Page 58 of Bound By Darkness

I focus again on Dragan’s face and I’m surprised by his expression. He seems hostile, angry, and though he’s obviously primed and ready to take this woman, it doesn’t appear as though he wants to.

Whoever this woman is, Dragan doesn’t want to have sex with her.

I don’t understand why until I see her laugh at him. He opens his eyes and clenches his teeth as her laughter echoes throughout the room. It’s not happy laughter—it’s the sound someone makes when they’re taunting someone else—it’s mocking and unkind.

But, why is she laughing at him?

I get the definite feeling that Dragon is the victim in this scenario, even as he shoves his erection into her. She moans and clings to him and I find myself wishing the images would fade because the sight of Dragan inside another woman feels like it’s cleaving me in half.

But the images don’t fade. Instead, I’m forced to watch as Dragan fucks her with his eyes shut tight and she wraps her legs around him. That’s when I watch her open her mouth wide and she inhales. A white wisp of what I imagine is energy or life force pulls out of Dragan and she sucks it into herself. It’s as though she inhales the aura that surrounds him, stealing it and, in the process, weakening him.

And that’s when I realize what she is. Who she is.

This is a vision of Lamia, the Queen of the Succubae.

She was what I am...

The images shift and then bleed away all together, to be replaced with news ones. This time, I see Dragan with Lamia again but now they’re joined by two other women. One of the newcomers shares the same dark features as Lamia. The other woman doesn’t—she’s fair and her hair is as red as the fire that burns in the hearth behind them.

Dragan takes turns fucking them, sinking his cock into each one as they inhale his energy in the same way I witnessed Lamia doing when it was just the two of them. I can see the shame that settles over Dragan’s face. It’s in his eyes, the way he refuses to look at any of them. Yet, his body continues to drive into each one of them. The three of them begin laughing at him, all in unison. He pulls his cock out of one of them and then thrusts it in another, taking turns with all three. And they continue to laugh at him and call him names.

I’m overcome with the feeling of hatred… Dragan’s hatred. He despises himself almost as much as he despises the three of them.

They use him, torment him... humiliate him.

And I can’t bear to witness it. I can’t stand watching his suffering, but the vision is relentless and won’t release me from its snare.

After another few seconds, the images fade away and I’m left hoping the vision has released me. But when new images surface, I realize such isn’t the case.

Now I’m facing the same bedroom but instead of a threesome, I watch Dragan as he pulls a blade through the younger, dark one’s, throat. I watch her struggle as her blood empties from her body. Dragan steps out of the way of the river of red, as though afraid her blood will touch him.

The dead Succubus tumbles to the floor as the woman with the red hair suddenly screams. She attempts to escape, but Dragan grabs her wrist and yanks her towards him. Her eyes are wide as the blade enters her chest and he rips it upwards. Her eyes roll back in her head and he tears the blade out of her body, tossing her on the floor.

A huge smile takes hold of his mouth.

Just then, the bedroom doors are thrown open and Lamia appears. She takes in the death and destruction before her and then glares at Dragan, her eyes empty pits of black. There’s intense pain in their depths but even more anger and a burning need for revenge.

Before she can take more than three steps into the room, Dragan throws the dagger at her. It sinks into her belly and throws her backwards. She falls to the ground and reaches for the hilt of the sword, attempting to free it.

Dragan approaches her and steps down on the top of the dagger, forcing it inside her even deeper. Blood begins to drip from one side of her mouth and I watch Dragan’s smile broaden.

He laughs as she chokes and scarlet liquid spreads across the floor, connecting the three corpses in a triangular shape.

It’s then that Thoradin appears in the doorway, looking much younger as well. He takes in the scene before him with what appears to be relief.

“The last of the Succubae,” Dragan says on an exhale, steping away from the river of red. “The extinction of a vile, demonic race,” he finishes.

He raises his arms, the blood on his hands dripping down his arms, and yells, “I am the King of The Realm of Shadow... and now, I am free!”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

EILISH

Earlann

My heart is pounding, and I feel faint.

I suddenly feel the need to leave the table as images of the vision still dance in my head. I stand up and excuse myself into the kitchen. Dragan and Baron glance at me in question but I don’t spare a look at either of them.

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