It waited.
And I let it in.
The panic faded from my eyes as I drew a deep breath and rolled my shoulders back, because I wasn’t alone. I don’t know if all gods move through the shadows, but in that moment, it felt like the world itself surged into me. The air. The ground. The fear. The pain. Every shred of it rushed inward, crashing through my body like a tide that didn’t care what it broke on the way in. I don’t know if I was channeling all the power of the gods, or if they were using me as their puppet. But it didn’t just fuel me.
Ittransformedme.
And I didn’t just unleash the monster inside me, because somewhere between pain and power, it stopped beingit.
And it was just... me.
For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel like prey. I felt like a predator.
“Please...” I pleaded, “Let her go.”
His sneer faltered. I stepped closer, my movements slow and fluid, tilting my head slightly. I didn’t know where the idea came from, onlythat it felt like the only way to save Licia. If I could make him forget his fear of me, I could get her out. And what’s stronger than fear?
Lust.
“Please,” I said softly, letting my voice drip like honey, thick and sweet and deadly. “I’ll do anything.”
He didn’t answer, his grip on her didn’t loosen. But his attention shifted.
I had him.
I leaned in, just enough to let the heat from my skin reach his.
“How do you think I got that man to risk everything to set me free?” I murmured. “He said it wasmagical.”
His eyes locked onto mine with single-minded hunger.
Perfect.
I stepped in closer, slowly, until our bodies nearly touched. Then I leaned forward and pressed my lips to the curve of his neck, soft and slow, just enough to make him forget.
“Let me show you,” I whispered. “Give you what you deserve.”
His breath hitched.
I let my fingers trail up his arm, feeling the shape of his muscles beneath his shirt. I didn’t rush it, every movement was deliberate. Controlled.
“Sorry,” I murmured. “I just can’t help myself around men like you. Strong. Powerful.”
My hand slid lower, across his forearm.
“I get this… need,” I said softly, like it embarrassed me. “Something deep and aching.”
I reached his wrist, the one gripping Licia, and I didn’t try to pull it away. Instead, I wrapped my fingers gently around his hand, to keep him from letting go. Then I began to pull. His hand stayed in place, trapped under mine, while Licia’s body painstakingly slowly, shifted back over the ledge. I felt Licia’s weight shift and her breath caught in a sharp gasp as she collapsed into safety behind me.
He still didn’t notice. The man was completely lost in the spell I’d wrapped around him.
“I know you feel it too,” I said. My hand rose to his jaw, trembling but delicate. “I could make yousohappy,” I whispered, tracing the edge of his face with careful fingers.
Then I tightened my grip.
I felt his pulse, the heavy beat beneath his skin. The gift—curse—whatever it was, it wasn’t fueled by fear. It was fueled by rage. I could have ended it quickly. I could’ve crushed his heart and been done with it. But I thought of all the suffering he had caused, all the pain thatmen like himcause.
I didn’t need to reach into my memories to find motivation.
