Thorn's heavy footsteps make us both flinch. “What’s happening?” Dion asks, and I don’t want to tell her. I can’t. If I do, he’ll realize there’s more to me than he knows.
“It is time for you both to stop fighting,” Thorn says, his voice full of anticipation. If I could see him right now, he’d be smiling. I’m sure of it.
The hiss of the blowtorch pulls a whimper from my lips, and the sudden burst of heat in the otherwise frigid room makes goosebumps prickle all over my body.
He waves the faery brand between us, the metal already glowing red hot. “I have perfected this over the centuries, my beautiful toys. Enchanted ink, the right amount of heat. This mark will bind you to me forever.”
I should end him now. Stop him from hurting Dion any more than he has. Maybe someone would find her? Sin has to be looking for us. For me. Fuck. I’m so scared.
“See her fear, Zoe,” Regina says, her voice close to my ear. “You will feel it, too.”
Thorn chuckles, and his influence prods me, tries to connect me with Dion, but he doesn’t have to. Regina’s words are enough for my own power to take over. I can’t focus enough to reach Thorn's mind, and Dion starts to scream.
“Dion,” I manage as the blowtorch snaps off and a strange scent fills the room. “Close your eyes. Please.”
Regina pulls Dion’s dirty black hair off her neck, whispering something into her ear, and Dion squeezes her eyes shut. I can’t, though. I have to watch. It’s my punishment for failing the last time. For falling in love with Sin and forgetting the reason I was created in the first place. I have to bear witness. I’ll honor my only friend by doing what I can to lessen the pain. Regina should have considered her words more carefully.
I’ll feel Dion’s fear. All of it. By taking a fraction of it away. Just enough that maybe, her broken mind won’t shatter into dust.
Her scream is like nothing I’ve ever heard. Pure hopelessness, agony, and despair. The stench of burned skin and of the enchanted ink makes me want to vomit, but I swallow it down and focus all my energy on her. Thorn holds the brand in place for what feels like an hour, but is probably only a minute or two, and when he pulls the metal away from her body and Dion opens her eyes again, they’re glazed over.
I try to sense her, to give her an ounce of comfort, but...it’s like she’s gone. Like the woman she was no longer exists. Her thoughts...they’re all focused on Thorn. On serving him. On being whatever he wants her to be.
Oh, shit.
This mark will bind you to me forever.
He didn’t mean we’d be seen as his. That others would view the tattoo as a mark of ownership. He meant our minds would be bound to his. The enchanted ink. It augments his power. His will. Fuck. If I’m not strong enough to resist him, this could be my last chance to send his consciousness to Hell.
I was so trapped in Dion’s fear and my own panic, I didn’t hear the blowtorch turn on again. Didn’t smell the burning ink. I gasp for breath, trying to focus my power, but Regina moves my hair aside and leans closer. “Accept his control, my dear. Let him in and stop fighting.”
The searing pain consumes me. My muscles struggle against the Fae’s compulsion, desperate to thrash, to do something to stop this agony, but my mind floats in a tranquil sea. I can hear myself scream, feel my throat burn.
I was supposed to do something. Something important. Wasn’t I? I had a purpose. A reason I was sent here.
“You are mine now, Zoe Dawes. Mine to control. Mine to own. Mine to use as I see fit. And I have so very many plans for you.”
Thorn's voice fills my thoughts, and I welcome him in. He’s my entire world. I exist only to please him.
Sin
We re-enter the mortal realm outside of Bureau headquarters, and when we reach the bullpen, we’re greeted by complete chaos. Kunchin is yelling at the commander, Amber and the other witches are hunched over a map of the city, pouring all of their magic into scrying for Zoe, and everyone else is on the phone, working their contacts.
“Listen up!” I shout, and all eyes turn to us.
“Where the fuck have you been?” Commander Eve screeches. “It’s been three days, Sinclair! For all we know, Zoe’s dead already, and you’ve been doing God-knows-what with...who the hell is this?”
“The Almighty knows exactly what Sinclair has been doing,” Gabriel replies, a touch of boredom in his tone. His wings unfurl, and a collective gasp comes from the room. “He’s been with me, trying to sort out this mess.”
“And you are?” Eve asks.
Straightening his shoulders, Gabriel arches a brow. “I am the Archangel Gabriel, and we have a great deal of work to do. Zoe Dawes is not human, and she has been given a terrible burden to bear. She is the only one who can stop Thorn, but in order to do so, she must die along with him. If you do not want that to happen, you will all listen up and do exactly as I say.”
“Sinclair?” Commander Eve reaches out and clasps my shoulder, her talons digging into my torn leather coat. “Tell me you didn’t abandon her.”
“Did you not hear me, shifter?” Gabriel says.
I wave him off and meet the commander’s gaze. “I would never abandon Zoe. She and I...we loved one another once. In another life. One she does not remember. But I do, and I will fight for her until I have nothing left to give.”
“And you trust this…archangel?”
My snort earns me a glare from Gabriel, but I ignore him and focus on Eve. “With my life. And Zoe’s. He is an asshole, but he is an honorable one.”
She takes a step back, pursing her lips. “All right, then.” Sweeping her arm to encompass the whole bullpen, she sighs. “Go ahead, Gabriel. Tell us what to do.”
“Sinclair needs to make a phone call. The rest of you? We have to identify at least four—preferably eight—of the worst, depraved, and richest demons in this area and put them under surveillance. The sun sets in what? Three hours?”
Eve nods.
“By then, we must know their whereabouts and be able to take them down on a moment’s notice. Thorn and his minions will move the women to another location this evening. Once there, he will collect exorbitant sums of money from a small group of these demons and let them terrorize his victims until dawn. Then, he will return to his heavily warded stronghold. If we do not find them tonight, the chances of rescuing any of them alive diminish greatly.”
I cannot stand to hear him speak so dispassionately of Zoe’s suffering, so I head for Eve’s office and shut the door. The conversation I need to have now requires privacy.
“Sin?” Mad’s sleepy voice is full of concern. “It’s the middle of the bloody night. What’s wrong?”
“I need you, brother. You and your witch.”
“Warlock,” Killian slurs, clearly listening in. Of course. They’re in bed together.
“Fine. Warlock,” I say. “Get here in the next three hours, and Killian can call himself whatever he wants. Lord of all magic? King of the witches? Ruler of all creation? I do not give a fuck.“
Sheets rustle, and Killian groans as Mad says, “Hang on, Sin.”
I do, for all of two minutes, pacing the whole time. I am about to start cursing my own brother’s name when he and Killian appear in front of me. Staggering back, I hit Eve’s desk and have to brace myself so I do not land on my ass.
“Fuck. When you said ‘hang on,’ I did not think—“
Maddox pulls me into a tight embrace, and I return the gesture, an unfamiliar burning sensation in my eyes and a lump in my throat. “I know you, Sin,” Mad says quietly. “You are not one to ask for help unless there is no other way.”
With my brother’s arms around me, I cannot hold my emotions in any longer, and a hoarse sob escapes before I can speak again. “There is no other way.”
Mad draws back to stare at me. “So, what do you need?”
I turn to Killian. I have never met the man, but Mad discovered video chatting a few months ago, and he was eager to have me virtually “meet” h
is fated mate. Killian’s eyes are kind, but slightly wary.
From my experience, witches are attuned to evil, and Killian will surely sense my demon side.
“Warlock, do you have much experience with transfiguration?”
Killian’s brows shoot up, and he whistles. “Transfiguration spells are some of the most dangerous—and unstable—spells in existence. Why do you need to appear to be someone else?”
“Not only me. The three of us…and the archangel Gabriel. We must impersonate four of the most depraved demons in town, infiltrate an auction where the most powerful incubus in all of history sells his victims for sport, and rescue the woman I love.”
Rubbing his hands together, Killian offers me a wry smile. “All right, then. Sounds like a bloody good time.”
Thirty-One
Zoe
The cold water shocks me awake, and I scream and thrash, tearing the wounds on my back open. But the pain brings a moment of clarity, and I’ve had few of those since Thorn branded me.
His influence ebbs as two of his men take me by the arms and hold me up while Regina hoses me down. I don’t know where my red blouse went. Or my panties. I’m completely naked now, and the frigid deluge makes me shiver. Across the room, Dion sits meekly, dressed in a white silk gown. Her black hair gleams in the light from the Edison lamps around this, the largest cavern I’ve seen since I was taken.
I’m turned enough for Regina to spray down my back, and now, I can see Dion’s eyes enough to try to sense her thoughts. It takes me forever to find any part of her. It’s like she’s cowering in the back of a massive cave, afraid of the monsters guarding the entrance.
“Hold on for me, Dion. Please.”
She flinches once, and her consciousness flares, but quickly fades away. It’s enough, though. If I can send Thorn to Hell, maybe she’ll be able to fight her way back.
The faery tattoo flares, and I can feel my awareness slipping from my grasp. Fighting him takes everything I have in me, and my knees buckle.
The next thing I know, I’m wearing a dress identical to Dion’s, sitting next to her with another woman, the girl with frizzy hair who disappeared the night Sin went to Loup Noir. I don’t risk turning my head to look into her eyes. Not yet.
A fourth woman is being hosed down now, and a fifth stands stock still waiting for her turn. The auction won’t take place down here. They’ll move us to another location. With only three human men in his thrall, plus Regina, there’s no way Thorn will risk us being awake and aware. He’ll drug us, I’m sure.
“This looks like a fresh needle mark. Made less than twelve hours before she died.” Dr. Breslin’s words rattle around in my head. Of course.
The drugs will make it harder for me to resist his influence. But once he hands me over to one of his customers, he’ll relinquish control. If he doesn’t, he won’t be able to feed off of my terror. That will be my best chance.
I know his mind. I’ve been in it before. But can I latch on to his consciousness from a distance?
He’s had me for days. I’m so physically weak, I can barely stand. I won’t be able to fight off another demon to get to him.
A soft touch to my pinky draws my focus, and I lower my eyes to see Dion’s hand pressed to mine. She’s still in there. Fighting along with me.
I have to preserve my strength, but I can’t let Dion think she’s alone. Snagging her finger, I squeeze lightly, and the corner of her mouth twitches for a second.
I’ll get her out of this. I can do this one thing. Save one person, even though I’ll lose myself in the process. Taking a risk, I meet her gaze.
“When you get free, find Sin. And tell him I loved him.”
A single tear rolls down her cheek. She knows now. I don’t intend to survive this. I can’t. But she will. As will Sin.
Sin
Darkness blankets the area around an old, abandoned power house at Hunter’s Point Naval Shipyard. The lights from the city are as bright as any moon, but they fade into darkness around the multi-story cement structure.
“Well, that’s a rubbish spell if I’ve ever seen one,” Killian mutters. “No finesse. It’s like he’s not even trying.”
At my side, Mad stifles a snort. “For a witch who couldn’t cast a spell a year ago, you’re terribly judgmental now, love.”
“I could cast any spell I wanted,” Killian replies. “I just didn’t want to blow up the entire world in the process.”
“This is supposed to inspire confidence?” The two of them banter endlessly, the kind of back and forth that only comes from mutual love and respect. I want that. I ache for it. With Zoe. I hope to all that is holy I will get that chance.
“My witch can do anything.” Mad presses a kiss to his mate’s cheek and then straightens his jacket. “Including turn me into an Asmodeus demon. For at least a few hours.”
The Bureau came through. Sixteen demons identified, tracked, and monitored for hours until seven of them started heading for Hunter’s Point. It took every agent to bring down four of them. Two Asmodeus demons, known for their unbridled lust and insatiable sex drives, a half-Fae, half-incubus, and a direct descendent of the Lord of Greed himself, Mammon.
Killian draws symbol after symbol in the air, then starts chanting softly to himself. Magic swirls around us, and my skin prickles as the spell takes hold. When I look at our group, I cannot help but gape. Mad and Killian are nearly twins. Reddish skin, well-muscled bodies, mostly naked save for tight, black trousers that end mid-calf and highlight their wide feet.
“Ew,” Mad says, but even his voice has changed. Deep and rumbling, it matches his bulk.
Gabriel reaches up with long, claw-like fingers to touch the two sets of horns protruding from his forehead. “If we are not successful, I trust you will be able to wipe all memory of this moment from our minds, warlock.”
“If this all goes pear-shaped, we’ll be dead, so I doubt that’ll be an issue.” Killian shrugs his now massive shoulders, and I stare down at my hands. Still mostly human in appearance. Fae can take many forms, and the small wings protruding from my shoulder blades feel foreign, but my mouth has not changed shape, my vision is unaltered, and when I take a step towards the power station, I feel...almost myself.
“This is not what I imagined we’d be doing today, luv,” Killian says as he and my brother fall into step behind me.
“What? Saving the world?” Mad chuckles, but it sounds more like a roar than a laugh. “Better than what you had planned for us. Cleaning out the basement?”
“At least in the basement, we’d have been alone,” Killian says. “And naked.”
Mad sighs. “Bloody hell. Sin, this had better work.”
It will. It has to. Or I will not survive it.
We’re met at the door by the missing human, Gregory. “Your names?” His voice holds no inflection, and the dead, haunted look in his eyes is one I know well. There is nothing left of his mind. No independent thought. He broke long ago, and his consciousness belongs only to Thorn.
Mad and Killian go first, and Gregory holds out a small tablet. “Your fee is thirty thousand dollars, paid up front. Enter your transfer details now.”
We prepared for this, and Mad signs away a chunk of my fortune, as do I, followed by Gabriel, and finally, we are allowed to pass. Once inside, Mad and his warlock make their way to the front of the room, with Gabriel heading left. I weave my way through a small gathering of other demons—most only here to watch—until I am positioned to the right of a raised dais that remains suspiciously devoid of all activity.
“There is ancient magic at work here,” Killian says quietly over the comms devices we each have in our ears. He throws his arm around Mad, and the two of them stumble purposely towards the empty space until they appear to hit an invisible wall, then get themselves under control and step back. “If this Thorn is here with the women, they’re behind this ward.”
“Keep your voices down,” Gabriel hisses. “If we show our hand too early, this will
all be for naught.”
He needn’t have worried. Seconds later, the ward vanishes with a gust of wind, and all eyes turn to the front of the room.
Fuck. Zoe stands immediately to Thorn's right, with Dion, the panther, on his left. Six women in total. Including the one I failed to save at Loup Noir. They are all dressed in identical white silk sheaths that leave nothing to the imagination, and wear the same blank stares.
My heart, which I did not think could shatter any further, turns to dust. We wasted too much time in the celestial realm. Three days? How could I expect her to fight him for three days? I killed her. I did not break her mind, but I killed her all the same.
I can almost hear each piece of my soul crumble and fall until Thorn starts to speak, and his voice...it still holds sway over me, even after all these centuries.
“Welcome all,” he says with a flourish of his hand and a small bow. “This will be a night you will surely remember for all of your existence. Six of you—well, seven—“ he says with a nod at Mad and Killian, “—have procured the use of my exquisite creations. In just a few moments, I will release their minds, and you will have until dawn’s first light to do anything you desire with them and to them. I have only one rule. They must still be alive when you return them to me.”
A massive demon with deathly pale skin stretched so tightly over his muscles I am surprised he can move, huffs in displeasure, but the rest of the crowd is silent.
“Those of you who were not fortunate enough to garner a winning bid may observe. Individual playrooms are on the upper floor, all warded to prevent the women from escaping. My mark,” Thorn says as he grabs Zoe’s arm and spins her around, “is what will stop them, so please do not destroy it.”
Rage consumes me, drowning out all other thoughts, all emotion. He branded her, beat her, and bloodied her. The gown’s plunging back reveals the wounds, barely healed, and in the lights bathing the dais, the faery tattoo shimmers and flares to life.
Turning her to face the crowd once more, Thorn grins, revealing his sharp, yellowing teeth. “Who shall be the first?” he calls out.
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