Page 101 of To Crave Deeply
She looked like she was on the point of collapsing. That must have been some spell if she looked like she’d drained her entire power source.
“Thank you,” I said.
She nodded then went to sit down on one of the benches to recuperate. Although, I imagine the poor woman was going to need to sleep for a week to regain her full strength.
Alec was still unconscious, and I looked up to Rae and Selene, who looked marginally better than Violette did. Although Selene didn’t seem to have a hair out of place. How she managed that was beyond me, considering a whirlwind just blew through here.
“Do you know when he will wake?”
They both shook their heads. Shit.
“It might not be for a while. His body has just gone through a massive ordeal so it might take some time for him to heal,” Rae commented while looking thoughtfully down at Alec. “There’s also a risk that he might wake up in shock or something worse.”
“What do you mean?” I asked as fear blossomed anew in my stomach.
Selene turned her piercing blue eyes directly on me. “He’s been without emotions for years, living a life where everything he felt was muted or hollow. Now, his heart is back, and I don’t know how he’s going to react. No one does.”
“He might be fine,” Rae added placatingly.
“Or he might not,” I added grimly.
“Let’s get him settled in a room here where we can monitor him and keep him close to Violette and her power.”
I frowned at Rae. I didn’t like the idea of being stuck here in Strigavallis any longer than I had to be.
“It will be safer for Alec. There is a wonderful natural source of healing here and I will make sure he is well taken care of. I’m sure Violette will allow you to stay while you wait for Alec to wake.” Rae looked over to where the Witch Queen was sitting, and I saw Violette give a feeble nod. “See? I’m sure Alec will be back to his old, mischievous self in no time at all.”
“Besides,” Selene chimed in, “it will give you and I some time to work on your soulbond problem.”
“Yay,” I mumbled, knowing that meant consuming a stupid amount of dark energy or a soul was on the cards in the next few days. Maybe I could just ask Torsten to feed me?
“You’ll need more than your Shadow Fiend can give you,” Iveri called from the shadows.
I frowned. “How did you—”
She scoffed. “Woman, I’ve been in your head for weeks. I know how you think. You’re hoping that you can just have multiple feedings from Torsten rather than force a wayward soul to relive their sins. But that’s not how the demon really works. She needs the pain and suffering. It’s more filling.” Iveri stepped out of the shadows and came to join us on the dais. “Think of it in terms of food. Feeding from Torsten is like eating a bar of chocolate. It’s great, you enjoy it and it makes you happy, but it doesn’t fulfil you and it doesn’t last. Feeding from a tormented soul is what a Sin Reaper is all about. It’s their purpose, and it’s like eating an entire three course meal that will feed you for days.”
Shit. That meant I needed to feast on some naughty souls in order to consume enough energy to let Lucifer manifest on the mortal plane.
I turned to Violette and grimaced. “Have you got a dungeon around here?”
Chapter 31
MORDECAI
I trailed my hands through the soft tendrils of her hair, enjoying the way the curls wrapped around my fingers. I couldn’t believe I’d found someone who wanted to share their life with me. I’d done some terrible things. Hurt people, destroyed their lives, ruined others. But here, this beautiful woman stared at me like I was her everything. Her eyes swam with joy as she looked down at me, the sun behind her shining like a halo. I didn’t deserve this angel, but I was so happy that she chose me.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked.
“How much I love you,” I replied.
Her face suddenly morphed into disdain. “You can’t love me. You’re not capable of it.”
Pain erupted in my heart at her words. No. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
“You don’t mean that.”
She jumped up from where she lay on me. “You’re a monster. You’re not worthy of love.”
