Page 56 of Soul Redeemed

“Ava,” he mumbled, head rolling against the pillow. “Ava.” All at once, he stopped moving, head lolled to the side.

“Xander!” Much as she hated the thought of him finding out what she’d done, she wouldn’t stand by and let the female get away.

“Not paralysis, per se.” The Fallen female’s voice slithered down Ava’s spine, inciting the urge to strangle her. “I merely convinced your mind that you’re unable to move. You think you’re speaking, but you’re not. Xander can’t hear you. I’m simply reading your thoughts.” Her gaze fell from Ava’s, and she jerked her chin toward Calix. “And he will sleep like the dead, now that you’ve sated him. It won’t last, though.” As she spoke, her face morphed, the silver of her eyes turning to an ice blue, the curls of her hair straightening, until it was as if Ava stared into a mirror.

“You … stole my … face.”

“Again, it’s all in how you perceive. You’re seeing me as you, because I told your mind to see that. Now, unlock my binds.”

Calix’s flesh slid past Ava’s palm as she relinquished her grasp, her fingers still glistening with the evidence of his release.

“Other hand, if you don’t mind.”

“No.” Ava mentally willed her hand not to do as the female ordered, but even with every ounce of restraint, she watched like an unwilling participant while she unlatched the binds and the Diablis steel fell away from the female’s wrists. “Why … are you … doing this?”

“It’s nothing personal,” she said in a voice that sounded hauntingly like Ava’s own. “Now sleep.”

And despite all the protests inside her head, Ava dropped to the floor, and the cell that surrounded her faded to black.

26

Thais didn’t like having to deceive, but while it reminded her of her own damn kind, deception happened to be her most valuable gift. The only thing that’d kept her alive for so long.

Ruse still in play, she made her way through the cellblock, anxious for a clean and uneventful getaway. The spell she’d cast worked on most supes. Even the Fallen. So anyone who happened upon her would think her to be Calix’s female, unless she managed to get distracted—impossible, when her only objective was escape.

The staircase lay ahead, as she exited the row of cells toward her freedom.

“All good?”

Hearing the familiar voice rattled her spine, and Thais jumped back, quickly recalling that she wasn’t she. “All good,” she said, licking her lips. “He’s down for the count.”

“You must be one skilled female to sate a starving incubus in one quickie.”

“You’ve no idea.”

Xander’s brows lifted, and he rubbed a hand across his chin. “Well, if things don’t happen to work out between the two of you, maybe you can show me your tricks of the trade.”

“You’re a dirty bastard, you know that?”

He nodded, his lips stretching to a grin. “You’ve no idea. Goodnight.”

“Yeah. Goodnight to you.” She continued on up the stairs, and reaching the top, she gave a glance over her shoulder, making sure the weaselly bastard hadn’t followed.

A solid mass crashed into her, bringing her to a halt.

Her head whipped back around, and Thais trailed her gaze up the enormous form blocking her way. He must’ve stood a good six-foot-seven—hell, maybe even seven feet tall. Hard to tell with her nose damn near buried in his chest.

His body was solid, covered in muscles and tattoos that screamed scary, pain, death. Scars marred his throat where he’d obviously attempted sudesxz, and a gnarly-looking scar ran down his cheek. As she lifted her gaze higher, dark eyes took her into a dark and wicked place, one that called to her Fallen wiles.

His lip peeled back into a snarl, like she’d invaded his world when she’d bumped into him.

“I’m sorry.” She placed a hand to his chest to push back, but felt a blaze of heat move across her palm like a snake. It tingled her senses, all the way down to her toes, and she tipped her head back, reveling in the sensation she’d missed.

Gathering it up into her hands, she opened her eyes to the hellsfire dancing in her palm.

The demon’s brows raised, from the pinch of being pissed off to enchanted, as he stood, mouth gaped, while Thais allowed the blue flames to swirl around her arm, across her body, and back to her awaiting palm.

The beastly male let out a groan and shivered.