Page 6 of Fallen Angels

The gargoyle views her as something to be caged. I’m quite sure he’d neuter her of her Succubae powers if the opportunity ever presented itself. I wish to nurture that darkness inside of her and watch it flourish.

She turns her gaze back to mine and I grasp a strand of her hair when it arrests my attention. The strand is pure black in the midst of her long, white tresses. She plucks the strand from my fingers and scrunches her brow in confusion.

“What happened?” she asks in a quiet tone.

“You fed.”

“Why would feeding turn my hair black?”

I shrug. “I assume the Succubus will grow more dominant each time you succumb to the hunger.” I lean my head against the wall and close my eyes.

“What will happen if I don’t feed?”

“You’d die.”

I peek over at Eilish as she worryingly looks at the strand of hair between her fingers.

“Are you sure?”

I nod. “It would be a horrible way to go and I wouldn’t recommend testing it.”

“Why horrible?”

“Because it would be slow.”

“How slow?”

“First, you’d become so exhausted, you wouldn’t be able to move. And then the pain. After that, a sweltering fever would plunge you in and out of consciousness. Your pheromones would become so strong that any male in the area would be affected by the scent. It would force them to serve you whether they wanted to or not.”

“And if a man wasn’t around?”

“Then the fever would spread to your brain and you’d die.”

“What if I... relieved myself?” she asks with a tinge of embarrassment lacing her words. Part of me is disappointed that she continues to make war with this side of herself. But I realize I must exercise patience. After all, she’s only just realized what she is.

“Feeding must come from a male life force.”

“How do you know this?”

I shrug again. “I’ve studied shadow magic as well as shadow creatures. As an assassin, it’s important I understand those I’m up against.”

“But there are no more Succubae,” she argues, shaking her head. “Aside from me. So why study them?”

I nod. “True, but better to be prepared than not, correct? And, I’ll admit, the Succubus has always intrigued me.”

“Why?”

“A creature fully driven by her own sexual appetite and need?” I respond with another shrug. “What’s not to find interesting?”

She nods but seems disturbed, at the same time. I flinch away when she reaches for my hand, but she hunts it down and tangles our fingers together. I hear shuffling from the cell beside ours and watch as Cambion lights another torch within his.

When we make eye contact, Cambion stings me with a look of pure loathing. It brings a smile to my face as I stand up and walk over to the bars. Even though my trousers are back around my waist, I don’t bother buttoning them. Let the asshole know I’ve had just fucked Eilish—I don’t care.

I wrap my hands around the iron bars and immediately feel the magic reinforcing them. I try to reach my arm through, pushing past the magic but, as I do, it feels as if my arm is being shredded into pieces, even as I know such isn’t actually happening. Regardless, I can’t take the pain and I pull my hand back. When I inspect it, I find blood beneath my nail beds.

“How strong are these walls?” I ask Cambion.

He ignores me and begins pacing his cell, whispering spells under his breath. I shake my head and look from the barred wall up at the ceiling. “Where the hell is the damn door?”

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