A Discovery of Secrets and Fate (Chronicles of the Stone Veil #2) - Sawyer Bennett Page 0,38
deep within me.
The feather on my leg burns, and I thrust the compulsion back at him. I don’t know if he actually feels it, or he’s merely surprised I don’t willingly come walking toward him, but his eyes flare wide as he asks in disbelief, “What in the hell are you?”
“I’m your worst fucking nightmare, incubus,” I snarl. His eyes bug out of his head, bolstering me by the tiny bit of uncertainty there. It’s not outright fear, but he’s considering he might have chosen the wrong victim.
I don’t let him ponder on it, now having the advantage as he’s off-balance mentally.
I pull my arm up, let the thong and fall arc over my shoulder, and instinctively toss forward before it hits my calf. My first strike is aimed right at his face, and he manages to get an arm up just in time to defend himself. The thong actually catches his arm, but his long sleeves protect his skin from the iron scales of my whip. Had I a better crack on that toss, I would have sliced through his shirt, and I vow to myself to start putting clothes on the dummies at the gym so I can practice shredding shirts and exposing skin in the future.
I launch two more strike attempts at his face, but he successfully blocks them as well. He knows that’s where he’s most vulnerable, so he’s ready.
As I bring my arm up once more to do an overhead toss, he assumes my target is once again his head and holds his arms up defensively.
At the last moment, though, I step toward him, snapping the whip sideways and down low, and manage to coil the thong around his ankle perfectly. Before he can even understand what just happened, I hold the handle in a death grip, wrap my other hand around the thong, and heave as hard as I can.
His foot is snatched out from under him. Because he wasn’t expecting it, his other leg crumples. He doesn’t go all the way down, managing to catch himself with one knee, but he makes a deadly mistake. His arms come up instinctively, thinking I’ll strike at his face again as I flutter the whip free of his ankle, but I have other plans.
I rush him, shooting out like a bullet from a gun. His eyes flare with surprise, but I use my left arm to hook around his neck, sling my body around to his back, and, at the same time, depress the raised rose on the handle that releases the iron dagger inside. It pops out and locks with an audible snick. With one smooth motion, I turn it sideways and plunge it straight into his right ear.
It slides in like butter, no resistance whatsoever, and I know the iron destroyed his brain almost immediately as he slumps over to the ground. Unfortunately, I’m still holding around his neck so he takes me down with him.
But the incubus is dead. I lay on the grass for a few seconds while I gather my breath, not even caring Wade is lying heavy on my left arm.
I don’t waste much time though. Pulling my arm out from under the dead fae’s body, I lurch up to my feet. Leaving the dagger on the whip stuck in Wade’s brain, I walk unsteadily toward the door to Adira’s garage room. It’s open and incredibly quiet as I approach.
My heart sinks so low, and I’m afraid it can’t sustain its beating as I note that Adira is in the same position which she fell to the floor. My gaze pins on her chest as I approach her, but I don’t see it moving.
Her eyes are open, flat, and unfocused, and I know she’s gone. Legs finally deciding they just can’t support me anymore, I fall heavily to my knees beside Adira, ignoring the pain as the carpeting isn’t thick enough to soften the concrete floor underneath.
My hand is shaking so hard, I take my other hand and hold myself by the wrist. I force it toward Adira’s neck, where I should be able to feel the beat of her heart in her carotid.
Her skin is still warm and I have a wave of hope roll through me, but I realize I can’t feel anything. I lay my head on her chest. Nothing. I put my finger under her nose.
Nothing.
I look at her open eyes, and I see nothing.
“Adira,” I whisper urgently, tapping at her face with my hand. “Come