“Sam agreed to the deal,” Covington snarled. “Sever the bond, Imani!” But she didn’t, she continued shaking her head. “Langley, I think Imani needs a little persuasion.”

So Langley slapped Paige hard once, twice, three times. Imani screamed at him to stop, but instead he did it again and again, harder each time. I wished I was close enough to kill him. If it hadn’t been imperative that I kept my shield intact, I’d have reshaped it into my whip and lashed him with it.

“Imani, cut it!” I shouted, coming out from behind Jared. She met my gaze then. Her own was filled with so much anguish. “It’s okay.”

But Jared, Antonio, Sebastian, Luther, and even Paige were ordering her not to do it. So Langley turned on Paige again, punching her this time; punching her so hard that she was on the verge of passing out.

“I’ll do it!” Imani cried. “I’ll do it!” With sobs wracking her body, she closed her eyes.

Jared threaded the fingers of one hand in my hair and wrapped his free arm around me, as if keeping me close would keep her out. It didn’t. I felt her in my head…It was the weirdest feeling. Like having a small hand rifle through my brain. Then that hand stilled and a finger flicked something that was almost elastic – the move sent reverberations through my head and down the bond, making me wince. Then two fingers grasped it tight, pulled hard, and…and nothing. She did it again, tugging harder this time – so hard it hurt and I had to cradle my head in my hands. But, still, nothing happened.

Imani’s eyes flipped open. “It’s not working.”

Covington’s jaw clenched. “Then you’re not trying hard enough. Robert, maybe Paige would like to feel”

“No, I’ll try again!”

And she did. Three more times, she tried to sever it. But she simply couldn’t do it.

I could feel Jared’s sense of self-satisfaction, but he didn’t let that emotion show. You know why she can’t break it, don’t you?

No, but he’d clearly worked it out.

We had a link before we even went through the Binding, baby. It was a link that formed with no conscious effort on our part; it formed before we’d even exchanged blood the very first time. The Binding only made it stronger. She might be able to cut a bond that’s born through an exchange of blood, but she can’t break one that’s psychic at the root. And that’s what ours is.

He was right, I realised. I wasn’t sure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, since my agreement to Covington’s deal was now meaningless.

“Cut it, Imani!” Covington ordered.

Fake it. We need him to believe we’re vulnerable, Sam. Fake it.

Liking that idea, I doubled-over and cried out…much like I had when I’d killed my Sire and our blood-link had severed. Jared did the same, scrunching his face up in agony as we both toppled onto our sides on the floor, clutching our stomachs. All the while, Covington smirked. Imani was the image of confusion. I could only guess that Jared had assured Antonio, Luther, and Sebastian that we were faking the whole thing, because they didn’t look as devastated as they should. If I hadn’t known them so well, though, I might have believed they were.

Be ready, I said to Jared. I’m going to need to drop the shield or he’ll never buy that I’m truly weak. We need to be ready in case they choose that moment to attack. I don’t think they will because I’ve agreed to his deal, but they might.

One good thing was that since my gift was tied to my emotional state, whenever my emotions were running high – and they certainly were right now – energy seemed to envelop the surface of my entire body. Once the shield was gone, I could absorb that energy and use it to strengthen my gift. I had every intention of doing so, but I would have to be careful and discreet about it or Dana would notice and Covington would know that my agreement to his deal was bollocks.

Don’t think I’m letting you die tonight, Sam. The steel there almost made me smile.

I have no intention of dying. If Imani’s gift had worked, I would have given my life for the people here. But I wouldn’t give Jared’s life for anyone – not even for these people. If that made me cruel, so be it. I’d never pretended to be a good person.

Shoving aside my anxiety, I let the shield fade, but nobody moved to hurt us. Why would they? We were both curled up like foetuses, seemingly too weak to move. As I’d known it would, the surrounding energy very slowly began to lick across my skin – just small little wisps, since my gift was ‘low on battery’, but I’d take what I could get. Subtly, I used my palms to suck it inside me. Soon enough, I’d be so strong that the energy would cover me like a blanket. But right now, I was no match for the Feeder in front of me.

Dana looked at her hands; they were dripping with energy the way mine often did. Her pupils were dilated, making her look like a junkie. “I feel…so alive.”

Covington didn’t seem to care. “It seems your little assassin has a heart, Antonio. Who would have thought it?”

“You will not leave this place alive.” Antonio’s voice was strong, hard, and pure ice.

“I think you’ll find that I will. Now, I’m a man of my word, so this is how it’s going to work. My vampires will escort everyone other than Sam and Imani out of this room. There’s no need for you to watch your mate – or should I say ex-mate – die, Jared.”

Dana turned to Covington. “Let me kill her. Let me take the last”

“You’ve had your fun, Dana. It’s now my turn.”

Eloise strolled over until she was standing in front of me. Then the bitch kicked me in the head. Oh she’d f**king pay for that. Jared swung his arm out to grab her, but then two of Covington’s vampires came to drag him away. Ire zoomed through me, causing more of the surrounding energy to cling to me. Again, I discretely sucked it in. Jared, don’t fight them! Keep up the act!

He let them take him, let them move him far behind me, though he cursed the entire time. Eloise chose that moment to kick my head once more. I didn’t need the scent of my blood in the air to know that I was bleeding. Subtly taking in more energy, I promised myself this bitch would be nothing more than a pile of ashes soon.

“Damn, her blood smells good,” someone said.

“Yes, it does,” drawled Covington. “Maybe that’s how she’ll die. Maybe I’ll drink her dry.” Hearing Jared curse him, Covington laughed and looked down at me. “I don’t think he likes the idea of me feeding from you.” Jared flung another string of curses at him, and I heard a thud followed by a grunt of pain from Jared. The bastards who were holding him must have hit him. Still, he cursed at Covington. Why wouldn’t he bloody shut up? It was so tempting to abandon the weak act and attack them all, so tempting to