Ruined (The Eternal Balance #1)(77)
“Fine. Then help me dampen it. Is that possible?”
She was quiet for a moment. “Hmm. There might be… First, tell me why you’re so willing to save this girl.”
It seemed like a perfectly normal question but I could tell by the look in her eyes that it was anything but. “Why does that matter to you?”
“Call it curiosity.” She laughed. “Well, that and a bit of good old-fashioned jealousy. I made my interest in you quite clear, yet you prefer a simple, boring human. I’m dying to know what the appeal is.”
“I love her,” I said simply. Out loud the words sounded right. They were the natural conclusion to a lifetime of moments that defined who I was beneath the monster.
“But love is so fleeting,” Sadie said. “And for someone like you, it’s a bit dangerous, no?”
“Just because I love her doesn’t mean I can be with her. But just because I can’t be with her doesn’t mean I’m willing to let her die.”
“So you would sacrifice a part of yourself—because that’s what my price is—for someone you can never have?”
Someone you can never have…
That’s what Sam was. A distant star so far from my reach that it hurt to even try. I didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
Sadie frowned, then snorted. “Blah. I’ll never understand you Tainted. Your emotions are all over the place. But at least I can say I’ve finally seen it all.” She held out her hand, fingers unwrapping to reveal a small red stone. “This is a hybrid stone. It’s part moonstone and part quartz. It will not break the link—but it will dampen its effects. The demon would require physical contact to control her.”
“A stupid rock? That’s going to dampen the link?” I growled. “Don’t f*cking play me, witch.”
Sadie rolled her eyes extended her hand a few inches. “Go ahead. Touch it.”
I ran a finger across the outer edge of the stone still in Sadie’s hand. A jolt like electricity crackled, sending a rush of warmth into my hand.
Sadie looked smug. “Got some kick to it, right?”
I nodded. “What about injury? Will she still be susceptible to damage done to him?”
“As long as the link is active, yes. There’s no way around that. It’s the very basis of the bond. The slave is there to endure the pain of the master.”
It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do. For now. With luck, it would allow me to get Sam away from Chase. I’d figure out how to deal with the rest later. One step at time. “How does it work?”
“Your human simply has to have this on her person. The stone will do the rest.”
I held out my hand.
Sadie laughed and waggled a finger. “You haven’t agreed to my terms. They’re the same as the first time you came a-knockin’. It’s that or nothing.”
I didn’t like it. There was something she wasn’t saying. Nobody would ask for this under the conditions I knew about. Unfortunately, there was no time to debate. I had twenty minutes to meet Chase at the fort, and still had one last stop to make. “Done.”
She clapped her hands together, excited. “Wonderful.”
“Now give me the stone.”
“You feed and link us, then you get the stone.”
I advanced and Azirak went wild. “Should I hurt you? Is that how you like it?”
She stepped forward and braced both hands against my chest. They lingered there for a moment before dropping to my belt. “I think I have a more pleasant way for us to do this.”
I knocked her hands aside and pushed her away. “The demon prefers pain, plus I’m pretty sure I remember telling you I wasn’t interested in what you were giving away.”
A spark of annoyance flashed in her eyes. Under different circumstances, she and Chase would get along great. Both deviant, cocky shits who had a problem with the word no. “Your demon can feed off any human emotion except for happiness. That one’s reserved solely for the good guys. Obviously each little hell-spawn has its favorites, but the link can be created using any of them. I’m not into pain.” She came closer. “Now if you’re interested in a little bondage…”
I seized her wrists as she went to reach for the belt again. “I’m not going to f*ck you, Sadie.”
“Luckily for you, I’m not turned off by your brush-off.” She dove forward, crushing her lips to mine. The taste of her left a sick feeling in my gut. Metallic and foul. It was nothing like kissing Sam. Sadie’s lips moved furiously, her tongue opening my mouth wider. I wanted nothing more than to pull away, but Azirak wasn’t having it. Not when there was a snack being offered so freely.
Her wrists still in my hands, I squeezed hard and let the demon rise to the surface. The demon wasn’t as put off as me. It squirmed and writhed, eager to ingest the orange mist rising from her body.
Me? I wanted her pain.
My fingers twitched, crushing her small wrists with bruising force, and she gasped. That, I liked. It was familiar and comfortable, and was all the encouragement the demon needed. The rush washed through me as the demon took in the emotion. The humming sensation of pure bliss as the essence passed from the air and into me. It was sick, but at times like this I understood the thing’s need. The feeling never lasted long, but f*ck it all if it wasn’t amazing while it did.