“What the hell is going on with you, Drayton? The world is ending, and you’re holed up in here?”
Glancing at his second-in-command, Marcus didn’t move except to knock the liquor back. Jake had no idea what had occurred inside the room. The disgust consumed him, and he didn’t want to hear his news. Everyone could go to hell for all he cared. Stretching his arm out, he reached for the bottle of brandy, but Jake grabbed it out of his reach.
“Leave me the fuck alone,” Marcus shouted.
“You selfish son of a bitch. Like it or not, you’re the commander. Right now, you’re all we’ve got, and hiding away isn’t going to help anyone. This pity party of yours is pathetic. I know Steel’s shoes are hard to fill and with Ella missing, things are difficult. But you need to snap the fuck out of this. We need to deal with the Morrigan and the Padre. A message finally came through from Henry. He believes the Padre is on to him because no matter what he does, the man will not bring him into the inner circle. What should I say?”
Covering his mouth with his hand, he analyzed Jake’s words. Marcus was sinking into the mess the Morrigan had created. The guilt of his actions held him hostage. Probably, exactly what the bitch wanted. Drawing himself back to the present, he stood up, aiming to face the situation head on, and ran his hands through his messy hair. “I slept with her…” he conceded, his voice barely above a whisper. He stared out the window, wondering how he had been fooled in such a way. He should have known, even though she looked identical—she didn’t have Ella’s scent or her softness.
“What, you slept with Ella, and she left? That doesn’t make sense. Look, I heard she lost the baby. Maybe she needs time…” Jake said.
Marcus swung around and launched at Jake, throttling him, choking the very life out of him. Unable to hold back the anger brewing inside him, he slammed his friend into the wall. “Not Ella, you fool…the…Morrigan. Hit me.”
Jake’s clear eyes widened with shock and he did as instructed, landing a forceful blow in his belly.
Dull pain registered inside his brain. The force hit him, but not hard enough to knock him flat. He threw his right fist out, colliding with Jake’s jaw, needing the man to inflict more pain. His friend retaliated, landing a double blow into his left solar plexus.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Jake shouted as he gripped his shoulder and smacked his face.
The resounding crack woke him from the alcohol-infused stupor. Facing him, he wiped the blood from his mouth, tasting the saltiness. “The woman in that hotel suite looked identical to Ella. She…she seduced me. I couldn’t stop myself. I was set up…” The realization gave little solace.
The door squeaked open and Isabella strolled inside, staring around the office that lay in a mess from their fight. Zephra followed behind and the witch cast her bright eyes over him, sniffing the air.
“What are you two doing?” Isabella asked.
“He slept with the Morrigan.” Jake pointed at him.
“What do you mean?” Isabella stood with her hands on her hips.
Marcus scowled at his friend. Admitting it to his second-in-command was one thing but to air it in public? He really didn’t need his team to know and judge him.
“That was not for general consumption.” He looked at the witches, who exchanged shocked glances. “The woman in the hotel resembled Ella. I believed it was her.” He placed his hands over his head as he backed away, staring at them. The horror of the Morrigan’s actions and games only deepened his fear that he would lose Ella for good when he found her.
“Here, let me look at you.” Zephra nodded as she walked around Marcus, examining him. Then she faced him and placed her fingers over his eyes, tilting his head back. “You’ve been ensnared. Did you eat or drink something when you went to the hotel to find Ella?”
Marcus replayed his movements from the moment the elevator doors opened and shook his head. Remembering the elegant room, there had not been any food or drink in sight. A scratch at his neck itched and he rubbed the skin with his nail. The witch grabbed his hand, removing it, and pressed her finger where he had been rubbing.
“You’ve been bitten. Did you see any plants or flowers in the room? Orchids are usually the offender.”
A clear image of sniffing the pale orchids, whose powerful scent had drawn him over, zoomed in close and with it, a memory of the bright-pink tongue unfurling, shooting black spores at him. Why didn’t he recall that happening until now?
“Fucking orchids.”
The witch sighed and lifted his face. “I can’t undo what happened, Drayton, but I can remove the lingering effect that resides inside, festering and waiting.”
“What do you mean, waiting?”
“When you ensnare a victim, you’re not simply making them compliant, you’re drawing them in, making them crave you. That need doesn’t simply vanish,” Zephra said.
“Do whatever. Just get her out of my head.”
The witch nodded and closed her eyes, muttering under her breath. When she faced him, she smiled, opening her palm to reveal a small jar, which she opened. She smeared brown ointment over his skin. “There, that should do it.”
“God, it stinks and shit…” Marcus bent over, doubled over with pain. “Witch, you’ve poisoned me. What the hell is that? It’s killing me.”
“Shh, now don’t be silly. I didn’t poison you—the Morrigan did. I merely withdrew the poison. I didn’t say
