“Who are you?” My voice was barely audible, because I was sure I already knew who he was.
“The name’s Slither.”
“Oh, God.” I choked, and my throat closed, making it impossible to take a breath.
“Ah. So, you know who I am?”
“Neon.” I forced my eyes closed, a tear finally falling down my cheek. This was the man who abused Neon. This was the man who tortured her within an inch of her life. This was the man the Kings were at war with…and he was here. For me.
“Oh, yes,” I heard him start, but I refused to open my eyes. “I remember Neon. Or rather, her screams, that is. I have to say, that is one tough cookie. Bitch refused to die.”
“Stop,” I whimpered. I didn’t want to hear about Neon and what he did to her. Fear was already suffocating me.
“How is she doing, by the way?”
I opened my eyes and swallowed hard. Everything about him was repulsive and disgusting.
“She okay? You know,” he motioned with his hand around his crotch, “down there? My guys really pulled a number on her. I’ve never seen a woman’s asshole bleed so much.”
“Jesus,” I cried. It was no longer fear that ran amok in me. It was cold, hard, numbing trepidation that possessed every corner of my body.
Tanit snickered in the background, and Slither stalked closer to me, little by little. “You know, I was actually thinking about keeping her. I was really tempted to see how much she could take before she died.” His face displayed sheer wonder as he spoke about Neon. “You know, if I remember correctly, she passed out, like, seven times during those few hours she spent with us.”
“Stop, please,” I began to plead.
Tears streamed down my face, mixing with snot as it ran down my mouth. Slither crouched in front of me, his eyes level to mine. He placed a hand underneath my chin. “Something tells me you wouldn’t last half the time she did. My men would chew you up and spit you out like a fucking chicken bone.” I sobbed while he forced my face to turn side to side, like he was studying me. “But you are pretty. I can see why he’s so fascinated by you.”
Tanit cleared her throat, and he let go of my face, glancing at her over his shoulder. “And I can see what has our girl here so jealous.”
“Cut the crap, Slither.” Tanit sneered. “I did what you asked, so take the bitch and go.”
He looked back at me and shot me a half-grin. “It’s always the people we love the most who destroy us.”
“Wha…what does that mean?”
“Oh, nothing.” He slapped his knees and stood, a smile still stuck on his ugly face. “Man, now I can’t stop thinking of that feisty pixie girl with the blue hair. Or as my crew likes to call her, the girl with the screams of an angel.”
“You’re a monster.” Somehow, deep down, there was a tiny speck of courage that seemed to grow every time he mentioned Neon.
His eyes flared like I had just given him a compliment. “Aren’t we all monsters, Miss Green? Some are just,” he shrugged, “better at it than others.” The chains that hung down his side clanked as he circled me. “Tanit did me one hell of a favor when she offered to bring you to me. I was thrilled when she told me this was something she could do.”
I glared straight at her while focusing on keeping the bile down.
A violent shudder wracked through my body when he placed his cold hands on my shoulders, leaning down, letting me feel his vile breath against my skin. I heard him inhale, slow and deep. “I must admit, Miss Green, you smell as good as you look.” When I felt the two tips of his split tongue against my neck, I cringed. My body went rigid, and my lips trembled. It was the most disgusting, revolting thing I ever experienced in my life, and I couldn’t move. My skin stung, and I was sure I would piss myself at any second. His lips brushed along my earlobe. “It’s a pity we couldn’t meet under different circumstances,Alyxandria. I would have loved to taste you, to make you bleed.”
When the two pieces of his tongue flicked into my ear, I squirmed and started to shake violently with the urge to get away.
“Oh, yes,” he whispered against my ear. “You might not last as long as Neon did, but you’d still be a lot of fun. They say ballerinas can bend their bodies in ways that make for some adventurous fucking. I’d love to see how far we can bend this body of yours while filled with cock in each…and every…hole.”
“Please stop.” I wept, distraught and afraid. Knowing what he did to Neon was enough to make me die of fear right here, right now.
“Remember those words, sweetheart.” He stood and patted me on my shoulder. “Those are two words you’ll be repeating a lot once you and I get started. But first,” he walked over to Tanit, “I have someone I need to see before we can get this show on the road.”
“What?”
Through teary eyes, I saw Tanit’s face scrunch up in disapproval.
“Slither, I can’t stay here for much longer. They will get suspicious.”