My stomach clenched. What was he doing? Egging the demon on to kill him right now?

“You wanted Carly to kiss you earlier.” She drew so close that their faces were only inches apart. She slowly slid the tip of the dagger down the center of his chest and back up. “Your soul smells so good to me—even better than a human’s. How does my little niece manage to keep her lips to herself around you? It must be torture for her.”

She cocked her head as she studied him. “But you don’t have your whole soul, anymore, do you? I can sense that. I guess she did have a nibble. Can’t blame her for that.”

“Are you going to finish it off? Kiss me and suck the rest of it out?”

“Would you like me to? Or is it only Samantha’s mouth you want on you now?”

I pushed up to my feet and surged toward her, wanting to claw her eyes out, but Stephen blocked me.

“Stay back,” he warned.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Why not? There’s nothing else that I care about anymore. Might as well align with someone as powerful as Natalie.”

“What about Jordan?”

He flinched as if I’d slapped him. “She’s history. And if she comes anywhere near me again, she’s in serious trouble.”

God, why hadn’t I told Kraven about this? Why had I knocked him out? He could be storming in right now to stop this. Or— I didn’t know for sure. Maybe he’d let this play out just as it was, sacrificing his brother in order for the mission to be successful and he could get his reward. It wasn’t as if there was any love lost between them.

But still, some storming in would be really nice right about now.

Where are you? Come on, demon. This is your chance to save the day.

But nothing happened. I hadn’t really expected Kraven to suddenly appear in a blaze of glory. We were on our own. A quick glance at Carly told me she wasn’t going to be any help, either.

“I could kiss you,” Natalie said to Bishop. “Or I could kill you outright with this dagger. But neither option works for me. I need you.”

Bishop’s expression darkened with understanding and his attention moved to me. As our eyes locked, my heart twisted.

My skin crawled the longer she kept talking with that dagger in her hand while Bishop was held in place. His soul zapped his strength as easily as I’d zapped Kraven earlier. He couldn’t break free.

“Please don’t hurt him.” My voice cracked on the words.

She glanced at me. “Will you use this dagger to cut through the barrier and help me escape this city?”

I shivered. “I—I don’t even know if I can do it.”

Natalie turned back to Bishop and stabbed the dagger into his shoulder. Bishop let out a sharp gasp of pain as blood welled around the weapon. Natalie yanked it out and Bishop’s red blood now coated the golden blade.

It happened so fast that I could barely register what she’d just done. I tried to move, but Stephen shoved me back so hard it knocked the breath out of me. “What are you doing? No, Natalie, don’t—please, don’t hurt him!”

She smiled without humor. “See? I knew you cared for him. That should speed this up.”

Bishop’s forehead gleamed with perspiration and his teeth ground together. “Think about it, demon. Even you must see the problem of leaving this city with what you’re capable of doing. You’ll destroy everything.”

“I’m sure you have a point. Somewhere.” She thrust the blade into Bishop’s stomach this time and twisted it sharply. He grunted in pain, but didn’t scream.

But I did. I screamed so loud that I couldn’t believe no one immediately thundered up those stairs to see who was being tortured up here.

Stephen’s attention shifted away from me for a split second and I took the opportunity to drive my knee up between his legs. He let go of me and staggered back. I rushed across the lounge to grab hold of Natalie’s arm before she sliced into Bishop again.

“Stop it!” I managed to say, my eyes blurred with tears. “Please, stop!”

“Then agree to help me. It’s that simple. I can do this for hours. I’ve cloaked this lounge. No human will see or hear a thing no matter how loudly you scream for him.” Her gaze searched mine and her eyebrows drew together a fraction. “It doesn’t have to be like this. Desperate times call for desperate measures, Samantha. I’m desperate right now. I’m just trying to survive. So end this.”

Tears splashed onto my cheeks. “I hate you.”

“Hate makes you strong, love makes you weak. I learned that from my brother. He’s strong now, Samantha. You have no idea how strong. He wants to meet you, to know you. I can take you to him. This is your chance to have a family who’ll accept you for who and what you are—no matter what.”

A family who didn’t ignore me or treat me like a burden. Somewhere I belonged, with people who wanted me around. Once upon a time, that might have been enough to tempt me. But not tonight.

I dug my short fingernails into her arm. I had no doubt that she could easily bat me away and go back to hurting Bishop in an instant, but I held on as tight as I could. I tried to access my abilities, to zap Natalie like I’d done with Roth and Kraven, but I wasn’t able to summon so much as a spark. She hadn’t just cloaked this lounge, she’d cloaked herself, as well. Her walls were stronger than anything I’d felt before. I couldn’t break through.