Page 90 of Sweet Violence
I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. "I thought we'd win then, and go home to live happily ever after. Instead, fuckingIzantrapped us and revealed his true identity like some backwards Scooby Doo scenario."
"Shit," Joseph breathed. "So where's Taj? Did he get away before we were trapped?"
My bottom lip shook so badly I had to bite it to stop its crazy vibration.
"Eidolon took him," Arkan said bleakly. "He's going to use him to get Dev to surrender his throne."
"And hislife," Joseph hissed, catching on quickly. "That motherfucker. He'sdead." He lifted his head off my shoulder and met Arkan's hollow stare. "So what's your plan, Ark?"
Arkan swallowed, coming closer and brushing a limp lilac strand of hair off X's forehead. "We need four demons for a circle, but with Taj under the influence of Eidolon's enzyme—"
"Hiswhat?" Joseph demanded.
"—he's in no state to help us. When I shared power with you to help you heal a few minutes ago, Avie jolted. You felt it, didn't you?"
I swallowed. Nodded. "What's that got to do with us saving the world?"
My fucking world, at least.
When Arkan's eyes softened, I realised I said that last part aloud.
"You're bound to us, soul to soul, but what do you think about joining our circle? We can share power and magic, share lifeforce if necessary, and you'll be part of our fighting unit. We're stronger together, but even without Taj, if you—"
"Do it," I agreed. Fuck any hesitation. I was in this bond shit for life; why not join their circle? All the reluctance to commit I’d felt in the forest was blasted apart when I saw my mates at death's door.
"Five's a stronger number than four," Joseph said, staring at X's pale face. "It might help Taj, too."
"Fuck it, let's get every demon in hell and make them part of the circle if it'll kill Eidolon and save my mates," I said, urgency beating inside me.
"Doesn't work like that, sweetness," Joseph replied, sitting up—and all but fully healed. His wound looked like an old slash rather than a deep, weeping gouge. "We need to … toclickwith our circle members. Sharing power and life is no easy thing; it requires absolute trust."
"I trust you," I said, my heart slamming fast with nerves. But I wouldn't regret putting my trust in them; they were my mates. And they'd proven themselves worthy time and time again. "So, what do we do?"
"Are you a hundred percent sure?" Arkan asked, moving closer to me and fluttering his fingers until they became shadow and bone. "There's no backing out once the bond is made, princess."
"There's no backing out of a mate bond, either," I pointed out. But these fuckers forced that on me, or tricked me into it. This I chose completely. "I'm sure."
"Then give me your hand. Each circle has a symbol; I'll cut it into your forearm and you'll join us. It'll be overwhelming at first, and you might panic, but we'll be here with you."
"Always," Joseph echoed the promise with a wan smile.
I took a tight breath. No regrets. "Do it."
Arkan’s fluttering shadows sharpened until they resembled claws; I watched, breath held, as they set to the soft flesh of my forearm. I was already covered in blood and gore, but I'd worry about infection later when my mates were all safe. If they could ever be safe.
No, fuck that defeatist shit. Arkan was right. I couldn't give up; that was letting Eidolon win. I had to be the stubborn bitch and thorn in his side I'd been all my life.
I hissed at the sharp stab of pain as Arkan's shadow claw cut a circle into my forearm, and then began a series of shapes and slashes until it looked like the summoning circle that had brought me to Hell. A spiral started in the middle, bisected by a vertical line, and tiny sigils I vaguely knew were a demon language broke off from the spiral like the spokes of a wheel.
"There," Arkan murmured, drawing back. "Joseph, grab her."
I frowned. That was a bit dramatic, surel—
Oh, holy twat-waffles! My back arched, and I screamed as electricity poured into me. It was strong enough to stop my heart and restart it again.
I jerked in Joseph's arms, my bottom half lifting off the floor, legs flailing, eyes wide.
Logically, I knew what was happening, but irrationally, IknewI'd been struck by lightning and now it spread through all of me, burning my skin, charring my organs, and turning my brain to goop like Walsh and Jacko's favourite torture device.
