Page 113 of Heir of Illusion

“Don’t engage,” Alice reminds him.

“How do you know my name?” he asks, ignoring her orders.

A sweet smile blooms across myeidolon’sface. “Because I killed your friend Lynal.”

Taron’s eyes go wide as he shuffles back a few steps.

“You remember, don’t you? You were in the pub getting drunk and flirting with barmaids while I was out back slaughtering your friend.”

“Stop talking!” Alice orders Rose as she steps forward, getting between the two of them. She focuses on the man in red, holding up a placating hand. “Don’t let her get to you. Rememberhisorders. He chose you for a reason, Taron. He saw something in you.”

“Did you know that Lynal peed his pants after I cut his hand off?” Rose announces. “It was actually kind of funny.”

Fury breaks across Taron’s face, turning his cheeks as red as his cloak. “I’m going to kill you, bitch.”

He lifts his blade, taking a step toward her.

“Taron, stop!” Alice cries, but it’s too late. The large man barrels forward, pushing her out of the way as he raises his knife toward my duplicate.

Alice’s head hits the wall with a startling crack right as my blade slices across the back of Taron’s calf, causing him to tumble to the ground. Glancing up, I find that Griffen has already slit the throat of one of his targets and is about the drive his blade into the other.

I’m moving to finish Taron off when Alice lifts her head, blood trailing down her smiling face. “He’s here.”

A sickening wave of nausea churns in my stomach as my collar grows warmer against my skin. In some unholy imitation of a God’s arrival, everyone in the alley drops to one knee and bows their heads. The only people left on their feet are Rose and Griffen, who stand back-to-back in the center of the group. Through the fog, a newcomer enters the alley. His face is familiar, despite the fact that I’ve never seen him in person. His likeness has been circulated constantly for the last few weeks, branding itself into my brain.

Grell Darby.

He’s different than I imagined. Calmer. More refined. The way he carries himself speaks of power and dominance I wouldn’t expect to find in someone like him. Darby’s features are cold, his gaze shrewd as he makes his way to Rose.

All at once, a scalding heat pulses against my neck, stronger than it was outside of the dilapidated house. I grit my teeth against the pain as I tuck myself into the corner.

“This is the infamouswraith?” Darby asks, observing Rose with indifference. “I expected more.”

Ivy, a new voice whispers into my mind.

I close my eyes, trying to clear my head as Rose replies to Darby. “I could say the same.”

“Charming,” he says before turning his gaze on Griffen, who glares at the former guard. “And the spare?”

Listen to me, Ivy, the voice speaks again, tickling my brain with its seductive tone.

“Nothing to worry about,” Alice speaks up, still kneeling a few feet away.

“I find that to be offensive,” Griffen mutters under his breath.

I’ve seen the desires of your heart.

I pull against the collar as the world tilts on its axis, becoming blurry and unfocused.

I’ve seen the shame you seek to hide.

“It’s unfortunate things have to end this way,” Darby says to Rose. “But I’m afraid you’ve got something that doesn’t belong to you. Something that needs to be returned tohim.”

Those intrinsic instincts I’ve learned to rely on are screaming at me to run, to fight, to do something.

Your shame can be erased. You need only give into me.

I try to push to my feet, but the pain turns searing. The heat from the collar is scorching as it burns my skin.

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