tip of his nose up the side of my face. I can’t even shudder away from the feel of him. “You didn’t think I’d actually let you win, did you, pet?” he asks me, the blade of his katana trailing down my chest. “I heard your friends coming before they killed the first of the guards outside,” he whispers into my ear. And now I’m going to make you kill them one by one.”
26
Panic surges through me, and I know this is about as bad as it fucking gets. I don’t know if he can use this ability on more than one person, but I suspect he can. I initially thought this was because of the collar, but if I really think back to everything that I’ve been told about Adriel, I should have seen this coming. The way Siah, Sorik and Talon said they would feel after listening to Adriel talk, like they were gods and could do anything and would do anything he told them to. When my mother escaped, it was because another nest attacked Adriel. Talon told me that the invading nest was winning the battle, but somehow Adriel defeated them in the end. This must have been how.
The night that I met him, I had a similar cloying sensation that crawled all over my skin, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. But now, as this infinitely more powerful compulsion crawls through my veins, I realize that I’ve missed all the fucking clues. I want to cry as all my darkest fears are volleying images at me of what Adriel could force me to do, but I push back against the dread and try to think through the fog of his compulsion.
I’m certain he tried to use it on me before he collared me that first night, and I try to think back to what was going on in the exact moment that I first felt it. I had just activated my Chosen runes to warn the guys, and then Adriel walked out of the crumbling stone ruin. An idea forms in my mind and I immediately call on my magic. Elation erupts inside of me when I realize, that despite the compulsion, I still can. Agony quickly drowns out my excitement, and I try to hold onto the magic for as long as I can. The pain is searing in its intensity, but I can feel it burning away at the toxic vapors.
A cold hand on my face rips me from my internal focus, and I slam back into the here and now to discover that Adriel is inches away from my face. The desire to headbutt the fucker flashes through my mind, and I’m shocked as fuck when my body responds to my command and does it. Talon always used to tell me that headbutting an opponent was a commitment to pain and should only be used as a last resort. My forehead smashes against Adriel’s nose, and I’m reminded why Talon’s words were accurate as fuck, because even though Adriel scrambles back with a pained shout, I also let out a cry because, fuck, that hurt.
I ready my swords and stride toward Adriel, when he compels my body to once again “Stop!” I immediately call on my magic and let it burn away Adriel’s control, and by the time he steps toward me, his katana ready to run me through, I have a blade up to block him and another slashing down at his throat. He skips out of the way and tries to force me to listen to him again. It fucking hurts, but I wrap my magic in a strangle hold, and its brutal presence in my body keeps Adriel’s power from sinking into me and claiming anything that doesn’t belong to him.
My two blades sing through the air, clashing with his sword, rebounding and coming at him again and again. I’m relentless in my attack, and the more hits I make in spite of Adriel screaming out his attempts to control me, the more furious he gets. His features morph with rage when it’s clear that his power isn’t working on me, and his temper flares. His eyes lose their gold and flash all red. He throws his sword in a fit of anger, and one claw-tipped hand reaches out and grabs my wrist as I bring my sword in a downward arc toward him.
I stab him through the stomach with my other katana, but he