Sin Garu laughed. “Well, Michael, I’ll agree Tessa’s a pleasure to look at, even for an awkward xiantope.” He blinked in apology at me. “Oh, I’m sorry, I, how rude. A xiantope is what we call those of you from the primitive, non-magical worlds.”
He nodded at Davis. “You see, Michael, I have a knack for reading people, ferreting their strengths and weaknesses. I had Tessa pegged from the beginning. She’s bright enough, and pretty enough for a human. Such a lesser species.” The sorcerer smiled, showing too many teeth. “Tessa didn’t know what you were, but she knew enough of you to be wary, didn’t she? How embarrassing.”
Davis clenched his jaw tight and took another step toward me.
“Tessa bothers you, doesn’t she?” Sin Garu asked, baiting Davis, who shrugged. “Oh, what the hell. You’ve earned it, and I daresay I’ll enjoy watching the two of you. Such unfettered beauty,” he muttered, his eyes dark with what I could only describe as hunger.
The fear I’d successfully been suppressing bubbled to the surface when I read the evil anticipation on Davis’ face.
“Strip, mheyia.” he sneered.
“Mheyia means whore,” Sin Garu translated.
“Thanks for being so helpful,” I snapped, using every bit of anger I had to overcome the fear making my knees shake. Though I’d been obnoxious to my captors since they’d spirited me out of the lobby doors, neither had lifted a hand to harm me.
Yet.
“If you wanted me to strip you, bitch, all you had to do was ask.” Davis stepped closer, his intent to hurt me plain on his face.
“Get back, you freak. I’ll get naked. Just hold on.” I glared as I slowly removed my hair pins. Stall, stall. Marcus, where are you?
“Ah, such fire, such magnificent tresses,” Sin Garu said with a sigh. “I like your hair better down. It’s like liquid fire.”
“Yeah.” Davis sneered. “That way, when you’re on your knees sucking me off, I can manage your head with those sleek red reins.”
His crudity excited the sorcerer, the lust in Sin Garu’s eyes and the bulge between his thighs prominent.
Rape by two evil creatures was certainly worse than by one. I had to escape, to push through the fear, making it difficult to think.
I didn’t have long to wait for Davis to attack. He suddenly lunged at me. But the moment he touched my arm, a film of water rushed from my body and covered him from head to toe.
He coughed and gagged, struggling to breathe as he fell to his knees. But the water remained a thin sheet around him. It looked like he’d been wrapped in cellophane that moved with him, wet and unbreakable.
I watched in horror as he choked to death, shocked.
“Very impressive.” Sin Garu nodded, as if pleased. “I hadn’t expected such dramatic fanfare. A simple protection spell would have sufficed. But Marcus outdid himself.”
I stared, still coming to grips with the now-dead Djinn on the floor. Davis stared wide-eyed at the ceiling, unmoving, foaming at the mouth under the water that had suffocated him to death.
I turned to Sin Garu. “You knew something like this would happen?”
He shrugged. “Why not? I would have done the same in Marcus’ place. Apparently, he’s claimed you. And you’ve accepted him. Tsk, tsk. I’m disappointed in you, Tessa. I didn’t expect you to be so easy.”
I flushed despite not feeling embarrassed for loving Marcus.
Sin Garu laughed at me. He looked hungry, and despite his monstrous fangs and clear intent to hurt and no doubt kill me, his power was incredibly seductive.
I shivered. How I could find anyone as horrible as Sin Garu appealing was beyond my comprehension. The longer I stared, the wider he smiled, as if he understood my dilemma.
“Have no worries, Tessa,” he said gently and stood, stretching out his long limbs. “I won’t hurt you. Much.” He stopped a hair’s breadth from me. Reaching out a long, pointed finger, he ran the nail parallel to my cheek, close but not touching.
He seemed pleased when I clenched my jaw and refused to glance away.
“I’m really going to enjoy you.” He sounded surprised at the admission. “But we have much to do before we can succumb to pleasure. First, I need to see what you and the Storm Lords are really made of.”
Striving to overcome my fear, I focused my nervous energy on Sin Garu, imagining shoving him hard against the wall and away from the door. Energy pulsed around me at my conscious effort to use Marcus’ telekinesis.
To my disappointment, nothing happened.
