Excerpt of Provoked Lover by Zenobia Renquist

"You failed once already. You won't be given a second chance."

"Unless you plan to keep her locked away forever, we have this puppet's entire lifetime to see the deed done. Are you so useless to your master that he would leave you to act as a guard dog to a lowly human for the next few decades?" The mage using Sicily's mouth made her laugh in a derisive manner that made her want to smack herself to make it stop.

Lamon looked like he would do what she couldn't. Instead, he kissed her.

Sicily stared at him in surprised shock. What was he doing?

He walked forward, backing her roughly against the nearby wall. His tongue invaded her mouth and smoothed over her tongue several times, as though he were tasting her.

He pulled back with a satisfied grin. "I know you now, you bastards. I may not be able to break the spell, but I can disrupt it."

The mage said through Sicily, "Try it. Your words are empty and useless, just like whatever you have planned. Nothing can disrupt this spell."

Lamon moved his hand from Sicily's neck and trailed it down her chest. A burning smell accompanied a thin trail of smoke rising from the path his fingers took. Sicily gasped when he tore open her shirt, along with her bra, and latched his mouth onto one of her nipples.

A cry of pain escaped Sicily's lips as Lamon bruised her nipple with his sucking. She pushed at his shoulders and tried twisting away.

He let her go and snapped, "Stop fighting me, you fool. This is for your own good."

She snapped back, "I'll stop fighting when you stop hurting me. What are you doing, anyway?"

"Sex. I need you to orgasm, the stronger the better. The chemical reaction of your body upon climax will disrupt their ability to monitor and control you."

She gave him an incredulous look. "Wow. That's the best pick-up line I've heard to date."