AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Good," I praised when he swallowed the sweets, and watched his eyelids flutter. "Now sit here in the grass before you fall over; I'll handle my—Eidolon."
"No," he hissed. "Avie—"
I not-so-gently pushed him onto his backside and took the glass dagger from him, black smoke churning within it and my own blood dripping from the tip. I didn't let myself hesitate as I stalked across the glass towards the lizard bastard in disguise as a mortal.
So what if I was bleeding and in pain? I had periods every month; I was used to bleeding and pain.
"What's with the human get-up?" I asked, making no attempts to hide my hatred from my abuser. "At least in demon form, we can see what you truly are. That’s slimy and gross, in case you were wondering," I added when he only glared at me.
When he said nothing, I stopped several feet in front of him and spread my arms. "Go on, then. Try to kill me, break me, whatever your plan is. Because there's not a single chance I'm joining you. I'm not your puppet anymore, Christian. I'mdone."
His nostrils flared when he laughed. He didn't believe me. Or thought he could still force me to obey.
I grabbed the blade of my knife in one hand, the handle in the other, and snapped it apart. Well shit, that was easy. What the hell did I stab myself for?
I didn't expect the orb to come tumbling out of the broken glass, but it had the nice benefit of rolling to the floor and making Eidolon lunge for it. While he was down there, I swallowed my pain and took the opportunity to stab him in the back, right between his shoulder blades.
I ground the broken knife deep, twisted it, and waited for his scream of pain.
Instead, he laughed.
My heart sped. I stumbled back, dread choking off my air supply. He should be screaming, should be roaring in pain, but he kept laughing as he reached behind himself and yanked the dagger out.
It unmade itself in his palm, not even sand left behind.
"Oh, god," I breathed, backing up.
Oh god, oh god, he had the orb. I was supposed to use it to kill him and instead, I practically handed it to him and—
“Now,”he screamed but not in pain. In frustration and rage.
I retreated another frantic step, panic drumming my heart against my ribs when he reared his arm back and threw the orb into the wall around the field. As if it was worthless. It shattered on impact.
"You," he snarled, and I spun, struggling to breathe when I saw him glaring atXas my mate stumbled to his feet. His whole body glowed like a star, illuminating every scar, every beautiful tattoo on his body.
Eidolon took a step—a single step, and instinct erupted through me like a star exploding.
A demonic growl rattled my throat, a noise of violent warning. I shifted in a rush of pain and power, and leapt for him with claws outstretched, wings pumping like a bellows, my body big and strange and powerful.
I could feel the place in my gut where he was tearing my power from me, even now, and the theft fuelled my fury. I hurtled at Christian and closed my hands around his throat, driving my black claws all the way to the bone.
"X,run!"I growled, the sound coming from deep in my throat. My instincts drummed against my chest, every one of my bonds flaring with panic and wrath in direct response to my emotions. "You might be able to—" I grunted when Eidolon slammed his head back into my nose, blood gushing everywhere. Copper coated my tongue, granting me temporary power before he stole it. "Get out now—you're glowing."
"Must you always be so stubborn, Avie?" Christian sighed, his voice the same disapproving tone he'd used all my life. For a moment, it was six months ago and I was still his faithful daughter, desperate for his approval.
"I literally killed you," I snapped, reminding myself too. "I’m not your daughter; get the message already."
I twisted my claws, driving deeper into his neck, blood splashing over my hand as well as from my nose.2
"Avie,move,"X yelled, making me jump. Panic still raged in his soul, but so did fury and determination.
I tore my claws out of Eidolon's disturbingly non-lizardy neck and dove aside, trusting X even if I didn't know what the hell he was doing.
A sharp tang coated my tongue, cold goosebumps rising on my legs when I hit the grass and covered my head.
A scream blazed up my tongue but I bit my lip and muffled it to a sharp cry; I landed right on my stab wound and now pain obliterated every nerve in my body. My mates went absolutely feral through the bonds.
My skin buzzed in response tosomethingbuilding in the air, thick and electric and sharp enough to bite. I could taste it on my tongue. Magic but stranger andstrongerthan I’d felt before. My breath sawed in and out of my lungs.
