Page 46 of Savage Blood
Roxie whimpered as he sliced a cut into her palm, ruby-red blood pooling out. He did the same to his, clamped their hands together, and spoke in a demon tongue.
“Bind liga, líkama nos.”
The tiny hairs on my body rose as his power infiltrated the dungeon. Corvin Manor had little information on demon bonds, but they were rare, and only powerful demons could form them.
“Don’t do this, Ruin,” Roxie begged, all the color zapped from her face. “Please.”
“Just think of it this way, Rox. You’ll never be alone again.” Ruin tapped her temple as tears welled in her eyes. “I’ll always be here.Opna viam per huga okkar.”
Written demon languages were sharp and violent, but the foreign words flowed from Ruin’s mouth like a delicate sonnet. He was a poet delivering a romantic verse to his beloved.
Ruin grabbed the raven’s chin gently, her chest heaving and tremors racing through her. Roxie’s mouth parted, and he leaned forward as a thin string of her soul swirled out of her mouth and into his.
But something else was shared between them. A dark strand exited Ruin and entered her just before he pressed their lips together in a kiss.
I swallowed thickly as knots fisted in my stomach. He’d given part of himself to her.
Was I—jealous?
I shook off the stupid thought. Of course I wasn’t jealous.
Ruin released her hand and pressed his palm against her wrist. “Notam eignarhald mitt dominium.”
Roxie squirmed as if he were branding her, and electric power sizzled around them. When he released her, an ebony symbol inked her inner wrist.
My hand flew to my neck where the symbol had appeared shortly after Fane bit me. Was this a form of a demon bond? Did he create one accidentally without realizing it?
Ruin drew away from her, admiring the mark on her wrist with an unusually soft smile. “You'd better make sure you cover this up, Renfield.”
She jerked out of his grasp. “What did you do to me?”
“I’ve established a mental link. We can communicate with our minds, even across different realms. And I’ll always know where you are. So don’t try running from me.” He brushed his fingers across her cheek. “Your soul is still in your body, Roxie, but it belongs to me.”
Her lips thinned into a harsh white line. “I hate you, Ruin.”
“No, you don’t.” He motioned for Alicia and Enid to release her. “I’m the only reason you aren’t dead. And if The Collective Nosterium finds out we’re bound, theywillkill you. So mum’s the word, baby.”
I marched to the left of the dungeon, grabbed Roxie’s sword, and transformed it into a dagger. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Hey!” Roxie bolted toward me, stopping a few feet away. “You can’t leave me here without a weapon.”
“Fine.” I tossed it to her, and she caught the hilt. “You'd better think of something that makes you look innocent in the whole mess.”
I waved my hand around the dungeon at the two dead shifters and the empty cells.
Ruin marched farther into the corridor. “Let’s go, people. Time’s wasting.”
“Wrong way, Ruin.” Was he having another episode?
He flashed a grin and winked. “There’s more than one way to get out of this manor, beautiful. And I know them all. How do you think Fane knew where to go when he rescued you?”
“Helped me escape,” I corrected.
Ruin chuckled. “Tomato, tomahto. But this, I assure you, is our best option.”
Enid and Alicia took off after the high demon, and I brought up the rear. He peeked over his shoulder, his gaze melting back to electric blue as it lingered on Roxie. A flash of guilt rippled over his expression, as if he hated to leave her behind.
Was more going on between those two than I realized?
