Until I see Simone.
Which is still what is going on now.
She’s in the middle of breaking Ella down.
At first, I see the same fight as always in Ella, unaffected by the words from another’s lips. Until Simone leaves her there to fucking die. Or worse.
My jaw grinds as my fists painfully clench at my sides. Simone is unaware of this little link I have to my one and only weakness.
Then I see it.
The chink in Ella’s armor.
The unshed tears she never cries while forsaking self-pity.
The tremble of her lip she stops with a strained smile that holds it tight.
A soft plea for the incubus to abandon her, which foreshadows a really dumb idea in her future. My entire body is racing with fury just thinking of what she’s plotting.
That damn Type A incubus is draining her emotions, making everything seem much worse than it is. He’s taking away her will to live without even being in the room.
In the next instant, I’m in the same room with her. Quite literally.
My first clue is the fact I can’t see her in my head, and when my eyes fly open, I’m sitting in the room. On a rather uncomfortable couch.
Immediately I camouflage myself before either of them notice me. I listen to them talk, watch Ella hunch in on herself more and more. There’s nothing but the scent of lust and sex in the air, so I can’t smell anything from her.
But I can sense it.
She’s already given up. Completely numb.
I never expected that from the fierce girl who pokes her chest out at me. What is this place doing to her? How powerful is this damn incubus?
I also notice then that the more annoying, far-less-threatening incubus won’t leave her, even if he can. Unfortunately, I finally see his purpose. Loyalty to death is a rare trait to find. The cowardly incubus is not so cowardly after all.
I didn’t really believe Kya when she said as much.
This day is officially my new least favorite since being freed.
“Ella, whatever you do, don’t touch him and don’t let him touch you,” Dice cautions her, his hands gripping the bars between them as he stares at her with nothing but worry. “The thrall is five times more powerful if touch is involved. If he gets close enough to touch you, strike. To hell with everyone else. Okay? Just knock him out before he can touch you and make you his.”
The flames in the room blow out as a bit of power surges from me and anger settles in my veins. Oh, this new incubus will die long before he ever gets to touch her.
A cold smile graces my lips as the flames reignite around us, resuming as though they weren’t interrupted.
Ella’s eyes search the room, like she’s seeking me out. Twice her gaze hovers in my direction, but I know she can’t see me. And unlike myself, she can’t close her eyes and have every second haunted by me.
The Type A incubus stalks in, eyes on Ella as rage bubbles from him almost tangibly.
“Run if you can,” Ella whispers to Dice so quietly that even I barely hear it.
Dice, being the enigma he is, backs away from the bars. I can sense his powers doubling as the energy rolls off this other fellow, the loss of two girls now leaving his power uncapped.
Surely Dice could break out and make a run for it now. Those bars aren’t as powerful as the ones used to help confine me.
He’d rather die than abandon her.
His intent becomes clear when I see him glancing between the bars and the doorway, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He’s planning to try and overthrow the much more powerful incubus who has been drawing off a harem for far too long to be overpowered by the likes of this…weird, leather-wearing pain in the ass.