Page 103 of Paramour of Sin
Except… she didn’t. Instead she took a steady breath and whispered, “I love you.” Her eyes fell closed. “I love you both.”
Her reply shocked the living hell out of me.
She loves me.
I met Zane’s eyes again, and for just a moment, I couldn’t go through with hurting her. I was in agony over it already, but I swallowed it down and knelt before her.Finish the charade. Kill Amarella. Apologize profusely to Guinevere.
I forced a harsh laugh that barely left my lips, so I smiled instead and said what would make the most sense for me to say to Amarella. “As though I’d ever fall for that again.”
Zane had brought both a silver knife and a non-silver blade, likely to help aid in torture. He knew my habits and my desires in a way most didn’t. Shifting between silver and non-silver during a good torture session would keep the demonic prisoner guessing. And keep their fear high.
I put the non-silver knife to her throat and said, “Goodbye for good, Amarella.”
Then I bit down on my tongue before kissing Guinevere.
Even her mouth was shifted to resemble Amarella’s, and that old familiar sensation sent anger lancing through me. I growled a little and parted Guinevere’s lips, knowing that if Amarella was watching, she’d be just arrogant enough to assume I’d chosen to seek closure by kissing my former lover.
However, the moment Guinevere opened to me, I could taste the sweetness that was all her, making the kiss so much easier.
Because it was my Guinevere.
My genuine, tender-hearted succubus.
I let my blood enter her mouth, and when she didn’t immediately swallow, I trailed the handle of the blade down her neck. She stilled, her confusion palpable. Then her throat worked against my palm, and I pressed on my tongue for more blood, filling her mouth and encouraging her to ingest it.
This was a very rare gift—demons of power, like Archdemons, or even Archangels, could exchange blood with their chosen mates to protect them. I’d never let anyone drink from me before, but I needed to do something to show Guinevere that I knew it was her, that I was choosing her, and that I wasn’t going to permanently harm her.
As she swallowed what I freely offered her, I realized how right it was. I wanted to keep her, make her mine permanently. Guinevere had the purest heart of anyone I’d ever met, and while Amarella might have destroyed my trust, I knew Guinevere wouldn’t. She’d never shown any inclination to desire power. She was content in her world, her life, her place. She just wanted to live, and I admired that about her.
I met Zane’s gaze one more time while I kissed her. My whole body was strung tight with emotion, and Zane looked just as nervous as I felt, except for the gleam of affection in his eye as he watched us. Then Guinevere let out a small moan that set my soul on fire.
My plan had been to use the non-silver blade to slit her throat after giving her my blood to keep her safe. But there wasn’t a chance in hell I could go through with that now. I couldn’t draw Guinevere’s blood. She’d already suffered enough.
I broke the kiss, though I didn’t pull away from her lips. “You know what? I’ve changed my mind. Let’s take her to Hell for Ashmedai to torture.”
Then I slammed the hilt of the dagger on her head to knock her out.
Guinevere in Amarella’s body slumped to the floor and went still.
Zane sucked in a pained breath that I felt in my own chest. My blood would help her recover quickly, which was the only way I could console myself for hurting her.
Heavy silence hung in the dark room. I remained kneeling over Guinevere, while Zane stood rooted to the ground behind her. Neither of us even seemed to breathe as we waited for…something. But though I could still feel Amarella lurking nearby, she didn’t react. She didn’t even move from the place I’d originally sensed her.
Maybe she couldn’t hear or see through Guinevere, after all.
That didn’t mean I could let up on the charade.
“Tie her up with silver,” I said, standing on silent feet.
“Of course, sir,” Zane replied, the words clipped, but his eyes were full of understanding. He wouldn’t let any silver touch Gwen.
I hooked my fingers around the back of Zane’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss, repeating the blood ritual with him because I desired to protect Zane in the same way as Guinevere.
The moment my blood touched his tongue, it shocked him into stillness. I sank my teeth into his lower lip and felt a rush as his blood oozed to the surface to paint my own lips and complete the exchange. Power hummed between us as I pulled away and mouthed,Watch her.
Zane dipped his head in acknowledgement, and offered me the silver dagger. Then he dropped to the ground to pull Guinevere into his lap and hold her.
The sharp burn of the silver blade hung around me as I portaled away from the house. I landed not far from the place where I’d sensed Amarella, and found that she was sitting in the passenger seat of a black SUV parked along the side of the road. I eased through the shadows and caught a glimpse of the face in the driver’s seat—the Nephilim, Jaxon Trevor, lounged beside her.
