He’d already marked her for as good as dead in his eyes. That hurt like a punch to the solar plexus.

Well, damn him and his mother. She would show them both. She’d find a way, somehow, to save him and she wouldn’t die in the process. Abby felt something chilling, and altogether calculating, slither over her skin. A strange acceptance settled inside her. She’d already killed idummi. She’d killed an animal to eat. She’d created flames at the flick of her fingertips and had stopped nearly two dozen of Aidan’s men from coming after her with a single spell.

Abby stood tall and let her power radiate around her in a golden halo from her body. Only those with magical powers could see the “magic” in others. So as Abby finally stood accepting her fate, whatever it might be, Alrik and his mother gazed upon her with wonder.

She was a witch. She was powerful. And she was ready to defend her mate.

Abby’s gaze slowly reached the queen’s. She had the satisfaction of watching the queen do a double take.

“Quite the little warrior, aren’t you? Humans always were so…barbaric.”

Abby smiled and took her words as the compliment they were. Her people, humans, had fought long and hard for everything they ever wanted or needed. They fought and killed for food, they worked through blood and sweat to build homes and cities. In times of trouble, they had the capability to come together through differences and hardships. They were fighters. They were barbaric. Right now Abby could feel her ancestors grinning through her smile with pride.

The queen snapped. “Hold his mouth open!”

Alrik’s eyes flared wide with panic. While she thought he’d been fighting his captors before, now he really did. He tossed each of the demons holding his arms off as if they were children, but even more came at him piling on top of his body. Abby struggled against the hands holding her.

The demon carrying the tall glass with that murky substance inside knelt beside Alrik.

“Don’t do it!” Abby shouted.

She fought hard against the demons. Their tight grips tore through her skin. Another grabbed her waist as she fought; her feet slid kicking up dirt as she struggled. Whatever was in the glass was a vile, evil spell. She could feel its dark energy like a pit from hell. And they were going to pour it down his throat.

She tried to think quickly. What did she do? Did she fight demons holding her and use even more magic? Magic that she needed to defeat his mother?

It didn’t matter what she did.

“Don’t drink it!” Abby shouted.

“Like he has a choice,” his mother sneered.

Two demons crawled next to Alrik. Their knobby, long fingers curled into his mouth. Abby gagged at the sight.

“Don’t touch him,” she said her voice much softer now, weaker. They were going to lose this one. She could already feel it. Still she fought against the hands holding her no matter how useless. The second she got her arms free she’d kill them all. They’d regret touching him this way.

The demons wrenched his mouth open while the one with the glass poured the concoction down Alrik’s throat. He wasn’t gentle about it. The foul liquid spilled over Alrik’s cheeks and dribbled down his chin. He made awful gurgling sounds as he choked and struggled not to swallow the liquid.

All at once, Alrik’s body stopped fighting. His eyes closed. A hard shudder traveled through his body as if he’d been zapped with electricity.

Abby stopped struggling. The deed was done. All that was left was to figure out just what that potion did.

“Step away from him,” ordered the queen.

The demons backed up with slow cautious steps. Not even they looked sure what might happen.

Alrik’s teeth clenched, gnashing together. His brow furrowed and grunts of pain sounded from between his teeth. He sounded like a rabid animal. Abby once heard a dog fight when she was a kid. Alrik sounded like that. Snarling and growling with aggression.

Then screams tore from his throat. Bone chilling screams. A sound she could never forget. His eyes popped open—black pools spiraling like water spinning down a drain.

“What are you doing to him!” screamed Abby.

It happened so quickly she had to blink to be sure.

He stopped moving. Completely stopped.

His dark swirling eyes gazed up at the sky unblinking and glassy. His body lay frozen like the dead. Only the subtle rise and fall of his chest gave away any sign of life.

“Alrik…”Abby said hesitantly. “Baby?” A piece of her heart broke off like a shard of glass.

“Alrik, Alrik,” the queen mocked in a child-like voice.

“You bitch!” Abby lunged for the queen. The queen stumbled back a step before she threw a barrier between them with a flick of her wrist. Abby seethed but at least got some satisfaction at the fear in the queen’s eyes.

“You want to know what I’ve done to him? Then I’ll show you. Rise, Alrik.”

Alrik slid to his feet. His body moved in a boneless way like a puppet being controlled. One second he was lying down unmoving and in the next moment he was standing perfectly at attention.

A trickle of unease slithered over Abby.

“Mistress,” he said.

She must still have the effects of the spell Aidan’s man put on her for she knew he just spoke in demonic and yet she’d understood his guttural, garbled words.

“Do you know who this woman is?” the queen asked him.

Alrik turned slowly to face her. He stood with his shoulders back, strong chest thrust forward, eyes seeing her without any recognition whatsoever. No love was there, no fear, worry, or panic, only passivity. As if he didn’t know who she was.

“She is Abbigail Krenshaw. A human with skills in witchcraft.” He paused his dark eyes blinked once. “There is part succubus blood inside her.”

His mother “hmmed” and “ahhed” as he relayed the information. “Half succubus? That is interesting. Does that give her,” she waved an agitated hand in the air, “any special skills I should know about?”

Alrik took a deep, lung-filling breath as if breathing her soul into his body. “Only longevity and the alluring beauty only found in succubi.”

Now was so not the time to blush, yet Abby felt her cheeks flame anyway.

“Alrik, what’s going on?” she said softly.

He didn’t even look at her just gazed forward like a robot. Another chunk of her heart broke away and with it nearly tore a sob from her throat. Oh God, how did she fix this? How could she help him now?

He was gone. Completely gone. Not a sign of life in him.

The queen smiled with glee. Satisfaction gleamed in her eyes. “Isn’t it beautiful? Let’s see just how strong the spell is. I’ve used only the best ingredients for it. The freshest, most powerful of blood I could find…seer blood.”

“Alrik, kill that demon.” She pointed to one of the green, yellow-eyed monsters standing nearby. The creature squawked and started shuffling around, unsure if she really meant it or not.

Alrik didn’t hesitate. His body turned, eyes locked on the creature, and then he took four long steps that landed him directly in front of it. In two swift moves he acted. His big hands squeezed the demons head and then jerked it hard to the right. With repulsive snap, the body crumpled to the ground in a heap.

Abby swallowed but the knot in her throat wouldn’t go away.

The queen clapped, laughing like a giddy child as she bounced on her feet. “Wonderful! Perfect! My ultimate creation! Now, kill her!”

“What?” Abby said, her stunned question unable to be contained. “Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!” she said getting louder and louder.

Alrik turned towards her with every tall demonic inch of him then strode for her with long determined steps.

“Alrik stop this!” she demanded trying to put some authority in her voice. That didn’t sway him. The demon’s holding her released her. She started backing up. “Baby, I love you! Don’t do this!”