Page 41 of The Prospect's Succubus
Jasmine didn’t answer. She just watched Sera with the wariness of a cat introduced to a new dog.
Kane headed for the kitchen, leaving us alone. Sera crouched at the arm of the couch, not too close. “May I?” she asked.
“Knock yourself out,” Jasmine said. “Just don’t touch.”
Sera smiled, all teeth and precision. She raised her hands, palms out, and hovered them an inch above Jasmine’s skin. She traced the air over the wound, then along the veins that spideredfrom it, and then up toward Jasmine’s neck. Her head cocked, like she was listening to a frequency only dogs and demons could hear.
“Interesting,” Sera murmured. “You’re right, it’s spreading. But the energy’s… off. Almost like there’s an echo.”
I watched her, not trusting a single gesture. “You see anything I don’t?”
She didn’t look at me, still focused on the heat radiating off Jasmine. “I see three chains. That matches your intel.” Her hand drifted to within a hair of Jasmine’s breastbone. “But one of them is frayed. Almost broken. Like someone’s been chewing on the cord.”
Jasmine snorted. “That’d be him.” She flicked her gaze at me, then back to Sera. “Blood pact. Didn’t mean to make it messy.”
Sera’s lips twitched, almost a smirk. “On the contrary, it’s the only reason you’re not dead.” She turned to me, and even without sight, her stare pinned me to the wall. “The blood bond between you two is interfering with the Hell chain. I’ve never seen a hybrid effect like this.”
I shrugged, pretending I wasn’t rattled. “Means what?”
Sera straightened, dusted off her hands. “Means we might have a shot at breaking the whole thing, if we can leverage the bond correctly. But we need to act before the third chain—the quota—finishes burning through.”
Kane wandered back in, mug of black coffee balanced in his fist. “She told me you were good, Sera. Didn’t mention you were a fucking wizard.”
Sera ignored him. She focused on Jasmine, who was now shivering, a sheen of pain sweat glossing her hairline. “I need to try something,” she said, and didn’t wait for permission.
She drew a line with her finger over the brand, then snapped her hand back. “It’s like electricity,” she muttered. “Lilith’s using you as an amplifier, not just a pawn.”
“No surprise,” Jasmine groaned. “She always said I’d make a better battery than a queen.”
Sera laughed, a soft, abrupt sound. “I believe it.” She turned to Kane. “I need salt, a knife, and something iron. Now.”
Kane dumped his mug, grabbed the kitchen caddy, and fished out a butcher knife. He handed it to Sera, handle first. She took it without hesitation.
I moved closer, not sure if I should be shielding Jasmine or Sera. “What’s the play?”
“Simple,” Sera said. “We cut her loose. Or at least weaken the last chain.”
She pricked her own finger with the blade, a drop of blood welling up. She smeared it over the brand, then sprinkled salt on the wound. Jasmine shrieked, the sound going higher than human, and for a second, the room lit up with a blast of ultraviolet. The mark writhed, then receded a half inch.
Sera slumped back, wiped her hands on her shirt. “That’s temporary. If we want a real fix, we need to transfer the contract.”
Kane whistled low. “You mean make her someone else’s problem?”
Sera nodded, deadly serious. “The only option is to reassign the contract to someone with a stronger blood claim. Preferably an equal.”
Jasmine’s eyes widened, and for the first time since all this started, I saw actual fear in them. “You mean—”
Sera nodded. “Yes. Him. You have to anchor the bond to Torch. Not as your master, but as your partner. It’ll split the risk, but it also dilutes Lilith’s control.”
I processed that. “And if it fails?”
Sera looked at me, blind eyes boring a hole through my forehead. “If it fails, you both go to Hell. Together.”
The room went silent, except for the drip of blood on Jasmine’s shoulder and the hiss of my own breathing. Kane set the coffee down, his hands shaking just a bit.
Jasmine managed a smile, lips trembling. “Well, that’s romantic.”
I grinned, or tried to. “Never said I wasn’t a risk-taker.”
