Page 155 of Tales of a Deadly Devotion
I went still in a moment, but my residual momentum sent me slamming into the filthy wood panelled wall. My beasts abandoned me in the blink of an eye. Leaving me lying on that stained carpet, naked.
My fingers curled into it desperately. The chill of the air licking its way up my naked spine.
No.
‘Stay,’ came another command. Freezing me in place. So exposed, listening to nothing but those screams in the distance, as the ground beneath me shook again, dust lining my throat.
No.
No.
No.
This was nothing but a dream. A nightmare of the past. The screaming and rush of beings. The distant smell of smoke. A horrid keening sound sliding from between my lips.
You can always fly away, little love.No. It was a lie. Not when she owned my wings. Owned every part of me.
All I could see was the ground as the rough carpet dug into my cheek, as boots passed me. Thean’s. Foolishly I wanted to grab them, dig my claws through them but I couldn’t move. Couldn’t feel rage, not when fear clogged my throat and made it impossible to draw breath.
There were beings in the hall. So still. Waiting. Watching.
‘You let her mark you,’ that soft feminine voice taunted.‘When this is done … you’ll show me just how much you missed me and I’ll decide how useful you still are, Thean Page.’
Thean.
The trap. It had been a trap.
My heart cracked inside my chest. A horrid wailing cry consuming my ears that was mine – only it wouldn’t escape my lips.
‘Kneel, Valeska,’ came the next command and there was no choice. My limbs moved like a puppet on her string. Kneeling there. So exposed. Tears blurring my vision, spilling pathetically down my cheeks, dripping onto my bare thighs.
Then all my nightmares became real. Those blood red eyes, how useless and weak I was, just as she’d met me the first time. That strange form of Thean stood at her side, not looking at me, neither did the other rebels further down the hall. Watching their master.
‘Did you forget, little rat?’ Her voice mocking as her head tipped to one side, dark hair spilling over her shoulder as a malicious smile came to her lips. ‘There is no outrunning a blood oath, Valeska. Your Keeper should have taught you better.’
That name I’d done everything to forget. The mistake I couldn’t outrun. All my hopeless prayers, and they’d just led me back to her.
‘The hunters are close, Countess,’ a voice called from down the hall but she didn’t stop her observation of me. The victory shining in hideous eyes.
Then she turned back to the rebels in the hallway. Awaiting her command like pets.
The Hunters were here. Montagor.
Kat.
Fear curled ruthlessly inside of me, beasts clawing at my ribs until I could taste blood at the back of my throat.
‘Blow it up. Bury it.’ She clicked her bloodstained fingers, and suddenly there were hands on me, dragging me to my feet.
The command was ruthless, uncaring about what was here.
That Kat was here.
No!I screamed, only my lips didn’t part. No sound escaped. It couldn’t because all of me was hers.
Chapter Forty-One
Kat
