Unchained Beauty (The Deadly Beauties Live On 5)

“The longer he’s in the room, the stronger I get because his energy is so abundant that it’s seeping. But that means you’ll get weaker, so that’s a double-edged sword if I’ve ever heard of one,” he tells me in response.

“But can you break out?”

“Probably. I saw the wall they used. He just pushed in the right place to make the illusion drop. It’s a passage way back into the forest without having to dematerialize and set off unwanted spells once they land out there blindly, I’m assuming.”

I just nod, sliding down the wall until my butt bumps the ground and I pull my knees up. “Do that. Get through that wall and run as fast as you can the moment you can break free.”

He makes a scoffing sound. “Not leaving you behind. We’ll just wait on rescue. My girlfriend loves me, so it shouldn’t be too long.”

Forcing a smile, I look over at him. “Run, Dice. Run hard. I’ll get myself out of this mess once I’m sure you’re too far gone.”

He pales a little. “Ella, be careful. Your emotions are being toyed with right now. Sexual energy can be produced from any emotion—anger, fear, grief, vulnerability, inadequacy—and with him being Type A, he can use those emotions against you. They may not even be your true emotions. Do you understand?”

His warning seems to help some of the fog lift, even though it’s still a little imposing. It’s hard to do, but instead of feeling anything, I force myself to go numb in an effort to stifle Jeremiah’s hold over me.

Dice is saying something, but I don’t really hear him as I work on numbing myself completely, feeling Jeremiah’s hold slip more and more.

This time, when all the flames blow out, I feel a crackle of power that isn’t mine, and a slight breeze before they all

light up once more. My head swivels, but I see no one there.

I guess it was my power and I just didn’t feel it?

Understandable, since I’m forcing the numbness right now.

Taking a deep breath, I turn my attention to the doorway as Jeremiah stalks in, face red with fury and fists clenched like he’s planning to do more pummeling than touching.

“Run if you can,” I whisper to Dice again as I slowly stand, lifting my chin just defiantly enough to piss off the already seething incubus—not Dice. The other incubus.

I can feel the effect of his power diminishing instead of strengthening, and a challenge rises in my chest, warming me, feeding me.

Apparently survival instincts are a real thing.

When the smile quirks my lips, Jeremiah’s head looks like it’s ready to explode.

Some of that lovely darkness settles in with just enough bite to remind me why I’m alive.

I might be a hazard, but I pack one hell of a punch when I do get a shot in.

Chapter 6

SLADE

When I see Simone enter the room, I pause, stopping myself from entering the forest, telling myself it’s ridiculous to fucking be here. I’m wasting precious time stalking a girl I have no desire to be stalking.

Especially when I already sent two others to stalk her in my stead.

I’d briefly closed my eyes, checking on her again, trying not to be annoyed with the fact she’d never answer the incubus’s questions about me. I’m twice as annoyed with myself for continuing to fucking close my eyes so I could listen to their conversation, worried I’d miss her motherfucking answer.

It’s been a rather inconvenient distraction, if I’m being honest.

Then I saw a glimpse of blood, and the next thing I knew, I was dematerializing from one place to another, making my way to the edge of the forest just as Jeremiah walked in.

I’d already started closing the distance on her when I couldn’t see her present life right in front of me when I closed my eyes. The second the images started back toward the end of the year she turned eighteen, I was immediately closing ground.

Then, of course, I kept walking while my eyes were closed and got turned around in that godforsaken forest while trying to watch her.

I’m finally exiting again and deciding to risk using my powers to get there faster.