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His eyes narrowed.
“Coralia told me she knew what was going on,” I said. “She must have been poking around.”
“Coralia.” Faris said her name like it was the vilest of swear words. “I abhor that woman.”
At least in that, the two of us agreed.
“What does she know?” Faris asked me.
“I’m not sure. She was merely hinting at what she knew. She wouldn’t divulge any real information unless I agreed to back her play to win Zarion’s seat on the council.”
“Coralia?” There was that swear word again. “On the gods’ council? Preposterous. That backstabbing goddess would ruin us all.”
“Perhaps we should worry about that backstabbing goddess later? And instead focus on this one?” I indicated Parisa.
“Indeed.” Faris put away his gun. He turned to Parisa. “Where is Regin?”
Laughter exploded out of her mouth.
“You will tell me,” he assured her.
She glowered back at him. “My father is right about you, Uncle.”
Faris didn’t ask what she meant. Her answer wouldn’t have mattered. She was obviously only trying to manipulate him, to gain the upper hand. At least Faris was enough of a megalomaniac to realize that.
“What is Regin planning?” he asked her.
She pressed her lips together and said nothing.
“No matter,” Faris said lightly, like he didn’t care whether she talked or not. To emphasize that, he turned his back on her. “Regin and the others got out and, predictably, returned to their old bad habits.”
“Universal domination,” I said.
“Domination,” he agreed. “And revenge.”
Damiel joined in. “Regin wants to strike back at the other gods, especially his brothers.”
“Regin blames us for his imprisonment,” Faris agreed. “When, really, he had only himself to blame. He thought his feeble children could defeat an army of true gods.” His laugh was disparaging, cutting.
“We are not weak!” Parisa shouted. She grabbed the chain holding her and gave it a solid yank.
But Harker held her in place.
Faris turned just enough to give the goddess a cold look. “If you weren’t weak, you would be able to overpower an angel. Regin claimed you were all full-blooded gods, but I always had my doubts.” His gaze flitted away from her. “And it looks like I was right.”
Parisa howled and yanked and kicked, but that chain must have been an immortal artifact too. And it was muting her powers. Faris surely knew that. He was just trying to get under her skin, making her question who—no, what—she was.
“My father will kill you!” Parisa snarled at him, tugging violently—but uselessly—at her chains. “He will kill you!”
“Well then,” Faris said, his lips curling with savage delight. “It looks like we can begin.” He extended his hand to me.
“Begin?”
“You and I are going to interrogate her,” he told me. “Together.”
“You want to combine our magic,” I realized.
His voice dropped to a terrifying, blistering hiss. “Together, we will tear through her mind with ease.”
