I start to reply, when the sound of metal clanking outside the door makes me freeze.Someone’s coming.
What?
They’re unlocking the door. Issy, I… I need—
Repeat after me,she says, a series of ancient words following.
I immediately utter them out loud and follow her instructions, all the while ignoring the sounds at the door. Fortunately, it seems they have a lot of locks to undo.
The last word leaves my lips just as the lights are turned on in full, momentarily blinding me.
“I thought I might find you in here.” Daithi O’Neely’s voice slithers around me like a dangerous snake, his power venomous and eager to bite.
He’s on me before I can reply, a spell slipping from his lips that steals the literal air from my lungs.
“You’ve been a very bad little witch, Fallon Doyle,” he says against my ear. “I’m going to enjoy watching what they do to you.”
My mouth moves without sound, my body suddenly feeling incredibly weak.
Weaker than in the death plane after my explosion of power.
Weak… like I’m not getting enough oxygen to properly breathe.
Because I’m not,I realize.My lungs aren’t working at all.
Whatever he just did has caused my body to shut down.
He’s made me resemble death.
I begin to convulse.
Which makes him smile broadly.
“Don’t worry,” he murmurs. “You’ll wake up in a few minutes. Then you’ll get to experience this all over again until I lift the spell. Maybe a few days like this will help you relearn some manners, hmm?”
My fingers long to flex, to move up to my throat, to demand that I breathe.
But I don’t move at all.
He’s turned me into some sort of frozen corpse.
I’m still standing. However, I can’t feel the ground. I can’t feel anything other than the burning in my chest that begs me to inhale.
Only I don’t.
Black spots begin to dance through my blurring vision.
This is worse than being buried alive…
“At least my mate understands obedience,” he continues, his focus going to Issy. “She’s such a pretty little frozen doll, isn’t she?” He starts toward her. “I’ve been given permission to warm her up a little this week.” He glances back at me. “You know, to have a little fun.”
My stomach twists at the insinuation in his words.You will not touch her,I want to snarl at him. But I can barely see him now.
He’s chuckling about something, maybe my torment, or the thought of what he wants to do to my sister. Either way, he’s a monster.
Just like the patriarchs.
When I wake up,I think, my vision going fully dark,I’m going to—
