I blinked.
And punched him in the throat.
“How’s that for touch?” I asked. “Also, it looks like there’s no reason for you to be alive.” I smiled sarcastically. “Too bad. Might as well just end it all now.”
The paper towels burst into flames.
“You will let us care for you,” Scorpius said darkly as he massaged his throat then lunged toward me. His fingers wrapped around my throat and slammed me back against the mirrored wall. It cracked beneath me.
Personally, I was not feeling pampered, cherished, or protected.
Who was going to tell them?
The pressure hurt my sensitive back, but I refused to let any pain show on my face.
Nails gouged my skin.
“Good job of asking for forgiveness,” I spat as I kicked out and slammed my feet against his shins. “Really makes me want to be your mate. Not.”
Smoke streamed out of Malum’s nose. “You’re already our mate.” His voice rose, and he bellowed, “It is not a choice to be made!”
“Oh, really.” I widened my eyes like I was surprised, then drove my knee into Scorpius’s crotch. “It’s still going to be a no from me.”
Somehow the blind king moved quick enough to avoid my kick.
Scorpius pulled me forward and slammed me back against the mirror. I saw white spots from the pain streaking down my back.
Shards fell around my feet.
“If I need to hurt you before I can protect you”—Scorpius leaned close so his breath fanned my face—“then I’ll make it deliciously painful, Arabella.” He leaned forward and licked across my cheek.
Zips of pain did not streak down my back. Nope. Not at all.
“You’re disgusting,” I growled.
“Sweetheart, we just want to take care of you,” Orion whispered in my ear as he pressed his body against my side. Chocolate and raspberries overwhelmed my senses. He pushed at Scorpius and said, “Be gentle with her. She’s not like us.”
Scorpius dug his nails deeper into my skin.
Orion nuzzled his face against the side of my neck.
Malum stood behind them with a crown of red flames leaping off his shaved head. The bathroom became feverishly warm.
Orion slowly dragged his teeth down my sensitive neck at the same time Scorpius licked my face. I shivered.
Zips of pain shot down my spine.
“You’re ours,” Malum snarled roughly, and his erection tented his pants obscenely. “Our Revered.”
Orion palmed my breasts, and an inadvertent whimper whistled through my lips.
Everything was overly warm and hazy.
“Sweetheart,” Orion whispered reverently against my ear. “Let us care for you.”
Scorpius loosened his grip on my neck as he leaned his head forward. He nuzzled the exposed skin at the base of my throat, then bit down. Hard.
I yelped and twitched beneath them.
“Relax,” Orion breathed into my ear. “We already own you. Just relax. We won’t let anything bad happen.”
His lyrical voice was soothing, and I found myself going limp in Scorpius’s grip.
The blind king licked my sensitive skin, then bit down again.
Pain exploded across my back.
Malum grabbed at his crotch as he shed flames.
Scorpius released his grip on my neck, and I dropped to my knees before he could realize what I was doing.
With one quick movement, I grabbed a mirror shard, pulled down my sweatpants, and dug the sharp edge deep into my flesh.
For a second, I felt nothing.
Then I started sawing.
White spots danced in my vision, and I bit down on my lower lip to muffle the high-pitched scream that left my lips.
My vision narrowed, and my fingers shook.
Every neuron in my brain screamed at me to stop what I was doing. My slippery hand cramped around the shard as I forced it deeper and deeper under my skin.
Finally, after what felt like a lifetime of agony but was most likely a few seconds, a thick chunk of skin with a snake and chains flopped onto the pristine white floor.
Pain streaked across my senses.
I whimpered pitifully on my knees as a cold sweat broke out across my forehead. Red dripped from my fingers and side. It spread beneath me at an alarming rate.
“WHAT DID YOU DO!?” Malum bellowed. He was a ball of red flames staring down at me with a horrified expression. His voice cracked, and he whispered, “Why would you hurt yourself like this?”
“No. No. No,” Orion repeated brokenly.
Scorpius swore vehemently.
I stood up shakily and slipped on my blood.
Bang. The door slammed open, and there was a long second where the twins’ eyes widened as they processed what they were seeing.
“You fucking assholes,” John said darkly as he ran forward and pulled me into his arms.
Luka let out a war cry and started throwing punches at Scorpius and Orion.
John gathered me into his arms.
I felt like I was going to be sick.
Orion stared at where I was cuddling against John for protection with wide eyes. He buried his hands in his blond hair and tugged manically. “We’re supposed to protect you,” he whispered brokenly.
Crack. Luka slammed his fist into Orion’s nose.
Blood sprayed across the room.
I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face in my best friend’s shoulder, overwhelmed by the intensity of the agony streaking across my hip.
“Let’s go, Luka, these filth aren’t worth it,” John said hastily as he ran from the bathroom with me in his arms. He pressed his sleeve to the wound to stanch the blood flow.
Luka wrenched himself away from where he was tussling with Scorpius, and he sprinted after us.
“Where are we going?” I gasped in between whimpers.
“To get you first aid,” John said frantically as he ran faster down the unfamiliar narrow white halls. “We need to find Lothaire.”
All my neurons exploded with a different type of pain, and I screamed violently. “STOP MOVING!” I shrieked at John as my body convulsed.
He came to a halt.
Luka patted his hands over me with a terrified expression. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t fucking know,” John said frantically.
“Let us help you!” Malum snarled angrily as he turned the corner and stalked toward me. Flames rolled off his tongue as he spoke.
Scorpius and Orion flanked him, their wide shoulders filling the narrow hall.
The pain lessened and I gasped with relief.
“You can’t keep running forever,” Scorpius sneered. “It’s not possible.”
A horrible understanding washed over me.
Darkness glimmered around the twins as they warily watched the kings approach.
Scorpius wiped the blood off his face where Luka had broken his nose. He dragged his tongue across his red fingers.
I gasped.
“Sweetheart, are you okay?” Orion whispered. His stunning brown eyes filled with concern as he rubbed at his chest.
I hyperventilated.
“But I cut off the tattoo?” I asked in between shaky breaths. “Why are we still connected?”
John’s arms tightened around me.
Luka stepped protectively in front of us.
“You’re our Revered. You can’t escape us.” Malum rubbed at his chest, his expression concerned as he stared angrily at where blood dripped down my sides.