James locked eyes with the man at the hint of the threat, his entire being holding on to that tone. Slowly, he moved the rest of his body off of the table, never relinquishing his grip on Jasper's throat.
Getting to his feet shakily, the Dark One took a step closer to the vampire, glaring right into his eyes. He looked for a long moment, fiery determination bubbling inside of him, anger roaring and churning. His emerald eyes held a blackness that made him seem suddenly very inhuman.
"Listen carefully," he stated. His voice was low now, and though he suffered immensely from the pain, it did not quiver. The tone was as sharp as an arrowhead. "No one ... gives me orders." He glowered, his body heating up instinctively. "Therefore, release ... is something I grant you."
With that, he shoved the vampire back, letting go of his neck and falling to one knee, the pain starting to become unbearable. The disorientation was beginning to take things to another level. His mind began thinking of escape.