Page 69 of Dusk Macabre

Stunningly clear blue glass made up the double-edged blade of the knife while the handle was finely etched and golden in color. It was breathtakingly beautiful, and I shook my head when my first thought was how I could wrangle it away and keep it, rather than how it was about to be used against me. Moron, I chided myself.

Leander moved closer to the table and bit his bottom lip before he reached for my waistband. His gleaming eyes met mine. “It's been a little while since we’ve had a good exsanguination.”

“Pull her pants down,” Adrian ordered.

Fingertips gently coursed against my belly, the touch soft and light while Leander stared directly into my eyes. He was enjoying every second of this.

“You sure enjoy touching humans,” I spat at him.

He tilted his head to the side and flicked an index finger under the elastic. “I never said some of you weren’t pretty to look at.”

Adrian sent him a withering glance. “She’ll be prettier when her body is gray dust.”

“I thought you guys wanted the diamond so bad. You said I had two days,” I protested, wishing with all my might I could wiggle away.

“You never agreed,” Adrian said. “That left an opening as devastating as the one we are about to make. Besides, we know who has the diamond.”

“So, what is the point in all of this? When you can just go after him?” I pleaded with them.

“Zero loyalty.” Leander glanced at his friend. “This won’t be a waste. We’re doing the humans a favor.”

I wasn’t sure what happened first—if the windows had exploded, showering glass everywhere, or if I screamed. The pings of broken shards were background noise while the screeching of hundreds of crows filled my eardrums. I desperately hoped it was Leander screeching like a little girl, but I suspected I was responsible for the obnoxious sound.

The room turned dark, and wings flicked against my head while I struggled against the magical hold on my body, willing my limbs to comply with their owner’s demands.

Still, nothing.

Suddenly, Kiam’s face appeared over mine. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath.

I watched as he squeezed his fists against the backdrop of the flock of birds swooping and diving. I couldn’t see the two Fae.

Kiam held his palms over me, and my body began to tingle, the sensation like a web of static. There was a light prickling, and then it felt like a million tiny rubberbands were snapping against me. I wanted to rub the feeling away, but I couldn’t do a thing about it.

“You’re trying to release me, aren’t you.” I said, already knowing the answer to my non-question. “Where did they go? They were going to drain all of my blood.”

His gaze flicked to mine, and he pressed his lips together before moving his hands closer. “This will hurt,” he remarked.

White hot pain shot through me before I was enveloped in a cloud of darkness. A feather brushed my face and I reached out, feeling nothing. I don’t remember anything after that.

* * *

“Nice of you to rejoin me.”

My head swam as I rushed to sit up, and I slammed back down against the pillow. “What happened?” I almost asked where I was, but as I scanned my surroundings, I knew. The familiar dark wood and black furnishings were a relief to see.

“I brought you back here,” Kiam stated. “You’re combative when you don’t want to wake up.”

Huh? “What are you talking about?”

No way. I knew I snored sometimes; I had an ex who’d loved to complain about my “baby elephant sounds.” The dumbass had probably been exaggerating.

He grinned. “You kicked me, and then punched me, when I tried to check on you.”

“Oh God I’m sorry.” My cheeks heated and I looked away. “I had no idea.”

“It was cute.” His eyes widened slightly, and it was his turn to look at the floor.

This time, I pulled myself to a sitting position much more slowly. “How long did I sleep for? Or was I knocked out. I feel kinda weak.”