Page 214 of Claimed By Fangs and Darkness

I would now crush them for it, and they would leave the earth disgraced.

History would forget Aster and Conrad. Their death would be final, an afternote.

Evie and I would be immortal long after we died. Our love would be enshrined in myths that would be told for thousands of years.

Hold on, baby. I’m coming.

67

EVIE

Iwasn’t sure how long the torture had lasted, but at a certain point I couldn’t feel any more pain. I passed out and woke up screaming.

Conrad wasn’t exactly sane before, but the longer I lasted, the more he unraveled into a new monstrous form.

Would he kill me?

At least I would die knowing Kylo would take back this city I loved. Conrad’s furious questioning was just further proof of the clan’s imminent victory.

“What is the poison they’re using in their weapons?” Conrad asked again.

They knew it wasn’t blood onyx, and they were pissed we’d found a way out of that shortage. They were also pissed our vampire poison wasstronger.

“If I tell you, will you let me out?” I asked. It wasn’t as if the born could make violet bane, given it needed Hekate’s aid. Though I obviously would never tell them any of the real ingredients, knowing they’d only try to wipe them from the earth.

“I will let you out when you tell me where they are disappearing to and how to get there!” Conrad yelled, throwing me against the wall like I was a rag doll.

My shoulder took most of the force, and I didn’t exactly land well when I hit the floor. But I didn’t hear a snap, so it was all good. If I could leave this torture session without any broken bones or permanent bodily harm, I’d count that as a victory.

“Fine. I didn’t want to have to do this, but you’ve left me no choice,” Conrad said.

My vision doubled. Two Conrads stood over me with a wicked gleam in their eyes.

I managed to lift myself up to rest against the wall. After rubbing my eyes, my vision returned to normal. My heart beat hard and slow. My body had been pushed to its absolute limit.

When his hands reached for his belt, I couldn’t fully comprehend what I was seeing.

As soon as it clicked that I was going to get another beating, I gave in to the dissociation. What was more trauma reenactment going to do, anyway? Just throw it on the pile. I still wasn’t going to fold. The clan making a fool out of Conrad and his men was too sweet of vengeance, and I would never betray the goddess I’d pledged by body and soul to.

But he didn’t remove his belt. He left it unbuckled.

He peeled me off the wall and straddled me as I lay flat on the floor. His hand covered my mouth.

“Aster won’t believe you,” Conrad snarled.

He hiked up my dress.

I screamed and thrashed and scratched at him. My fight response overcame my freeze response, and once again my collar burned where my magick fought to escape.

When Conrad reached for my throat, he hissed in pain, staring at my collar in confusion.

I pushed, encouraging the heat coiling through my body to multiply. Ignored the pain of the scalding metal against my already blistered skin.

Break, motherfucker.

“Last chance.”

His cock was out, but I refused to look at it. I just pushed and pushed until my forehead was slick with sweat and my body was engulfed with a fire that couldn’t be extinguished.