Page 126 of Fallen Heirs

“Orpheus, his manipulative nature—being a master at it, in fact—combined with the evils he visited upon her—”

“Iknow.I know. But she’s come a long way since the aftermath of it, she’s been working hard, tirelessly even. The least she deserves is our trust.”

“It’s not her whom I don’t trust.”

“Believe me, I get it. She needs this, though. Let it be.”

I could see the struggle all over him to do that. It was the same internal struggle that I was waging.

But he gave a nod and stepped back in line with me.

“A compromise then. I’m becoming fond of them, believe it or not.”

I frowned, wondering what he was getting at, until he quickly showed me with a brief flick of his magic and a familiar incantation—he’d just cast anauditory enhancementspell.

In the next moment, we could clearly hear the conversation taking place.

“Mmm, I’d hoped my first visitor would be you, darling princess.”

“Then you’re even more of a fool than I took you for.”

“A fool? Is that what you tell yourself to take away some of the power I have over you?”

“You have no power over me, no power over anything or anyone now either.”

“No power? Is that why I’m still here in this cell, on your territory? Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Elliot still missing his magic? Isn’t my protégé still out there wreaking havoc? And, lastly, but most importantly, don’t you need me so badly that you’ve kept the greatest threat to you alive and protected right here amongst your army?”

“You overestimate your position. You being here is merely a temporary inconvenience.”

He snarled and charged the cell, only to be blown back by the power containing him.

“What’s the matter, almighty hybrid? Struck a nerve, did I?”

“You think you’re above it, think you’re past me, but you’re not. You never will be. I’ll be there in your nightmares, in a sudden touch from your men that you’re not expecting that sets you off and sparks a memory of my hands, my mouth, my cock all over you.”

“Wrong. The only thing memorable about your touch is the unwanted nature of it.”

“Your screams and begging proved otherwise.”

I growled low in my throat and my father grasped my shoulder to both calm and comfort me.

“Under black magic control everything was a falsity. Just like your prowess.”

“You little bitch. I know that’s not true.”

“Why does it matter to you? It was just a manipulation, right? Just a game to get what you wanted? A celestial being to wield as a weapon?”

“You know it was more than that.”

“You wanted me.”

“Do you really think I would have employed the methods that I did if I didn’t? I didn’t need to take it a sexual route, I didn’t need to gently gain your trust at first either. I had enough power to turn you without any of that. You’re special, I told you that. I taught you that.”

“You’re right, I am special. And someone like me could never want someone so beneath them. You’re nothing. You’re certainly not special. In fact, you’re an extremely weak man. You use others to do your bidding like your puppets because you don’t have the stones to do it yourself. You’ve spent more time hiding than anything else. Because you’re not only weak, you’re a coward. I couldneverwant a nobody like you.”

He vamped out and hissed at her with his fangs.“I will break you, whore!”

“Been there, tried that, and failed.”

---