gazes locked.
A sense of wrongness washed over her.
Nausea roiled in her stomach and she couldn’t understand why. Nothing in his immediate appearance suggested anything bad; in fact, he was handsome, in a smooth, well-cared for sort of way. Short, perfectly cut, blond hair, designer suit, immaculate white shirt, dark red tie. However, as she studied him, a wave of intense emotions swept over her, lust, hatred, rage, pure evil, and underneath something else. Something screaming to get out. She swayed under the force, and Torr put his hand on her shoulder. As soon as he touched her, a sense of calm washed through her, pushing back the fear.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She shook her head, unable to speak.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you here. But I have to do this.” He nodded to Finn. “You and Kill take her back to the bar.”
“You’ll be okay?” Finn asked.
Torr looked at Bella and smiled. She was sure the smile was faked and meant to make her feel better. It failed, but on the other hand, she had to get out of there. She could feel the evil beating on her, trying to break through the walls she had built up around her mind. She didn’t want to know what this would feel like without her protection. What was he? And what business did he have with Torr?
“Cade will stay with me,” Torr said. “I think we can handle Razul between us.” He leaned toward Bella. “If I’d known you would react like this, I wouldn’t have brought you in here. I just wanted to keep you close.”
Finn took her arm, and she allowed him to draw her from the room. As they reached the door, she glanced back over her shoulder. Torr was staring after her a brooding expression on his face as though he was displeased.
What had she done wrong this time?
***
Torr watched her until the door clicked shut behind her and she disappeared from his sight.
She’d obviously felt Razul in her mind. Why the hell could that stinking demon weasel his way past her defenses, but she managed to keep him locked out?
“What’s up?” Cade asked from beside him.
“Nothing.” He shrugged off the feeling. “Let’s get this over with.”
He stalked across the room and came to stand in front of Razul. He studied him for a minute, trying to decide how he had manifested himself here. Was this a mere vision, or had he taken possession of some hapless human.
The body certainly appeared human, and Torr could already see the lines of destruction spreading. Razul destroyed anything he touched on this dimension. Is that what Bella had sensed. The tortured soul trapped in a body taken over by the demon.
“Where is it?” he asked.
Razul lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. “Where’s what? Have you mislaid something?”
“Cut the fucking crap, Razul.”
Razul reached up and pulled a chain from beneath his shirt. On the end of it hung a black, heart-shaped crystal, which glittered, reflecting the rays of light. “You mean this?”
Even though he knew this was no more than a manifestation—Razul would never let him get this near—Torr felt his soul call to him as it did when they were close. One of the reasons he had given in to Lilith’s seduction so long ago, was the excuse it had given him to stay close to his soul. Now he closed his eyes and savored the sensation.
He stared at the crystal, trying to keep the hunger out of his expression, but he couldn’t prevent himself from taking a step closer, and Razul’s fist closed around the jewel. He stared into Torr’s eyes. “Come any closer, and I’ll crush it.”
The sensation of wrongness Torr had been sensing over the past two days, intensified. He was choking, his lungs filling with vile putrid poison. He swayed, forced himself to stand upright, keep the expressions from his face.
Razul’s thin lips curled into a malicious smile. “Feeling a little under the weather?” But he loosened his grip on the crystal and slipped it back under his shirt.
Torr
A sense of wrongness washed over her.
Nausea roiled in her stomach and she couldn’t understand why. Nothing in his immediate appearance suggested anything bad; in fact, he was handsome, in a smooth, well-cared for sort of way. Short, perfectly cut, blond hair, designer suit, immaculate white shirt, dark red tie. However, as she studied him, a wave of intense emotions swept over her, lust, hatred, rage, pure evil, and underneath something else. Something screaming to get out. She swayed under the force, and Torr put his hand on her shoulder. As soon as he touched her, a sense of calm washed through her, pushing back the fear.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She shook her head, unable to speak.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you here. But I have to do this.” He nodded to Finn. “You and Kill take her back to the bar.”
“You’ll be okay?” Finn asked.
Torr looked at Bella and smiled. She was sure the smile was faked and meant to make her feel better. It failed, but on the other hand, she had to get out of there. She could feel the evil beating on her, trying to break through the walls she had built up around her mind. She didn’t want to know what this would feel like without her protection. What was he? And what business did he have with Torr?
“Cade will stay with me,” Torr said. “I think we can handle Razul between us.” He leaned toward Bella. “If I’d known you would react like this, I wouldn’t have brought you in here. I just wanted to keep you close.”
Finn took her arm, and she allowed him to draw her from the room. As they reached the door, she glanced back over her shoulder. Torr was staring after her a brooding expression on his face as though he was displeased.
What had she done wrong this time?
***
Torr watched her until the door clicked shut behind her and she disappeared from his sight.
She’d obviously felt Razul in her mind. Why the hell could that stinking demon weasel his way past her defenses, but she managed to keep him locked out?
“What’s up?” Cade asked from beside him.
“Nothing.” He shrugged off the feeling. “Let’s get this over with.”
He stalked across the room and came to stand in front of Razul. He studied him for a minute, trying to decide how he had manifested himself here. Was this a mere vision, or had he taken possession of some hapless human.
The body certainly appeared human, and Torr could already see the lines of destruction spreading. Razul destroyed anything he touched on this dimension. Is that what Bella had sensed. The tortured soul trapped in a body taken over by the demon.
“Where is it?” he asked.
Razul lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. “Where’s what? Have you mislaid something?”
“Cut the fucking crap, Razul.”
Razul reached up and pulled a chain from beneath his shirt. On the end of it hung a black, heart-shaped crystal, which glittered, reflecting the rays of light. “You mean this?”
Even though he knew this was no more than a manifestation—Razul would never let him get this near—Torr felt his soul call to him as it did when they were close. One of the reasons he had given in to Lilith’s seduction so long ago, was the excuse it had given him to stay close to his soul. Now he closed his eyes and savored the sensation.
He stared at the crystal, trying to keep the hunger out of his expression, but he couldn’t prevent himself from taking a step closer, and Razul’s fist closed around the jewel. He stared into Torr’s eyes. “Come any closer, and I’ll crush it.”
The sensation of wrongness Torr had been sensing over the past two days, intensified. He was choking, his lungs filling with vile putrid poison. He swayed, forced himself to stand upright, keep the expressions from his face.
Razul’s thin lips curled into a malicious smile. “Feeling a little under the weather?” But he loosened his grip on the crystal and slipped it back under his shirt.
Torr
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