So much power at his disposal and while he could find sustenance elsewhere, he’d chosen to dominate the less fortunate because he could and because he enjoyed inflicting harm.
Appalling behavior that spanned centuries. This was not the mind of a decent man, but a psychopath who would never stop leaving a trail of dead bodies.
Gryphon twisted in his cage, pleading with her to stop. Yet, he’d gotten off when others begged him for mercy. She showed him the same generosity he gave to them and burrowed deeper into his revolting mind.
His shrieks became her balm, a minimal type of justice.
But no matter how hard she worked to ferret out his cohort in Atlantis, the image and name grayed in her mind. A powerful mystic to dim her ability.
Hugging her waist, she wept and sent out a slew of magical daggers to ravage his mind. Unfortunately they wouldn’t leave him permanently damaged, but he’d suffer until her Empress arrived.
Maximus was suddenly there in front of her on his knees, crushing her against his chest. The warmth of Gabriel hit her spine and the Sameya-sandwich comforted her in ways nothing else could’ve.
Pulling out of Gryphon’s mind, she felt dirty, but she clung to Maximus, allowing the tears to fall. Someone should cry for the nameless that’d fallen to Gryphon’s depravity.
“Naleah, I could feel your anguish across the house. Talk to us.” Maximus pressed kisses to the top of her head, while Gabriel pressed his face in the curve of her neck and shoulder, his warm breath relaxing her marginally.
“He’s so depraved,” she whispered against his chest.
“Were you in his head?” Gabriel rubbed a hand up and down her spine.
“Yes.” She pulled back a little from Maximus. He maintained his grip on her hips, but allowed her the space to peer at him and glance over her shoulder at Gabriel. “I needed information on those who intend to overthrow Empress E’Neskha. He didn’t offer it freely, so I carved it from him.”
“You’re scary, baby, and sexier because of it.” Her tiger kissed her cheek.
Sameya offered a faint smile. “You’re pretty talented yourself, Gabriel.” Had a killer tongue and a fantastic thrust.
“You shaved at least a century’s worth of years off my life.” Maximus’s grip tightening on her hips relayed his anxiety.
Poking him in the gut, she teased, “Drama king.”
Her vampyr kissed her forehead. “Lean on us, and trust us to aid you. That’s what we’re here for, naleah.”
Sameya skimmed her fingertips along his jaw. “I’m fifty-two thousand, one-hundred thirteen years old. I’ve never leaned on anyone in my life.” Not even her parents because they’d died shortly after her one-hundredth year. And sirens weren’t the cajoling sort, especially not with someone as powerful as she.
The guys allowed her to stand and extricate herself from their sandwich. Her brain kept skipping over what Maximus had said…that he’d felt her anguish. How? She shouldn’t be an open book to anyone.
They both remained on their knees, their bodies facing one another but gazing up at her. Sameya trailed a finger across Maximus’s jaw. “You’re feeling better?”
“Yes, Gabriel took care of me.”
In more ways than one, even though she doubted that’s what Maximus meant. First with his blood and by finishing him off when Maximus had shunned her passion. Those moments should’ve been hers, but were stolen from her. Not filched by Gabriel, but because she refused to make a pact to join their lives.
“Good,” she said through a throat thick with emotion. She had no desire to leave these men, but she couldn’t walk away from her duties to her Empress. It was better if she began to distance herself from them now, because she’d been playing a very dangerous game with them.
Maximus’s gaze flicked over her shoulder. He nabbed Gabriel by the arm and the men rose together. Sameya turned and discovered her Empress had entered the room. It was as if her thoughts had brought the royal woman to her.
Going to her knees, she bowed her head and placed her arm above her head, exposing her forearm. “Empress E’Neskha, my service to thee alone.”
Chapter Twenty
Stunned by Sameya’s deference to the Empress, Maximus assessed the other woman, curious if she deserved his beloved’s devotion. The ruler of Atlantis was so tiny he suspected a breeze would blow her away. Thick aqua streaks highlighted the woman’s white-blonde hair and framed her oval face with hard ringlets. Light orange eyes focused solely on Sameya. The woman’s expression was one of fondness and respect. For such a countenance to be turned upon his mate made him proud.