Page 87 of Sweet Violence
"Stop this," I cried. "Dad,please!"
"It's hardly my fault you fell for the prince, Avie. You knew the end game was to kill the whole family."
"Fuck," Arkan grunted when Taj's clawed feet slid through the barrier, trapping him outside and us inside.
Motherfucker! I threw myself at the barrier, slamming into it with all my fire, dragging even more up from my core. But it rebounded off the dense air, and I was forced to jump away or get scalded by my own power; I could feel the heat, and I had a feeling I was so furious that my fire could melt even diamonds. Even me.
Dad smiled, more of his face falling away to show the slimy, scaled thing he was now. Two rows of teeth gleamed at me. If I never killed him, none of this would be happening right now.
Guilt choked off my air when he cast off the rest of his mortal appearance. His awful, swamp-green mouth twisted into a smirk when Taj swiped his claws at Dad's stomach—and glanced off scales as strong as steel.
"Pitiful," he sneered, snapping a slimy hand out and gripping Taj's throat so hard his eyes popped out.
"You're a prince of Hell!" I yelled, my voice breaking. "Fight him!"
Dad aimed a smirk my way. "Sadly for poor Taj, my hands are covered in a paralysing enzyme. By the time it wears off, we'll be at the fortress." He speared me with a look. "Behaveuntil I get back."
"What?" I cried. "No.No,you can't take him!"
He walked away, so casually dragging Taj by his grip on his bulging throat. Fury shone in Taj's eyes, pure murderous intent, but his arms hung limp at his sides, and I knew Dad wasn't lying about the toxin.
"Taj!Taj!" I screamed until my voice gave out completely, until Dad carried him out of sight.
I kept mouthing his name even when no sound came out.
30
Icurled up with my back to the barrier, my head buried in my folded arms and my whole body shaking. Inside, emotions churned like a tornado and panic carved deep into my chest. Mine or Taj's, sensed through the bond; I couldn't tell who the panic belonged to.
"Avie," Arkan murmured, kneeling beside me and brushing a knuckle over my cheek. "Come here."
"No," I rasped, shaky and terrified and angry, and not particularly interested in comfort that might make me feel better. I wanted to suffer—god knew Taj would be suffering right now. What would Dad do to him?
No, not Dad. There was so little of Christian Lachesi left, even the calculating sadist had been swallowed by the monster brute.
I growled when unyielding arms hauled me away from the hard barrier and against an equally hard body, gripping tight.
"Don't give up—don't youdare," Arkan growled at me.
I laughed, bitterness bubbling up. "What's thepoint?We're stuck in here; Eidolon's got Taj. We're all going to die a long, brutal death."
"No," Arkan argued, heat creeping into his cold voice until it cut as sharp as a knife. He tugged my head up until I was forced to meet his eyes. "We're going to work together, and get out of here."
My expression flattened. "Sure. Sounds legit."
Arkan bared his teeth. "Eidolon has taken Taj to use as leverage against the devil. He'll threaten his life, get the devil to stand downorallow himself to be killed, and then he’ll kill Taj, too."
I jolted. "That won't work. There's no way Dev's that stupid."
"For his son?" Arkan blew out a breath, ruffling my hair. "There's nothing he wouldn't do."
A tight pang went through my chest—jealousy. Why did I have to get a father like fucking Eidolon when there were good dads out there? It wasn't fair.
"But he wouldn'tsacrifice himself.He'd pretend to, and then fight. Right?" I pressed when Arkan said nothing, distress written in deep lines on his pale face. There was only bleakness in his blue eyes as he kissed the top of my head and held me closer.
"No, princess," he answered finally. "He'd commit to the bargain, and not even try to fight."
"But that's—that's so fucking stupid," I growled, ignoring the crack in my voice.
