I create a black flame of despair and slam it into her chest.
She bursts out crying.
The others whirl towards her in shock while indescribable pleasure floods my whole soul. I gasp in a deep breath, my lungs finally expanding fully. Warm comfort wraps around me like the perfect hug, and I suddenly feel like I’m floating on a soft cloud. The woman crumples down from the chair and sobs on the floor as I increase the despair in her chest until it consumes her whole body. My soul thrums.
That’s it, I tell myself. I’ve broken through the pain and regret now, so I know that I should release the grip on my magic. But I just… I just need a few more seconds.
“Darla,” the guy next to her yells. “What the hell is going on?”
The woman, Darla, continues wailing on the floor. Pleasure pulses inside me. I make sure to keep all of those emotions firmly on my side of the mate bond so that Draven won’t feel it.
“You!” another guy screams, snapping his gaze to me. “What the hell are you doing?”
The first man gasps. “Selena! That’s Selena. The one they call Soulstealer.”
Fuck. Yanking my magic back, I leave the despair in Darla’s chest and then summon a new flame of despair. Grief and regret tear through my soul again now that the pleasure is gone, so I quickly shove my magic into the first guy’s chest.
He starts bawling his eyes out as well.
Pleasure floods my body again.
The other three, now realizing that this is fully my doing, leap up from their seats. I quickly cut off the flow of my magic and create new emotions. They crumple to the floor, one after the other, as I slam massive flames of despair into their chests.
Once they’re all sobbing and gasping on the floor in hopelessness, I try to force myself to leave. I’ve gotten the boost of magic that I needed. And I’ve taken revenge on the people who hurt my friend. This is enough. I know that this should be enough.
But I still can’t force myself to leave.
My whole soul is begging to feel that addictive pleasure again.
So I create another emotion.
And then another.
And another.
The five people before me writhe and cry and beg on the floor as I shove emotion after emotion into their bodies. My head rings from the noise, but I can’t stop. Every time I break the connection to my magic, my mind screams at me to do it again. And all I can do is to listen. I can’t deny myself that wonderful pleasure. I can’t ignore the terrible craving.
Dropping down on my knees, I gasp in breaths and flex my hands as I create more and more emotions. The people before me shake and tremble on the floor. I know that I should stop. I know that this is wrong. But I just can’t handle it. I can’t fucking handle it!
That terrible craving is too strong. I’ve tried to deny it for so long now. Ever since I lost control in Orion’s dungeon. But it’simpossible to ignore. And once I’ve begun, it’s impossible to stop too.
The more I use my magic, the stronger the addictive need gets. And now, my need is stronger than my willpower.
Tears spill down my face. Because deep down, I recognize that there is something seriously wrong with me. But the rest of me doesn’t care. As long as I can feel that wonderful pleasure, I don’t care about anything else. I don’t need to eat or drink or sleep. All I need is this. I will stay here for eternity. I will?—
Darla’s heart gives out.
The pleasure is abruptly cut off as she dies.
The loss of that comforting warmth is like a kick to the chest. Panicked, I create another emotion and shove it into the next person’s chest. But I’ve lost count of how many emotions I have already forced into their chests, and this one kills the next guy as well.
One by one, they all die while I claw in panic at the floor, trying to get that warm and comforting pleasure back. I gasp in broken sobs, trying to slam my magic into their bodies. But there is nothing left to connect it to. They’re all already dead.
Dread and panic and regret crash down over me as if someone has shattered the roof above my head. It buries me. Suffocates me. Curling up on the floor, I claw at the ground and my own chest in an attempt to physically rip the emotions out of my soul. But it doesn’t work. Desperate tears stream down my cheeks.
I want it back. I want that comforting pleasure back. I need it. Without it, I’m going to die. I don’t?—
“Oh, Selena.”
