Irresistible

Chapter 8

Skyler bolted upright in her bed with a start. She was drenched in sweat, her heart was pounding and her breathing was labored. Another one of Dominic's nightmares had plagued her sleep again. Over the years she had experienced countless unpleasant effects from the spell that bound them together. But sharing a connection with him while she slept and having to witness his innermost thoughts and fears, and having no choice but to share hers with him in return was by far the most unpleasant effect of the binding spell.

She didn't want to have to witness the monstrous atrocities he had endured throughout his life; She didn't want to experience his pain and feel sorry for him because of it. But after seeing the cruelty he had experienced at the hands of someone who should have loved and protected him, she almost understood why he had turned into the monster he was today. She had been surprised and horrified when she first discovered that Dominic hadn't always been a heartless monster. He had in fact once been a kind little boy, who had been badly beaten and abused by his father on a daily basis and then tragically forced to watch on in horror as his beloved mother was murdered by him. Her heart had broken for that little boy, and as much as she didn't want to feel any compassion for Dominic, she reluctantly found herself feeling pity for him.

But no matter how much cruelty he had endured, she could not justify or excuse his allegiance with Noctis. His actions were inexcusable and she must not forget that he was her Enemy. She had to defeat him, and save her niece from falling into his evil clutches. She prayed that Drakaina stayed hidden, but knew it was only a matter of time before her powers exposed her.

She expected that it was only a matter of minutes now before Dominic appeared in her room. He always came to her after she witnessed one of his nightmares. Skyler wasn't entirely sure why. Perhaps he felt exposed just as much as she did when he witnessed one of her memories. Maybe he needed to reassure himself that she still saw him as the big bad villain he portrayed himself to be. Maybe he felt weak and needed to verbally spar with her to make himself feel better. She could only guess his reasons for coming, but she knew for a certainty that he would come.

At first, she had hated the intrusions, in the beginning, she couldn't stand the mere sight of him. But after being his prisoner for so many years she had found that over time she had grown accustomed to him. Aside from their first battle all those years ago, he had treated her well. Although she was a prisoner, she had not been cast into some dreary dungeon as she had expected, but rather she was put up in a very lavish, very comfortable suite of rooms. She hadn't been starved or beaten. She was in fact, very well taken care of, and aside from the threat of dying of boredom, she felt she was safe under his roof. Now, she was not foolish enough to think he didn't have his own self-interests in keeping her safe. They were bound together after all and if he wanted to stay alive, he had to keep her alive. But that didn't mean he had to keep her comfortable.

As much as she despised him, she was thankful for that, and as time went on, she even found herself craving his company, as much as she loathed to admit it. Fighting with him was her only outlet from the overwhelming loneliness that consumed her and threatened to drive her insane. She was completely cut off from the outside world. Aside from the maid that brought her meals, he was the only person to grace her doorstep. He would even upon occasion bring her a book to read, or stay and verbally spar with her over politics. And so it was that a very odd, very fragile kind of relationship had formed between them over the years. But Skyler knew that she could never allow herself to forget that she was still his prisoner.

The sound of the door opening alerted Skyler of his arrival. She turned to see him leaning against the now-closed door. She could feel his eyes devouring every inch of her, making her shiver and Skyler was immediately angry with herself at her response to him.