Epilogue

EPILOGUE

G rayson

Cold. So cold. Relief. Trapped.

I traced the edge of the circle with my finger, debating how long it would be until death would take me. "Take me. Take me, pleaseeee," I whispered to myself.

How I'd gotten here, I had no idea. Yet I lay on the floor in the dungeon of my castle . . . alone. The sounds of dripping water in another cell and my own heartbeat were too loud. I shoved my hands over my ears and curled into a ball on my side.

Grayyyyyyssssoooonnn, the voice breathed through my mind.

"No." I curled myself tighter, holding my hands harder against my ears. "Trapped."

The dark chuckle started in my mind or was it my own? I didn't know. Then it was there with me in the cell. I peeked my eyes open as he stood over me. His shoes were polished to a shine, and when I looked up, he wore pressed black dress pants, a black vest, a dark burgundy shirt, and a black suit jacket.

He squatted down next to me. "Trapped you say?"

I nodded, praying that it was true. I wanted it to end here. If he couldn't use me, he would kill me, and this torture would be over. From the inside of my circle, the air shimmered with the powers of the Queens. I'd poked at it, ran into it, kicked it, punched it, and used my magic against it, all under his direction.

"How pathetic you are." He reached forward and I waited for the boundary to stop him. But it didn't. The magic just peeled away from his head. He wrapped his fingers around my jaw and squeezed. Pain shot up my jaw and into my head. He forced my head up until I could meet his eyes.

I didn't want to meet his eyes. To look into his eyes was to view a sea of nightmares. I was already in one. He tilted his head from one side to the other, studying my face. "You know what I want?"

"Yes." I was helpless to move against his hold.

"You will do this, and then I will kill you quickly." He shoved my face away from him, and I smacked the back of my head on the hard floor. "Now get up and bring her to me."

"Trapped," I repeated, not wanting to argue with him any longer.

He scoffed and kicked his perfectly shining shoe through the white drawing on the floor. The magic broke as the white powder scattered across the floor and drifted over my skin. "Now. Get. Up."

"No." The word sounded feeble coming from me. "I will not."

He turned and leered down at me. "Silly vampire."Pain exploded behind my eyes. I couldn't think, couldn't speak, couldn't see. There was only me and the fire I lay in. My skin peeled from my body, and my insides boiled. Nothing would be left of me this time. I was sure of it. Finally, I would die and be rid of this madness. I'd be rid of him . All at once it stopped and he stood staring down at me. "Remember, there are far worse things than death, and I am capable of them all. Now bring her to me."

I couldn't fight this anymore. The madness, the pain . . . it was too much. Perhaps he would kill me quickly and I would be done forever. "Yes."

"Yes, what?" he snapped with that smooth, calm voice that made my ears bleed.

I slowly began to rise from my trap. "Yes, Lucifer."

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