sending me a contemplative glance that makes my stomach roil. “You’re proving to be worth all the trouble, Sable.”
Morax raises his hand, a flash of power coming out the instant before he pulls me out of Toreon’s cage and directs me to move next to my sisters. I stand between them, careful to keep my darkness tight within me and my eyes straight ahead, not giving away anything.
Worry rings shrilly through my bones, but it takes everything in me to play the placid, unconcerned part as Morax walks in front of us, eyeing us like he’s the cat that got the cream. “Triplets. A rarity even in the Demon Realm,” he muses, his eyes skating over us. I feel his gaze on my nearly naked skin and my still bruised face, and it makes bile inch up my throat.
He moves closer to Medley, making me almost tense up, but I stop myself just as he takes her hand and slips one of the cuffs onto her. He moves to me next. I hold still, not flinching when his snakes try to reach out to snap at me or when his fingers dig in as he forces the band onto my wrist.
Delta is next, and she grimaces when he wrenches her hand harder than necessary, shoving up the cuff so roughly that he scrapes some of the skin off her knuckles. I guess Morax isn’t completely done playing. If I had to guess, it would seem that he’s a little bitter about the fact that Delta eluded him multiple times. I internally cheer for her.
“There,” he says, raising his pinky finger where his glowing ring rests. “If any of you should try to shift, you will be automatically portaled to my side. And when I shift, you will portal directly to me.” I don’t even know how to shift, but just the thought that I’ll be yanked right back to him like a dog on one of those retractable leashes leaves me feeling queasy.
Vudu returns just then, his red eyes flicking over me for a split second in the briefest of connections, like he can’t help himself. Our eyes meet for a fleeting moment, but then it’s gone, and I’m left feeling anxious and uncertain all over again.
For a moment, I think Vudu has come back alone, but then his large body shifts to the right where he stops with his hands clasped in front of him to stand sentry. Just beyond him I see a female demon stride into the room.
“Ah, Shateel. Perfect timing.” Morax turns to the female, and I do my best to take her in from my peripheral. I don’t dare seem too interested. From what I remember of his mind control when he first did it outside of the asylum, it has a heaviness to it that sinks in and makes you unable to concentrate on anything else.
Without being able to study her fully, I make out bits and pieces. She has on a form-fitting black dress like something Morticia would wear. At first glimpse, I think she has thick emerald-colored braids pulled back into a high ponytail, but as she crosses my line of sight, I realize that they aren’t braids, but snakes.
Dammit, there’s two of these snake-haired bastards?
I inwardly cringe, hoping that she doesn’t have the same power as Morax. I don’t know how much my darkness can block out, but I’m guessing a double assault would be very bad.
The snakes are gathered high on the back of her head, much thinner than Morax’s black ones, though their spitting tongues and snapping fangs look every bit as deadly.
She walks fluidly and gracefully toward Morax, her aura dripping with sensuality that matches the catlike eyes and high cheekbones on her face. “Hello, my Liege,” Shateel purrs as she bows gracefully to him. The top of her dress dips down to showcase some impressive cleavage, and Morax takes advantage of the sight. “How may I serve you tonight?”
Ugh, gag. The way she says that makes it clear that she’s up for serving him in every way. I can’t even begin to comprehend someone willingly doing anything with this monster.
“I need a full guise for all three of them,” Morax says, wasting no time. “It will need to be perfect.”
Shateel straightens up and glances over at us, her eyes pausing on me and my filthy, bruised, and bloody state. Her lips curl up slightly, and I have to fight to keep anger from flushing my cheeks. She