us,” Vance waved him off, turning his attention to Colin, the ghoul already forgotten.
It bowed its way out the door, giving Juliet one last hateful glare then left. “He needs to be tended to, his wounds are severe.”
Vance barked out a harsh laugh. “They are of little consequence dear Juliet, the matter of utmost importance is what he knows about Arthur and that, my dear is where your…talent comes into play.”
“Don’t ask this of me, I can’t.” The very idea made her stomach clench.
“Either you do this or the Butcher will make dinner out of your lover, one strip of flesh at a time and you will have a front row seat.”
She backed away in horror of what Vance wanted, there had to be a way out of this nightmare, she just needed to find it. Instinctively she pulled at the energy surrounding her directing a quick pulse at the collar binding Colin’s shifting abilities. The backlash of perverse magic snapped out, biting into her as she held on and pushed a burst of magic back at it.
“What the hell are you doing?” Vance demanded, lunging toward her his fingers digging viciously into her shoulders as he shook her viciously.
She thought her neck would snap in two from Vance’s attack. The energy she drew surged lighting up her nerve endings like light bulbs ready to burst from too much voltage. Acting on instinct she pushed all the power she held out in a sudden purge and watched as Vance was picked up and hurtled into the wall. A metallic crackling sound reached her through the thrumming pulse beating in her ears and she turned toward Colin in time to see the collar disintegrate. A golden shower of dust floated to the ground by his feet.
Juliet’s legs buckled beneath her weight, collapsing onto the hard cool concrete and blinked, then blinked again. She stared dazed at the empty manacles. Manacles which only a heartbeat before, held Colin prisoner. A laugh burst through her throat dimly she noted the hysterical undertone and could care less at the moment.
Colin was free and that was all that mattered.
Chapter Ten
Vance’s hands gripped her with bruising force making her cry out as she found herself dragged up to her feet. A low animalistic growl sounded behind her and her body was spun quickly around, making the world tilt crazily, her stomach pitched as her back slammed hard against a firm body. The cruel hands on her arms moved, one encircled her waist pinning her in place and the other wrapped around her throat. She stared into the green eyes of the huge grey wolf crouched and snarling his intense gaze on her captor.
“Back off, Colin, or I will snap her neck,” Vance warned in a chilling expressionless tone. There was no doubt in Juliet’s mind he would act on his threat as his fingers tightened around her throat, threatening to cut off her air.
A brilliant flash of light burned into Juliet’s retinas and she blinked the spots away quickly until she could see Colin standing in human form. The firm set of his jaw and the rigid tension in the corded muscles of his neck and arms spoke volumes of the rage he barely contained. From the waves of aggression shimmering off of him she knew his control was on a very thin leash.
“Let. Her. Go,” he gritted out between clenched teeth.
“Not going to happen. What will happen though is very simple. You are going to let Ms. Boyd and I leave.”
An ominous growl filled the cell coming deep from Colin’s chest. “It’s all right Colin,” Juliet choked out, the pressure easing on her wind pipe enough for her to catch a breath and continue, her voice stronger without the restriction. “He won’t hurt me if you do what he says. You need see to your wounds, get to your men, please.”
Vance backed to the exit releasing his grip on her throat and opened the heavy door clamping his hand around her arm he hauled her out of the cell. Before she could struggle for her freedom she found herself being dragged at breakneck speed through the concrete
It bowed its way out the door, giving Juliet one last hateful glare then left. “He needs to be tended to, his wounds are severe.”
Vance barked out a harsh laugh. “They are of little consequence dear Juliet, the matter of utmost importance is what he knows about Arthur and that, my dear is where your…talent comes into play.”
“Don’t ask this of me, I can’t.” The very idea made her stomach clench.
“Either you do this or the Butcher will make dinner out of your lover, one strip of flesh at a time and you will have a front row seat.”
She backed away in horror of what Vance wanted, there had to be a way out of this nightmare, she just needed to find it. Instinctively she pulled at the energy surrounding her directing a quick pulse at the collar binding Colin’s shifting abilities. The backlash of perverse magic snapped out, biting into her as she held on and pushed a burst of magic back at it.
“What the hell are you doing?” Vance demanded, lunging toward her his fingers digging viciously into her shoulders as he shook her viciously.
She thought her neck would snap in two from Vance’s attack. The energy she drew surged lighting up her nerve endings like light bulbs ready to burst from too much voltage. Acting on instinct she pushed all the power she held out in a sudden purge and watched as Vance was picked up and hurtled into the wall. A metallic crackling sound reached her through the thrumming pulse beating in her ears and she turned toward Colin in time to see the collar disintegrate. A golden shower of dust floated to the ground by his feet.
Juliet’s legs buckled beneath her weight, collapsing onto the hard cool concrete and blinked, then blinked again. She stared dazed at the empty manacles. Manacles which only a heartbeat before, held Colin prisoner. A laugh burst through her throat dimly she noted the hysterical undertone and could care less at the moment.
Colin was free and that was all that mattered.
Chapter Ten
Vance’s hands gripped her with bruising force making her cry out as she found herself dragged up to her feet. A low animalistic growl sounded behind her and her body was spun quickly around, making the world tilt crazily, her stomach pitched as her back slammed hard against a firm body. The cruel hands on her arms moved, one encircled her waist pinning her in place and the other wrapped around her throat. She stared into the green eyes of the huge grey wolf crouched and snarling his intense gaze on her captor.
“Back off, Colin, or I will snap her neck,” Vance warned in a chilling expressionless tone. There was no doubt in Juliet’s mind he would act on his threat as his fingers tightened around her throat, threatening to cut off her air.
A brilliant flash of light burned into Juliet’s retinas and she blinked the spots away quickly until she could see Colin standing in human form. The firm set of his jaw and the rigid tension in the corded muscles of his neck and arms spoke volumes of the rage he barely contained. From the waves of aggression shimmering off of him she knew his control was on a very thin leash.
“Let. Her. Go,” he gritted out between clenched teeth.
“Not going to happen. What will happen though is very simple. You are going to let Ms. Boyd and I leave.”
An ominous growl filled the cell coming deep from Colin’s chest. “It’s all right Colin,” Juliet choked out, the pressure easing on her wind pipe enough for her to catch a breath and continue, her voice stronger without the restriction. “He won’t hurt me if you do what he says. You need see to your wounds, get to your men, please.”
Vance backed to the exit releasing his grip on her throat and opened the heavy door clamping his hand around her arm he hauled her out of the cell. Before she could struggle for her freedom she found herself being dragged at breakneck speed through the concrete
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