Page 19 of Battle for the Shadow Prince (A Bargain with the Shadow Prince #2)
19
On the Inside
DAMIEN
H ell is empty, and all the devils are here. A human wrote that. Shakespeare. I could appreciate The Tempest before, but I never so intimately understood the line until now.
“You will not leave this room,” Valeska orders me. The taste of her blood still coats my mouth. I hate it. Hate the scent of her that fills my nose. Hate the room where I’m her prisoner.
She glances over at Tae and nods her head. Lang still hasn’t shown his face, and I’m pretty sure he’s dead based on Tae’s general appearance. The witch looks like the walking dead, his eyes red over dark bruises of half-moon flesh. His mouth sags as if he’s never known the joy of a smile. And the way he looks at me—if the hate in his eyes were fuel, we’d all go up in flames.
Valeska points at me. “Take it off.”
Tae removes the sunlight collar from my neck. Instantly I break apart into shadow. It feels so good to finally be free of the sun. It’s as if every molecule of my existence is charged with pure joy as I slither through the darkness and attempt to leave. But I can’t. Every trail of shadow ends at the boundary of the room. I try again and again, until Valeska’s laugh echoes around me.
“Enough, Damien. Return to me so we can talk.”
My shadows pull together against my will, and I form in front of her, my wings flaring.
“Your other form, Damien. I’ve had enough of the horns.”
Power slams into me, and by my next heartbeat, I’m in my corse form, dressed in casual clothing. I run a hand down my chest. Despair replaces my former elation. “What have you done to me?”
She cracks a wicked smile but doesn’t answer me. Instead, she turns to Tae. “Your debt to me is repaid. You may leave.”
He gives a shallow bow and storms from the room. The last thing I hear before the door closes is a relieved sigh.
“You killed his brother,” Valeska says, brushing a dark wave out of her luminescent amber eyes. “You have not made a friend in the Kim coven, but then friendship isn’t even half as useful as fear. He won’t hurt you as long as you’re with me.”
I grit my teeth. “Why can’t I leave this room?”
“Because you’ve had my blood. Twice now actually. Although it’s possible you were asleep for the first feeding.” She waves a hand through the air dismissively. “In any case, you must obey me. It’s my blood keeping you alive. You feel better, don’t you?”
Physically I’m stronger, and my injuries from the torture I’ve endured these past weeks are healing. I’m able to sustain this form and am in little pain. But mentally I loathe the real possibility that I’ve blood bonded with Valeska.
“This is more than blood,” I grit out.
She tips her head. “Hmmm. It’s possible the potion I’ve been taking to increase the bonding effect of my blood is to blame. At any rate, you’ll find it difficult to disobey me. Sadly, because the potion’s efficacy is untested, you’ll have to stay in this room until we settle this mate situation.”
“I will kill you,” I growl, and I mean it. I grasp for her throat, but when I try to squeeze my fingers, they won’t comply.
Her full red lips part into a smile worthy of a lunatic. “No, you won’t. You can’t. I made sure to enforce that command while you were sleeping. You cannot hurt me as long as my blood is in your veins, and the only blood allowed in this room is in my veins. It’s me or nothing, Damien. The more you drink, the tighter our bond.”
I shake my head. “Why are you doing this? Let me go,” I mutter for the three thousandth time.
“Tell me the name of your mate,” she commands.
Eloise’s name almost slips from my lips, but I hold it back, shaking violently. “My little bird,” I blurt. The magic is satisfied.
“Little bird?” Valeska seethes. “Don’t play games with me, Damien. What is her name?”
“My beloved,” I bark. I can keep this up all day, although I fear Valeska will get better at phrasing her questions if I do.
Slap! My chin snaps to the side with the force of her blow. “You will tell me, Damien. Eventually.” She stands and heads for the door. “I will expect you to be more compliant in the days to come, my pet. Starting tomorrow, you will accompany me on my visits to the coven masters in this hive, and you will not embarrass me.”
“I’m a shade,” I say quickly. “I need food other than blood to meet my nutritional needs. If you want me strong and not falling asleep at your side, you need to feed me as you would a human.”
“Fine. I’ll have Chef bring you the same dishes I serve my human blood donors.”
Excellent. Food will be served by someone other than her. Someone who may help me.
She stops at the door, looking annoyed. “Get your shit together. Whether you want to fight me on this mating or not, whether I kill your mate or not, you will spend the rest of your days by my side. It’s only a matter of time before you give her up, one way or another.”
I keep my mouth shut because the last thing I want is for her to change her approach and ask me again about Eloise. But I hold my head in my hands. My body might be healed, but inside, I’m praying I find a way to escape or die before Valeska can force Eloise’s identity from me.