Page 114 of Tortured Soul
Next to it, the sketch of a two-legged Dragon. The note said they changed over time, going from four legs when they first were seen to two when humans evolved.
It described their animal size as ranging from only nine feet to thirty for the largest.
I pulled on the joint again before taking it out of my mouth and set it on the ashtray.
“No one knows how they lived and reproduced, as their number grew larger over the years, but some have reported that they picked Maidens from their villages and they were never seen again,” I read. “Well,duh, I’m guessing giving birth to a Dragon might not be easy. Protecting humankind,my ass.”
Did Lola know about them? Was that why she was terrified looking at that single page? According to her file, shewasolder than Arc.
What if she was one of those Maidens before she sold her soul?
No—I shook my head. Astrals were not real, or we’d know about them. Humankind stopped talking about them over a thousand years ago, when Divines and Hellriser’s numbers increased on earth.
And yet, as my thumb brushed over the tear stain on the paper, my heart made a little loop in my chest.
I pulled the small key from my pocket and inspected it. How many of my sketches had she seen before I took the binder away from her? I could only hope she didn’t reach the ones I made of her. Or the oneArchad given me a few days before she showed up…
My eyes snapped open with a gasp.
I wasn’t in my room.I knew I shouldn’t have finished that joint.
But as my surroundings came into focus and foreign thoughts invaded my mind, I groaned.
“Did you not get enough earlier?” Arc’s voice echoed in my mind. I tried to escape his head but he locked me in.
Fucking asshole.
“I felt that, moron.”
Of course he did. Even when I didn’t talk, he could feel me there. Feel the emotions plaguing me.
“If you swallowed your fucking pride, you could join us. I’m sure Lola would love that.”
He turned his face toward her sleeping form. Her head and one of her hands were resting on his naked chest. She looked peaceful, a far cry from the look on her face when she held that damned book.
“I’d rather have my wings cut out,” I answered, bile rising to my throat, but my cock hardening in my boxers. It only made me feel sicker. “Let me out, I didn’t plan on ending up here.”
He chuckled and Lola whined in her sleep as the movement made her head shake.
“Even your subconscious is trying to reach out for her by any means,” he said. “You can’t fight it. Just give in.”
“You’re one to talk.” I gritted my teeth.“So scared of your demon side that you won’t give in either. At leastI’m not playing around with her feelings.”
His mental laugh echoed in my mind.
“You’re going to have to get over your confused emotions. When the Nephilim comes back, I’ll be the one going with him. I’ll need you to keep an eye on Lola and fill in my promise to her.”
My stomach churned.
“No. I’ll go with him. Don’t make me—”
“Ithasto be me.” His amusement died down, and a cold feeling squeezed my whole body. “If our suspicions are correct, and there’sindeed an Immortal operating the whole thing, I’m the best chance we have to get rid of them.And I don’t trust that Nephilim, something is off.I mean, you know how they are.”
I didn’t. Not really. Most of the ones on earth kept to themselves, and I’d never met one before Lola showed up.
“Swear to me that you’ll ignore your damn feelings and look after her.”
My throat tightened and my mouth went dry. Good thing the voices were still quiet in my head.
