I was completely riveted by the way she looked at me—as if I was the only being in existence.
My breath came out in a gasp as the room dropped below zero. Ice crackled across the surface of the wood floor, moisture once clinging in the air frosted the windows.
“That all you got?” I licked my nearly frozen lips.
Stephanie leaned forward, her nails digging into my arm. “I’m not exactly practiced in the art of Dark One seduction.”
“The next step…” Why was I teaching her this again? When I was so weak? Right, because if I died, it would all fall to her. If I failed she was the last.
“Yes?”
“The Marking.”
Her eyes swirled back to blue then went white again. “Yes, that sounds like a good idea. How do I… what do I…?” Her focus wavered. She was unsteady, too new, too unpracticed. I imagined she wouldn’t have the concentration to actually kill me.
“Two choices.” The human side of me was ready to bolt out of the chair and find a weapon. I stayed put, even when her nails dug deeper. Warm blood started trickling from my arms. “You mark with your mouth or your hand.”
Stephanie nodded, the room got colder. Damn, maybe I’d just freeze to death. Clearly, I hadn’t thought through all the horrible scenarios.
“You take your palm and press it against the neck, cupping the human flesh, you simply force your will upon them, whatever it is. Do you need a slave? What about a task completed? How about undying love and devotion? What you need, you think, you force it upon them so heavily that it becomes the very air they breathe. Without you, they would die, you must believe it, so they will believe it.”
Stephanie nodded and pressed her palm against my neck.
The stirring of ice flickered through my veins.
“Or…” It was freezing, yet I felt cold and clammy, like being hot and cold at the same time. “You mark with your mouth… more personal, no drawing of blood, think of it as a love bite. It’s more personal because Angel blood is in every cell of your body, including your saliva, therefore, your blood comes into contact with the human. Regardless of how strong you are—it will work because human blood yearns for it.”
“Why?” Her eyes darted back and forth, she was tiring. Good.
I slowly moved my arms, her nails released. “Because humans want power, they were born wanting more, and the minute they experience a fraction of what more feels like—they want it all.”
My gut clenched as memories of the last time humans got ahold of immortal blood assaulted me. I’d destroyed them all—well almost all of them.
Demons were allowed to live. But at what cost?
There was no warning, no hesitation on her part.
One minute I was talking.
The next, her mouth was on my neck, her tongue swirling a devastating design across my skin, her breath freezing my veins in the most delicious way.
Visions of us together flashed through my brain. Kissing, making love, holding hands, laughing, and then the vision altered and I was on my knees in front of her.
Her… shaking as blood ran down her hands.
I was still as a statue.
And then she pulled the knife from my chest and tossed it on the ground, her eyes wide with fear as Darkness swirled around her like a smoke, invading her nostrils.
Sariel watched with sadness as I clutched my chest, but I wasn’t recovering. I was not healing.
A tear slid down his cheek as Darkness consumed me.
I fought.
I lost.
And light flashed.
Stephanie jolted back from me, her eyes filled with horror. “What just happened?”
My heart splintered in two. Rage consumed me. “You will betray me.”
“What? NO! I was trying to show you—”
“You were trying to impose your will…” I stood on shaky legs. “Instead, you showed me my future.”
Stephanie covered her mouth with her hands.
“I think we’re done for the evening.” Numb, I walked over to the light switch and flicked it off. “After all, Ethan will be expecting us.”
“Cassius, I had no I idea. Futures can change, can’t they?”
“I’m tired.” I ignored her question. “And so are you.”
Cassius
Greece 79 AD
WHAT DO WE DO with them?” I stared at the children completely dumbfounded, I possibly hadn’t thought that through. They needed parents. They needed something.
“Well, we can’t eat them,” Mason grumbled crossing his arms. He’d been hungry for two days, but tough shit because we’d been at the docks for the past forty-eight hours to make sure nobody escaped. We couldn’t take the chance that any of the infected humans made their way over land or sea—to the general population.
The screams of the dead caused my head to ache. It couldn’t be avoided. Their souls were upset.
They had a reason to be upset.
It wasn’t their time.
But it couldn’t be avoided. I always dealt with a heavy hand. Not that I took it lightly. Humans needed to know there was a reason to fear the immortals.
To double cross us was to invite death.