The darkness gifted to me in the temple rises, and it surges forward, the power of the damned almost uncontainable. It's bleaker than I imagined and more potent than I thought, but Eva simply smirks as if she knew this was going to happen.
“You might have her, Amaymon, but can you keep her?”
42
A DIFFERENT DARKNESS
ADRIANA
Enzo quivers with rage as Eva saunters down the aisle. She’s smirking like she’s about to get everything she ever wanted and I’d give anything to wipe that damn grin off her face. Almost anything.
I’m tired. I’m sore. I’m in a shitload of pain.
But I’m not broken.
Not yet.
I didn’t give her the submission she wanted and she made me pay for it. I counted the strikes and blows, added up the tally—and now Enzo’s here, I’m going to make her settle her debt.
If I can.
Which is questionable, given my inability to do much more than cling to Enzo and whimper.
“She’s quite something,” Eva says, strutting toward us. “I see why you took a shine to her.”
Enzo draws a deep breath and stands, towering over the little black demon strolling over as if their size difference isn’t a problem. Eva’s not big enough to take Enzo on—not in demonic form. Not unless she’s got something that levels the playing field.
And I wouldn’t put it past her.
“You can let her go, Eva. Whatever this is, it’s between you, Mordecai, and I.”
She throws her head back and laughs. It’s too evil to be a cackle and its sound makes my soul scream in terror.
“Surely you’ve realized why she’s here, Amaymon?” Eva taunts. “Surely you must have worked it out by now?”
Enzo’s hold tightens and his muscles tense.
“Enlighten me,” he snarls.
Eva’s eyebrow shoots upwards and she tilts her head, unsure if she should trust him. I wouldn’t if I were in her position. I’d assume he was playing for time or trying to find a way to manipulate the situation to his advantage. But then, I’m not an evil bitch of a demon who’s gone fucking insane for power.
“You never saw me, did you?” she sighs. “In all the years I served you. I was nothing more to you than a tool to use. Something that got you what you wanted.” Her eyes shimmerwith hurt, and I almost feel sorry for her. Almost. “And you never wanted me.”
My eyes roll back, and my stomach tightens. Now I’m aware of why Eva loathes me. Jealousy is a vicious master. Unrequited lust must be worse. She’s spent fuck knows how long chasing after Enzo and apparently he’s never considered her as anything more than a servant.
Hell has no fury like a woman scorned, and Eva’s been disregarded and rejected. She didn’t even make it into Enzo’s consciousness, and now she’s determined to exact her revenge.
“Eva…”
“DON’T. EVA. ME.”
Her voice echoes around the chamber and I shudder, tensing as my body remembers every lash and every strike she meted out.
“I practically threw myself at you, Amaymon—and you fucked everything that moved. Anything that barely even had a fucking pulse. You’ve fucked your way through most of Europe and the only thing you wouldn’t fuck was me.”
She tosses her black hair as she pulls her shit together and pauses for a moment. The seconds pass with every frantic beat of my heart and I dread whatever the hell it is she’s going to say next.
“I was a fucking laughing stock, Amaymon. The butt of everyone’s jokes. You even tried to palm me off onto Byron. And that piece of shit tried to get his leg over on more than one occasion.”
