Chapter 22
Glued to the window, she watched as Sanri seduced the man she loved.
Gemma bit her lip but couldn’t close her eyes as she watched the Seeker wreak havoc on Cal. Hope was fading, but Gemma hung on tenaciously, realizing that Cal was getting upset with the Seeker in disguise.
He pulled away and forced the woman over to the cabinets. Maybe, somewhere deep inside, he could tell it wasn’t her. Although, Gemma had to admit, it had been a nice touch for Sanri to broadcast the illusion of her own self locking the couple in. She thought she too might have been fooled by the trick if she wasn’t able to see the illusion.
Don’t do it! Don’t give in!She needed Cal to be strong, for Sanri to get bored, for something good to happen. So far, every move she’d made against the Seekers had been reactive. Maybe it was time for her to go on the offensive. But how?
Sanri was back, pawing at her man again.If I ever do get that bitch alone in a room, I’m going to let her know exactly what I think of her. With my fists.
She kissed Cal again and Gemma felt like she was the one who had been punched. To see the man she adored making out with another woman, it was beyond any pain she’d ever experienced.
She loved Calabez, loved him truly and completely. He’d altered her life in an irrevocable way, one she was more than grateful for. But it wasn’t just the fact that he’d unlocked her from lifelong torture that made her love him. It was because of who he was.
He was beautiful. There was no denying that. Strong, fast, with a tall and muscular form, striking eyes, and perfect skin. His smile made her stomach do backflips. His voice made her melt inside. And his insides were even more wonderful than his outsides.
Cal was kind, compassionate. Protective. Smart. Funny. And thoughtful. He’d wanted to spare her this, wanted to keep her from the danger, from the end of the world, but it had never really been his choice.
It hadn’t been her choice either. The first time she’d seen him, she’d fallen head over heels. What other choice was there than follow him into eternity, come what may?
But she’d never expected she’d have to watch as a would-be rapist seduced her man by wearing her own shape as a disguise. Gemma was coming to terms with the fact that she wasn’t as well equipped to win this battle as she’d thought.
Shut up and focus, she told herself.Use the only power you’ve got, your mind, to figure a way out of this. She looked at the Seeker out of the corner of her eye. He was leaning against the wall, lost in thought. There was something he was worried about. And that represented a vulnerability, however small it was.
The fake Gemma wrapped her arms around Cal and straddled him, pressing her body against his. The real Gemma wanted to throw up, hugging herself and wishing she could look away.
She knows you’re watching, and what this is doing to you. That’s the only reason she’s doing this, to get a reaction.
Maybe she’ll stop before the final act. Maybe she’s just toying with you, having fun while Team Darkside gets their plan together.Gemma let out a slow breath, hoping the possibility would become a reality.
“She’ll fuck him, you know,” the Seeker said casually, almost as if he’d read her thoughts. “And she’ll have fun doing it. Normally, I’d be all set to watch and enjoy but…” He trailed off.
His words were a blow she took bodily, but her mind latched on to what he wasn’t saying. “But today, you’re not that into it?” she managed to get out.
The Seeker shook his head. “It’s a waste of time. We should be doing something else.”
“Like what?”
The man shook his head, giving her a shrewd look. Then he angled his face toward the window. “Don’t look now, but she’s got his shirt off.”
Unable to help herself, Gemma took the bait. Sanri had indeed removed Cal’s shirt and she was going to work on his pants.
I can’t afford to be distracted. I don’t have much time.
Her thoughts cascaded at a million miles a microsecond. When he’d grabbed her initially, he’d asked her where her friend was. He’d been looking for Grimm. Which meant he didn’t know where Grimm was.
But he could teleport. Couldn’t he just find him? Only if his locating device worked on people and not just places. There was no way for her to know for certain, but she could spin out hypotheses. If he couldn’t locate Grimm, then he either didn’t know his physical location, or he couldn’t make the connection between them. And why would that be?
She glanced at Shadow, considering his personality, his motivations. Although she had very little data to go on, she could make some rudimentary extrapolations based on the psychological profile she thought might fit him best.
Demon servant of Hell. Sticks to the shadows, like his name suggests, moving silently and quickly. Appearing and disappearing at will. Affects disinterest, but he still watches everything, looking for opportunities to exploit.Gemma thought she had an angle to try.
Time to try and get some answers. Or at least stir the pot.
“Why were you looking for Grimm? Because he’s in charge of this operation?”
The demon named Shadow crossed his arms over his broad chest. Gemma had to admit he’d be handsome if he didn’t seem so irredeemably malicious. “He might consider himself in charge, but we all take our orders from someone else.”
