into a snarl to reveal his elongated fangs.
“Nicolae, what the fuck is going on?” I bellowed, rising to my feet and slamming my hands down on the desk.
“Something’s wrong. My connection with Layla fizzled out. She’s gone, Vincent. I can’t feel her anymore.” Nicolae sounded crazed as he paced the length of the room. He kept muttering words in our ancient demonic language under his breath and his agitation grew.
“Nic,” I said again, calmly rising to my feet to approach him cautiously. “Tell me exactly what happened.” I lowered my voice an octave, wrapping it in a compulsion. The signs that he alluded to only led to one conclusion, but I needed to confirm it.
Layla had been collared.
What he described was the exact same sensations I experience when Lorelei was fitted with the device that cut off our connection. It blocked all her psychic abilities, making it so that if she drew on those powers it would cause her tremendous pain.
Nicolae continued his pacing as he tugged at his hair. His form started to solidify, the wings disappearing into his back and the horns vanishing from view. Only the razor-sharp black claws remained on the tips of his fingers. “One minute the pathway was in place.” He couldn’t meet my eyes, his gaze downcast as he stared at the carpeted floor. “I always know where she is. I reach out and touch her mind frequently.”
“It’s the same for me.” I laid my hand on his shoulder and squeezed in a gesture of comfort. “What was happening when it was severed?” I led him back to the conversation at hand.
He sighed and scrunched his eyes closed. “She was with her mother, visiting Lorelei in her cell. I don’t know exactly what was happening. Layla has to keep me at a distance when she’s with Adrianna.” He spat the woman’s name with so much venom I was surprised that there wasn’t a hole in the floor.
“Do you think Adrianna discovered something?” I asked rubbing my hand along my jaw.
Nicolae’s eyes flashed from red to black before they returned to their normal aquamarine shade. He clenched his jaw together, the muscles in his neck straining from the force. “She must have. All I felt was her panic before everything was suddenly cut off.” He pushed the heel of his palm against his eyes. “They collared her, Vincent. There’s no other explanation for the connection being severed so suddenly. I can’t reach her; I’ve tried everything.”
The sound of his voice cracking sent a pang of sorrow lancing deep into my heart. The utter dread and despair after losing that connection was not something many could handle. But Nicolae would be strong enough; I had no doubts.
“How do you stay sane? It’s been five minutes and I’m ready to destroy the entire world if it will bring her back to me.” Nicolae slunk down into the chair in front of my desk and lowered his head until it rested in his palms. “I haven’t been connected to her long, but I need her like I need the air in my lungs. The world is completely devoid of color now that she’s not present in my mind.”
I let out a deep exhale and pulled out the chair to the right of him. He wasn’t saying anything outlandish or anything that I hadn’t experienced myself. Twice in fact. But I never wished that feeling upon anyone, least of all my closest friend in the entire world. The demon that was my brother in every way except for blood.
“The only thing that I can tell you, my brother, is that we will find them. We will get them back. In our arms. In our beds. Then, we will destroy The Syndicate and make them pay for the loathsome things they have done to us and the entire supernatural world.” Conviction made my voice strong. Nothing would stop us from getting our mates back. I couldn’t wait to wrap my hands around Adrianna’s throat and watch her choke as I crushed her windpipe.
I wouldn’t kill her. No. I would leave that honor up to Nicolae and Layla, but I would have my fun with her first.
We needed to come up with a new plan of attack si
nce Layla was out of commission. And I needed to help Nicolae get his head back on straight so that he could he useful to us on this mission. A rogue Nightmare demon would cause more problems than it solved.
“Nightmare, I need you to listen to me closely.” I let a hint of a growl creep into my voice along with another compulsion. “You can’t fall into the depths of madness right now. Your mate needs you. Your people need you to stay strong and bury down your despair. Hold onto your fury. Let that drive and sustain you. Push you forward through our upcoming battle.”
Brilliant glowing aquamarine eyes met mine, unshed tears dancing in their depths. “I will, Aural.” It was rare that Nicolae ever addressed me by my formal demonic title, but he did now. “I will not let you down. I won’t let Layla or Lorelei down.” He nodded as resolve hardened his face.
“Good.” I gripped his bicep. “Now we need to tell Damius and Leo what happened and get an immediate game plan together. I don’t want them in that place a second longer than they need to be.” My hand pulled back from him.
“Agreed.” He inclined his head in agreement.
I pulled my phone out of my inner jacket pocket and dialed Damius to explain the situation.
Within five minutes, Leo, Damius, Adreon and Drya, Nicolae and I were all sitting around one of the smaller council conference tables. Well, Leo was currently pacing along the length of the wall while he stared up at his map and various projections for the area.
“I can act as bait,” Drya spoke up. All eyes turned to the succubus with curious expressions dancing across our faces. All traces of the drug had left her system, but she still looked like hell. Large dark circles decorated under her eyes, her skin was waxy and pale and didn’t wear a drop of makeup. Something that Drya wouldn’t be caught dead without whenever she left her house.
“Why would you want to do that?” Damius said with his arms crossed over his massive chest.
Embrace The Shadows (Shadows Ascending Trilogy Book 3) Page 7
