Sonia reached out, her strong finger trembling as she ran a nail down the ashen cheek.
Fangs flashed at her finger, and she whipped her hand back. Inspecting closer, it seemed the action had been reflex more than any cognitive functioning on his part. Despite her fear and fury at being so near the creature, Sonia was unable to separate the image of her own immortality from the monstrosity before her. Mingled in the horror of the sight, she swelled in pride in the evidence of strength that her own body had to offer, with all that it could withstand.
“Don’t kill him yet. I need him.”
Sonia didn’t look away from the monster, her eyes now inspecting the skin healing around the stone punctures. “Why?”
“I am part mer, remember? I am here to rescue the mers from the Vampire Cathedral.”
At this, Sonia did look his way. “Really? And why tell me? I am the vampire queen, as I think you know.”
He shrugged. Actually shrugged. “You’re Sonia.”
She didn’t bother to contradict him. Instead she looked back at the mutilated form of her nightmares. This one would end. The endless terror of his upcoming attack would cease. Only one more captor to vanquish. One stronger but less terrifying.
Tracing her fingers over the burnt flesh, occasionally puncturing to tap at the bone, Sonia relished the reaction of the body. Whether it was conscious of the pain or not, it writhed. She loved it.
“I will help you.”
Hope filled his voice. A gladness that grated her nerves. “I knew you would. I knew you were there.”
Her gaze slashed toward him, slicing through any faith her old friend had. “I walk in the sun, Brett. I now walk in the sun.”
His brow crinkled in confusion, then smoothed as the rest of his face drooped, her meaning dawning.
“I will help. I will help you free your people, if you help me.”
“How?”
“You’re part demon. That must mean something.”
He didn’t reply, only waited, his eyes brimming with new tears.
“I will help you, but only if you manage to end Gwala’s reign.”
“Sonia, I have no idea how to do that.”
“Do it, or I will devour every one of your little fish.”
She stared at him. Waiting. She thought he was going to deny her, and she steadied herself to strike him, to push past whatever innate fear her vampire blood found in his demon nature.
Then he nodded.
Relaxing, she settled back, resting on her heels as she knelt over the vampire. Ignoring Brett’s protests, she bit into the flesh at her wrist, spraying a small amount of blood. Holding it a few inches above his skin, she let the blood fall over the vampire’s face.
Before her eyes, the redhead’s face formed into something recognizable. Narrow nose growing from the hollow. Thin lips curled back over the fangs. Gray skin, only a little darker than when he’d forced himself upon her.
She waited until his lids cracked open, revealing emerald eyes, intelligent and aware.
Sonia met his gaze, let the fear pummel through her at the memory, at the monster below her.
With a solitary swing, Sonia brought her fist down onto his forehead, smashing bone and brain in an explosion against the stone underneath.
Before bringing her fist down a second time into the mush, she noticed a solitary fang gleaming out from the mass of mottled flesh. She nearly plucked it up, to save as a trophy. Afraid she might give in to such weakness, she smashed it into the stones, shards of the bone cutting her flesh.
Wiping her hand on her gown, she stood and looked over the destruction. Raising her skirt, she lifted her foot, then brought the spike heel of her shoe down into the space between his rib cage, puncturing what had begun to reform of his heart. Both shoe and bone shattered at the contact.
Pulling her foot free of the mess, she looked over at Brett.
