Chapter Eleven

ELIAS WAS SUDDENLy realizing just how much he had messed up. He could see it written on her expression. He could feel it in the power radiating from her pores.

It wasn’t in the best interest for himself to cross this woman, but how could he ignore the demands of his friend? Donte made a very convincing point in keeping her weak.

The weaker she was, the less damage she could do to their home. The less people she could hurt. The more tameable she could be.

If Elias would’ve had more control, she would’ve had a permanent siphon in her. He’d be able to take a permanent tap of her powers, and they would never have to worry.

By the gods, she had so much untethered lust in her. It was as if she had never allowed herself to experience true pleasure. As if she’d never dwelled on her most carnal desires.

That couldn’t have been the truth though. If it was, then Elias couldn’t allow himself to be near her. He wouldn’t be able to trust himself to even so much as smell her lovely, sultry scent.

Yet, even as he told himself to get away from her, he was still drawn forward. It was as if there was an invisible string that was being pulled.

“Get away from me.” Her voice was shaky. The welding tears in her eyes showed her hurt, her pain. “Get away!” She yelled. Her power grew stronger, swarming her in a sky-blue vortex.

So much power. His incubus purred with delight. You were too slow, and we missed the chance to get a taste. The beast was whining. So much delicious power, and unconquered sexual energy.

Lily took a step towards him, and he could feel the floor trembling beneath him. He didn’t realize the amount of power that she held. He didn’t think anyone would ever know the extent of her problem.

“Which one of your three wants me weak? Defenseless.” Her gaze leveled on him, and he could feel his knees buckling beneath his weight. “It was the vampire, wasn’t it? I can’t blame him, I did invade his memories.”

A sort of darkness washed over her features. The purity of her blue-hazel eyes died as her pupils bled into her irises. Her expression turned cold and hollow.

By the gods. Elias could barely watch her. He wanted to leave. Something inside of her changed, she changed.

“I will not be compromised anymore!” The room began to shake. “I refuse to be the victim anymore!” The walls started to crack. “I am in control, damnit!”

Elias coughed, feeling the mass of her sheer will. “Really? Because it seems like you’re out of control.” He clenched his stomach.

She growled at him, actually fucking growled. “Is that what you think?” Her voice echoed. In the depth of those black consumed eyes, a fire sparked. She gave a toothy grin, and it made his stomach turn on end.

How could so much darkness be in one person? He had met people vile, hell even evil. This was on another level though. This was an all consuming darkness.

Elias didn’t see her close in on him, but there she was. Lily wrapped her hand around his throat. By the gods, she was colder than ice. Her fingers were trembling—she was trembling.

“All this power, and you’re going to hurt yourself before you can even use it,” he warned her. Elias watched a dribble of blood come from her nose. “See.” He tried to wipe her nose for her, but she swatted his hand away and tightened her grip.

“Do not touch me.” Her voice was bone chilling. The sweetness to her gentle voice was destroyed.

“Well, fuck,” a male voice chuckled. “You just couldn’t follow simple instructions, could you, Elias.” Donte strolled into the room.

When did the door open? Elias cocked a brow at him. “The woman is stronger than I anticipated.”

Lily dropped Elias, her attention given to Donte. “I’ve taken a peek at what’s inside your head already,” she said. “I know what eats away at your poor, little black heart.”

“Yes, I remember.” Donte pressed his fingers together in a mock-villain way. Elias could see his fangs growing. “But you see, now that I know what you know, I can be as cold towards you, as anyone else that knew.”

“Knew,” being that Donte killed anyone that knew anything about his own special trauma. Elias remembered watching Donte disembowel, and force them to eat their own guts, simply because they knew him in his younger days. It made him wonder what he would do to her.

“You have no idea what I know, but let me show you.” She clasped onto both sides of his head, and placed her forehead to his.

The walls stopped cracking and the floors stopped shaking. Oh, but Donte howled out in pain—as if Lily forced all that chaotic energy into him.

That energy should’ve been ours! His incubus pouted. Its tail flicked back and forth. That should be ours! It protested.

Her body hit the floor like a sack of bricks. The sound her head made when it hit the wooden boards rang in Elias’s ears.

He looked at her, unsure of what to do—even as blood started to pool on the floor. “What did she show you?” Elias’s gaze flicked to Donte.

“Our fall. She showed me our downfall.” He clenched his jaw, and swallowed hard.

There were few thing Elias new about Donte. His thirst for power was almost as insatiable as his thirst for blood and death. He would kill anyone that knew anything about his past. Lastly, he would do what it took to continue to have his pull over the immortal world.

“What did it look like?” Elias pushed to his feet, slowly.

“War. It looked like war.” His gaze dropped to his feet, before locking on Elias. “We need to send a spy for that chimera that was here earlier. She threatened to bring war.”

“Did Lily show her to you?”

“Not exactly, but she was there. Her visions are so in-detailed.” Donte shuttered.