Page 71 of Soul Redeemed

One minute, she’d been standing on the streets of downtown, and in the next blink, lying on a cold steel cot with her hands tethered to the wall.

Again.

She’d have shivered with fear, if not for the surge of laughter trying to escape. What the fuck were the odds that she’d be captured so quickly after her newfound freedom? And how the hell did they know it was her?

“Who are you?” she asked, tugging at the chains.

The male frowned down at her, taking a seat beside the bed. “If you think I’ve any intentions of falling prey to your trickery twice, you’re wrong. We’ve been hard at work since you escaped, sweetness. Remember the succubi? I can’t wait to show you what’s become of them.”

The succubi? Was he .... No. He couldn’t have been there. She’d been taken hostage in Obsidius, a place no human could set foot. The demons there would’ve sniffed him out and made a meal out of him.

With the Nephilim mask still in place, she puzzled over how the male knew her. “What happened to the succubi?” Those poor young girls who’d been kidnapped for the blood, so assholes like the Wrath demon junkie she’d met earlier could get their rocks off. She couldn’t even fathom what additional torture they’d have been subjected to.

“Let’s just say … they weren’t as fertile as I’d anticipated. They were completely devoured. Mating sack, and all. I left the remains for you.”

Fury lit her veins, and gods, what she wouldn’t have given for the hellsfire to burn the surrounding shithole right to the ground. “You sick and sorry son of a bitch! I hope you rot in Stygius. I hope the soul of every girl you’ve ever murdered torments you for eternity. When I get out of here, I’ll see to it that you never kill another innocent girl again!”

His mouth stretched to a smile. “See, that’s the thing. You’re not escaping me twice, Ava.”

How did he know Ava well enough to know her name? More importantly, why? “What am I to you?”

“We’ve discussed this. Over and over, and over. Ad nauseam.” He bent forward, resting his elbows on the tops of his thighs. “You know I care for you very much. But alas, you are simply a means to an end.”

He definitely didn’t know who she was beneath the charade. What the hell had Calix’s female gotten herself wrapped up in? Another succubi operation? More drugs?

“What kind of means?”

“I suppose that is going to depend on how much damage was inflicted. I understand you made your way back to the Wrath demons. And I’d be willing to bet that you allowed one of the horny bastards to fuck you.” His lip twitched, and he rolled his shoulders. “I’ll need to examine you. Make sure your womb is intact.”

“For what?”

Rolling his eyes, the male threw himself back in the chair and slouched. “For Christ’s sake, woman, have you had a lobotomy in the last few days? We’ve gone over this a million times. You’re to be impregnated by the Sang. And then consumed.”

Thais’s veins turned ice fucking cold. She’d have switched to her own identity, if not for the sudden paralysis that took over her body. A tremor of fear clinked the chains as she lay shivering. Sang? Why did the name sound so familiar to her? Yet, something told her not to ask.

“I … I’m not who you think I am.”

“Don’t be so modest, darling. The succubi may have been a disappointment, but I know how to fix things now. I know what I did wrong with you, and it’ll work this time. It has to.”

“No, you’re not understanding.” Clamping her eyes shut, Thais focused on the change, willing her mind to relax and accept the silent command inside her head. Her skin prickled with a slight burn as the façade faded away. “I’m really not who you think I am,” she said in her own voice.

Eyes widening, the male’s mouth gaped. “Well, shit.” His brow furrowed, and he tipped his head, staring hard at her face. He removed his glasses, rubbing the heel of his hand against his eyes and replaced them once more. “Who the fuck are you? And why were you wearing the face of Ava?”

“I was just … I, um. Was just … some asshole gave me a hard time at the bar. Was just trying to get away.”

“Right. And how did you come upon this face you used for escape?”

“I … think I saw her on TV? Something. I don’t remember exactly.”

“You’re lying.” With a wicked smile, he pushed to his feet and paced alongside the bed. “I don’t think you understand the very grave circumstances that you face. In the adjacent room is an ancient creature. One responsible for wiping out entire demon species.”

“The Sang?” Only a vague recollection of their history fluttered inside Thais’s head, but at that moment, what little she’d picked up about the Sang crashed over her with terrifying understanding. They were a plague from the underworld that’d somehow been resurrected and introduced to the human realm.

“Yes, the Sang. I’ve not kept them as well-fed as I should. They’re starving. Entering their mating cycle and looking to offload a shit-ton of sperm. So, unless you want to be the vessel that both sates their sexual desires and their hunger, I suggest you cut the shit and come clean.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “How do you know Ava?”

Fucking hell, was that what he’d done to Ava? Was that why she couldn’t comfort her man?

One thing that’d kept Thais alive, when she should’ve been dead a number of times over, was her unwavering commitment to saving her own ass. Besides that, while she lay strapped in chains, facing a grisly and gruesome demise, the other female happened to be living it up in a guarded fortress where the asshole couldn’t get to her if he wanted, anyway. Probably why he’d snatched Thais up from the streets as quick as he had.