Page 58 of To Crave Truly

“Hmm, I don’t think you will,” he said softly, his lips brushing mine with every word.

I dug my nails in deeper, my arm trembling as I fought against the magic holding me back. I tasted his sharp hiss, a whisper of a caress against my mouth, and it was delicious. Something about causing him pain sent delight tiptoeing through my core.

I pulled my fingers from his chest, leaving little crescent moon shaped marks behind. “I’ll guess we’ll have to see, won’t we? And when the time comes, I’m going dance on your fucking grave.”

“Mmm, promises, promises.” He licked his lips, the tip of his tongue flicking against my mouth. He leant forwards, his nose brushing along the edge of my cheek until his wicked mouth met my ear. “I’m going to use every piece of you, Lori. There’ll be nothing left to even put in a grave for me to dance on.”

Anger burst through me, bringing with it my shadow magic. It was instinctual. Like taking a breath. I willed the shadow into a blade and hurled it at him.

His head snapped sideways, his long silver hair whipping around him. The room fell silent.

What had I just done? I didn’t even know. Couldn’t even replicate it if I wanted to. My magic seemed to have vanished, leaving me to face the repercussions on my own. My chest heaved as I waited, panic ebbing and rising. He couldn’t kill me yet; he still needed me.

But what about Jasper?

Oh, God, what had I done?

Mordecai slowly turned to look at me and I flinched at the murderous wrath burning brightly in his eyes.

But then I saw it.

A thin bloody line across his cheek.

I’d hurt him and I hadn’t felt the resistance like I did when I used my vampire side.

Holy fuck. Could my magic hurt him? Was it because the mage part of me had no link to the original three?

The hand at the back of my neck tightened and I winced at the pain as he pulled my head further back.

“You’ll pay for that,” he whispered. “But you won’t bear the punishment. No. That honour will go to your precious Jasper.”

“No. Punish me,” I pleaded, but he just laughed at me, his red eyes bright and wild.

He shouted for the guard to bring Jasper here and, in what felt like seconds, one of the guards was pushing Jasper to his knees.

“Slit his throat,” Mordecai ordered, his voice thick with rage.

“No!” I yelled, he’d barely finished healing. I slashed my talons at Mordecai, but he just laughed and dodged out of the way. But it didn’t matter. The guard followed his orders immediately, dragging a blade cleanly across Jasper’s throat. Then the guard left the room, leaving me alone with Mordecai.

Jasper’s hands flew to his neck, and I screamed when I saw the blood slowly ooze out of the wound. I tried to leap of the bed, but Mordecai pulled me back by my hair. My back slammed into his chest and his hand immediately grasped my throat.

“Look what you made me do, Lori. That’s your fault,” he snarled by my ear. His hand tightened around my neck, and I was pulled to my tiptoes.

“I hate you,” I forced out. I really did. I was glad he reminded me how much of a monster he was. It would make killing him so much easier.

He flicked his tongue against the side of my neck. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.”

I shuddered, repulsed by him. “Fuck you.”

“Not really my kind of thing, little one.” He walked us forwards until my toes were standing in Jasper’s blood. He looked up at me from the floor with pain and fear in his eyes and I would give anything to get rid of Mordecai right this very moment. But I wasn’t strong enough. I was useless and all I could do was stand there and watch as Jasper fought for his life.

“Come on, where are you?” I asked my demon. “Help me.”

She stirred from deep in my mind. Let me have control.

I froze. I hadn’t let her take control since I first arrived down here with Mordecai, and it had been a bloodbath. “Can you save him?”

No. But I can get us out and then you can save him.

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