Page 30 of Hell's Prisoner
My suspicion was further confirmed when she looked between the male demons and then nodded in my direction.
They moved without a word, each of them taking an arm and fastening shackles over my wrists. I expected them to pull me up into their favorite whipping position, but they didn’t. Instead, they lifted my arms above my head and attached the shackles to the loop in the wall where they usually attached the chain running from my collar.
The new position ensured I couldn’t stand up without pulling my arms from their sockets. I was as unable to move as I would be if I’d been wrapped in chains.
Once I was secured, the demons backed off, moving to stand like centurions on either side of the tunnel.
It was impossible to ignore the female demon as she approached. Her nails were painted black to match her bra and hair. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that I’d have the misfortune of feeling those nails biting into my skin at some point before this little visit was over.
I’d been the plaything of countless demons, but something about this time felt different, like something was off, but I couldn’t figure out what.
The demon climbed into my lap, her long hair brushing over my bare skin. There was a sickening feeling spreading through the pit of my stomach as she leaned forward and ran her tongue over the side of my neck.
I tried not to think about Laila and what she would think of this interaction, but it was impossible. It was like asking a drowning man not to think of air.
I could blame the blood exchange and the fact that her heavenly fire now flowed through my veins, but I knew that wasn’t the real reason. It wasn’t about her blood or the fact that she was the only person who wasn’t a demon that I’d seen since I was first chained here. It washer. The angel who’d faced my monster and offered me her blood, who took care of me even though I definitely didn’t deserve it.
Sometime in the past however many days, she’d become the air I breathed, the light that held back the darkness.
The demon in my lap nipped at my chin, and a wave of revulsion rolled through me.
I squeezed my eyes shut. The demons might succeed in breaking me someday, but I sure as hell didn’t have to make it easy for them. They didn’t get to control my thoughts, regardless of what they did to my body.
Keeping my eyes closed, I imagined it was Laila on my lap, and I could have sworn I felt her soft fingers running over my chest and through my hair.
Somewhere in the cell, the demon was reaching for the waistband of my jeans, but my focus was on a different girl, hoping she’d be able to save me again. Because I couldn’t fight the darkness on my own. I could feel the monster pushing against the cage I tried to keep it locked in, just waiting for me to slip in my control.
* * *
“Joriel.”
I locked my jaw at the sound of her voice. She wasn’t supposed to come back.
“You won’t even look at me now?”
She didn’t get it. If I opened my eyes, if I moved even a millimeter right now, I wouldn’t be able to keep it together. I didn’t trust what I’d do, but I knew it would be something I’d regret.
I might remember my name this time, but I didn’t feel any more in control than I was when she came to me after the demon royal bled me dry.
Her footsteps moved closer, a barely audible whisper over the rock floor.
I squeezed my eyes tighter. I could feel the heat wafting off her skin. It called to me like warm embers in the middle of the coldest night. Touching her wasn’t an option. I couldn’t trust myself to stay in control. She was the sun, but I was the night, and if I got too close, I’d smother her light.
Soft hands cupped my cheeks, and I leaned into her touch despite my best efforts not to.
“Joriel.” She was so close that I could feel her breath on my face, could practically taste her.
“You need to get away from me,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Or what?” she whispered, challenge ringing in every syllable.
“Please, snow angel.” It was a last-ditch effort, one that I didn’t expect to work. She was too stubborn, too determined to push until she saw every last broken part of me. And I couldn’t resist her warmth and light.
It didn’t help that she was using her soothing powers on me. Despite my best efforts, I could feel my muscles relaxing, the tension bleeding out of me. She wasn’t just taking away my pain and despair; she was also robbing me of my control over the thing inside me.
I didn’t decide to move. The next thing I knew, my arm was wrapped around her, holding her to me while I twisted my other hand in her hair.
She let out a tiny gasp that sent a punch of lust straight to my gut. I wanted her more than I’d wanted anything in a long time. I wanted to lose myself in her sweet mouth and the feel of her soft skin. I wanted to fill my world with her until there was nothing else.
