Slay My Soul

I watch the cocky warlock trek up the stairs. What is he playing at? Why is he protecting my mates and me? I look over at Asmodeus.

"Do you buy what he's selling?" I ask.

"Not in the slightest," Asmodeus says, frowning.

"Yeah, I'm calling bullshit too. I wish I knew what his angle is. I can understand him thinking it's a good idea to overthrow the king and take his place, but I don't get what he hopes to gain by saving myself and my men," I say, while my brain runs like a mouse on an exercise wheel. Asmodeus's head shoots to the side, and he appears to be listening to something. I strain my ears, but I can't hear anything out of the ordinary. When he growls lowly the hair on the back of my neck goes up.

"Reece has been listening in to Belestine talking to his people. It seems he has decided to spare your men so that he can safely find a way to cut their bonds to you - and then make you his own." His voice is distorted as his teeth elongate, giving me a glimpse of the dangerous beast hiding beneath my already scary mate's exterior. He blinks and a second vertical set of eyelids part. Ha! That's trippy as fuck! I wonder if I can do that. I blink rapidly but no dice. I hold my eyes open and try to blink a second set, even though I'm not even sure they exist in my person, even though we are mated now. I'm never quite sure what part of them I will get when I bond with a new race. My eyes water and I fight the urge to blink. "Eve what are you-" I scream as the second transparent set suddenly slides over and I see Reece looming over me, concerned.

"Fucking, fuckety, fuck!" I screech. Asmodeus lets out a deep chuffing laugh, while Reece looks at me in surprise. "Oh my god! You are here! You're really really here!" Reece's mouth moves at a rapid pace and he gestures excitedly. "I can't hear him, why can't I hear him?"

"You need to transform your ears just a little bit, it will pick up on the frequency," he explains.

"Transform them to what?" I ask confused. He points to his own ears. Great, let's transform into something I've never been before. I look at Asmodeus's ears, their color, their shape, and visualize my own ears looking like them.

"-beyond amazing! I never dreamed you would be able to see me again!" Reece exclaims. A tear immediately escapes my eye at the sound of his voice. His beautiful voice. I can see his face and he looks whole and healthy. Nothing like when I last saw him. "Oh, baby girl, don't cry. I never left you. Not even death or my soul being stolen could keep me away." I smile and sob, relief coursing through my body. This is real. My Reece is really here. He kneels in front of me and I reach for him but my fingers pass eerily through him. He sighs and slumps his shoulders. "Sorry baby, I haven't found a way to solidify yet. I want nothing more than to be able to hold you again. Maybe one day."

"It doesn't matter. I'll be joining you soon enough anyway. I never mated Max and I'm sure the king won't go down without a fight. Even if Belestine wins, there's no way I will let him take me away from the guys," I say with a shrug.

"Since when do you give up so easily? You've always smashed down any obstacle in your path, no matter how big or impossible it seemed. This is just another obstacle for you to smash," he argues. I look deep into the love of my life's eyes. I let him see the toll on my soul.

"I'm tired Reece," I sigh. "I'm tired of fighting, of surviving. I've been treading the fine line of sanity ever since the vamps got me. Now, since I lost you, I'm hanging on by my fingertips. I am not the leader our people need. I'm too high a risk to put on the throne. A real danger. Look at how corrupt those in power are now and then think of the power I will have at my beck and call. And if Belestine gets his way and leashes me to him, well I would rather be dead than lose my circle and be bound to him. I'm done being a pawn that everyone wants to control. The Fates backed the wrong horse."

"But you didn't lose Reece," my Demon states. "Reece is still here, in a different form. He still loves you the same as you love him. The fact that you think you are the wrong person to lead our races shows how right you are for the job. You can do this Eve."

"Not today Satan," I grumble, getting pissy that people keep prodding me to keep going. Reece laughs hard as my Demon frowns at him.

"Oh, come on, it's funny! You're a Demon and she referenced Satan, and -" Reece stops trying to explain to the unamused Demon and just gives me the discreet thumbs up.

"Satan is not real. There is not even a Demon by that name," Asmodeus huffs.

"You're the ruler of your people, who have been trapped in a hell realm. That kind of makes you Satan by default, Demon king," Reece reasons. Asmodeus just growls and turns his back on Reece, whose eyes twinkle with mischief.

"Don't tease him," I chide him. "It's just a saying. No puns, references, and certainly no offense intended."

"Fine," Reece huffs. "Right we need a plan, do you think you can transform?"

"Still got drugs in my system, can do minor shit, but it takes a ton of concentration. Feeding earlier on the rogue helped flush a lot out. I might be able to, depending on how long they take to get ready."

"If you can go for your dragon, grab Max, fly away, and get you're freak on. Bam! We win!" He exclaims.

"And if I can't transform?" I ask because it always pays to have a plan B.

"Hope like fuck the guys can get to you fast," Reece says.

"Sound's like a solid, infallible plan. Certainly, nothing can go wrong," I roll my eyes sarcastically. " It's that sort of planning that got your ass killed." He glares at me and I look away. I know it's a low blow, but I'm not wrong either. Because of his lack of comeback, he knows he had that coming too. "I'm going to try and kill Belestine," I say. "It will void the Demon contract and then the Demons and our guys can take out the vampires. If Belestine wants me alive, he's hardly going to kill me if my attempt fails. Besides, if they leave me in these chains I won't be able to call on my Wolf, Dragon, or Fae sides. They will be suppressed regardless of the drugs, but I still have my vampire side going."

"This is why you are the brains in this relationship," Reece mutters, pissed at himself.

"Welcome to the voice of reason. Better late than never, right?"

"Says the girl who was ready to throw in the towel moments ago," Reece snipes back.

"A match made in heaven," Asmodeus chuckles, watching us interact. We both flip him the bird. We all freeze as we hear the sounds of feet on the stairs. I flick my head to ensure my ears are covered by my hair and reluctantly slide my second eyelids away. At least I can still hear Reece. Asmodeus makes his face impassive and I aim for a bored look. Grandpappy comes into view, with Belestine and a couple of minions in tow.

"I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing your mates again," the king says excitedly. "Don't worry about getting up though." He motions to one of his minions and a gun pokes through the bars. They quickly fire and a dart hits my shoulder and I snarl. Reece's growl vibrates in my ears. "Just a top-up and a sleeping aid while we transport you," the King explains, as my head begins to spin. Belestine gives me a reassuring nod as if to say that everything will be okay, as his face swims out of focus. Great, there goes the plan of using my dragon. Brute force with my vampire side it is.

"I'm going to enjoy watching them kill you," I sneer at the king as black spots take over my vision and my body slowly slumps against my will. I hear him chuckle.

"No granddaughter, that will never happen. We are taking the full Legion. I will enjoy watching your mates die, and seeing the pain on your face as your bonds snap from them. That is when your mind will break for me, and I will mold you into the perfect heir in waiting. A ruthless killing machine that I, alone, hold control of," I feel him stroke my hair in an almost loving manner.

"When you wake up," Reece whispers in my ear. "I'll still be here and you are going to kick their asses and enjoy every moment of it. Unleash hell on earth babe."