Page 173 of Between Soul and Vessel
“Something’s wrong,” she spoke frantically, pulling back from me. “Come on. I’ll show you.”
“Sage, wait,” I said as she spun and began to race down the hallway. Swiftly, I followed her, my long legs catching up to hers. “Where are we going?”
“To the room Naia took us to earlier,” she answered as we rushed ahead.
“Why?” We took a swift left.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you!” she exclaimed, quickening her pace. “It’s something you have to see for yourself.”
“Sage, wait,” I beseeched her, grabbing hold of her arm while I pressed down on the backs of my bootheels, bringing us both to an abrupt stop. I spun her toward me. That was when it hit me—her scent. Something was off about it—she no longer smelled of me, and considering I’d been a damn dog about marking her every chance I got, that struck me as—
Her faced twisted in anger, and a glint of silver flashed as she withdrew her arm from her cape and swung it toward me.
Pain exploded in my neck as a metal dagger sunk beneath my skin, sliding along my iron bones. My nerves screamed in agony as I took a few stumbling steps back, wondering what the hell she had just done.
“Fuck,” I snarled, my hand curling around the handle of the dagger. Wincing, I pulled that fucker out then studied the blade. There wasn’t a speck of blood to be found.
I growled at that truth, at the imposter standing before me.
I grabbed her by the throat and shoved her against the wall, the stone cracking on impact. Pressing the blade to her throat, I demanded, “Who the fuck are you?”
“Von, please,” she whimpered, her hands desperately trying to pry mine off. “You are hurting me.”
“You arenotmy mate,” I roared at her.
The throbbing sensation in my neck began to dull, mynerves no longer screaming as they once were. But it wasn’t because the wound was healing—this felt different. It felt like a foot going numb.
“Please, don’t do this,” the female pleaded with me in my mate’s voice. “What if I’m pregnant? Stress isn’t good forthe baby.” A wicked grin spread across her lips. Whoever this imposter was knew exactly what they were doing.
But I wasn’t falling for it.
The strange feeling in my neck began to spread, crawling down the length of my arm, until it reached my fingers. I knew what this was—poison, and it was working fast.
“What was on the blade?” I hissed, trying my best to keep the imposter pinned against the wall, but my strength was beginning to fail me.
“Something that’s going to make you very weary,” the female said, tipping her head to the side. “But before it knocks you out, I want you to hear the truth come from my tongue, so you can suffer just asyoumade me suffer.”
My hand slid from her neck, the knife clattering against the floor. I willed myself to lift my arms, to move, to do something, but the toxin was taking hold. I stumbled backwards, my head swaying. I collapsed against the wall, sliding down it.
The female walked toward me, her gait more masculine than feminine. She dropped into a crouched position, her arm falling over her bent knee. “Tell me,Blood King. Did Sage ever confide in you about what Aurelius did to her while you were napping in the Spirit Realm?”
Granite filled my stomach.
“Did she tell you how he chained her to his bed? I guess she put up quite the fight, to the point that he dislocated her arm.” The imposter’s lips curled into a masochistic grin. “But the second he pried those sweet, sweet lips of hers apart and he forced his ichor down her throat, her legs fell open in welcoming invitation.”
I felt like I could vomit. I couldn’t stomach what I was being told.
“He knew she didn’t want it, and he said that made it even more satisfying when he stuffed his cock into her, giving her no time to adjust. He said it was like she turned into a mindless doll, disassociating from her body. He told me he became disgusted by her for doing that, so he made sure she’d feel the sting of him when she returned from wherever she had gone. He told me the sheets were stained with so much of her blood, the maids had to throw them out after.”
No. No!
Fire burned through me, scorching my insides.
I was wild with anger.
Anger so intense, I hadneverfelt the likes of it before.
It was blinding. Deafening. And it demanded retribution.
