Page 46 of Demon Found

“There are two options.” He takes over seamlessly, pacing his immaculate oak floor as he talks. “Zephyr either gets clean, or we dissolve the bond.”

Naeve gasps. “That means none of us would ascend. Ever.”

“Wait, what?” I stare at them. “Why does that mean we can’t—”

“If we dissolve this allegiance,” Farrell says, “the Fates won’t grant us another chance. There are four of us, so there’s precisely zero percent chance of meeting a fifth. I’ve been researching. Five-part bonds existed only when there were living aether elementals.”

Dammit, that’s fucked up, I have to ascend. Now I’ve had a taste of my magic, I want it completely unbound. That and it’s still the only way I’m escaping Venez.

Farrell shrugs out of his suit jacket, hanging it carefully on the back of an ancient ornate chair before readjusting his tie. His muscles bulge through his shirt. Dammit, that shouldn’t distract me, and I definitely shouldn’t want to squeeze them. Farrell’s eyes flick to Zephyr. “The only way to form a new bond is if someone in the old allegiance dies. Even then it’s rare.”

“So. We could kill him.” I eye Zephyr, pursing my lips. That would solve the issue of him draining his own magic with SupeZ, then feeding on ours. Problem gone. The slap on my arm pulls me back.

“We cannotkill him!” Naeve whacks my arm again and again. “Get that out of your head right now, Lorelei Smith.”

Zephyr shoots me a puppy-dog look to melt hearts. Not mine. I bare my teeth, and he flinches.

“I’ll try to come off drugs,” Zephyr offers quietly, going back to staring at the floor.

“Not good enough. Trying isn’t good enough.” Naeve’s voice is hard, far from her normal motherly tones. But it’s the first time she’s addressed Zephyr directly, and he swings his head up to focus on her.

Blinking, he turns toward Farrell and gives him a small nod.

Farrell stands from perching on the arm of the sofa, removes his tie, and rolls up his sleeves with meticulous precision before turning and solemnly facing Zephyr. He flicks his finger over the tip of his thumb, revealing the ugly slave mark.

“I compel you to detox and remain off all psychoactive substances.”

Zephyr convulses, and he sinks to his knees, his head bowed.

“As you wish, master.” The words are a strangled whisper.

What the actual fuck? I fling myself across the room, barreling into Farrell and knocking him backward over the sofa arm and onto his back, leaving me straddling him. My hands scrabble for his neck.

“That isn’t free will. You can’t dothat!”

Zephyr’s suddenly standing at my shoulder.

“So, youdocare about me?”

“Fuckwit. I don’t like choice being taken away. Date rape or slave compulsion.”

The light in Zephyr’s eyes dies.

“You must care about him, or you wouldn’t be straddling me like you think you have a hope in hell of beating me. Unless you just wanted to get close?”

Reaching back, I grab Farrell’s balls in a viselike grip and squeeze.

“Wait, Lorelei. We agreed,” he gasps out.

I squeeze harder. “Explain.”

“Zephyr wanted to hear what you’d both say. We agreed that if you seemed willing to give him a chance, then I would compel him. It washisidea.”

I glance at Zephyr who nods.

“If you don’t stop fondling my balls, little harpy, you’ll give me a hard-on.”

A burning blush creeps up my neck and I scramble off, ignoring the bastard’s smug grin.

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