Page 59 of City of the Lost
She snorted. “I’m not a storybook villain, and I don’t intend to stand here and tell you all my secrets. I have no intention of satisfying your curiosity, and do you know why?” She didn’t bother waiting for my response. “Because I want you to go into death not knowing. I want you to die restless and unsatisfied. I want you to breathe your last breath knowing that your lover belongs to me.”
She thought Azren and I were lovers. She didn’t know about the weird connection we’d just shared.
She licked her lips, her eyes gleaming with glee. “You may have seduced him for a little while, but soon, he won’t even remember you existed. Soon, no one will even remember your name.”
She backed away, turned on her booted heel, and clipped into the shadows. Balen drifted closer and my muscles contracted in fear.
“Liege says Balen play. Balen break. You belong to Balen now.”
Ice flooded my veins, and the heat of adrenaline followed quickly in its wake. “No. You can’t do this.” But even as the words fell from my lips, I knew they were false. I’d done the one thing Valance and Azren had warned against. I’d revealed my true feelings for Azren to Elora and now all bets were off.
I could feel Azren beneath my skin, burrowed deep in my soul. Azren ... we’d connected somehow, and we’d seen the truth. Elora wanted me dead, but not just any death—she’d planned the most degrading and painful death. It was her revenge for taking Azren from her. For making him feel anything for me.
“Wila ... fight ...”Azren’s voice was in my head.
Azren.
Balen’s talons dug into my waist and a raw scream tore from my throat.
Argh!
Azren’s answering cry echoed in my head.
No. No, Wila. Fight.
“Sooo soft.” Balen ripped me open.
White lightning flashed before my eyes, and then darkness claimed me.
“Wake!”
My head lolled with each slap, teeth rattling. Dark spots danced before my eyes, pain laced through my head, and then my stomach was on fire. My scream was a hoarse cry.
“Fight,” Balen urged, his voice a pant. “Fight me.”
Fight, Azren had said. I needed to stay conscious. Pushing down the urge to puke and scream, I raised my head. My vision blurred and swam, his face coming in and out of focus.
“Take off the shackles, you fucker, and then let’s go a round.”
He threw back his head and laughed. His hand went down to his crotch and he massaged himself. “Fuck first.”
My stomach turned over. “Fight me, you bastard. Unless you’re scared you won’t win?”
His eyes flared and his awful mouth opened in a malevolent grin, all teeth and tongue. “Fight first, then fuck.” He rushed toward me, fingers fumbling at my wrists. His demon body pushed up against me, too close and rancid, and the shackles clanked to the ground.
It took a moment for it to register that I was free, and then my knees gave way and I hit the ground. A liquid inferno raced across my abdomen, and my hands came away sticky with blood. He’d torn me. How was I not dead?
I’m giving you my endurance, my strength ...
Gilbert.
I was alive because of Gilbert.
“Strong neph. Dirty mouth.” Balen kicked me in the stomach.
The breath whooshed out of me. Lungs shattering, burning, throat throbbing with the need to scream.
I’m with you. I—
