24. Chapter Twenty-Four

Pain. So much pain.

And hunger. Like a thousand knives twisting in my gut.

My head pounded and it was like someone was swinging a hammer around inside my skull.

“We’re nearly there, Lori. Hang on,” Iver said quietly, but I could hear the panic in his voice.

My body shook with another round of tremors. I felt cold and clammy but also hot at the same time. Like a fever was raging through my system and I was thirsty. So, so thirsty. My gums ached, my stomach clenched, and I just wanted it to end.

“Give her to me,” Mordecai barked. My body was pulled from Iver’s grip, and the world shot past me at high speed.

“You fool,” he mumbled, more to himself than to me. “Using all that power when you were on the cusp of bloodlust.”

I could sense his disapproval, but I didn’t have the energy to argue with him. I was dying.

“Here. Drink.”

His hand cradled the back of my head, and he brought my mouth to his neck. The moment his blood hit my tongue I felt instant, sweet relief. I moaned at the satisfaction, at the delicious taste of him. The scent of him filled the air, tantalising and dark.

“That’s it, little one,” he crooned while stroking gentle patterns on my back. If I had more energy, I’d slap his hands away, but as it was, I’d have to lie here and not find it comforting. Not one little bit.

Fuck, who was I kidding. It soothed me in a way that I was sure was only something that he, my Sire, could do. I fisted my hand in his hair and yanked his head to one side. He gasped at the rough treatment and nope. I wasn’t going to find that hot. It just gave me better access to his neck, and I sank my fangs in deeper.

“Yes,” he groaned, his fangs causing him to elongate the ‘s’.

He had one hand on my waist and his fingers tightened as I drank deeper. My thoughts were all twisted when it came to Mordecai. On one hand, I hated him. For what he was planning, for what he’d done to me, but I couldn’t deny this connection we shared. Was it just because he was my Sire? I dreaded to think it was something more. And I had to admit, part of me was glad I had so little energy, even after feeding from him. There was no denying that I wanted more and, had I the strength, I don’t think I’d have stopped myself from taking it.

I pulled my fangs from his neck, my stomach souring with the turn of my thoughts.

“Sleep now,” he said softly. “We’ll talk when you’ve recouped your power.”

A power that I knew he wanted to syphon. I needed to come up with a plan to escape. And I needed to do it fast.

Asoft heartbeat pulled me from the depths of my sleep. It was slow and steady, and I listened to the beats for a moment while I shook off the last vestiges of sleep. The chest beneath me was warm and I burrowed deeper into his embrace, rubbing my cheek along his skin. I felt so good. So revitalised. So—

“Good morning, little one.”

…Disgusted

I scrambled to a seated position and looked down at Mordecai sprawled out on the bed. Sweet lord, he looked sexy as fuck. Silk pyjama bottoms were slung low on his hips and why the Hell did his torso look like that. All lines and hard planes and I needed to stop staring. Fuck. I’d been snuggling with a monster and liked it.

“Why are you here?” I asked, clutching the sheets to my chest. At least I wasn’t naked this time.

He stretched and arched his back, before rolling over onto his side and propping his head onto one hand. “You wouldn’t let me leave.”

“Bullshit.”

He laughed and it was a dark husky thing wrapped in sleep. “Believe whatever you want but you wrapped yourself around me and wouldn’t let me leave your side.”

I hoped that was because I was taking something from him to help heal me during me sleep than for any other reason.

“Did Iver give you your precious stone?”

His eyes flashed with excitement. “Oh, yes. And now I can move onto the next stage of my plan.”

“And that is?”

“Not for you to know,” he said with a dark chuckle.

Well, that wasn’t surprising. He didn’t seem like the type of villain who was going to spill his secrets for the fun of it. He rolled out of bed and stretched again. I swear the guy was doing it deliberately.

He looked at me over his shoulder and smirked. But I knew things now, thanks to Lucifer, and I was going to wipe that smirk off his fucking face.

“I know about the witches,” I said and enjoyed the feeling of smugness when his face dropped.

“Do you now. And what is it you think you know?” He stalked towards me, a predator homing in on its prey. His muscles rippled as he moved, and I could sense power coiled into every one of them.

“That you’re syphoning their power.”

His jaw ticked. Guess I was right.

“And what do you think I’m doing with this power?” He stepped closer, his thighs brushing the edge of the bed.

“I don’t know,” I breathed. Why did I have to goad the guy?

“Oh, don’t be coy now.” He reached his hand out, but I slapped it away. His other hand moved at lightning speed, grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me towards him. I braced my hands on his chest, trying to keep some distance from him, but he was stronger than me and he didn’t stop until we were nose to nose.

“Mordecai.”

His eyes darkened as he brushed a lock of hair gently out of my eyes, the tender gesture at odds with the harsh grip he had on my neck. “I’ll ask again. What do you think I’m doing with this power?”

“Storing it.”

“Really?”

“Yes. And I know you’ll use it on the Blood Moon.”

His grip tightened on the back of my neck, and I arched backwards, trying to relieve some of the pressure, but he just loomed further over me.

“You seem to know quite a lot, little one,” he snarled, his fangs lengthening. His eyes searched my face, and I could see the cogs turning in his mind. “If I didn’t need your power, I’d kill you. But lucky for you, you’re useful.”

“Whoop de fucking whoop,” I snapped back. “You won’t win, Mordecai.”

His smile was wide and sinister. “Another thing you know, is it?”

I dug my nails into the spot over his heart, relishing in the sight of his dark blood pooling beneath my fingertips. “I’ll overcome whatever this is stopping me from ripping your heart out.”

“Hmm, I don’t think you will,” he said softly, his lips brushing mine with every word.

I dug my nails in deeper, my arm trembling as I fought against the magic holding me back. I tasted his sharp hiss, a whisper of a caress against my mouth, and it was delicious. Something about causing him pain sent delight tiptoeing through my core.

I pulled my fingers from his chest, leaving little crescent moon shaped marks behind. “I’ll guess we’ll have to see, won’t we? And when the time comes, I’m going dance on your fucking grave.”

“Mmm, promises, promises.” He licked his lips, the tip of his tongue flicking against my mouth. He leant forwards, his nose brushing along the edge of my cheek until his wicked mouth met my ear. “I’m going to use every piece of you, Lori. There’ll be nothing left to even put in a grave for me to dance on.”

Anger burst through me, bringing with it my shadow magic. It was instinctual. Like taking a breath. I willed the shadow into a blade and hurled it at him.

His head snapped sideways, his long silver hair whipping around him. The room fell silent.

What had I just done? I didn’t even know. Couldn’t even replicate it if I wanted to. My magic seemed to have vanished, leaving me to face the repercussions on my own. My chest heaved as I waited, panic ebbing and rising. He couldn’t kill me yet; he still needed me.

But what about Jasper?

Oh, God, what had I done?

Mordecai slowly turned to look at me and I flinched at the murderous wrath burning brightly in his eyes.

But then I saw it.

A thin bloody line across his cheek.

I’d hurt him and I hadn’t felt the resistance like I did when I used my vampire side.

Holy fuck. Could my magic hurt him? Was it because the mage part of me had no link to the original three?

The hand at the back of my neck tightened and I winced at the pain as he pulled my head further back.

“You’ll pay for that,” he whispered. “But you won’t bear the punishment. No. That honour will go to your precious Jasper.”

“No. Punish me,” I pleaded, but he just laughed at me, his red eyes bright and wild.

He shouted for the guard to bring Jasper here and, in what felt like seconds, one of the guards was pushing Jasper to his knees.

“Slit his throat,” Mordecai ordered, his voice thick with rage.

“No!” I yelled, he’d barely finished healing. I slashed my talons at Mordecai, but he just laughed and dodged out of the way. But it didn’t matter. The guard followed his orders immediately, dragging a blade cleanly across Jasper’s throat. Then the guard left the room, leaving me alone with Mordecai.

Jasper’s hands flew to his neck, and I screamed when I saw the blood slowly ooze out of the wound. I tried to leap of the bed, but Mordecai pulled me back by my hair. My back slammed into his chest and his hand immediately grasped my throat.

“Look what you made me do, Lori. That’s your fault,” he snarled by my ear. His hand tightened around my neck, and I was pulled to my tiptoes.

“I hate you,” I forced out. I really did. I was glad he reminded me how much of a monster he was. It would make killing him so much easier.

He flicked his tongue against the side of my neck. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.”

I shuddered, repulsed by him. “Fuck you.”

“Not really my kind of thing, little one.” He walked us forwards until my toes were standing in Jasper’s blood. He looked up at me from the floor with pain and fear in his eyes and I would give anything to get rid of Mordecai right this very moment. But I wasn’t strong enough. I was useless and all I could do was stand there and watch as Jasper fought for his life.

“Come on, where are you?” I asked my demon. “Help me.”

She stirred from deep in my mind. Let me have control.

I froze. I hadn’t let her take control since I first arrived down here with Mordecai, and it had been a bloodbath. “Can you save him?”

No. But I can get us out and then you can save him.

“Fine. Do it.”

Close your eyes, Lori.

And I did.