Page 21 of The Demon Mark

“My lord is coming to see you again. You should put the boot down.”

“You should tell me what I want to know.”

It opened its wings, and she knew that something terrible was about to happen. The creature would launch itself at her, all wings and claws and...

Her memory sparked along with anger. “You were in that corridor with me. You were the one who pushed me toward the other shadow creatures.”

The bird froze. “Yes, I was.”

“Why?”

“I do what my lord bids.”

“You little... monster! You’re just as bad as him!” She launched the boot at the creature. Nevermind that it would make her feel terrible later on, hearing it strike the avian flesh would make her feel better.

A hand appeared out of the air, ringed by a slight blue haze and grabbed the boot just before it struck the raven in the chest. She’d been hoping to see a plume of feathers.

But then the blue light expanded and out walked her nightmare. The man who had been the problem all along, and the one she would not allow to distract her with his touches this time. She would keep her wits about her. She would prove to him that she could protect herself.

Which was precisely why she’d already bent down to wrench the other boot off of her foot before he’d even walked through the portal.

“Don’t—” Envy said, but he didn’t get to finish the sentence before she’d whipped her other boot at him.

With a wave of his hand, an energy shield appeared. Her boot bounced harmlessly off of it, but it did seem to make him furious. His eyes flashing, he pointed at her with a growl.

“Stay where you are, oracle.”

As if she was going to do that.

Launching herself from the bed, she scooped up her boot and backed up toward the tub. “Let me go,” she snarled, holding the boot in front of herself like it was a sword. “You can’t keep me here.”

“That’s exactly what I intend to do. And just what are you going to do with a boot, Lilith?”

“I will bludgeon you with it.”

“That will not happen.” He took another step toward her. “Please, just put the boot down and let me talk to you.”

“I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want to be anywhere near you. I want to go back home. Didn’t you say that you want to give me my every desire? Well, I want to get out of here. I don’t want to be a captive.”

“You are not a captive.” He ducked as she launched the boot.

Lilith could see the anger sizzling in his body. His eyes flashed, and then he lunged for her. She stepped into the pool of water behind her, sloshing through it to the deeper end. “I will drown myself.”

“As if I would let you.”

“You’d be surprised what a dedicated woman can do.” She had plans. If she couldn’t drown herself, she could wet her shirt enough to still suffocate. It would take a long time, and it would be a gruesome death, but it was certainly better than being his slave.

His anger only grew. Obviously, he didn’t like the idea of his toy being taken away from him.

He took an aggressive step toward her, then rested his knee on the edge of the pool. “I will tie your arms and legs to that bed. I will leave you there alone, with no way to move, and only me to rely on for food and water. I will force you to stay alive and make you spew prophecies for whatever person I wish to have them. Or I will let you live as you wish to live. On your own, able to move, eat, and talk without my permission. This is your choice.”

“That is not a choice,” she whispered.

He leaned down and dragged his fingers through the water. It cooled around her, turning cold as ice. Shivers wracked her body even as her breath frosted in front of her lips.

“I am infinite,” he said quietly, but his words were ever so powerful. “I am limitless. I am your god, Lilith. You can either worship me, or be worshiped. I care little which you choose. But those are your only choices.”

He stood, all broad shoulders and power radiating out of his body in a way that made her shiver even harder. He stared at her like she was a worm. Less than a worm. Like she was something already dead that he’d stepped on and now it was her fault that she clung to him.

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