Page 64 of Illusory

“Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty,” he called jovially into the darkened cell.

Jesus H. Christ. Cringing harder than I’d ever cringed before, I lifted my arm and was just about to ram my elbow into Dominic’s kidney when I heard thesoundand froze.

The sound of Trace’s deep growl rumbling out from the darkened corner of the cell, its deadly trill ringing in my ears as all the hair on my body stood on end.

“Getherthe fuck out of here.Now,” he growled like it was the one and only warning he was going to give us.

Smarter, saner people would have heeded his warning and left, but of course, we were nothing of the sort.

20. UNCAGING THE BEAST

It took my eyes several seconds to adjust to the lack of light before finally spotting Trace at the far end of the cell. Beautiful in his self-imposed prison, and murderously furious. Even though I couldn’t see his eyes from where I was standing, I instinctively knew that the blacks of his eyes were already violently fighting to swallow up the blue.

“Nice to see you too, Romeo,” said Dominic, ignoring Trace’s warning as he pulled me up to his side and smiled coyly like this was some kind of casual call. “You’re looking…well, you’ve certainly seen better days.”

“Did you hear what I said?” snapped Trace, the feral sound of his voice letting me know that he was hanging on by a measly thread. “Get her out of here!”

“Actually, I thought we might stay for a while. Care to come out of your hidey hole and join us?”

“What?” hissed Trace as I nearly toppled over from shock and embarrassment.

“Alright, that’s enough,” said Gabriel, back in front of Dominic’s face as if to block him from getting any closer to Trace. And thank God for that. Dominic had clearly lost his ever-loving mind. “What is the meaning of this? What exactly are you trying to do here?”

“We’ve done this your way long enough, brother.”

“Donewhatmy way?” asked Gabriel, his gaze resting heavy on Dominic.

“She needs his help, and she isn’t going to get it if they spend the rest of their lives in separate rooms.”

“He isn’t ready,” informed Gabriel, folding his arms along his chest as if that were the end of it.

Sounds good to me.

I turned to circle back and leave, but Dominic grabbed my arm and yanked me back beside him. “And he never will be if he keeps sucking back those donor bags of yours.” Dominic paused as if something had just occurred to him. “If that’s even what you’re giving him,” he said as he took a languid step toward his brother. “Please tell me you haven’t been subjecting him to animal blood all this time.”

“As shocking as it may seem to you, not everyone wishes to become a bloodthirsty monster,” retorted Gabriel, making Dominic laugh in response.

“That may have worked for you, but the rest of us need something with a little more meat—”

“Help with what?” asked Trace, halting Dominic’s monologue and drawing his focus back to himself. He was still standing in the makeshift prison and looked as though he had no intention of moving from there. Like ever again. But his eyes, they were singing a different tune entirely.

Dominic shoved his brother aside again and then ambled toward the steel bars while I hung back next Gabriel. Where it was safe. “She needs to learn how to port and you’re going to teach her.”

I cringed at his horrible delivery.

“I can’t do that,” answered Trace, his baritone voice as firm and far-reaching as a slamming gavel.

“This isn’t optional.”

“Do you want me to shred her to fucking pieces?” snapped Trace. “I’m telling you Ican’tdo it.”

“Certainly not if you continue following Gabriel’s protocol,” said Dominic, his tone letting everyone know he’d had just about enough of that plan. “But we’re going to do this my way now.”

“And what exactly isyour way?” asked Gabriel as hewalked up to Dominic, his dark hair falling across his forehead and shading his eyes while I continued to stand a great many feet away from all three of them.

“We satiate his appetite.”

Gabriel made a growl-like sound at the back of his throat. “You aren’t seriously suggesting we let him openly feed on her?” he ground out, his revulsion ringing heavy in his tone. “He’ll drain her.”

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