Unchained Beauty (The Deadly Beauties Live On 5)

“It’s a mercy compared to what they did to everyone in those rings. I’d toss you in our own prisons, but they’re not quite as effective at shattering immortal bodies and minds, and I’d rather you be stuck in hell,” I add. “And your kind are under the royal rule, John. It’s not your world anymore.”

“We’ll see,” he growls.

“I’ll see. I doubt you will,” I retort, feeling fire in my veins as I continue to watch Slade finally taste something other than disappointment as he relishes this sweet revenge.

Once Slade is finished, he tosses that body to John’s lap as well, and he stares down at the original traitor.

“Ella, I need you to turn away,” Slade says, his hand bumping mine as I straighten.

“I want to watch.”

He turns his silver glare on me. “I need you to look away, or I won’t be able to kill him as painfully as I want to,” he bites out.

Seeing the sincere plead in his eyes, I turn my back. It’s the best I’ll do, under the circumstances.

He leans over, his lips brushing my ear. “You were never supposed to be this perfect,” he tells me.

He moves away, and I stare out over the grassy hills as John’s terrorized screams echo through the lands.

Memories crash through my head, the months leading up to this since the day I first saw Slade.

He was wearing a mask, standing in the forest as we examined the first wave of offense Hannah flung at us after the rings were disbanded.

The first words I heard him speak were almost lost on me, as he tried to explain what we were facing—giving us just enough information. Introducing a piece of himself to us—to me.

John’s scream ignites the air even louder, hitting a shrill pitch. I don’t glance over my shoulder, but I feel the blood splatter against the backs of my legs.

“Just helping you out, Princess.” Those are the first words I can remember him speaking directly to me, while he had that mask on his face, yet not hiding his secretive smirk.

Part of me knew he was mine then, but I stayed the good girl, focusing on the situations at hand.

“Why did the masked crusader act like he knew you?” I remember Thad asking me. Just Slade’s voice had vibrated in my bones, but I kept it to myself. Just his presence and the growl in his tone seemed so familiar in ways I couldn’t explain.

The slave tattoos inked on him have always been overshadowed by the scars on his body and the menace in his eyes.

My lips twitch when John stops screaming and starts begging to be killed. I can’t see it, but I get a basic rundown as John continues to beg without an ounce of pride left.

Slade is forcing him drink the blood of one of his sons to heal. He’s a simple dark user, but I suppose Slade knows tricks to pull this off. The rules of magic don’t apply to a man who has seen every work-around there is. Witnessed the sickening experiments firsthand.

Even though I’m curious how this particular trick works, considering it’d be useful information, I keep my promise, not looking, letting my mind continue to wander.

“Ah, princess, I should have known you’d follow me,” Slade said to me during another encounter.

He dropped all the clues, leading me down this path, possibly thinking I’d never follow him to the end.

“I don’t feel right killing someone who isn’t fighting,” he said once upon a time, even as he continues to currently shred the non-fighting John.

I examine my nails, since this is going to take a while if he continues to heal him while tearing him open, and I have nothing better to do.

My mind strays to the first time we fought, how good it truly felt to be free. My control began slipping more and more and more after that, almost as though my beasts were screaming for me to recognize him.

“Eyes on me,” he’d demanded when I stopped him from killing Roslyn the first time.

Kya was even the first to reveal his name to me. Right before I let go and really unleashed my magic for the first true time. He was begging me to do it, almost like he knew I’d fall under the madness and he’d be there to catch me.

He protected Kya from me, as I protected Roslyn from him.

The collision of our powers was so beautiful. My white power that has grown exponentially, dragging me into the darkness so much deeper since that day.