Solomon, unaware of the lax security, tossed his head and laughed, “That little party trick won’t work, girl. We aredjinn, masters of the mind. Conquerors of the inferior.”
Fucking hell, this guy liked to preach. I shrugged my shoulders and easily broke the false holds of my djinn guards. Sweet satisfaction swelled behind my ribs at the look on his face. The tattoo gun shook in his hand, but it wasn’t from fear. No. That was hatred in his shrewd gaze. I had to be careful.
“My call may not work onyou, but your boys here don’t seem to be as resilient.”
Just as I leaned into my confidence, just as I thought I might actually be on the same playing field as these fuckers, Soloman humbled me.It was painful and swift. It felt like a wrecking ball to the very core of my mind, and I honestly wasn’t sure how I managed to stand strong against it.
One knee buckled, but I couldn’t afford to fall. This was a mental assault, not yet a physical one. Soloman was attempting to break into my mind, and it was only Eryn’s very rigorous and intense training that saved me. I wasn’t a weak victim any longer. I’d gone through my own psychological hell this summer and come out stronger for it. Combined with training and learning to navigate my bond, my mind wasn’t an easy shell to crack. Even for an experienced brute like Soloman.
He collided with my mental shields like an asteroid, attempting to blow a hole so large I’d be a mumbling mess. My vision dimmed as I sent all my focus into maintaining my defenses. Physically, I couldn’t move or fight, and I was thankful that my siren call was an instinct that triggered on its own when I was in danger.
It kept the other djinn from interfering and breaking my concentration. Solomon wasn’t beholden to such limitations, but he hadn’t made a move to grab me. He didn’t need to; he was winning anyway. My shields were definitely failing. Sounds and sights that couldn’t possibly be true squeezed their way into growing cracks and crevices.
Ezra called for me, his voice as distressed and tormented as it was the night we fled the beach house. More voices, familiar and filled with rage. Eryn and Kai. Cova. They appeared over the hill, running full speed as if this were a rescue. A brunette girl and skinny kid Soloman must have assumed I was familiar with, brought up the rear.
His illusions were good. Not even in full control of my mind, and he made me see things I so desperately wished were real.
Rani!
No! My hands tightened into fists. It was too much! He was strong enough to mimic the bond?
Rani, I need you to fight, baby. Push him out. Run to me!
My brows furrowed, but I didn’t break our stare. Why would Soloman encourage me to push him out? He was either extremely stupid or exceedingly diabolical. Heat bloomed in my chest, fueling my magick and caressing me with such tenderness it brought tears to my eyes. Because thatwasn’tan illusion.Thatwas Ezra. He really was here and fighting to get to me. Was it too much hope that the others were real, too?
Giving myself no time to plan, and therefore Soloman no time to see said plan, I clenched my eyes tight and dropped to my knees. The sudden break in connection made me dizzy, and it was an effort to throw my leg out with accuracy. My foot collided with the enthralled djinn beside me, who still hadn’t moved thanks to my call. Unfortunately, his hard landing snapped him out of it, and his beefy hand was around my ankle before I could crawl away.
It was a bruising grip. One that tore at my skin as I fought to escape. My struggles knocked us into the other two djinn, and they too awakened from my thrall. This escape was going to complete shit.
“Seize her!” Soloman ordered. “We can finish this later.”
Hands landed all over me. Gripping. Tugging. Tearing. My arm was wrenched one way while my leg was dragged another. This wasn’t the crazed infatuation from my siren call; I wasn’t getting these guys back under my control. No. This was intentional destruction and an attempt to capture. They were pissed. They wanted to cause pain.
And they did.
I screamed when a particularly rough yank on my arm tore my shoulder from its socket. Bile rose in the back of my throat, spurned on by the intense agony. The fucker who had a hold of my wrist kept dragging me. Together with the one on my ankle, I was hauled toward the trees like a sacrifice being carried to slaughter.
So focused on the physical fight, I didn’t notice Ezra knocking on my mental wall until it was more of a pounding. I instantly answered, grateful to at least have this connection when all I felt was pain and terror.
Ezra!I cried out.I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.
Because it wasmyfault the djinn were here. A soothing wave of peace surrounded the havoc my mind had turned into.
Tuck your chin, baby.
I had a split second to obey before my entire left side fell to the hard ground. Air was knocked from my chest, and I couldn’t get it back over the new pain in my shoulder. Keeping my head down, I brought my knees in and curled as best I could into a ball.
Don’t look,he warned, right as the screaming started.
I’ve seen you torture before, Ezra. You don’t scare me.
But this wasn’t torture, it wasdestruction. And I’d never been more in love than I was at that moment. Ezra moved with a speed honed by deadly precision. Each strike, each step was intentional and ended with a djinn losing a body part. Blood painted the once emerald grove a ruby red until it ran as a thick,frozen slush between the blades of grass and down the small hill to the pond.
There was too much of it to avoid, so I didn’t bother trying. I sat up, one hand clutching my dislocated arm, as I watched my bond take his retaliation the only way he knew how, and when the three assholes were nothing but ribbons in the wind, he turned to me.
The entire front of his shirt, his forearms, his neck, and half his face were coated with our enemies’ blood, and the severity on his face told me he could feel every drop as it sank into his skin.
You look really hot.
