Page 16 of To Crave Deeply
“Her Majesty will see you now,” Elias stated before leading us into the room and presenting us to the Witch Queen.
She was a vision of loveliness wrapped in lilac taffeta and glistening trimmings. Her black hair sat in a pile of curls atop her head behind the biggest crown I’d ever seen. That gaudy monstrosity couldn’t possibly be comfortable to wear. The thing must weigh a tonne with all those amethysts standing proudly between those purple diamonds. Such rare jewels prominently displayed made me sick to my stomach. I could tell they were real. There was no mirage surrounding those precious gems and I wondered how many people had died trying to find those perfectly coloured diamonds just so they could sit atop that pretty little head.
“Welcome to my home. Please sit,” she said gracefully as she stretched her hand toward the chairs in front of her.
I eyed Iveri warily. I continually expected her to do something rash because she seemed to be playing a game here. I knew she was manipulative and clever, which was never a good combination for a demon that seemed to be more psychotic and unstable than most. She was also powerful, more powerful than I had realised, and I needed to be on my guard to prevent some disaster occurring. I might not like the Witch Queen, but this was still a safe place for witches, and we couldn’t start a fucking war just because Iveri was pissed.
“To what do I owe the unexpected pleasure of your company?” the Queen said as Iveri and I took our seats before her. I had to look up at her because, of course, she was sitting on a dais, putting her above everybody else.
Iveri crossed one elegant leg over the other and I couldn’t help noticing the movement. My mind cast back to when I’d felt those legs curled around my waist as Lori had fed from me. I had to keep reminding myself that she wasn’t Lori anymore, but I couldn’t deny the way I still hungered for the Sin Reaper to feed from me. The shadow bite I’d given Lori still shimmered on her neck in the sunlight and a possessiveness curled through me at the sight of it. I was torn between the need to claim her and kill her all at the same time.
“I want to make a deal.”
Shit. In my distraction, I’d taken my mind off the conversation in front of me and now Iveri was proposing a fucking deal with the Witch Queen.
“No,” I ground out. I was not letting her make a deal that could jeopardise Lori.
“You have no say in this, Fiend. If I want to make a deal, I will make a fucking deal.”
I grimaced at the word ‘fiend’ but held back the snarl that wanted to break free at the derogatory term. Iveri fixed her eyes on me and the flames around her irises burned brightly with her temper.
“You will not,” I ordered. I’d never have spoken this way to Lori, but she would have never put herself in a position to make a deal with the Witch Queen.
Iveri’s mouth turned into a malicious grin. “That’s not how this works, Torsten. I’m your Mistress now and you will do as I say. Now sit there and do not speak until I tell you to.”
I could feel the command itching over my skin, forcing me to do as Iveri wished. But I could also feel something burning deep in my soul, pushing me to resist. That had never been there before. It must be something to do with Lori being missing. I was bound to her body and soul. Her body was here but her soul wasn’t, so maybe, just maybe…
“No.” The single word slipped through my gritted teeth. I could feel my body aching with the effort of resisting Iveri’s command and it was like wading through quicksand. Her command was wrapped around me, pulling me down as I tried to rise above the dense, cloying sensation.
Iveri’s eyes widened in shock, and I could feel the Witch Queen was watching this little scene before her with wonder and curiosity.
“Ah, I see what’s happening here. You are not the woman I was expecting, are you?” the Queen pondered thoughtfully. “You’re the demon. What happened to the girl? I fear I missed the end of the party.”
“The girl is dead,” Iveri spat. “Killed by the angels who were looking for me.”
“Not… dead,” I managed to force out past the pain that was zinging along my nerves as I resisted Iveri’s command.
“Your Shadow Fiend is right,” the Queen mused. “I know a little about eternal bonds of servitude and they are tied to a person’s body and soul. There’s an old tale of a witch who had a Shadow Fiend but, before the old witch died, he bound his soul to another being and managed to keep hold of his Shadow Fiend. Until the Shadow Fiend learned he could resist his master’s commands and slit the witch’s throat in his sleep, thereby ending his eternal bond.” She chuckled derisively and turned those harsh violet eyes towards me. “It’s the only way to remove the bond, you know. To have the servant kill the master. Ironic really, since a Shadow Fiend can only ever follow the orders of a master, and what master is ever going to order their fiend to kill them?”
She was right. I could feel the truth of her words at my very core, and I hated it. The taste of futility swam through me as I digested the information. I’d never be free because I’d never let Lori do that, and I knew I could never tell her because she was the type of person to come up with some crazy plan to help me kill her and bring her back from the dead. Which was stupid because it wouldn’t just risk her life, but my King’s as well.
The Queen turned her attention back to Iveri and I felt a reprieve from her evil gaze.
“I don’t think your command will last much longer on your fiend. Tell me what you want and let’s see if we can make a deal.”
Iveri pulled the collar of her shirt down to expose the soulbond marked on her skin.
No. Not that. Anything but that.
“I want you to break this.”
Shit. That was the only thing keeping my King alive. With that gone, Hell would crumble, and all those dark souls would break free, and the world would turn to dust in their havoc.
The Queen sucked a breath through her teeth. “That is no easy task. Soulbonds are forged from old magic. Not even I can do that for you.” Thank fuck. “But I know someone who can.”
“Who?” Iveri asked excitedly.
“The original witch.”
