Page 76 of Pride: Kneel Before None

His hands slid towards my neck and up until he held my head just below my jaw, forcing me to look up at him.

“That, Little Spade, was the most beautiful fucking thing I’ve seen in all my years.”

The praise curled through my chest, tightening into something complex that I didn’t quite understand.

Continuing, he leaned down until our faces were only a breath’s hair away. “Seeing my power flow through you tells me you were always destined to be mine.”

My breath hitched in my throat at the idea of wielding Ace’s powers. Trying to wrap my mind around it seemed an impossible concept.

Val stepped up beside us, clearing his throat. He didn’t appear to share the same enthusiasm as Ace did. He looked far more somber.

“Touching moments aside, I believe we need to address what just happened before things unravel beyond control.”

A muscle in Ace’s jaw feathered with tension—irritation at the interruption—if the sharp look was anything to go by.

His hands fell away from me, backing up a step to put some space between us, though the tension in his frame suggested it was a temporary concession.

To the contrary, Val seemed weary. He pulled a pair of thin-framed spectacles from the inside pocket of his sports blazer. Sliding them into place, he lifted his chin as he gave me another once-over.

“Right then,” he finally said, as though he'd already resigned himself to whatever he was about to say.

Settling into a loose stance with his hands clasped in front of him, he looked at Ace.

“Shall I say it now or put it in another email?”

Ace scoffed in minor indignation.

“You weren’t right, Valphyr. Not about all of it.”

“Oh? Let’s see, I recall telling you to refrain from inflicting stress on her precognitive pathways. Told you to be cautious unless you wanted to brace for Armageddon.” A surprising thread of subdued frustration wove through his words, more than I thought him capable of.

He gestured at me broadly. “Welcome to Armageddon.”

All this was news to me. My eyes darted between them while they spoke about me as if I weren’t even there, like I was some specimen under a microscope to be dissected.

No immediate response from Ace. The lack of denial became the confirmation.

I cackled. The sharp laughter pierced the air, born of hysteria and disbelief.

“Armageddon? Armageddon?” I repeated.

The diplomatic energy returned to Val as he addressed me. “Miss Bechette, I meant no offense.”

To no one’s surprise, Ace didn’t bother backpedaling from the conversation at hand. He cut straight to the core, voice like a blade carving down to the truth.

“What is she?”

He asked a simple question, but nothing prepared me for how the answer was anything but.

The Drakyn hybrid looked like he was on the verge of suffering a migraine of epic proportions. His fingers pushed his glasses up further on his nose, massaging the space between his eyes.

After kneading away enough of the stress, he readjusted his glasses with a heavy sigh.

“Based on preliminary observations prior to the presentation of Miss Bechette’s current state, and taking into account recent events, I have good reason to believe she is a rare subclass of succubus. Energy and abilities are reliant on engaging in activities of a… carnal nature. However, the complexity of her designation lies within the exchange itself.”

It sounded like a lot of big words for a whole lot of bullshit. I balked at the idea of being labeled a succubus. I had crossed paths with one or two before. They were hoes in handbaskets, useless tools except when digging in the dirt.

Of course Ace didn’t seem perturbed by the idea at all. Given the contemplative look on his face, he actually seemed to give the idea merit.