Junga trembled with both fury and fear as she knelt before Queen Kanji in Elizabeth’s penthouse suite. Both were in their Fomorii form, as the queen had ordered.
Junga kept her head and eyes lowered, her body still. Not only for protocol, but to avoid the queen observing Junga’s churning emotions in her expression.
“Daughter of Kae, like your father you are nothing but a disappointment,” the queen rumbled in the Fomorii tongue, her tone filled with disgust as she spoke to Junga.
“Such a simple task,” she went on. “Wipe out the miserable D’Danann and capture the witches you lost. And Silver Ashcroft—because of you she got away. Our warriors doubled the D’Danann ranks, yet we lost more than they. What do you have to say?”
It took great effort for Junga to keep her head bowed and her claws still. “You are right, of course, my queen.”
“Not only did you fail this night, but you have continuously done so since your arrival.” The queen snorted. “You failed to bring the Old One and we now have no one to speak directly with Balor. Not even Darkwolf has the powers she wields.”
Junga clenched her jaw and her fists. If only she dared challenge the queen and rip her throat out. Junga would be more than legion leader then, and no one would dare challenge her.
But the queen’s thick, thick hide protected her too well. Perhaps in her weaker human form, when the queen was at her most vulnerable.
If only Junga dared.
“Rise,” the queen ordered.
Junga eased to stand firmly on all four limbs. She clenched her massive jaw tighter and fought to keep her eyes from showing her hate.
“Take your inferior human form,” the queen said. “Return to the ballroom and speak to the witch parents of Silver Ashcroft. Convince them to help—whatever it takes.”
Junga slowly shifted into human form until she towered over the queen. She was tempted to rub the back of her neck where D’Danann talons had torn the flesh, but it had healed. Once she had shifted into a demon, the wounds vanished.
Apparently the queen didn’t like having to look up at Junga. Kanji growled and transformed into her human form. Features shifted. Claws retracted. She rose to stand on two feet.
The beautiful blonde woman again stared at Junga eye to eye. The knowledge in Kanji’s expression made Junga’s belly twist. How Darkwolf and the queen had whipped and taken her and how she had enjoyed it…
Balor, please help me.
Junga lowered her eyes again to keep her emotions hidden.
“Perhaps you need another lesson in obedience,” Kanji said, and Junga’s gaze shot up to meet the queen’s. Kanji’s eyes casually glanced at where the hook was still jutting from the wall before looking back to Junga.
Heat flushed Junga’s human cheeks.
Kanji’s voice lowered to a growl. “You’re nothing but a little slave-bitch. I should replace you immediately with one of those who do not enjoy submission.”
Junga kept her fists from clenching and gave a bow from her shoulders. “I will see to the witches now.”
With a wave of her elegant hand, Kanji urged Junga to leave her. “Go. Now.”
The queen casually reclined on one of the sumptuous couches and watched Junga with what looked like mirth in her eyes.
Junga left the queen in the large suite that had once been Elizabeth’s. The suite where she had been erotically punished by Kanji and Darkwolf.
She shook it off, raised her chin and took the elevator to the lobby. When the bell dinged, she exited and strode to the ballroom where all the witches were still kept captive.
When she walked through the double doors of the ballroom, she stormed past the guards to where Victor and Moondust Ashcroft were propped against the wall behind the force field. Moondust rested her head on Victor’s shoulder, her eyes closed, her face drawn and pinched.
Junga took a deep breath and composed her features so that she appeared cool and confident when she reached the Ashcrofts.
Both looked exhausted and filthy from their days of captivity. All the captives had been well fed with human foods, and allowed to use the restroom facilities one at a time with their hands bound behind their backs. A pleasant discovery had been that they could not perform magic while bound.
“You are running out of time,” Junga said to the Ashcrofts.
Moondust opened her eyes, lifted her head, and met Junga’s gaze head-on. In that moment, she no longer looked tired. She appeared as vibrant as the day she had been captured.
Junga gnashed her teeth.
“You will receive no help from Victor or myself,” Moondust said in a soothing voice that made Junga want to claw her eyes out.
Victor’s face reddened, and Junga could tell his control was tenuous. “We will die before performing black witchcraft for you or anyone else.”
Irritation clenched Junga’s belly, but she held it in check. Instead she tapped her chin with one long fingernail, as if the witches’ lives meant nothing to her.
It irked her to no end that she needed these powerful beings to bring the tremendous number of demons remaining in Underworld to this world. If only Fomorii had the power to summon through host bodies. Then they could kill the witches, take over their bodies and minds, and be done with it.
“You have no choice,” Junga said with her best haughty smile. “Your daughter will die if you do not.”
Victor’s face paled for a fraction of a second before he recovered himself. He snorted, an arrogant tilt to his head. “You need her too badly. You will not kill her.”
Narrowing her eyes, Junga stepped forward. Her needle- sharp teeth elongated and nearly punctured her lower lip. Her claws slipped from her human fingers and dug into her palms, deep enough that warm blood trickled down the soft flesh, but she was too furious to feel the pain.
“Trust me,” Junga said. “If I do not get cooperation from either of you, or Silver, I have no problem feeding the lot of you to my warriors.”
Victor’s face turned a deeper shade of purple. Despite his bravado, she had seen the fear for his daughter. “Do what you will,” he finally said, but she heard the slightest waver in his voice. “Do what you will.”
Junga straightened and gave them Elizabeth’s smirk. “Come tomorrow night, be prepared.”
Bloodlust and hunger burned in Junga’s chest. She turned, cast a look back over her shoulder, and gave a wicked smile as an appealing thought came to her. She focused on the Ashcrofts again. “For every time you refuse me, I will eat one apprentice or lesser witch.”
Moondust sucked in her breath, her eyes widening as Victor’s color deepened.
But the male witch only said, “We never, ever, compromise with evil.”
“Fine,” Junga snarled and straightened her black suit—one of many from Elizabeth’s closet. “In the meantime simply to show you my sincerity, I will dine on one of your apprentice witches now.”
“No!” Moondust cried, horror twisting her pale features.
If Victor turned any more purple than he already was, he was sure to have heart failure.
Junga simply smiled and gave a soft laugh before she shifted into her demon form and dropped to all fours. She slowly padded across the ballroom to one of the apprentice witches, one with little power according to the warlock priest. Junga was hungry and ready for a good meal. This plump witch on the end would be perfect.
With a bat of her tremendous paw, Junga knocked the witch facedown. The female screamed. So did several other witches.
“No! Please don’t hurt Sandy!” another witch cried as Junga sank her incisors into the redheaded witch’s nape.
The instant rush of blood flowing over her tongue was an aphrodisiac like no other. She dragged the screaming witch from the room, intent on enjoying a good meal. And Sandy was a very good meal, indeed.