Page 117 of Vipers and Vendettas

‘How can we tell? I don’t fancy waiting yet more years for another one to reach maturity as you both failed so miserably with this one.’

‘Perhaps a vaginal probe might allow us to see it properly?’ Volrien suggests, his lips curving into a smirk when Tamadrielle isn’t looking.

‘She will be a succubus,’ I say, looking directly at Volrien with a sneer because there’s no way I’m submitting tothatfromthem. ‘I was with no one else at the time she was conceived.’

‘There, no need for archaic instruments,’ Tamadrielle says. ‘She speaks.’

He stares me down. ‘Yes, she’s very close to the surface. Why is that? Your age? You must be in your late twenties in human years now.’

He’s speaking to me.

When I don’t answer, he sighs. ‘Perhaps an invasive procedure will be necessary after all.’

I grit my teeth. ‘I’m almost thirty. I never matured into a succubus. It’s the pregnancy.’

He regards me for a moment, deep in thought, and then he turns to the others. ‘No burns. No beatings. The rules I had in place for this one stand. Am I clear, Toramun?’

‘Yes, my lord.’

They all bow their heads and Tamadrielle leaves the room.

Volrien is invading my space as soon as the door closes, pushing me into Toramun, who, as predicted, is hard, and I’m sandwiched between his body and Volrien’s shaking finger, trying not to let any of them touch me.

‘You little bitch,’ Volrien spits. ‘Showing us up in front of the High Lord. I will make you pay. I will?—’

‘Volrien, stop,’ Grinel hisses. ‘He could be listening, and you know he regards this one highly. Take it out on the others later if you like. None of them are going to give us anything, but this one might finally be what we’ve been searching for.’

‘Others?’ I ask, feeling sick because I’ll bet these fuckers have other succubi, or at least womensuspectedof being succubi. ‘You fae fucks have others like me, don’t you? At your lab in Metro. You sick motherfu?—’

‘So, what if we do?’ Volrien hisses. ‘Our lab is pioneering in magick recovery. Because of us, the High Fae conjure crisis will soon be over. Thanks to you and a few other low life supe whores, of course,’ he sneers.

Conjure crisis? What conjure crisis?

‘Shut up!’ Grinel nudges him. ‘What other classified secrets shall we tell her? Think!’

‘You know as well as I that she’s not leaving this house or the lab alive.’ Volrien grins. ‘Once she gives birth to her spawn, Tamadrielle will either give her to us to test out our theories or simply kill her.’ He leans in close. ‘I hope he gives you to us. I’d love to see you hooked up to one of our machines designed to quicken your species’ maturation or watch one of our bulls impregnate you.’

My stomach rolls at his words. When I get out of here, finding that lab is going to be my first port of call.

Volrien finally steps back. ‘Take her back to her cell,’ he orders Toramun.

ChapterSixteen

Maddox

I’m working in the library, waiting for Jules to return from visiting her hound, when I see it loping across the gardens.

I curse as I stand, watching the beast run back and forth with nary a sign of a fucking limp! I let out a bone-weary sound from low down in my chest, resigning myself to the reality that this was never going to be temporary despite what Jules pretended. We have a resident hellhound now.

‘That woman is going to be the death of me,’ I mutter to myself, but when I catch sight of my reflection in the ornate mirror that sits over the hearth, I see the ghost of a smile playing on my lips.

It was only last night that IsawJules in the kitchens – truly saw her as what she is and not what we thought she was. And she was magnificent. I always knew most of the books I’d collected about succubi from so-called demon experts were rubbish, but to see her fury when I tried to assert dominance over her was breathtaking. If there was any doubt in my mind that she was indeed a succubus, her display blew it out of the water. She was arrogant and proud, and regal as a queen.

I chuckle to myself. I’d been ready to punish her, try to govern and control her as I do in all aspects of my life. But now I see that that will never work with her. She’s untameable and turbulent. I thought that would be a problem for me, one who likes order, not chaos. But last night has left me with adifferent problemaltogether, and I don’t think her general lack of obedience is going to be an issue for me after all.

I frown as the beast comes closer to the house and lets out a mournful howl.

I start texting Iron to conjure the hound back into the maze where it belongs, but my thumbs pause as I watch it run to the maze entrance and then back toward the house, and I frown.