Evie walked into the room.
Chapter 48
Natalya couldn’t comprehend what was happening. It hurt too much to see Evie like this that her mind didn’t want to understand. It wanted to believe it wasn’t real.
Evie was barefoot and wearing red lingerie, her strawberry blonde hair hanging loosely past her shoulders. She was shaking, two trickles of blood running from the side of her neck down over her freckled chest. She looked terrified. Shewasterrified. Natalya could feel it in herself as clearly as her own terror at seeing Evie like this.
Next to her, Vex winced. “Fuck.”
The noise made Evie turn, and her eyes found Natalya’s. Relief flowed through her, and a smile crept onto her face. She took a step towards her circle.
“No, Evelyn,” Varro said. Evie stopped in place. As though commanded. As though enthralled. The pain Natalya felt seeing it was more agonizing than anything Dominic could conjure.
“Evelyn?” Dominic said. He’d only ever seen her with red hair, Natalya remembered. He was grinning as widely as Varro was, putting down the dagger so he could better lean over the desk to look at her. “Now, that is quite a gift.”
“Indeed.” Varro waved Evie forward. She approached, shaking all over, as he touched her chin and turned her head, so he could inspect the bite marks on her neck. “It seems my spawn already had his fill. She’s looking a bit pale, isn’t she?”
Natalya couldn’t sit still. Her arms were trembling with fury seeing Varro touch Evie like that. Seeing Evie so terrified to feel cold fingers against her skin made Natalya move to the edge of her circle, staring hatefully up at the vampire. She couldn’t stand. Dominic didn’t allow them to.
“Why are you here, Evelyn?” Varro asked. By how his black eyes drilled into Evie’s, Natalya guessed he was enthralling her into being honest.
“I was captured in Chicago,” Evie said. “They brought me to the estate. And then Stefano sent me here.”
Her voice was so small. It didn’t sound like Evie at all. It sounded like the frightened, near-broken woman Natalya had first met all those months ago.
“He got me ready for you,” Evie continued. “He said to tell you I’ve been reminded of what I am. That I’m yours to do with as you please.”
Varro glanced at Natalya, noticing her rage. It made him grin wider.
“Pain may not get the demon to loosen her tongue, but I think we have been gifted something that’ll be much more convincing. We never did find out how dear Evelyn would respond to pleasure and pain while looking at a Lust fiend.”
“Don’t do this.” Natalya sounded more pleading than enraged. She’d say anything.Anythingif it meant they would stop. “Please.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Vex said. “They’ll still hurt her, even if you act compliant.”
“True,” Varro said smoothly. “But we’ll hurt herless. And I already know the most efficient ways to make Evelyn scream, so less would be a blessing. Trust me.”
He caressed Evie’s face softly.Sosoftly. It was a deceptive gentleness that made Evie’s fear increase tenfold.
“For this, I’ll make you enjoy it,” Varro said. “That would be particularly stunning to see. A Lust fiend getting satiated from a man fucking the woman she apparently loves. That would be a sight. Kneel.”
Evie’s legs started to bend, but then she stopped. She stayed standing. Varro frowned.
“Your resistance is admirable, Evelyn. But pointless. Get on your knees,now.”
Evie didn’t move. She kept looking at Varro. Keptstaringat him. Her eyes were filled with fear, and tears ran down her face. The terror roared through her so intensely it was hard to notice anything else.
But therewassomething else. Natalya had initially thought it was Dominic she could feel and had ignored it. But below all the fear, below the horror and the dread, there were other emotions. Anger. Hate. Determination.
“No,” Evie said.
The word shocked everyone in the room. Dominic frowned, as did Vex. Varro’s face twisted in anger, and Natalya’s mouth dropped open.
“Youwillkneel, Evelyn.” Varro extended his fangs. “You can go on your own, or I will make you. I can make you easily.”
“You can’t make me.” Evie’s voice was quiet and trembling. She was terrified but speaking anyway.
“A brave slave,” Varro snarled, leaning in so close to Evie’s face that there were only inches between them. “A disrespectful one. I have an idea of what to do with those.”
