Elena met Damien's gaze with a steely glare, refusing to back down. "Take it however you like," she replied icily, her voice dripping with venom. "But mark my words, Damien. If you stand in my way, I will not hesitate to remove you."
Damien leaned back in his throne, his expression unreadable as he regarded Elena with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. "You've always been full of surprises, Elena," he remarked cryptically, his tone laced with underlying threat.
Elena held his gaze, her jaw set with determination. "And you've always been a snake, Damien," she shot back, her voice dripping with contempt. "But remember this: even a snake can be crushed beneath a heel."
As Elena's words echoed in the grand chamber, Damien's demeanor shifted. With a sudden, swift movement, he rose from his throne, his towering figure casting a shadow over the room. His eyes blazed with an otherworldly intensity as he descended the steps, each step exuding a palpable aura of power and threat.
Drake and Elena's other aide instinctively tensed, ready to defend their mistress at a moment's notice.
"Kneel," said Damien as he approached, his presence seemed to overwhelm them, compelling their bodies to obey against their will.
With glowing red eyes, Damien uttered a single command, and they were powerless to resist, sinking to their knees before him.
Elena watched in shock as her trusted aides submitted to Damien's will without hesitation. Her heart pounded in her chest as fear mingled with anger, but when Damien turned his attention to her, she found herself unable to move, unable to defy him.
With a chilling chuckle, Damien's voice cut through the tense silence. "Apologize," he commanded, his tone laced with menace.
Elena's lips parted in disbelief as she felt her own voice betray her, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. "I... I'm sorry," she stammered, her pride warring with her fear.
As Damien towered over Elena, his voice thundered through the chamber like a tempest unleashed. "You dare to question me, Elena Shelly?" he roared, his words dripping with contempt. "You, who have always been nothing more than a shadow in the presence of your sister? You are not even the best Shelly yet you confront perfection as I am?"
Elena's heart sank as Damien's words struck home, each one a painful reminder of her own insecurities and doubts. She clenched her fists, struggling to maintain her composure in the face of his relentless assault.
Damien then added insult to more insult as he extended his hand and gently cupped her face, his touch both possessive and demeaning.
"I operate on a different level, Elena," Damien said, his voice dripping with condescension. "You lack the finesse, the cunning, the ruthlessness required for true power. You may think yourself formidable, but you are nothing compared to me."
He paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing. "Yes, I have held council with Rose, but our goals are not aligned. Rest assured, you will be pleased with the result."
With a final, contemptuous sneer, Damien released her face and took a step back, his eyes blazing with undisguised malice. "Now leave, Elena, before I change my mind about what I have planned for you. Your petulant attitude grows tiresome, and I have more important matters to attend to."
Elena's jaw clenched with suppressed rage, but she knew better than to provoke Damien further. With a defiant glare, she turned on her heel and strode out of the room, her mind already racing with plans for revenge. Damien may have dismissed her for now, but she would not forget this humiliation.
She would bide her time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike back at him with all the fury of a scorned vampire.
As Elena reached the threshold, her aides still knelt at Damien's command, their heads bowed in submission. Damien's voice cut through the air with a derisive tone, calling out to her retreating form.
"Elena," he called, his voice laced with mockery, "don't forget to take your rats with you."
Elena's muscles tensed at the insult, her fists clenching at her sides. She turned slowly, fixing Damien with a withering glare that conveyed all the venom of her suppressed fury.
With a regal air of disdain, she approached her aides, who remained on their knees. All it took was a dismissive flick of his hand, he gestured towards Elena's aides, his expression one of bored indifference.
"Get up," he commanded, his voice dripping with contempt.
Immediately, as if released from a spell, the aides rose to their feet, their movements stiff with the remnants of Damien's compulsion. They cast one last wary glance at the imposing figure of Damien before hurrying to catch up with Elena, their loyalty unwavering despite the encounter.
With a final smirk of satisfaction, Damien settled back onto his throne, watching the retreating figures with a predatory gleam in his eyes. The encounter had left him feeling invigorated, a thrill of power coursing through his veins as he reveled in the knowledge of his dominance over his rivals.