cracked and Eyja's moans turned to a true cry of pain.
"What the fuck?" she screamed.
Eyjaphlkutarveterya! The word drowned out her screams for several seconds and the pattern flashed blue before my mind's eye. I wished I had a photographic memory, or some way to record the pattern, but the name would have to do.
I nodded at Tyler.
He pressed a hand over Eyja's mouth, muffling her screams, and removed his sunglasses. "Eyja, you should have told me you were back in town."
Tears poured down her cheeks, but her eyes flared with recognition.
"I have a surprise for you." Tyler turned to me. "Tell her."
"We have your name, Eyjaphlkutarveterya." Despite the tongue-twisting consonants, I had no problem repeating it precisely as I'd heard in my head.
She went absolutely still, face frozen in shock.
Tyler released her mouth. "What are you and the others up to? Why are you fucking with my companies?"
"Grim, please, do not exorcise me." Her lips trembled. "I am not here with the others. You know I never joined them when they tortured you."
"I do remember." Tyler narrowed his eyes. "But the timing is coincidental."
"I didn't even know they were back in Eden." She whimpered. "Please, let me be. You know I have only one pleasure in life."
As she pleaded for freedom, I realized there was something slightly different about her aura when compared to the nauseating feeling from Barboar. She seemed somehow different, though I couldn't put a finger on it.
"I have your true name, Eyja." Tyler uncuffed her uninjured arm. "If you interfere with my life I will banish you to the Abyss."
Her body trembled and sagged. "I am already cursed, Grim." Tears ran down her cheeks.
Tyler frowned. "Yes, I suppose you are." He grabbed my hand and we walked quickly for the exit. Once outside, we hopped into the car and took off.
Nausea swelled in my throat as the image of Tyler breaking Eyja's arm played back in my mind. Separating the demon from the young woman was terribly hard for me. To see the man I loved committing such violence on a bound and helpless person made me sick, even though I knew it was absolutely necessary. I opened the window and gulped fresh air to combat the feeling.
Is this the part of him that's like Barboar? I couldn't bear to think of him in the same category as that creature.
I wanted desperately to discuss my feelings with Tyler, but was afraid I might undermine his ability to do what needed to be done when we encountered the next former associate.
He touched my leg. "I'm really sorry you had to see that, Em."
I covered his hand with both of mine and shivered. "I wasn't expecting it."
"It was the only way I could cross her pain threshold." He blew out a disgusted breath. "I don't like myself right now."
I looked at him. "Do you really feel that way, or are you just saying it to make me feel better?"
He stopped at a red light and looked directly into my eyes. Pain frayed the edges of the window to his soul. "I truly mean it."
"She felt different than Barboar." I tried to put the sensation into words. "He was repulsive and putrid. She felt almost pleasant in comparison." I took out my phone and recorded Eyja's true name precisely as I heard it in my head— Ey-JA-phlku-tar-VET-erya . I was still amazed I could pronounce it, but like Barboar's name, once I'd glimpsed it, I'd been able to say it, at least until the impression faded from my mind.
Tyler glanced at me. "It's very odd watching you say her name."
"Do you really think she'll leave you alone?"
He bit his lip and stared at the road. "It's true she never tortured me, but she didn't try to stop the others either." His shoulders hunched into a shrug. "I think we have a good chance of her staying out of this."
"Now we just have to find the other two and get their names," I said. "I don't suppose they're also sex addicts."
Tyler shook his head. "This is going to be harder than I thought. Not only do we have to find each one, but we have to torture the
"What the fuck?" she screamed.
Eyjaphlkutarveterya! The word drowned out her screams for several seconds and the pattern flashed blue before my mind's eye. I wished I had a photographic memory, or some way to record the pattern, but the name would have to do.
I nodded at Tyler.
He pressed a hand over Eyja's mouth, muffling her screams, and removed his sunglasses. "Eyja, you should have told me you were back in town."
Tears poured down her cheeks, but her eyes flared with recognition.
"I have a surprise for you." Tyler turned to me. "Tell her."
"We have your name, Eyjaphlkutarveterya." Despite the tongue-twisting consonants, I had no problem repeating it precisely as I'd heard in my head.
She went absolutely still, face frozen in shock.
Tyler released her mouth. "What are you and the others up to? Why are you fucking with my companies?"
"Grim, please, do not exorcise me." Her lips trembled. "I am not here with the others. You know I never joined them when they tortured you."
"I do remember." Tyler narrowed his eyes. "But the timing is coincidental."
"I didn't even know they were back in Eden." She whimpered. "Please, let me be. You know I have only one pleasure in life."
As she pleaded for freedom, I realized there was something slightly different about her aura when compared to the nauseating feeling from Barboar. She seemed somehow different, though I couldn't put a finger on it.
"I have your true name, Eyja." Tyler uncuffed her uninjured arm. "If you interfere with my life I will banish you to the Abyss."
Her body trembled and sagged. "I am already cursed, Grim." Tears ran down her cheeks.
Tyler frowned. "Yes, I suppose you are." He grabbed my hand and we walked quickly for the exit. Once outside, we hopped into the car and took off.
Nausea swelled in my throat as the image of Tyler breaking Eyja's arm played back in my mind. Separating the demon from the young woman was terribly hard for me. To see the man I loved committing such violence on a bound and helpless person made me sick, even though I knew it was absolutely necessary. I opened the window and gulped fresh air to combat the feeling.
Is this the part of him that's like Barboar? I couldn't bear to think of him in the same category as that creature.
I wanted desperately to discuss my feelings with Tyler, but was afraid I might undermine his ability to do what needed to be done when we encountered the next former associate.
He touched my leg. "I'm really sorry you had to see that, Em."
I covered his hand with both of mine and shivered. "I wasn't expecting it."
"It was the only way I could cross her pain threshold." He blew out a disgusted breath. "I don't like myself right now."
I looked at him. "Do you really feel that way, or are you just saying it to make me feel better?"
He stopped at a red light and looked directly into my eyes. Pain frayed the edges of the window to his soul. "I truly mean it."
"She felt different than Barboar." I tried to put the sensation into words. "He was repulsive and putrid. She felt almost pleasant in comparison." I took out my phone and recorded Eyja's true name precisely as I heard it in my head— Ey-JA-phlku-tar-VET-erya . I was still amazed I could pronounce it, but like Barboar's name, once I'd glimpsed it, I'd been able to say it, at least until the impression faded from my mind.
Tyler glanced at me. "It's very odd watching you say her name."
"Do you really think she'll leave you alone?"
He bit his lip and stared at the road. "It's true she never tortured me, but she didn't try to stop the others either." His shoulders hunched into a shrug. "I think we have a good chance of her staying out of this."
"Now we just have to find the other two and get their names," I said. "I don't suppose they're also sex addicts."
Tyler shook his head. "This is going to be harder than I thought. Not only do we have to find each one, but we have to torture the
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