“You couldn’t do anything worse than taking me from my world and forcing yourself on me, Bai. That’s worse than death for me!”

“I could kill the one you claim to love. I could do it while you watched.” He bared his teeth. “It would give me pleasure.”

She went absolutely motionless. “You leave him alone.” The words came out thin and shuddering with terror. They sounded as weak as she felt.

“If that’s what it takes to break you, I will do it.” He growled again, leaning in close to her face. She wanted to gag from the stench of his breath—rotted meat—but bit it back with effort. “Because I do intend to break you.”

She struggled against him to no avail. The man outweighed her by an entire person. “Bastard.” It was pathetic, but it was all she could do. Her stomach had turned to a wad of frozen dough.

Contorting enough to unsheathe her syringe, she brought it up, slammed the needle deep into his side, and pushed the plunger down. Then she held her breath.

Please, let it work.

Bai laughed. “Vae Sarafina, do you think me stupid? I learned from my predecessor’s mistakes. I have taken enough caplium to protect me against even a direct injection of charmed copper.”

Well, that was just great.

“I think it’s time we cement our relationship.” His face dipped toward hers.

In her mind that translated into . . . well, a very bad thing. She couldn’t even think the word when it pertained to this being.

And it wasn’t happening.

She did what Theo had told her to never do. She yanked a huge hunk of power from her seat and exploded it between herself and Bai, using the technique Claire had taught her to get past a demon’s natural shields, while also protecting herself from the magickal backlash.

Fire arced, pushing Bai backward. The scent of burning daaeman flesh made her gag and this time she couldn’t suppress it. Groping for her sword, she pushed to her feet to run while she had a chance. She staggered, fell, caught herself one-handed in some dead leaves, and pushed back up. Her chest felt on fire.

Bai was rolling on his back, groaning as if in severe pain.

Pain arced through her, too. Staggering and falling to the ground for a second time, she gasped in agony, clutching her chest and crawling in the deadfall for a few moments before forcing herself to her feet. She’d just tossed everything she had on the table and it probably wouldn’t be enough.