Page 96 of The Slayer Seduction

“And who exactly is she?” I question.

“Isn’t it obvious? She’s Celeste.”

“What do I do?” I say it out loud to Adam.

“Do as he says.”

The other slayer tilts his head at me. “Your vessel hasn’t fully depleted?”

“Nearly,” I lie, leaving him at the entryway, not able to step foot in the apartment because of the wards.

A nervous-looking Ember stands behind the counter. Iris’ friends and family have been helping her keep the shop up and running while we worked on our problems.

“Where’s Iris?”

I glance out the window at the slayer glaring daggers at me. I know what I have to do, the thing that might just kill a part of my soul.

“Call your vampire, solicit your coven. We need to get Iris back,” I say, climbing up the stairs.

“What does that mean? Where is she?” Ember yells up the stairs, following me.

Scarlett is asleep on the couch, and I gently rock her to wake her up. She makes a pitiful noise at me and nearly bites my finger as she blinks her eyes open.

“Slayer. What do you mean we need to get Iris back?” Ember says, and that has Scarlett fully aware now.

“Mistress is in danger?”

I rake my hands through my hair, wanting to pull it out from the roots. “The witch, Celeste. She has Iris. She’s been using the slayers to keep herself alive all of these years. She’s the creator of the spell books and she has nearly full control over us. I don’t know where she took Iris, but she said if I didn’t give the books back and if I didn’t make my vampire quota, Iris would suffer. Scarlett, I need you to retrieve the books. Now.”

The fox looks at me with so much confusion and hurt that I’m not sure she’ll ever trust me again.

“Do as he says, Scarlett,” Ember adds. “Warin is on his way. I think it’s best that maybe you give Adam control when he’s here?”

I groan, but agree, hoping like fuck he’ll figure out some way to get us out of this mess and save Iris.

If not, I make the decision that I’ll just wither away, letting Adam have all the control. It will probably work for a while until Celeste kills me, but at least then Iris will be free.

“Give me control, Slayer,” Adam says, and I do it immediately.

I make a promise to myself that if we get out of this mess, I’ll make a better attempt at being kind to Adam.

I have to get Iris back; she is my purpose.

Chapter 42

Adam

Until now, Scarlett hasn’t really paid me much attention. She seems to really like the Slayer and, of course, loves Iris, but I didn’t know where I stood in all of this. I’d heard her previously tell the Slayer to use me to his advantage, but would she get the books for us?

“Iris can not be in danger. We have to save her,” Scarlett pleads.

“We will. But for right now to do that, we’ve got to play along with what this cunty ass witch wants while we figure out a plan.”

“And what exactly is the plan?” Ember asks.

I scratch the back of my neck. My mind has been whirling a million miles a minute ever since that horrid fucking witch Celeste took Iris from us. She’s too kind, wonderful, and caring for something like this to happen to her.

“We need the vampires on our side. She keeps herself alive by feeding on their souls, so we need a united front. Maybe a complete lockdown.”