Their laughter rang out again, sharp and cruel. The muted bond left me hollow, trembling as if they’d torn away everything in my chest and left nothing but fear behind. Itried to call my magic again, desperate to protect myself, but it slipped through my grasp like grains of sand. The magical thrum of the warded path pressed down around me, sealing me off from everything but the females intent on harming me.
“Without a demon prince to hide behind, what are you?” Maera sneered, stepping around Daena and thrusting her palm forward. A searing jolt of heat slammed into my ribs, throwing me face down against the rough cobble.
Another fae flicked her fingers, and a lash of wind snapped around me, jerking me upright as it squeezed my body, crushing the air from my lungs.
“You’re nothing,” Daena hissed, circling me. “A pathetic little dud, chasing after any male that might spare you a glance. Your little spells to bind them to you have no power here, not anymore. We’ve made sure of that.”
I gritted my teeth, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response, and the air coiled tighter around my chest.
The succubus stepped forward, her beauty sharpened into something cruel, her eyes glowing faintly as her lips curved in a mocking smile. “Poor little mage,” she purred, her voice dripping venom. “Did you really think you could keep him? That a demon prince would ever lower himself to you?”
The other demon moved to her side, flicking her hand out, and a lash of sharp magic cracked across my cheek. I choked on a scream as the sensation of blades slicing my skin tore through me. The succubus tilted her head, studying the damage with a satisfied smirk.
“Zypher belongs among his own kind,” she hissed, stepping closer until her perfume and the roiling power of her allure made me want to retch. “Not tangled up with some powerless mage from the human realm. Did you really believe you could steal him? That we’d let someone like you claim our prince without uncovering your twisted little game and making you pay for it?”
She thrust her palm against my chest, a pulse of energy ripping through me, rattling my ribs and wrenching a cry frommy throat. My knees would have buckled if it weren’t for the air forcing me upright, coiling tightly around my body like a boa constrictor. The succubus smirked as I writhed in agony against her magic.
“Pathetic,” she drawled. “So focused on stealing our prince that you didn’t bother learning about the rest of our kind. I’m more than happy to educate you.” She sent another pulse of energy through me, causing my body to strain against the hold as the sensation of a thousand knives tore through me. “My kind is known for their allure. It’s always assumed our allure only incites lust and a desperate sort of need, but there is another side to it — a side meant to inflict the most deliciously wicked sort of pain.”
She took a step back, pulling her power with her, and my body slumped, my head falling forward as I panted. My body trembled as I forced my head up to look her in the eyes.
“Fuck. You.” I panted, refusing to let my fear get the best of me, no matter how stupid it was to taunt the group surrounding me.
Daena lashed out at my words. Her hand cracked across my cheek, her nails digging into my skin as she clawed my face. The sting burned down my cheek, hot blood dripping along my jaw. She leaned in close, her breath fanning against my skin as she sneered. “You really don’t know when to shut that filthy mouth of yours, do you?”
I forced my head to turn and bared my teeth. “At least I’m not panting after a male who so clearly despises me.” The taunt left my lips before I could stop it, even as some small part of me screamed to shut up before I got myself killed.
Daena jerked back as if I’d slapped her and narrowed her eyes. She snapped her perfectly manicured fingers, causing her magic to lash out. Cuts littered my body in the wake of her abilities. My skin split open across my arms, shoulders, and thighs — shallow at first, enough to sting and leave thin ribbons of blood trailing down me. I bit the inside of my cheek, hard enough to taste the copper tang of blood, refusing to cryout. Her friends’ laughter rang out like a chorus of cackling hyenas.
“You should beg,” Daena cooed. “It’ll make it sweeter when we tear you apart.”
I forced myself to meet her eyes and spat out the blood pooling in my mouth. “I’d rather choke on my tongue,” I hissed.
The fae gripping the wind spell that held me tight snarled and twisted her hand. Agony speared through my chest as my lungs compressed violently; I wheezed and buckled against the invisible hold. I slammed to my knees on the hard cobblestone as the magic released me.
Daena crouched in front of me, her fingers reaching out to take my jaw in an iron grip. She tipped her head as she held me in place, studying me like a bug caught in her net. “Let me tell you a secret,” she whispered, leaning closer as her grip tightened. “We’re going to make sure every one of those males you covet so much sees you broken. When we’re finished, you’ll be nothing but a pathetic smear they’ll turn away from in disgust. It won’t matter what spells you cast to try and snare them — they will have seen you for what you truly are: a weak, pathetic little creature. Someone that no male could ever want standing by his side.”
She released my chin with a sharp jerk and stood, nodding to her friends. The air whipped around me once more, yanking me to my feet as it squeezed me so tightly my body felt like it was about to pop. My vision grew dim around the edges, hazy as magic lashed at my skin. I lost track of the sensations causing my pain, left with only the knowledge that my body was being battered and broken. It overwhelmed my senses until I sank into a numb place in the recesses of my mind.
A sound like shattering glass rent the air, dragging the world around me back into focus. The barrier’s shimmer shifted, pressing outward. All at once, the magic holding me snapped away, and I collapsed onto the cobblestones, gasping raggedly as blood dripped from my body. A low growl rolled through the path, dark and dangerous, raising goosebumps on my armsand forcing me to lift my head. A figure stepped through the shattered barrier, eyes burning with rage.
Gabriel looked like a dark angel of vengeance as he strode toward me. Every cruel taunting word he’d thrown at me seemed forgotten. He didn’t look smug, or amused, or conflicted. He looked furious. I trembled under the weight of his glare, but it wasn’t aimed at me — it was aimed at them.
“What is the meaning of this?” he hissed, baring his fangs at the females gathered around me.
Daena stepped forward, a placating smile plastered to her face. “We’re merely showing the dud her place.”
Gabriel moved too fast for my eyes to track. One instant, he was yards away; the next, he was standing in front of me, his hand wrapped tightly around Daena’s throat.
“Touch her again, and you’ll beg me to end you quickly,” he snarled, his voice low, guttural, laced with threat.
“You can't,” Maera cried, her voice trembling. “She’s Vallynn’s betrothed. If any harm comes to Daena—”
Gabriel turned his attention to her, his eyes blazing. “And yet the prince doesn’t seem to care much for his betrothed. In fact, I’m almost certain he would thank me for ridding him of any responsibility toward this harpy.”
Gabriel squeezed Daena’s throat, causing her breath to come out as a wheeze. Her eyes bulged, and I could practically taste the fear rolling off her in waves. I shifted without conscious thought, wanting a better view for the moment he snuffed her out. The movement caused a pained whimper to tear from my lips, and Gabriel’s head snapped in my direction. His eyes narrowed as he took me in — bloodied, battered, broken — and then he tossed Daena aside with a carelessness that spoke to his anger.
“Leave,” he snarled as he stalked toward me. “All of you before I change my fucking mind.”
