“Sure that he was officially cured of your influence,” he replied. “Bringing you here was the ultimate test. His decision to break his ties with you is the passing grade.”
My blood went cold.This whole thing was a way to see if I could… if I could still influence him through our bond?
“Thanks to you, we now know losing the memories is key to curing those with longstanding infatuations.” Michael sounded pleased. “So thank you for your participation in this study. Your services are no longer required.”
He paused outside a door, a truly evil grin gracing his full lips. He knocked once on the wood, his palm finally leaving my nape.
“You’re going to go in there and offer yourself up as dessert,” Michael said. “And die the way fate intended you to die.”
He took a step closer to me.
“The best part is, you have no choice but to enjoy it, because I’m telling you to.” His green eyes flickered with ominous intent. “You’re going to moan with delight while they rip you apart, all the while begging and crying in your mind where no one can hear you scream.”
I stood frozen as he leaned forward to brush his lips against my cheek.
“I’d say it’s been a pleasure, Izzy, but that would be a lie. The pleasure will be in watching you die.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CAM
I sat at the table,my fingers drumming an impatient rhythm against the wood tabletop.
My gaze flicked down to my watch, my eyes narrowing. I’d been in this damn conference room for the last ninety minutes, waiting for Helias to arrive.
What the fuck is taking so long?
Rome was practically abandoned apart from the Vatican, making it rather easy to navigate the streets. From what I understood, Lilith had renovated the once famous mortal city to meet her needs, which included installing a much closer airport.
Thus, Helias should’ve been here by now.
I pulled up Mira’s name on my watch, half tempted to call her. Perhaps I shouldn’t have come directly up here after leaving Michael with Dr. Wagner.
Had I known it would take this long, I would have gone by my room first to have a word with Ismerelda.
Why were you in the catacombs?I wanted to ask her.What were you trying to do to my brother’s tomb?
The temptation to link to her mind to question her was strong, causing me to prod a bit at the mental walls between us.
Hmm.It seemed the blocks in place had deteriorated over the last week, indicating my growing curiosity regarding our bond and our true history.
The inclination was only natural to want more information, particularly as my memories didn’t appear to be coming back.Why can’t I remember her?
Something about it didn’t feel right. I’d suspected it was due to her not meaning much to me, but that logic didn’t match my decisions. Why would I keep anErositafor over a thousand years if she didn’t mean anything to me?
No, the more time I spent with Ismerelda, the more connected I felt to her. A lot of it was likely a result of the bond, but there was something else here.
Her behavior only deepened my interest, especially the incident today.
My lips flattened as I checked my watch again, my impatience growing. I’d much rather be questioning Ismerelda.
Hell, I’d much rather be doing a lot of things to myErositathan sitting in this empty room.
A king waits for no one,I thought, my gaze narrowing.So why am I waiting for a lesser royal? One who chose to show up unannounced at that.
My jaw ticked.
I didn’t have much experience with this emotion—impatience. Mostly because I’d lived too long to care much for the passing of time.
