Changing tactics, I retreated from his consciousness before gripping him by the shoulders and tapping into the part of myself I now recognized as my Famine side. It had been hard to locate this particular skill during practice, since the only time I’d ever used it had been borne out of my fear and rage. With a good amount of coaxing from the boys, I’d learned how to isolate and use it on purpose.
I did so now, opening my mouth and pulling Lucifer’s life force into my body. If his lust was a meal, feeding on him like this was akin to taking Molly. It was addictive, an immediate rush, and way different from the last time I’d used this power. Euphoric was the only word to describe the sensation.
“No!” he snarled, fighting back as I attempted to hold him still.
He was too strong, even now. I needed help as he bucked under me.
Reaching for the tethers that connected me and my men, I tugged, sending up my version of the bat signal.
My gaze was locked onto Lucifer’s, a requirement to make him malleable enough for me to do this, so I only noticed the horsemen in my periphery. They hadn’t wasted a second charging to my rescue.
In other circumstances, I might have swooned.
Chaos and Malice got to me first, each of them taking a side to keep Luc from throwing me off him. Their presence strengthened me and revived something I hadn’t realized was flagging. Grim’s shadows ran across my body, then between me and Lucifer, sliding up until he encircled the man’s throat. We had him.
I redoubled my efforts on a furious Lucifer. He struggled against their hold, but he was well and truly trapped. Our plan was working. I had no doubt that if I hadn’t fed on him first, wenever would have gotten to this point. Now I just had to land the finishing blow.
At first it was like before. The high, the euphoria. But it quickly changed. Sort of like sucking on a straw when the cup is empty. I couldn’t seem to pull any more of him into me. But it wasn’t because I’d taken everything. Lucifer was still very much alert.
Something was preventing me from draining him further.
Panicked, my gaze shot up and landed on Sin, who’d moved to stand behind Lucifer. The horseman Famine glowed with power as he reached down and laid his hands on Lucifer’s shoulders. Our eyes locked as we held the devil down so we could feast and end this.
Well, that was the intention. Even with the addition of Sin’s power, I still wasn’t able to get more than a trickle out of Lucifer. But it was okay, because Sin was doing just fine draining Lucifer on his own.
It wasn’t until this moment that I realized Sinclair had been running on a nearly empty tank as of late. Once he began to take in Luc’s essence, Sin’s hair grew luminous, his skin more vibrant and youthful. In fact, every part of him seemed refreshed and healthier.
Beneath me, Luc’s struggling slowed until it stopped.
“Just a little more,” Chaos coaxed.
“You can do it, wildflower.”
I wanted to say this was all Sin, but I got distracted by an unexpected emotion in Lucifer’s eyes. It was a cross between betrayal and acceptance, and it slammed into me like a hammer. I jolted, a heaviness that felt a whole lot like guilt settling in my chest.
“Merri...” Lucifer shuddered once, a ragged whisper escaping him before his eyes closed.
Instantly, I sagged over him, my body overcome with insurmountable exhaustion the likes of which I’d never felt. How was it Sin looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine, and I couldn’t even keep my head up?
“Hellcat?” Malice shouted, his fear pelting me like shards of ice.
“I’m sorry... I didn’t get it...” It was nearly impossible to force out the words, but I was fading fast and couldn’t be sure how much longer I could keep us all here together. They needed to know that I’d failed.
“It’s okay, Merri,” Sin said. “You were perfect. You did everything we needed. Let go now, we’ll take care of the rest.”
There wasn’t any other option. I did as he said. I let go and fell into a darkness of my own making.
Chapter
Thirty-Seven
MALICE
“We almost fucking killed him. Did you feel that?” Sin asked, bouncing off the walls after we all came back from our dreamwalk.
“We did exactly what we planned. We can’t kill him, but we weakened him substantially.” I rolled my shoulders and moved toward the door, filled with purpose as time ticked by.
“Where are you going? We need to debrief,” Chaos demanded.
