Thelake?
He gave the shortest of laughs. “It’s so easy to conceal any mystical happenings, even at the Guardians’abode.”
Her mother stepped out of their old home, the vacant look back in her eyes. Like a zombie, she shuffled towardSamael.
“Mom—no!” Shae pushed to her feet, desperately trying to mind-link with Dagan again. And still,nothing.
Samael drew her to him and fastened his mouth over hers in a lascivious kiss. Her mother stood there like a limp doll. And Shae knew. He’d used her sexually,too.
With a flick of his hand, her mother fell to the ground. She grabbed her head and screamed, a thin, keening sound, the cry piercing Shae in theheart.
“Stop, stop it!”she yelled, straining against her shackles, the energy inside her whipping viciously, looking for an outlet, but she couldn’t set it free with the cursed chains blocking her abilities. Blood seeped from her nose. She coughed out, “Don’t hurt her—please don’t, I’ll callMichael.”
“Just him. I see any of the other warriors here, Jennadies.”
He held her cell phone next to her ear. Dagan had given her all the warriors’ numbers the night they’d gone to trap Luka. The call was answered on the first ring. “Shae?”
“M-Michael?” her voicecracked.
“Where are you?” His tone was quiet, reassuring. But she had so little hope left. Even her stupid abilities had desertedher.
“At my old home…you have to come alone, or he’ll kill mymother.”
“I will. Where isit?”
She gave him the address. Then Samael snatched the cell away. “Good girl. Now wewait.”
Shae barely heard him, her burning gaze fixed on her mother shuddering on the damp ground. She didn’t want to think of what she must have endured for six months at the hands of this coldhearted bastard—couldn’t bear it—and shebroke.
An agonized cry tore free. The heat inside her exploded. Her shields crashed. The cuffs snapped from her wrists and fell to the ground with a clinking ofmetal.
Caught in a cyclone of power, Shae leaped up. Her obsidian dagger taking form in her hand, she pivoted and slashed the demon closest to her across the throat. His head fell to the ground and rolled away to the jittery demon horde standing on the fringes of theyard.
Several of the scourges rushed her. A cacophony of sounds erupted as she dodged and ducked between them, evading attacks, leaping up and slicing. Blood gushed as heads rolled, bodiespiling…
With a shudder, Shae came into herself, breathing hard. She stood alone in the violent, blood-drenched grounds. Red sprayed her clothes, her skin sticky with gore, her hair stuck to her face. The bodies had all disappeared, leaving only the grisly front yardbehind.
Samael sighed, an expression of utter delight on his face. “Oh, my dear, you’ve been keeping secrets. You are a weapon ofbeauty.”
She flung out her hands. Power sizzled out of her fingers like lightning, striking Samael in the chest. He lurched back a step. His face twisted into a terrifying, hollowed-out skeleton, then smoothed back again into the lean features of her uncle. “Utterly perfect. Now shield that power and come to me, dear girl…” he coaxed softly, holding out hishand.
Her heart shuddered in pain.No, he’s notreal.
“Come, Shae. You know me. We’ve spent so many years together. You know I won’t hurt you.” His mind stroked hers, calming,soothing.
Her powers eased, receding back into her body. Her thoughts a smoky haze, she stumbled closer. “UncleLem?”
“Yes, child.” He grasped her wrist, his thumb stroking herskin.
She looked down at her hands. Lem would never use this compelling voice on her. Never do this. With a desperate tug, she tried to break free, her fingers squeezing her dagger. “No, you’re not myuncle.”
Laughing, he held her with terrifying ease. “You cannot kill me with any weapon, Shae, because we are one. Six months ago, I bound you to me when I realized you’d begun to drift away after the incident with your mama. I couldn’t havethat.”
“What did you do to me, you rotten heap of angelshit?”
His features morphed back to the chillingly handsome visage of Samael. “Dextrose, dear Shae. It was so easy to get you to eat it for your littlehealthproblem.”
“You poisonedit!”
