That washim.
Somehow, he’d bonded himself to her. Had gotten inside her—A wildfire of rage tore through me, igniting every cell in my body and stoking the essence in my blood. I was going to kill that fucker. True Primal of Death or not, he would die. He would fucking—
Poppy’s head lifted, her eyes wide again as energy charged the atmosphere. A faint glow of eather pulsed weakly behind her pupils as the splotches of brown and green in her irises began to bleed together.
Shit.
I needed to control myself better. Pulling my senses back, I cut them off as I checked my anger. It took damn near everything in me to calm my ass down.
When I could trust that my voice would be level, I spoke. “You felt that, huh? I’m not angry at you. Never at you.”
The churning in her eyes slowed and then stilled, leaving only the shadows and crimson visible. Our gazes locked, and there was nothing but a cold, vast emptiness in her stare.
I knew at once thatshewasn’t looking back at me.
Tension gathered in my muscles. “Is that you?”
Her head tilted.
“Kolis.”
One side of her lips curled up slowly. “I told you once before.” The voice that came out of her was a poisonous whisper, slithering through the air toward me like a venomous viper. The hairs on my arms stood on end. “She has always been mine.”
Instantly, it was as if all my muscles had turned to stone. I saw Duke Teerman in my mind, saying almost the same words. Saw a glint of light in his dark eyes, like dying sunlight flickering in the darkness.
And suddenly I knew.
Somehow, Kolis had been in Teerman. My hand fisted against my thigh as I tried to keep my voice level. “And I toldyouthat she has never been yours.”
The laugh fell against my skin like frozen rain. “Fool.”
I pushed down the rising eather, using what I’d learned while being held captive. I shut down any and all feelings until I was as cold as the thing staring back at me through her eyes. GettingKolis to talk was far more productive than losing my shit. “How long were you in Teerman?”
Her head tilted to the other side, the movement disturbingly fluid and serpentine. “Whenever I chose to be.”
I didn’t look away. “How?”
That smirk kicked up a notch. “I’m going to kill you.”
The curve of my lips matched hers. “Is that so?”
“But first?” The tip of her tongue swiped over her dry lower lip. “I’m going to take everyone you care about and break them.”
I forced a yawn. “Doubtful.”
He stared back at me through her eyes. “You remind me of someone I once knew.” The other side of the lips tipped up. “He, too, loved her.”
I could feel my fingertips beginning to prickle as my nails lengthened. “Who are you talking about?”
“He was also a fool.”
“Who?”
The eyes flickered over me, then narrowed. “Doesn’t matter.”
I actually agreed with the sick fuck. “You killed those Ascended, didn’t you? Fed from them.”
He continued to smile with her lips. And, fuck, it was a grotesque mockery.
