The 13th Prophecy (13 page)

Eric released me. I sucked in
air,
once again feeling like the cage was too small. It was as if someone was pumping the air out. The cold night suddenly felt hot. I couldn’t breathe. I heard what Eric said, but my gut reaction said he was wrong. I searched my mind, looking for the exact reason, “He has to. Al said I needed both of you.”

Eric nodded, “Yeah, Al said that was part of the prophecy. But there’s one other prophecy that no one’s ever seen.
The last one.
Ivy, no one knows how this’ll end, but I’m telling you sincerely, warning you—do not take him with us. If you love him, keep him safe. Make him stay here until it’s over.” He took my hand and placed it on his chest. A swell of emotion flooded me. Pleading, Eric said, “I risked too much already, showing you this. But I had to say something
…
 
”

I nodded. I knew he wasn’t lying. I could feel it—hell, I could see it. There was no motive behind his words other than compassion. And, there was nothing like seeing a soul without anything to hide it. The thought made my stomach clench. Eric was right. I did understand why he hid it from me.
From everyone.
I would do the same thing.
 

My gaze flicked up to his face. “Fear feeds your affliction, doesn’t it? It makes it harder for you to control yourself.” His gaze slid over my face, locking on my eyes. My stomach dropped. I couldn’t comprehend the horror of what he lived through. Or what was to come. But his curse seemed to feed off of it, never giving him a moment of peace.

“You have no idea,” was all he said.

I stared at him, openly studying his face, his eyes. The curse that the stone cast upon him twisted his life. It made him angry, and bitter. It twisted who he
was,
making him into the sadistic bastard he was now. Half the time I hated him. The other half, I was confused. His actions didn’t always line up with evil Eric. He was more than that. Eric was beyond good or evil. I could see it. I didn’t know what that meant. But I did know how it affected me. Pressing my lips together, I glanced at him, “Does it help? Does it ease at all—in those moments? When you’re hurting someone?” It was a question that I didn’t want to ask. I already knew the answer. I could see it in his eyes when he hurt me.

Eric’s gaze didn’t leave my face, “You know it does. I know that’s why you were allowing it...” he sucked in a breath and looked away. His jaw stiffened, as he worked the muscle. “Listen, Ivy. We don’t have time for this. I had...”

The blood lust wore thin. It was nearly gone, subdued by Eric and all but gone. He was in full control. But as I watched his lips, and he spoke, my mind drifted back to the Underworld where his words were wild and damning. Evil Eric thrusting me into a rock and saying things that made my blood run cold.
The anger, the fury in his eyes when he first found me after I turned him Valefar.
The emotions I felt at that moment, pressed through the memory and into the present. Terror raced through my veins.
Terror that would feed Eric’s affliction and calm it for a moment.
I wanted to give it to him—one last second of solace before we faced the Demon King.

I did it on purpose, allowing him to take what he needed from me. And before I could blink, he could feel it. The veil that hid his soul slammed back down, shutting me out as his instincts warred within him. He was a good man being forced to do bad things. The only way for him to have a
moments
peace was when he was inflicting pain.

“What are you doing?” concern was in his voice. His brow wrinkled as he turned away from me, trying to fight his natural instincts. But he couldn’t. His control on the bloodlust slipped. It slammed back into me full force. Eric tried to choke it back, but my heart was racing so hard. My body was tense. Ready to run, but trapped—which made it worse. I didn’t try to calm myself down. I allowed my fear to feed him, but he fought it. Eric rejected the terror coursing through me, as if it was causing him pain.

I answered, “You know what I’m doing.” My voice shook as I watched the muscles in Eric’s arms coil tighter. I was drawing out the dark part of him, and he tried to resist. But that wasn’t what I wanted. It wasn’t what he needed. “Stop fighting it, Eric. Be what you are. Take what you need.” Amber eyes flew open as I spoke, wide and wild. He looked crazed, fighting the instincts that were trying to overtake him. My heart raced faster and I found my voice again. “Take some of my power. Take what you need. Do it.” My body tensed as he moved closer, like a wild animal ready to tear me apart. My heart pounded against my ribs like it was ready to explode.

“Ivy...” he breathed unable to say more.

Eric reached me, twisting me in his arms, and pinning me to the cage door. He moved me fast, and my head slammed into the metal mesh with a soft thud. The wind blew at my back, making me shiver against the chilled steel. Eric pressed his hands to the door on either side of my head, locking me in place. I’d seen him in here so many times, and never thought things would be like this. I remembered him kindly smiling at me after my lessons with Al. The boy pinning me to the door was the version constantly fighting for control. The one that went denied and underfed. It made Eric weaker than he was, denying himself like that. And he was right. We couldn’t steal back the dagger and kill Kreturus weak.

My throat tightened as he leaned closer to me. I could feel the heat of his breath slide across my skin. This version of Eric scared the hell out of me. He was still fighting, trying to withhold the bloodlust, attempting to restrain himself. His gaze narrowed as he watched me try to respond. My mouth was dry. Every muscle in my body was flexed, stretching, leaning away from him and pressing my body harder into the metal mesh door at my back.

I whispered, “It’s necessary. Do it.” As his face loomed closer, I turned away. My breath caught in my throat as my pulse pounded, deafening all other sounds. The winter wind howling at my back no longer chilled me. I didn’t even hear it as Eric leaned his warm body onto mine.

His face was so close. His lips were barely brushing against my skin as he spoke. Eric lifted his hand, and traced a vein in my neck, slowly feeling it pulsate under his finger. The thumping of my heart pounded harder. In a heavy breath, he asked, “And Smith?”

I didn’t expect him to ask. I didn’t think he would care. Eric seemed to take what he wanted and not make apologies for it. It was as if he
were
an animal and didn’t know better. But this—this version of him frightened me the most. It was as if he knew what I was, and he twisted it, using it to mold me into what he wanted—what he needed. The bloodlust coursed through me. I inhaled softly, not wanting him to notice, but knowing he would. The heavy scent filled my head.

I pressed my eyes closed and answered him, “He knows.” It pained me to say it, which made Eric smile wider. Collin knew I’d do this. He knew it was something I needed, that Eric required of me. It was unexplainable, but in the moments I saw Eric’s soul—I knew. We were connected. Our fates were tied together. It was a tangled destiny that allowed him no freedom. No reprieve from me. It left him in a constant state of pain and longing. Loneliness and devastation followed him, weighing heavily on his heart—crushing it to bits.
But this.
This removed that burden. It freed him, making him into something else. A being I didn’t understand. A being I feared. My voice shook as I added, “Collin’s probably watching. I told him that you would. That you had to.” Despite the cold, sweat rolled down my spine. Eric noticed the shiver. My hands clawed at the locked door behind me as Eric’s finger remained on my throat, moving in a slow gentle movement down my neck.

He stopped when his finger rested on the hollow of my throat. The lashes on his eyes lowered as Eric watched the vulnerable place beneath his hand. The muscles in my neck strained, becoming taught as his finger pressed deeper and deeper into the soft flesh. I sucked in a ragged breath, pushing myself back against the cage wall. It didn’t matter that I could comprehend that Eric wouldn’t kill me. My body completely ignored the fact. Fear raced through my veins. I couldn’t stop pushing into the steel cage door, trying to get away from him. And I knew what he was doing—how he was playing with me. He watched as his finger pressed harder, and my body tried to melt into the metal. If he pressed a little harder, a little deeper—I’d die. Eric’s finger would crush my windpipe.

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of my face. My hands were gripping the metal mesh, bending it as I tightened my fingers between the slats. Pushing back into the door forced out my chest, and straightened my spine. My long curls fell over my shoulders. Forcing myself, I glanced at Eric. It hadn’t dawned on me how hard he fought to control himself. How hard he tried to be something he was not. This side of him was deeply hidden, and deeply starved.

Eric was fascinated, watching me breathe and listening to the hammering of my heart. When he pressed down harder, I gasped. Pleading, I said in a panicked voice, “Eric, don’t!” He paused, not applying more pressure. His gaze lowered, seeking to meet mine, but I couldn’t look at him. I wheezed in another rough gasp, and Eric lightened his finger more. I could breathe. He watched my lips, and my chest rising as I sucked in air.

He glanced over my shoulder for a split second, and a smile twisted his lips. Was Collin so close? Was he watching? Is that why Eric seemed pleased? I didn’t know. I couldn’t feel anything but the fear that Eric pumped into my body. If Collin was near, I couldn’t sense him. I couldn’t smell his blood. And he remained out of sight, so that I couldn’t see him. Pain coursed through me, thinking that he was watching. I knew he didn’t understand. Hell, I didn’t understand.

But that pain and fear wasn’t enough for Eric. And he took things farther than I’d expected. And the bloodlust didn’t let me stop him. The fallen angel pressed his body to mine. His lips brushed past my ear, breathing in deeply as he did so. His chest pressed against mine, sliding, feeling the swell of my body—the desperation of my breaths. I could feel his wild heart beating frantically beneath his chest. His desire was palpable. Lust overtook me, swelling within my middle until it reached every inch of my body. He held nothing back. Nothing was tempered. My body flushed, heated from head to toe. The only thing I could think about was Eric.
Eric’s hands.
Eric’s skin …
  
Eric’s taste on my tongue.
He’d never done this before. He’d never released himself fully. Eric always tempered the lust, holding it back or contorting it into fear or rage. He controlled my mind and body. And I couldn’t resist.

As he breathed heavily, I felt his firm chest move against mine. Eric’s hand was suddenly at my waist, as he looked into my eyes. They were rimming violet. I couldn’t resist him. I couldn’t push him away. When his hand touched my skin, I sighed. But he didn’t leave it there. Sliding his fingers under my shirt, Eric pressed his palm against my breast. My heart shot into my mouth. Startled, I yelped. Eric’s gaze didn’t waiver. He watched every reaction swim across my face, and then his fingers clamped down squeezing the sensitive skin hard. Pain registered, cutting through the haze clouding my mind. But Eric’s blood held me in place. When I cried out, Eric slammed his lips down on mine. And I melted. His blood was still inside of me, calming me, letting him steal and take anything he wanted. The kiss continued and his hand lingered, pressing harder and harder. Pain continued to shoot through my body until I thought I’d scream. My head swam, feeling large and heavy on my shoulder. Eric’s lips pressed into mine so hard, his tooth nicked my lip. The kiss softened for only a second, a second in which he slid his tongue along the wound—tasting my blood. My stomach twisted as I watched him. Felt him. I felt so lost.
So far gone.
Eric took my lip in his mouth and bit down gently. Then his lips pressed down on mine. I felt myself weakening, knowing that he was taking from me. I remained tangled in his arms, until Eric increased the pressure on my breast, and twisted hard. My back arched as a scream tore out of my throat. Eric suddenly ripped his lips away from mine, and his hand slid down to my waist.

He leaned in close, breathing raggedly in my ear. He squeezed the bare skin at my waist and withdrew his hand. “He’s across the stage.” A wicked smile spread across Eric’s face. My heart was still racing. I felt the absence of power. I knew he took it. And Eric was beaming, ready to fight. He seemed happy, almost.

I sat there for a moment, catching my breath. Fury built inside of me. I didn’t like him touching me. He hadn’t done that before. My anger made my fists ball up. And before he could move, I swung. My fist connected to the side of his face. Eric staggered. I’d hit him hard. “You didn’t have to do that. I gave you enough without it.” I gave him enough pain, terror, and fear for a moments reprieve, but he took more. He melted me, and used me—feeling me beneath his palm. My breast ached from what he did.

Eric wrapped his fingers around my wrist and jerked me closer. I fell into his chest, and he held me there for a moment, saying, “It doesn’t work that way, and you know it. Having an idea of what you’re doing—of what I’ll take—subdues your fear. It alters the pain. Next time, don’t plan anything and I won’t have to resort to such drastic measures.” He threw me into the cage wall, pushed opened the metal door left me staring across the dark stage into Collin’s flame red eyes.