Lethal Blow: (Succubus Hitwoman Book 2) by Eliza Hendrix (love books to read TXT) 📕

Biting my lip, I stare back at him. Am I seriously pondering whether to offer my strength as an act of heroism? This isn’t like me. My gaze shifts toward my Battalion ring.

What the hell did you do to me, Devania?

Is this thing laced with Let’s fix the world magic?

My mind wanders back to the dragon’s rancid internal organs and how I tore out of that thing like it was nothing. Okay—it wasn’t nothing. It was disgusting, and it sucked up much of my energy.

But I managed it, which means my strength is something I can offer. So why isn’t Ace saying anything? And why is he staring at me? The guy’s proven himself to be stronger than me, yet he stands there looking like a sheep… like someone prepared to obey any order I give.

And I haven’t even used my Lure on the guy.

How could someone who can teleport with a click of their fingers turn to me—a drunk—for guidance?

You may have fallen victim to feeble weaknesses, but you are not weak.

The voice is my own, but the words sound like something that Alice, my doll, would say to me. Is she in my head? Or, is she still following me?

Probably.

I listen to my gut, or Alice—whoever is responsible for my little inner pep talk. Deep down, I know I’m a force to be reckoned with. Somewhere along the way after Jamal was killed, I allowed grief to consume me. I’m still hurting inside—I miss Jamal more than anything—but what I’ve become is something I’m not proud of, and I know for a fact that if he’s watching me, he’s no doubt disappointed in what I’ve become.

“I have an idea,” I say, pulling my shoulders back.

Ace widens his stance and stiffens.

“Give me your ring,” I order.

He arches a brow, no doubt thinking I’ve lost my mind. We were transported here through a portal, which means the one way back is through another portal. Without the ring, there’s no way back. Well, unless he’s one of the traitors.

God… gorgeous and brilliant.

“Come on,” I say. “Hand it over.”

Although confused, he does as told and places it in the palm of my hand.

Behind us, a line has already formed, and one by one, people walk through the exit portal. I grab his arm and force my way toward the front of the line. “Excuse me. Sorry. Family emergency.”

A few oomphs and umphs come from people’s mouths as I push my way through, but no one tells me to back off.

“Rayne, what the hell—” Ace tries, but before he can argue, I push him as hard as I can into the portal.

I realize it’s a risk and possibly a stupid one, at that. But I need to be sure.

Fiery red sparks burst out of the portal, followed by a loud crackling noise similar to that of a forgotten fork inside a microwave. Before I can react, Ace shoots across the room and over everyone’s heads. He lands hard against the chief dwarf, and together, they tumble against the back wall.

Shrieks and shouts fill the room as people run to the back.

What a relief. I mean… Wow, that must have hurt.

“Oh my goddess,” I shout with a dumbed-down, ditsy voice. “Sorry. So sorry.” I rush across the room like I’m stepping on hot coals and offer the crowd a guilty smile. The looks I’m getting range from, Is he okay? to What the fuck just happened?

I raise Ace’s ring to my face and stretch a fake grin. “Silly me. His ring was dirty and I wanted to clean it for him. Then I find out my brother’s gone missing—” I fan my face. “Wow. I’m so sorry. My mind is all over the place.”

Grunting, Ace gets up but shoots his arms out to maintain balance, his focus wandering around the room.

“You’re okay,” I say, now letting out a ridiculous laugh. “Walk it off.”

I grab him by the arm and help him back to the portal. He’s too dazed now, but he’ll interrogate me soon enough and ask me if I need professional help.

Still smiling awkwardly at everyone, I slip his ring back on and flash Rachel a frown that translates to, Let’s go.

She hurries to the front with us, and together, we all jump through.

Chapter 25

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Rachel paces across the remains of the motel room as if trying to decipher some advanced calculus equation. She rubs her chin, scratches the back of her head, and then stands with her hands clutching her hips. “You realize there’s no guarantee this’ll work, right?”

I glance sideways at Ace sitting at the edge of the bed with an ice pack on his cheek.

He’s pissed off, but it had to be done.

Wincing apologetically, I say, “I had to be sure.

“I know,” he grumbles. “I would’ve done the same thing.”

Rachel glares at us as if she’s being paid by the minute to be here. “Hello?”

I sigh. “I know it isn’t certain, Rachel, but you’re the only one who has something that belongs to Zerachu.”

She doesn’t seem convinced. Why would she? This whole situation is a mess. I genuinely believe that the one person powerful enough to take down whoever did this is Zerachu. The Council of Elders is almighty, sure—but they don’t know what goes on in the Dark Hall. That area is Zerachu’s domain, and although she might be a bit of a whack job at times, she’s the one person I wouldn’t want to cross.

There’s a reason the Great Witch is missing. Whoever did this knows she’s a threat, which means we have to find her. And since no one can get back into the Dark Hall—I wish I’d known this before leaving—it’s impossible to use one of her belongings to cast a location spell.