Jegudiel (Deadly Virtues 2)

She didn’t fear Diel. The monster felt a strange satisfaction at that.

Noa moved back to where he lay. “We’re going to get you up, and we’re taking you back to bed at your own home. No one will know of this.” Before he even had a chance to protest, Noa placed her arms under his and pulled. Diel pushed himself to his feet, the heat from the collar’s strike still burning the skin on his neck. He swayed, depleted, but Noa pressed herself to his front to steady him.

Diel hissed and struck out, wrapping his hand around her throat. Noa’s eyes met his. “Try it,” she taunted. “Try to fucking kill me, and see what happens to you.” Her neck felt slender under his large hand. He could feel the delicate nature of her bones beneath his palms. The skin on her neck was soft and unmarred by scars. And her pulse … it was steady, and so fucking alive.

For a moment he pictured it ceasing under his grip, and an ache formed in his chest. But his attention fell to her lips, chasing away that odd ache. He found himself leaning in; her sweet scent was like the most decadent of desserts, the pull toward her like a swift yank of the chain he’d worn as a child. But then he wrenched himself back. He was breathless and flushed, and he felt a droplet of sweat slip down his spine.

No!

She needed to die.

His monster’s attraction to her was fucking with his head.

Ripping his hand back, he saw his red finger marks on her skin. His dick twitched at the sight.

“Let’s go.” Noa led him from the room. As they hit the hallway, Dinah appeared at her door, her livid eyes fixed on Diel. She folded her arms over her chest as Noa passed by her without word.

Noa led him down the stairs. His feet were heavy with each step. She steered him to the tunnel and climbed inside with him. Wordlessly, she led him down the dark, damp hallways until they arrived at the manor house door. His muscles flexed with the need to just end her now, in the quiet secrecy of the tunnel, but something stopped him. Only it wasn’t the monster, who watched him from afar, following Noa’s instructions to leave the matter to her and Diel. It was something inside him. He pictured the folly tomorrow night. Her in her leather versus him. The blood, the pain, the fists and the screams.

He fought back the groan that clawed up his throat.

Unaware of his cock growing hard at those thoughts, Noa opened the door to Eden Manor. “Tomorrow night.” She shoved Diel through the door. Sudden movement from inside the manor caught his attention as he fell against the wall. Sela stood at the top of the stairs, waiting. His dark gaze snapped to Noa. Noa, who was still alive and breathing. Sela’s eyebrows drew down in confusion, then he descended the stairs without a word and pulled Diel into the main house. When Diel looked back, the door to the tunnel was shut and Noa was nowhere to be seen.

“Come on, brother.” Sela helped him to his quarters. He dropped Diel to the bed and moved to the window seat. He turned off the lights, leaving only a single candle to give him light as he picked up his sketchpad and began to draw.

Diel closed his eyes, and all he could see was Noa. All he could feel. As heat spread through his veins, he tensed and tried to push back the monster. But the monster hadn’t moved from its lair. At all. No, that warmth had come from the memory of Noa in Diel’s own, monster-free mind.

His lip curled in disgust. It only made him want to kill her more.

Chapter 10

Noa threw back her head, then clutched the knives in her hands even tighter. Her body was shaking, but not with fear or trepidation. It was shaking with the sudden rush of adrenaline, with the fucking bliss that came with sinking blades into still-beating hearts and staring into shocked eyes as the life drained from their souls.

Noa stared down at the priest beneath her, at the blood dropping from his mouth and his chest slowing as the stab wound took effect. But it wasn’t enough; it was never enough with these men. So Noa twisted the blade, the last of the priest’s fight allowing him to release a final guttering scream.

She closed her eyes and let that sound of agony wash over her, seep into her bones. She felt the darkness within her move and devour the scream, allowing its fear-filled notes to feed its insatiable hunger for death, for revenge …

Noa’s blood sang as the darkness warmed her muscles, as it calmed her more than any drug ever could.