I frowned and looked back to Jann. "This?" I touched my lip, smearing the tiniest amount of blood on my two forefingers. "Did you drug him?"
And that was the first time I saw Jann's wrath. Had I spent his patience? Had I failed him? The inexplicable regret I felt would that were the case – and I never bowed to anyone before. Why this man? How did he have this weird power over me? Jann's eyes were raging, his pupils near golden as he gave me the coldest stare I'd ever encountered. At least I could contain my anxious quiver.
And Jann gripped my wrist – it felt like a vice – and suddenly thrust my wrist toward Green.
Green struggled in vain against his binds, his tongue darting through his teeth. I ogled him and his ghastly behavior, trying to pull myself out of Jann's grip, but to no avail. I wasn't surprised that he held me so strongly with his fingers, but still, I tried to worm my way out without even the slightest success.
And Green was nearly frothing at the mouth.
I turned to Jann and my heart nearly stopped when I saw him looking calmly down at me. "Would you let him have a taste of your soul?"
Images of Frank possessing Brooke flashed through my mind. Brooke's skin shriveling and turning white within a matter of seconds. I faltered, a wave of nausea washing over me.
And Jann caught me. I found myself in his arm before I scrambled back to my feet, my observations kicking into comprehension. "No. Never."
Jann smiled. "So you prefer to tease him until the sun rises?"
I scowled, glancing at the window that was ever brightening. I could see the silhouettes of the bushes and neatly manicured landscaping coming into view. Green still lunged toward me, his arms pulled behind him by the chains but his smacking lips and glazed eyes trying unsuccessfully to get close to me. Like he was rabid. But a small voice inside my consciousness told me that this was no human condition.
"There is a minute. I suppose I ought to satiate his desire for your soul before his last few seconds, yes?"
Before I could reply, he'd taken his finger and dragged it across my lip. I was bleeding less now, but a small trace was left on his finger.
Jann let go of me and as if it were all in slow motion (for I comprehended his movement moments later), he moved toward Green, crouched down to the floor and leaning forward, wiped his finger on the tile.
Green followed his every move, watched his every move. And in the quick moment that Jann left the red streak on the floor and pulled himself away, Green flew down to the floor.
I stared, aghast, as I watched him lick the tiny streak. And continue to lick the floor.
Jann reappeared beside me. "Do you see the depravity? How pathetic?"
I was, for once, speechless as I looked in in disgust.
"So this disturbs you?'
I looked back up at him quickly. "This is disgusting."
"It's who we are, were we stripped to our primal nature. Not an attractive sight to witness. But this is something you should know."
Not even Frank was this slobbery or gross. "For what purpose?"
Jann glanced at the clock, then at Green for a moment, then back down to me. "Because now you will watch one of us die."