Page 74 of Villains and Vengeance
Maddox mutters something about going to grab some food. He leaves Daemon at the door guarding us like we aren’t members of the clan anymore. I glance at Jayce who shows me that Maddox’s power is no longer keeping him in the chair.
I go to stand next to Daemon and I peer into the room. My anger boils over as I see Jules tied to a chair, her hair in Iron’s tight grip as he keeps her head up. He’s speaking to her. Tears are rolling down her cheeks. She’s sobbing quietly at his harsh voice. He’s saying things I can’t hear, but I can feel what they’re doing to her. My fists clench behind me so that Daemon doesn’t see how affected I am.
I watch Jayce grab an earthenware jug off the table and start to slink up behind Daemon.
‘So where did Maddox go?’ I ask casually.
‘Kitchen to grab something to eat,’ he mutters, not looking away from Iron and Jules. He’s frowning, seems preoccupied by something.
I make sure his back stays to Jayce and I crowd the doorway so he steps back, positioning him a little further away, so Iron can’t easily see what’s happening.
Jayce moves silently, raising the jug and bringing it down hard across the back of Daemon’s head. I cough loudly at the same time so Iron doesn’t hear the strike and I push Daemon backward as he falls into Jayce’s arms.
We put him in a chair slumped over the table like he’s taking a nap and we share a look. Time to take Iron. Hopefully we’re strong enough together to do it now that he’s a super demon fae hybrid.
But before we get two steps, we’re frozen in the middle of the room and Iron comes to stand at the threshold.
Maddox appears from the corridor.
‘Told you,’ he says to Iron.
Iron snorts and glances over at the table. ‘Looks like you should have told Daemon the plan, not me.’
‘You wanted to see what we would do,’ I say, cursing my stupidity.
This was a set-up.
‘I knew what you would do,’ Maddox answers. ‘I hoped I was wrong.’
‘Thisis wrong!’ I counter.
Maddox lets out a sigh. ‘Both of you sit down at the table until this is done.’
Pain radiates through me and we sit down. Maddox’s power keeping us where he wants us.
He glances at Iron as he sits down with us. ‘Step it up. Time’s running out.’
CHAPTER16
JULES
I’m a quivering, panting wreck by the time Iron seems to be finished with me. I don’t know how many hours he’s been at it, but he’s relentless and cruel and, after that first hour, so, so patient with his torture. Since all the nasty things he said, he’s made me stand on one leg until my other one collapses out from under me, kneel on gravel for hours, run in place until I throw up, keep me in frozen poses like Plank until my muscles are screaming and I’m sobbing. My body and mind are exhausted. I didn’t give him squat though and, even though he put me through the wringer, I’m proud that he didn’t break me.
Yet.
I wipe my sweat-drenched face with my sleeve, trying to will my tears away. I’m alone in the room for now. I think he got tired because he just stopped and left. I wonder if this power he has is new to him and maybe he’s still learning how to use it.
At the beginning when he was trying to make me talk, it didn’t feel the same as when he started compelling me todothings. When he progressed on to the physical stuff, there was no stopping my body from acting out the movements he forced into my head. It’s different somehow and I can’t fight him however much I try.
I attempt to stand, but fall back, sliding down the wall. My legs are too wobbly to support me. Every muscle feels fatigued. At least they gave me some pants, I think errantly. They’re too big, but I’ve used the lace from my hood to fashion a kind of belt, so at least I’m not flashing everyone every five minutes. The conjure I have on me has miraculously held as well. I’m sure it’s going to run out of juice very soon, but it’s doing its job for the moment, so despite them seeing my lower half, they haven’treallyseen anything. It’s a small thing, but it's saved me from a little extra humiliation at least.
I hear a noise and, kudos to Iron, the sound makes me tear up and cower anew because I don’t think I can go head to head with him again so soon. My head is killing me from trying to stop him controlling my actions. Sure, I failed every time, but a girl’s gotta try, right?
I stifle a relieved sob when no one comes in immediately, only to tense up as Daemon waltzes through the door holding a cup. Remembering when he attacked me in the other room coupled with the feeling of his fingers crushing my throat, I try not to show the fear that bubbles up and I hope one of the others is close by to stop him if he tries something again. I’d take Maddox at this point. He hates me too but he’s nothing if not in complete control of himself and at least he doesn’t seem to be on the ‘let’s kill the bitch right this second’ team.
‘Are you thirsty?’
His words don’t sound angry. The opposite in fact. He could apologize for trying to kill me in his next breath and it wouldn’t sound out of place.
