Page 28 of Claimed By Night

And then there’s nothing but the searing shriek of pain. Bright, blinding, and relentless agony that wages an uncompromising battle against my entire being.

My heart beats in outrage against the sting that invades each drop of my blood, spreading its throbbing anguish into every muscle and fiber of my body. The agony envelops me until it feels like my form is nothing more than pain itself, a beating manifestation of the misery contained within.

Before this, I’d been swimming in a body of warm water that soothed me with each gently rocking wave. But now, that buoyancy is nowhere to be found. Instead, I feel cold and wretched.

I feel.

And, in feeling, I want nothing more than to go back to that balmy water so I can sleep again within its peaceful and warm embrace. I want to be cocooned by those numbing waters.

No, Eilish,a woman’s voice commands within my head, behind the jarring ache between my ears, behind the trilling scream I can’t seem to force through my lips.

It will get better. Brace yourself and be strong.

A tremor seizes me and ripples through my body, causing my lower teeth to slam against the upper ones as I begin to shakeuncontrollably. I feel myself bite down hard on my tongue and the taste of blood is thick in my mouth and throat.

“She’s having a seizure!” a deep voice says, fear and concern penetrating the words.

“I never said this would be pleasant,” another voice responds, not quite as deep but just as masculine.

I open my mouth to scream as another tremor grips me, but find I’m unable to utter even the smallest of squeaks. Instead, my back arches as my fingers grip onto something satiny beneath me. I squeeze until the tips of my nails bite into my palms. Anguish travels through me, shaking my entire being, rattling inside my head like a stray bullet. When the shaking stops, all that’s left moving is my heart, which is beating so hard it feels like it could burst.

You are almost through the worst of it, Eilish,the voice inside my head insists.

“Please,” I beg, barely recognizing my own voice. The pain is clearly evident in the word that barely makes it across my tongue.

“She’s bleeding,” the deep voice announces. “Her mouth.”

“She’ll be fine,” the second voice declares. It’s hurried and irritated, but there’s fear beneath the words.

I feel the salty sting of tears as they bleed from the corners of my eyes. Eyes I still haven’t found the strength to open. Not when the pain between them threatens to rip my brain apart.

Then, as though it never was, the pain is gone. Completely. The tremors stop. I can feel nothing. The only reminder of the horrible agony I’ve just endured is the taste of blood.

As the seconds tick by, the coldness alleviates. My body begins to warm, as if I’m sitting in front of a blazing fire.

The impurity has been cleansed,the voice tells me.You are free, Eilish.

In the wakeof the tremors and the torment is an emptiness that is both reward and suffering. Exhaustion claims every cell of my being, but the good news is that I can breathe again. I feel my chest rise as I inhale a deep breath.

***

DRAGAN

“Long, slow, deep breaths,” Cambion instructs the angel, who lies on his bed just as still as she was moments before. If not for the gentle rise and fall of her chest, I might wonder if his enchantment just killed her.

“Continue to breathe in and breathe out,” he says, watching her. I immediately reach over him and pull the sheet back up to her chin to protect her nudity. He glares at me over his shoulder before returning his attention to the angel.

Fuck him. I don’t care if he’s pissed or not. This dandy isn’t the king he was one hundred years ago. He’s a shadow of the man he once was and I have no respect for him.

“Everything is going to be fine now,” he finishes, his tone soothing.

“Is it done?” I ask.

“Yes.” He begins collecting his crystals but pauses when he reaches her breasts. “Would you prefer to retrieve them for me?” he asks.

“Yes,” I respond. “Turn your back.”

“For fuck’s sake, Dragan,” he starts, shaking his head.

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